You're doing some good thinking here that will leave most Sheeple in the dust!

You can do what you are wanting to but you will need to identify the polarity of the contacts and insure you don't allow too much current to flow thru your expedient connection that might damage the cell or the source of power.

The simplist way to limit current, is to use say a small 12 vdc lamp in series with one of the leads.

That way if say you connect the cell battery through the lamp to a 12 vdc battery [a car battery for instance] or someother source, you limit the current to approximately what the small lamp is rated at.

The lamp also serves as sort of a fuse.

A lamp number comes to mind 328, Goggle it's specs as a learning exercise to determine current rating, most any low current lamp will work if the voltage rating is in excess of your source of charging juice.

The 328 is a 6 vdc lamp suitable for a few AA's in series as a charging source. A 327 is a 28 VDC 40 ma lamp and 2 in parallel would be fine for a 12 battery charge source. There are so many lamps around, in vehicles, electronics, everywhere, that you have a lot to choose from.

I've used pins, or taped wires to a table and pushed the battery against them to make an expedient contact and charge camera and cell batteries.

Many lithium batteries are 3 vdc so you could use any arrangement of batteries you have available with a voltage over abt 4.5 vdc in this case [3 AA's]

Now before the girlie boy worry warts chime in about blowing yerself up charging a lithium battery, there are some cautions.

!!MAKE CERTAIN YOU LIMIT CURRENT TO APPROX 1/10 THE BATTERY CAPACITY. The capacity should be on the battery label..

!!Limit charge time and don't try to charge all the way. Typically the teminal voltage to recharge a 3vdc lithium battery is about 4.2vdc.

!!Buy a Harbor Fright DVM for abt $3 [the best buy in the world] so you can learn and understand whatca yer doing.

!! I suggest chg'ing the battery OUTSIDE the device.

Google charging lith bats so you become a bit edjucated on the subject.

Any more questions ask. I'm stopping playing for now to do some work...   Will peek in from time to time...

This expedient technique is something most serious preppers should have a handle on.

Anything with a built in lithium battery like a phone has an onboard charge controller for the battery.  No need to waste power with a light bulb, resistor, etc.  Only problem would be if you would exceed the voltage limit for the charge controller with a higher voltage solar panel or battery setup.  One of those cig lighter to USB port charging adapters should regulate automotive voltage down to a safe USB port level.

OP, I use a RIPA 2 solar charger.

It has a battery built in, and the whole thing is about the size of a droid. (Which I use also)

You don't need to use just the sun, you can charge the Ripa up from your computer, so the first time you need it its completely ready to go.

It comes with all the necessary plugs and adapters. I have also charged my gen 1 Ipad, and my SO's Iphone.

The main downside is I don't think its very durable. I keep one in my GHB/truck bag, but its advisable to store it in a little Pelican case or something.

All well and good...

However––-

What do you do if you find yourself with yer little cell, camera, Ipoo, ––battery dead and you left yer charger at home and the Zoombies are coming over the hill and you want to take pix and post be4 they eat you?

I have explained an important expedient way to charge these small bat-trys but it appears it has zinged over some prepperz hds, as usual..

I value what you posted EXPY, as in most topics, but I am a prepper.

My solar charger has never left the bag in my truck. I don't need it at home (today), where my socket chargers and computers are. (and larger solar chargers are)

Shit, I have DC chargers in my truck too, but In case I ever have to walk home or spend a night . . . Would you rather be carrying a simple charger with the correct plugs and wires, or a battery and some random electrical components to try and jerryrig some shit together. (that could easily be damaging the integrity of your device)


Same way you think everyone should know your info, I believe everyone should own one of these actual chargers.

No time spent tinkering and diddling with wires and batteries, pins and needles, disassembling your phone/laptop to charge it. I just plug the shit in (like normal) and voila, charging AND operational at the same time.


What you suggest is what I'd consider a last resort, post apocalypse scavenger shit . . . However, equally valuable information.

But there's no need to be suggesting something was over my head just because it's 2012 and I choose to take advantage of the technologies available to us....

Not to mention, there's nothing about your technique that could be more expedient than inserting a plug.

You damn tinkering types get so blinded by your own curiosity and interest to realize you've successfully circled the problem 4 times before finding it. Just to find out you created a problem that was never there in the first place.


ETA: fuck zombies

What you suggest is what I'd consider a last resort, post apocalypse scavenger shit . . . However, equally valuable information.

