Within the video above you possibly can see me unpacking my new Voltaic 18 Watt Photo voltaic Charger Package from Voltaic Techniques.
This easy solar energy equipment contains a V60 battery, a small 3-panel circuit field, and three 6 watt photo voltaic panels. When mixed, the three panels on this cheap photo voltaic equipment give you 18 complete watts of charging energy – sufficient to energy good telephones, digital camera batteries, tablets, and even laptop computer computer systems.
I bought the Voltaic 18 Watt Photo voltaic Package after the unimaginable success of the Voltaic Fuse 4 Watt – a product I used on my current 14-month-long bicycle tour in Europe and Africa. It’s bigger cousin, the Fuse 10 Watt, is extra highly effective, and in addition works extraordinarily effectively. However with my upcoming bicycle tour via Europe and Asia simply across the nook (see right here for my 2014 bicycle touring itinerary), I made a decision to go professional with my photo voltaic charging capabilities this time round. With the ability to cost my iPod contact and my GoPro video digital camera whereas biking throughout Europe and Africa in 2012 and 2013 was superior, however this yr I would like to have the ability to cost all the digital objects I’m carrying with me… and which means having the ability to energy an iPhone, a number of DSLR lithium digital camera batteries and a MacBook Professional laptop computer pc.
So as to energy the electronics I’ll be carrying with me this yr, I wanted to improve my wattage. The small 4 watt Fuse gained’t work this time round. It’s merely not highly effective sufficient to cost a laptop computer pc in a well timed method. And despite the fact that I like the Voltaic Fuse 10 Watt, it’s a bit too large to hold strapped to the rear rack of my bicycle (I may do it, but it surely simply doesn’t look proper. It’s a bit too massive and little too cumbersome.) So, that’s why I bought the Voltaic 18 Watt Photo voltaic Charger Package.
The primary distinction between the 18 Watt Charger Package and the ten Watt Fuse is that the Fuse is a completed product. It consists of three photo voltaic panels mounted to a black zippered case, with the battery inside. You merely order the factor and it is able to use as quickly because it arrives.
The 18 Watt Charger Package, nonetheless, is purposely shipped in items and must be put collectively when you get it. Fortunately, that is very straightforward to do, due to Voltaic’s easy and easy-to-use product designs.
The benefit of the equipment over the completed product is that as a result of the equipment doesn’t include the black case discovered on Voltaic’s Fuse merchandise, you possibly can mount the photo voltaic panels in any association you want… and the top product is a complete lot lighter.
I didn’t actually speak about my plans for mounting the photo voltaic panels within the video on the prime of this web page, however what I plan to do is that this: I plan to mount not less than two of the three photo voltaic panels that come within the 18 Watt Package to the rear rack of my bicycle. This can give me a 12 Watt energy outage (with simply two panels mounted) and if I can handle to suit the third panel someplace on the bike, that can give me a complete 18 watts of charging energy. The battery will then be saved inside considered one of my bicycle panniers and I will cost my electronics all day lengthy whereas I’m slowly biking my method round Europe and Asia later this yr.
I’m not precisely certain how the entire thing goes to work in the intervening time. I don’t know the place or how precisely I’m going to mount the photo voltaic panels, however I’ll let you understand how it really works out simply as quickly as I’ve it sorted. Keep tuned for future updates!
To study extra about utilizing solar energy to cost and re-charge your digital units when bicycle touring, you’ll want to learn my detailed evaluate of the Voltaic Fuse 4 Watt Photo voltaic Panel… or go to the Voltaic System’s web site the place they’ve a complete part dedicated to bicycle touring.