What's the best way to charge?

[Back Pack Hack]

Might be the way to go would be to use your device to slow-charge up a battery pack, it could sit on the stove all day/night long, and then charge the phone off the pack. Would have to shield the pack from the heat... it could sit off the stove to the side... Thoughts?

I've seen it done, and I have the parts to build one to try it out. I just haven't had time to put it all together and test it out. When I do, I'll post a video.

In the meantime, here's the voltage regulator hooked up to my power supply to show how it works:

[Dwight55]

You are obviously using light bulbs in the house.

If you use a "grow light" that is supposed to mimic the sun, . . . would it not also work your solar charger??

I don't know if it would work, . . . but if it were my dilemma, . . . I would be tempted to take a whack at it. Since you have to have electrical lights burning, . . . replace one with a grow light and see what happens.

AND, . . . I wouldn't put all my money in that particular Amazon idea, . . . some solar chargers do work after the light has come thru a window. My wife has several little solar powered toys in our kitchen window that work all day long while the sun is out.

May God bless,
Dwight

[MountainGirl]

You are obviously using light bulbs in the house.

If you use a "grow light" that is supposed to mimic the sun, . . . would it not also work your solar charger??

I don't know if it would work, . . . but if it were my dilemma, . . . I would be tempted to take a whack at it. Since you have to have electrical lights burning, . . . replace one with a grow light and see what happens.

AND, . . . I wouldn't put all my money in that particular Amazon idea, . . . some solar chargers do work after the light has come thru a window. My wife has several little solar powered toys in our kitchen window that work all day long while the sun is out.

May God bless,
Dwight

Hi Dwight, thanks for your reply!

I googled your idea... and it looks like any kind of artificial light could be used to charge through a solar cell - IF it's bright enough..seems I recall having an old TI calculator that kept itself charged under my desk light.

What I'm tryin to do, is have a way to charge a phone while out in the boonies totally, without a cabin light to use or plugged into the cabin's solar system to charge directly. LOL solar toys; we have a daisy with a bee on it in the kitchen window that flaps its leaves & clicks all the time & drives the cats nutz. I like that.

[Dwight55]

Hi Dwight, thanks for your reply!

I googled your idea... and it looks like any kind of artificial light could be used to charge through a solar cell - IF it's bright enough..seems I recall having an old TI calculator that kept itself charged under my desk light.

What I'm tryin to do, is have a way to charge a phone while out in the boonies totally, without a cabin light to use or plugged into the cabin's solar system to charge directly. LOL solar toys; we have a daisy with a bee on it in the kitchen window that flaps its leaves & clicks all the time & drives the cats nutz. I like that.

The other thing you can do is get a GM alternator off any fairly late model GM car (others may work as well).

You only need three things for it to work: 1) mount it securely, . . . 2) run a shaft up from it thru the roof to a wind catcher that looks like half balls on the end of sticks, . . . they turn easy in almost no breeze, . . . 3) a battery for the alternator to charge. They have a built in voltage regulator, . . . so you can safely leave it hooked up to that battery indefinitely, . . . and with your inverter hooked to the battery, . . . you can charge all sorts of stuff.

I'm gonna fix one here at my place later this year, . . . for the same reasons.

May God bless,
Dwight

[MountainGirl]

The other thing you can do is get a GM alternator off any fairly late model GM car (others may work as well).

You only need three things for it to work: 1) mount it securely, . . . 2) run a shaft up from it thru the roof to a wind catcher that looks like half balls on the end of sticks, . . . they turn easy in almost no breeze, . . . 3) a battery for the alternator to charge. They have a built in voltage regulator, . . . so you can safely leave it hooked up to that battery indefinitely, . . . and with your inverter hooked to the battery, . . . you can charge all sorts of stuff.

I'm gonna fix one here at my place later this year, . . . for the same reasons.

May God bless,
Dwight

Another good idea. Thanks!

[MoreAmmoOK]

A good sized UPS (uninterruptible power supply) like used on computer equipment. Charges during the times of good power, runs for a while when power is down. I have several, main use is to protect electronics from nasty power. When the power is out I shut down the electronics and use them to charge phones and power things like small battery chargers and LED lights.

[Sparkyprep]

A good sized UPS (uninterruptible power supply) like used on computer equipment. Charges during the times of good power, runs for a while when power is down. I have several, main use is to protect electronics from nasty power. When the power is out I shut down the electronics and use them to charge phones and power things like small battery chargers and LED lights.

I have several large UPS, on my computer, Direct TV receiver, etc. I never thought of using them to charge cell phones. Thanks!

[MountainGirl]

A good sized UPS (uninterruptible power supply) like used on computer equipment. Charges during the times of good power, runs for a while when power is down. I have several, main use is to protect electronics from nasty power. When the power is out I shut down the electronics and use them to charge phones and power things like small battery chargers and LED lights.

Hi, thanks!
The UPS itself is charged up though with "good power" which I take to mean grid or gen or large solar system; i.e with an inverter.. Is that right?

[Back Pack Hack]

Hi, thanks!
The UPS itself is charged up though with "good power" which I take to mean grid or gen or large solar system; i.e with an inverter.. Is that right?

Yes. A UPS is basically a battery bank, very similar to what you're already using. They're typically free-standing, self-contained units. You hook them up to utility/generator power, and they have chargers built into them to charge & maintain the batteries.

[Sparkyprep]

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/cyberpo...?skuId=3938817

I have 3 of these in my home, backing up and protecting various systems.