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I'm only half kidding. I'm a bit of a prepper and I have lots of powerbanks and devices that charge from USB but besides idling my truck I really had no other way to charge any of them in case of a long-term power outage which seemed a bit of an oversight on my part.
Not like this solves the issue. 30 watts (under ideal conditions) isn't much but it's a start.
You're already doing better than most by testing your gear and knowing what it can do BEFORE you have to rely on it, so good work.
I would suggest investing in a charge controller if your panel or power bank doesn't have one built in. The power delivery from a panel fluctuates with the amount of light it receives. A charge controller will ensure your connected devices receive clean, constant current, which will greatly extend their lifespan.
Depending on your setup, I might also suggest exploring some kind of mechanical backup, like a hand crank or a modified bicycle to get you through overcast days.
Solar is a lot of fun to tinker with.
I’ve been window shopping solar panels off Facebook marketplace to turn my server room (shed built off my garage) into solar only. Seems to be about 3k all in. Not bad
Anything you can't build and repair when it breaks is worthless for a long term situation. Unless long term means a week or so and then civilization returns, like after a bad storm. Hand, water, and gravity powered energy storage are not pretty or as much energy, but they'll keep going long after panels break or wear out. Then there's how to store the power, batteries are a lot more complicated if you want something that you can redo or make vs. scavenging. Again, it's the line between even a bad outage with eventual resolution or complete loss.
He said it was for a long-term power outage, not the literal apocalypse.
But even in the case of the literal apocalypse, with the grid permanently down, solar panels can last decades. I see no reason not to have something like this.
I'm not a prepper by any means but I feel like anything that uses electricity is also beyond my ability to repair, so I feel like a solar panel isn't the worst thing to have.
I bought the Jackery Explorer 100 and am coupling it with a 45W panel. I figured the Jackery would be better for solar than an average power bank, because they already package it in a bundle with their own panel. BUT since both USB C ports on the Jackery can do both power in/out, I think the Jackery can actually get confused about whether it's supposed to be charging or discharging, when the panel is running at very low output.. ... at least, that's how I interpret having returned to it and seeing it discharged when connected to the panel.
Out of curiosity, I’ve been wanting to get a jackery for camp trips an such, how is the 100w model? I keep eyeing the 2000w version but the price of it is absurd.
It's been fine, except for the issue I already described. The build quality is decent, but nothing special. There's a ridge down the middle that's a bit wider than it should be. The display button recedes a bit far into the case and so can get a little annoying to push. It's got some nice rubber feet, and the orange might make it easier to spot in a dark tent. I haven't put it through heavy or methodical testing though. Just mentioning things that I haven't seen mentioned in reviews. It's a heavy item for a backpack, so might be worth reconsidering if it's overkill for your needs anyway.
Those backpack folding units arel great for powering a speaker when gardening.
Have a look at solar blankets. More expensive, but same storage footprint when folded and you can get more wattage out of them
I kinda want to get some solar for USB power, largely phones/tablets. But it doesn't really make much sense to for me currently. Just getting another battery is a better choice and something I actually use. Solar would only make sense if I planned to need to keep recharging for an extended duration.
But at the same time solar is pretty cool.. What else can I power to make use of it. Of course full home solar makes sense. But small portable stuff seems cool and affordable. Just don't really seem like it makes sense.
