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3/11/10

TEOTWAWKI Portable Solar Power Update

I did some further scouring and searching of the interwebs following my post yesterday about having portable solar power and came across a pretty darn good deal on a new folding, 12.5 watt solar panel. Basically this panelbut the "military" model in desert camo. $80, shipped, new. Good deal. And with my curiosity in portable solar piqued--and my budget tight--this fit the bill. It's on the way to me now...I'll post pics and updates when it arrives.

I know, I know, it's only 12.5 watts. But, from what I can tell, it should put out more than enough power to charge cell phones, AA/AAA battery chargers, iPods, GPS, etc. via 12v DC/cigarette lighter power cords. I also have a Black and Decker Electromate 400--basically a big battery pack with a built in charge controller and inverter--that I think this panel should be able to "top off" if I keep usage on the conservative side. Will this set up support anything big for an extended length of time? Certainly not--no fridge or even a normal sized laptop, I imagine. I'm looking into DC-powered battery-operated power tools at the moment--seems like they would need 3-5 hours to charge with this panel, but I'm not sure if it's feasible.

However, I think it will be a good foray into solar power, and I plan to expand the set up in bits and pieces. I'll keep you posted!

Again, if anyone knows of any portable solar power communities or forums on the interwebs, please share!