Voltaic Converter
Reviewed by Robert Pritchett
Voltaic Systems Inc.
252 West 14th Street #3
New York, NY 10011
USA
+ 1 212 627 5012
info@voltaicsystems.com
http://www.voltaicsystems.com/index.shtml
Released: 2005
$200 USD, others for $240 USD (Daypack), $250 USD
(Backpack).
Comes with: Bag, 3
Solar panels (4Watts), Adapters for cellphones, GPS’s, MP3’s, cameras, 2-way
radios, PDA’s. Lithium Ion battery, adapters for wall outlets worldwide and
Car chargers. USB Charger, AC travel charger, DC car charger. A 9-page
pamphlet and Bagtag with a list of chargeable electronics. An iPod Adapter is
another $4.
FAQs. Replacement Solar panels - $30 USD.
Strengths: Bags
made from recycled PET (post-consumer plastics). Tough, lightweight,
waterproof, UV resistant.
Weaknesses: Does not charge laptops.
Takes 8-10 hours to charge.
Other Adapters: http://www.voltaicsystems.com/adaptors.shtml |
|
Introduction
Most of
what you read here is from the Voltaic Systems website.
The Voltaic solar bags are mobile power
generators, designed to charge your devices without tying you to a power
outlet, which makes them ideal for traveling.
Just plug a standard car charger into
the bag and recharge most small electronic devices including: cell phones,
cameras, two way radios, PDA's, and MP3s. Note: it is not designed to charge laptops.
If you don't have a car charger, the bags
come with a set of 11 standard adaptors for common cell phones
and other devices. We also offer a full range of optional adaptors.
Embedded in the outside of the bags are
three lightweight, tough, waterproof solar
panels which generate up to 4 watts of power. This means
quicker charge times!
Included with each bag is a Li Ion battery
pack which stores any surplus power generated, so it is
available when you need it - not just when the sun is up. The battery pack
can also be charged using an AC travel charger or car charger (both included).
This makes the Voltaic bags just as useful on the grid as off.
Opening the Package
What you need to know up front
is that these bags are nice, but are not designed to provide power to
PowerBooks. iPods, yes. PowerBooks or other portable computers, no.
I got so excited when I heard
about these Photovoltaic bags, I wanted to become a dealer for Voltaic
Systems. They were nice enough to send a bag so I could see for myself what
$200 USD buys these days. And when I got the bag I discovered it held a LOT of
goodies! The Photovoltaic panels come in one of 4 colors, Silver, Orange, Green
or Charcoal.
What's
Included
1. Battery Pack: Stores power from the solar panels (or chargers)
until needed. Regulates the flow of power to the device.
2. Power Out
Cable: To connect to a device using an
adaptor. Plugs into the “DC OUT’” plug on
the battery.
3. Adaptors: Plug into the power out cable to connect a device. Note: Set the battery to the correct voltage
first.
4. Car Charger
Socket: To charge a device using a car
charger. Connect to the battery (at 7.2V) or
direct to the solar panels.
5. USB Adaptor: To charge a device using a USB charger. Connect to the battery (use 5V setting only).
6. AC Charger: For recharging the battery from a wall socket. Connects to the “DC IN” plug underneath the
battery.
7. Car Charger: For recharging the battery from a car. Connects to the “DC IN” plug underneath the
battery.
Bag Setup
The battery clips into the front pouch of the bag where it connects to
the solar panels. It can also be removed for use separately.
1. Battery Cable: Connects the solar panels to the battery. Keep this
cable connected when in the sun to capture any power generated.
2. Solar Power
Cable: Delivers solar power directly from
the solar panels (at 10V and up to 400mA). Useful where a higher voltage
is required than the battery pack delivers (e.g. for some car chargers or when
charging batteries requiring 8.4V or more).
3. Car Charger
Socket: Enables charging using a standard
car charger. Plug into the battery (with voltage set to 7.2V), or directly into
the solar power cable for higher power (10V).
4. Shoulder Strap
Power Cable: Plugs into the battery (“DC
OUT” plug) to deliver power to the shoulder strap (not used on all models).
Battery
1. Voltage Switch: Controls the voltage output from the battery. Check
the device being charged for correct voltage. USB chargers and most phones
charge at 5V. For car chargers use 7.2V.
2. DC OUT Plug: Connects to the power out cable, USB Adaptor, or
the car charger socket to power various devices.
3. Switch for
Torch: Controls LED torch [flashlight] on
the front of the battery. Approximate life 55 hours per charge.
4. Charge
Indicator: Shows when the battery is
charging (red for fast charge, green for trickle charge).
5. Test Button: To test the charge in the battery. Green indicates
full, amber partial charge, red low. No light indicates empty.
6. DC IN Plug: Connects the battery
for recharging from solar panels, AC charger, or car charger (located
underneath battery).
Now we can see how the goodies
are used;
Charging
the Battery: The battery stores any power
generated by the solar panels until required to charge a device (similar to
some solar house systems). Keep the battery connected to the solar panels
whenever in the sun. For the best results,
place the bag in direct sunlight with the solar panels angled towards the sun.
A green light on the battery indicates it is trickle charging. In good
conditions it will charge in 8-10 hours.
When
the solar panels produce a charge, an indicator light in the center of the
Voltaic logo illuminates. Note: It will illuminate in some low or indoor light conditions, but the charge will
be significantly lower.