That's what my post is all about...     How many times do you think I've resorted to this method, just a few but it got the job done!

One time was 3 weeks ago when my SO forgot the cell charger...

Another was at a uranium mine when we forgot the cam charger...



"My solar charger has never left the bag in my truck."

Just wait a bit longer...



But there's no need to be suggesting something was over my head just because it's 2012 and I choose to take advantage of the technologies available to us....

OVER YOUR HEAD??? This is simple stuff except for the mentally LAZY! [or I wouldn'd have posted it]    



Not to mention, there's nothing about your technique that could be more expedient than inserting a plug.

Apparently you STILL don't unnerstand -this is for when you DON'T HAVE A 'PLUG'!

Ugh. . .

I don't mean wall plug etc. I mean the plug on the phone end of the charger. The mini USB.

There's one in my truck, one in the bag in my truck, one in the bag in my closet, and all the regularly used ones around my house. If you have a phone on you, there's no good reason there shouldn't be a proper means for charging it near by.

If you need to resort to stuff like this, your not prepping right.


Also, post apocalypse, wtf do you need to charge your phone for anyways.

Here's a suggestion Zeger...

Go out in the woods and harvest a nice stick [make sure no CT trees are harmed in the process, I think we can trust you to be very sensitive to this issue]

Take it home and with a magik mrker write:

"Critical Thinking Skilz Enhancing Stick" along its length...

And have someone you trust give you about 5 good whacks upside your head with it.

Then come back and we can talk abt this sum mor.

Well, yes, yes it is.

For some folks at least...

How is this post valuable to the SF??

Self improvement is usually valuable...

Especially in the context of understanding technically expedient solutions.

There is no need for critical thinking here, you can "just plug your phone into the sun".

If you want to massively over think everything then be my guest.but as far as preps go, this is quite literally one of the simplest areas.

I can charge my walkie talkies, phones, radios, cameras, computers etc, and I don't have to think twice. Not to mention, it is a hell of a lot easier and safer to explain to my loved ones, aim this (charger) at that (the sun) and plug it into your phone, and done. Than it is to explain your process. Yes, I can do it, but for what, to say so? Great.

I'm not the type to critically think a no-brainer. I work with guys like you, they'll waste half a day thinking about how to go about something, and by the time they figure out the "best way", I finished it 3 hours ago.



P.S. I've used up all my critical thinking for the day trying to figure out what the fuck your trying to spell.

I agree, but may I suggest a back up phone.

I must have 6 old phones lying around.

"I must have 6 old phones lying around."

Sigh...

This isn't just abt you Zeggy

Ok, would you care to quote the whole post and stop trying to make me look like a self centered brainless idiot.

I've made multiple, highly useful contributions to this thread,  that could potentially steer other patrons in the right direction. I suppose you'd like me to apologize because the solutions are quite simple, apparently it's only acceptable to you if it proves critical thinking necessary.

You continue to reply, quite condescendingly I might add, to every single thing I have said. All at the same time, adding essentially nothing aside from your cell battery tinker tap, which I have noted graciously as useful information. Albeit only if you have failed to follow through on the 1000 other better ways to go about this.



The whole CT stick thing, seriously? Fuck you guy. I used to enjoy your posts, likely not so much now that you've exposed yourself to me as a fuckin prick. Especially knowing you denote efficient quality ways of going about things just so you can toy with shit to make yourself feel smarter. Aside from learning that, your posts have been complete fucking asshattery.

I appologize for posting in a way that offends you Zeg.

It's just you are so inflexible in your POV, I was trying to get your attention to consider all aspects of expedient solutions re charging batteries by incorporating logic and humor.

I've obviously failed...



I hope you give me another chance.

Then I suggest you turn around and read this thread again, maybe in a different light, as I never disagreed with your approach.

I will do that.

Pls check my edit above.

I got the 30w Powerfilm and Tekkeon because of this thread: Review- Tekkeon 3450R2 Battery Pack/Powerfilm Solar Panel Combo
because of the output of the panel, I plug the (controlled) juice directly into the DC input if the battery w/ no flimsy toys to worry about.
the 30W because I live in the mountains, and clouds are more frequent.

I use the Tekkeon when I travel.
Charge w/ AC adapter, keep it in my backpack and tether to my droid to play or charge.
the only connectors I use for the battery and phone are USB, mini, and DC in