Solar Power For Z

[henrysviper]

Hello

Could someone of the lucky guys with the solar charger from Brando, clarify these two issues:
- is it bulky, or is it "OK" to carry around?
- is it possible to charge its internal battery with the normal Zaurus AC adapter?

Thanks.

[jan]

- is it possible to charge its internal battery with the normal Zaurus AC adapter?
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I guess, you mean "connect the Brando device to Z's 5VDC power jack and charge the Z". If not, that's my question now.

Plus: Voltage should be pretty stable (from battery). Has anyone measured this (batt full/empty, sun on/off  )? Found any risks to damage the Z? voltage/current peaks maybe?

How does the Z deal with low currents?

Aren't the solar panels very fragile?

edit: Is anything know about other solar charger for PSP or USB devices such "Solar EFX" and "Logic 3" available from ebay in europe.

[samxiao]

i'm using C1000
anyone has suggestion for the solar charger?

[henrysviper]

I purchased one of these chargers from Brando workshop, and it operates nicely.
Actually the first charger brando sent me was defective, but he replaced it immediately, no questions asked.

The construction feels a little bit flaky, so the charger needs to be handled with care.

It is possible to use the Z's AC adapter to charge the internal battery. I've done it twice so far, it takes ~4 hours. You can even charge it while it charges the Z (although I wouldn't do that for extended periods of time, maybe the circuits get overloaded). It charges also under not-so-bright sunlight, but I haven't managed to charge it fully (i.e., the green led on the charger does not go off).

The current seems stable enough, in the sense that the charging light on the Z remains on, regardless of the brightness of the sunlight. Unfortunately I don't have a voltmeter. I'll try to borrow one, and I'll let you know.

I'll try to take more detailed measurements.

All in all, I am quite happy with it, and I carry it always with me. It was cheap, and it gets the job done.

[jan]

The current seems stable enough.
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I got the following mail from Brando:

It is around 700mA and 4.9v.
We cannot confirm it can work with SL-C860.

I had wished to get something more precise, like 5.00V +- 0.10V
Can someone comment on the 700mA. What if -- let's say -- flashing takes more? (Maybe we simply shouldn't risk it, charging under everyday conditions is good enough)

Nice to hear it works for you. How long did shipping take?

[jan]

I questioned someone from solarc the manufacturer (I assume) of E.Go and scotty solar chargers about Solar power for the Z. They recommend the E.Go Profesionial, either via USB (which I consider suboptimal as my Z doesn't have any standard USB socket) or via the "PDA adapter" (which I don't like because it gives you 5.3V). The problem is with the "patented" E.Go system, you can't select the voltage, the cable (or adapter as they call it) does. They claim it's very stable and can deal with high currents.

What do you think about the 5.3V? I won't risk it. The device is smart enough to provide ANY voltage, only their st*** cable/adapter business forces 5.3V upon the users.

Has anyone got a good idea how to connect from a USB plug to either the SharpIO/USB-Port on the Z or the power jack with. I mean, without cutting and soldering an USB cable and without relying on a huge adapter/cable cascade.

E.Go and scotty are available from electronics and outdoor (camping and alike) stores in Europe. The recommended item is usually 129 EUR. It can charge cellphones and casual (AA,AAA) accus, too. They use AA NiMH or Li-Ion internally for buffering. Charging from mains (world wide) is possible. While more expensive than brando or logic3, they seem to suit my needs best, if I could just select the voltage manually.

henrysviper, how's your Brando doing?

Jan

[xjqian]

It is around 700mA and 4.9v.
We cannot confirm it can work with SL-C860.
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Is the 6K power plug and AC adaptor the same as the other models? (I hope so). From the back of my 6k I read:

5.0V--(DC), 5.4W (AC adaptor)
For use with AC adapter EA-70 (DC 5V, 2A)

One more question, does the 700mA means it takes ~ 3 x time to do the same job of the 2A AC adapter?

[jan]

It is around 700mA and 4.9v.
We cannot confirm it can work with SL-C860.
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Is the 6K power plug and AC adaptor the same as the other models? (I hope so). From the back of my 6k I read:

5.0V--(DC), 5.4W (AC adaptor)
For use with AC adapter EA-70 (DC 5V, 2A)

One more question, does the 700mA means it takes ~ 3 x time to do the same job of the 2A AC adapter?
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If we assume, the Z charger really uses 2A (which is quite a lot). Then yes. (It's even possible then that the battery won't get fully charged at all)

The tiny Japanese (100V) AC-Adpater output only 1A.

[xjqian]

If we assume, the Z charger really uses 2A (which is quite a lot). Then yes. (It's even possible then that the battery won't get fully charged at all)
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That's what I'm fear of. Anybody has the unit can share more experience on wether it's capable to fully charge the Z.

[Ferret-Simpson]

Hmmm, my 5600 says it has an input of 5v at 7.8w.

P=IV

I=P/V

Current needed to charge the Z at 5V input is 7.8/5 = (reaches for clie: bad at maths) =1.6A

With power loss through the Transformer, I'd say that's pretty reasonable. If it interests you, To run off the battery connector, the Zaurus itself takes 3.7volts at merely 0.92A

[Curious Aardvark]

checkout my post of powering zaurus with psp kit.
cheap (£20 - 25), pocket size and very neat (when they don't melt) solar charger from logic 3, designed for sony psp works perfectly with zaurus :-) problem solved, no more hassle. :-)