The battery
can also be charged from the AC charger, or the car charger (by connecting
either to the DC IN plug). A red light on the battery indicates a fast charge.
When full, a green light will show.
Charging
a Device:
Voltaic™ solar bags
are designed to charge as broad a range of devices as possible. This requires
first selecting the correct voltage, then establishing a connection to the
device.
Voltage
Settings: There are 3 voltage settings on
the battery (3.5V, 5V, 7.2V). The solar power cable delivers 10V. To find the
required voltage: check the device itself, the product literature, or the
device charger for “output” voltage. Most cell phones charge at 5V, USB
chargers require 5V. Note: Do not use a higher voltage than required.
Car
Charger Socket: Car chargers are available
for most devices, so the car charger socket is the default method for
connecting a device. They typically function at 7.2V from the battery, or 10V
from the solar panels.
USB
Adaptor: A USB adaptor is included to
connect USB chargers (use the 5V setting). Note: some USB chargers only work with
computers.
Adaptors: To bypass chargers, we include a set of adaptors
for common cell phones and other devices. It is not feasible to include
adaptors for all devices; however, additional optional adaptors are available
online.
When charging
iPods you can use the iPod adaptor for all
models, connected to the battery pack at 7.2V. For iPod Minis you can use
the Apple supplied USB charger connected to the battery pack at 5V
via the USB adaptor (however Apple has blocked this solution for other iPods).
You can also use an iPod car charger for all models except the new iPod Photo
(for that you will need the iPod adaptor).
To avoid
overheating the contents of your bag on a
hot day, it will help to open the zip slightly (as you would the window of a
car), or to remove sensitive electronics and just allow the battery to charge
for use later.
Other Features:
The Shoulder Strap Power Cable allows you to run power to the shoulder strap and charge devices in the
adjustable phone / MP3 pouch. To use this cable, plug it into the "DC
OUT" plug on the Battery Plug.
When the LED inside the logo lights up [the “C”], it indicates that
the solar panels are generating a charge. It lights dimly when the panels are
in the shade and more brightly when they are in direct sun, reflecting the
higher charge produced in direct sun. It will come on in some indoor light
conditions; however, the power generated is significantly less than in direct
sunlight.
There are
various wire channels throughout the
bag which allow you to run power wires or headphones to different pockets as
required. Channels run along the seam of the bag (right side in main pouch),
and along the shoulder straps. Holes for wires are marked with the
following symbol:
Solar Panels
This is where it gets really exciting. I’ve always been
susceptible to sunlight due to sensitive skin all my life. I burn easily. So getting
involved in Photovoltaics and other technologies that are “alternative energy
systems” is liberating and for me, makes lemons into lemonade. Sunshine is not
“the enemy” any longer. We can harness the power from it pretty much like
vegetation does and convert sunlight into electrical power.
Notice that these solar panels have an efficiency rating of
17% and can pack a 4-Watt wallop at 400 milliamps and can produce as much as
10.2 volts of electricity.
The website indicates these units are easily replaceable,
but they put them in there pretty tightly and are nearly as thick as ½
your little fingernail. At first I though they were sewn into place, but that
is not the case. A zipper hides the cables coming off each panel and terminate
into a little black box that then converts to use by either the Lithium-Ion
battery or combined to provide juice to a device that can handle 10 volts.
But you have to plan ahead if you really want that iPod to
last. It takes between 5 to 6 hours to charge the battery for iPod use.
The PowerBook G4 17” used a 54W/hr Lithium-Ion battery that
lasts 5.5 hours.
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/powerbook_g4/faq/powerbook-g4-battery-life-of-each-model.html
The MacBook Pro uses a Lithium polymer battery (Li-Po) that
replaces the Lithium-Ion technology and is designed to last 6 hours.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium-polymer
The 17” MacBook Pro takes 68 Watts of power, 18.5 Volts DC and 4.6 Amps. I read
that it draws 85 Watts. I would need a pretty big Voltaic System to keep that
puppy running. And it doesn’t exist yet – at least from Voltaic Systems.
Don’t feel bad, other portables require as much as 120 Watts AC to operate.
The iPhone on the other hand runs on batteries for 8 hours
at 3.7 V and 1400 mAh. http://ipodbatteryfaq.com/ipodbatteryandpower.html
Maybe Apple will get the power requirements down even
further with the next-gen Mac portables.
Conclusion
Anyway, the Voltaic Systems Voltaic Converter bags would be
useful for the roadwarriors who need to be connected via iPhone 24/7 or who
really needs to feel plugged into their iPods all the time.
Recommendation
If you want to experiment with Photovoltaic technology, this
is a fun/fashionable place to start.
Feedback from Voltaic Systems
It's not just a matter of how
many panels, it's purely a matter of watts and time (in hours).
I believe that a new MacBook has
a battery watt hour capacity when full of around 64 watt hours.
So, if you wanted to charge your
MacBook laptop battery in 2 x hours from a solar charged battery, you would
need something equivalent to slightly larger than a 64 watt hour battery to do
the job. The solar component can be as small or as large as will handle the
charging of that supplementary battery.
What we are anticipating is a
15, expandable to 30-watt, solar panel and approx. 60-watt-hour rechargeable
supplementary battery pack.
It truly is the holy grail of
portable solar charging.
Efficiency, lightweight,
convenient and safe charging are also factors in a complete quality solution.
Colin
Mitchell, Voltaic Systems
