When the sun shines................
For a ride in France this summer I took two;
1) 10W PowerFilm foldable F15-600. This cost around £125 including taxes (ordered from USA)
2) 5W Sunflex Monocrystalline semi-flexible panel. This cost around £20 from ebay (A fraction of the price of the Silva, similar performance, but better shape to strap on top of a pannier). N.B the 5W panels are not always listed, but are probably the best shape.
The PowerFilm performed poorly in less than direct overhead sun compared to the other panel and is well over twice the size - presumably the fully flexible/foldable technology is less efficient (weight is good though).
We couldn't charge every day, due to cloudy conditions (neither produced enough output to charge anything & PowerFilm say not to get it wet).
Even on sunny days, we struggled to get our Kindle, one basic GSM phone, SWradio, torch & back light batteries all charged. We plugged into mains whenever we could to supplement (most nights in campsites).
Next year I will charge an intermediate LiIon battery pack, to ensure we make the most of the solar panels, as some things like the kindle take only a little power, but take a long time to charge.
Ian
@IncyWincyRider
Last edited by Ian Bradshaw; 17 Sep 2011 at 23:19.
Reason: typo
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