Battery chargers

[HBP]

Professional series intelligent AA and AAA battery charger. Each battery channel is independently monitored.
Four charge current settings for different battery types and capacities. Charges up 3000 mAh Capacity batteries.
Four operating modes; Charge, Discharge, Refresh and Test mode enures optimal performance and maximum battery life
Includes USB 5v Output port to capable of charging mobile phones, tablets etc. Accepts 100~240V Ideal for Worldwide use.
LCD Display with illumination shows voltage, current charge, mAh capacity and time for each cell used

Wow, I think the only other feature you could wish for is it running of 12v as well so you could charge them from the car battery which is pretty minor one.

What make/model charger did you end up getting?

[Arzosah]

This one: https://www.7dayshop.com/products/7days ... WH2-DS-127

Its the one that tanstaafl linked to after he bought it really excellent price too!

Charging from a 12v battery - electricity is my "thing" at the moment, and I've seen quite a few people with *outputs* on their gennies etc. I'm hoping that a charger will be able to hook up to an output from whatever it is I get, and do it that way.

Thats not *quite* waffle, but I couldn't back it up scientifically yet. The plot's still thickening ...

[Deeps]

I'm no expert and I'd appreciate the input of people who know what they're talking about but my plan is to get a 14W solar charger for usb powered devices, this one in fact.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00I ... _pd_nS_ttl

I'm a big fan of the 18650 and 14500 type batteries so I've got a usb powered charger for them, this is where I'd appreciate advice, this is a reasonably cheap one, any suggestions would be appreciated.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00Y ... ge_o01_s00

I've also got a fairly basic AA/AAA usb powered charger which will hopefully keep me in batteries if we lose lecky.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B005 ... ge_o00_s00

I've got decent mains ones, a Nitecore for the fancy batteries and a duracell one for the AA/AAA's.

I've got a pretty healthy supply of both rechargeable and standard batteries but I'd still like to make the most of what I've got.

[dangerman]

The portable solar panels are a no brainer. I've got lots of solar chargers now, they all work fine for charging batteries and phones. But they aren't waterproof so in practice they're a pain in the arse. They're good for camping trips or as a back up if you think your leccy may ever get knocked out.

I got my 14w panel from eBay for £22. There are bargains to be had, but try to make sure your USB output has as higher amp output as possible. My output is 2.1amps.

[Deeps]

Cheers Dangerman, I've gone 'nuclear' on the solar, I've got them for the house, its the small scale stuff I need to sort, its a bit of a gap in my preps, its funny how it escalates. Every time you reach a 'target' for preps, you find something else to build up. Its the smally solar panels for me at the moment.

[dangerman]

If you just want to charge batteries then a 3W panel should do the job - although it would obviously take you some time. You can pick them up for £8.49 on eBay and there are also cheap 99p aa/aaa USB chargers to go with it. And they work!

Your other alternative might be to make some yourself. This is going to be my winter project, I want to make a dozen or so of these type things:



The advantage of the one in this image is that the battery is inside the plastic box and as long as the adhesive used is decent, should make the kit shower proof. You can find parts easily on eBay and you can choose the size of your panel and the size of battery, as well as the amount of them. You could make a big charger that will charge 10aa, or more and a solar panel could be anything from 0.5w (or less) all the way up to about 10w.

The reason I want to do it this way is that, because I built it, I'll hopefully know how to fix them when they fail. I'll also be able to buy a few extra toys like a glue gun and soldering iron and justify the expense in the saving I make from building them.

[Arzosah]

I like that set up! I'll be pinching a few ideas from that

[Deeps]

That looks fantastic Dangerman, something else for my 'to do' list. I'm semi literate in elastic trickery, I'll maybe have a wee play.

[Hamradioop]

I would expect an reduced output from a solar panel mounted behind a plastic lid.