Stever Posted March 2, 2014 Share #1 Posted March 2, 2014 Advertisement (gone after registration) Hi, I'm headed out to a 10 day long trip later this summer where I won't be able to charge my M240 battery using usual methods - I won't have access to external power sources at all. I will take some spare batteries but it would be tragic if i ran out of juice and as a a result had a dead camera. (ok film users I know what your response would be...!) The standard charger does have a 12 v car adapter socket, I wondered if anyone has successfully used a solar charger for this? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted March 2, 2014 Posted March 2, 2014 Hi Stever, Take a look here M240 Solar charge battery anyone?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
wlaidlaw Posted March 2, 2014 Share #2 Posted March 2, 2014 I was using the car charging lead in India over the last few weeks, when it worked just fine off a 12V socket in the back of the Nissan Mini-Van we were driven in. A couple of years ago I tried a solar charger for my iPhone. It took a full day in south of France sunlight to recharge from about 50% capacity, so I decided it was not very practical. You would need a quite large nominal 12V (actually about 15V no load voltage) panel to provide enough current to work the standard charger. If the current demand dropped the voltage significantly below 12V, at best the charger would not work and at worst you could damage the charger. Are you in such remote area that there would not be any car batteries to charge from? You can always buy a 12V socket from a car accessory shop and attach a red and a black flying leads with crocodile clips on the ends to run direct from a battery. Wilson Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
algrove Posted March 2, 2014 Share #3 Posted March 2, 2014 Buy a lot more batteries based on Wilson's comments. Of course turn off everything you can and what you don't really need after let's say the first histogram look at each lighting situation. Take a film camera too. Better than no images whatsoever. Cut down on lenses taken and add the weight with batteries. Leica is licking their chops right now at the thought of some guy buying an MP plus ten $190 M240 batteries. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted March 2, 2014 Share #4 Posted March 2, 2014 There is an alternative which gives you the best of both worlds if you absolutely cannot get to a 12V car battery. The GoGen, which is a combination of hand cranked 12V generator, storage battery, solar panel and connecting leads. The whole lot costs less than a Leica M240 battery at $110 here emergency survival generator GoGen solar hand crank cell phone battery charger station. This might well be your answer. Wilson Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidcolemandc Posted March 2, 2014 Share #5 Posted March 2, 2014 Steve, I have the Voltaic Systems 1023 Fuse 10W Solar Laptop Charger, 14-20V/4A Input, 16,000mAh, 60 Watt Hour Capacity ($339.00) and it works great! It takes all day (in direct sunlight) to fully charge the internal battery but you can charge up to four Leica batteries with that internal battery any time (even at night). Amazon.com: Voltaic Systems 1023 Fuse 10W Solar Laptop Charger, 14-20V/4A Input, 16000mAh, 60 Watt Hour Capacity, Silver: Computers & Accessories Hope this helps. David David Coleman Photography Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted March 2, 2014 Share #6 Posted March 2, 2014 David, That is a much more serious solar charger than the silly toy I was using. Wilson Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/222927-m240-solar-charge-battery-anyone/?do=findComment&comment=2542326'>More sharing options...
diogenis Posted March 3, 2014 Share #7 Posted March 3, 2014 Advertisement (gone after registration) How about some foldable solar cells? https://www.google.com/search?q=foldable+solar+cells&client=safari&rls=en&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=tpYUU_f2MaOK5ASgqIDoBA&ved=0CDsQsAQ&biw=1345&bih=1182 double the power for faster charging... http://www.flexsolarcells.com/index_files/Foldable_Series/pages/PowerFilm-Solar-Foldable-Solar-Panel-Module-F15-1200-Black.php Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmahto Posted March 3, 2014 Share #8 Posted March 3, 2014 I have the flexible one (will need to check the size but its not small) which I got for charging AA cells on a multi-day hike. It is gathering dust now since I could barely charge 2 AA battery after a full day of keeping it in the sun. The surface area is the key. You need pretty large panels. The sizes mentioned in advertisements are small (for particular usage). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
diogenis Posted March 4, 2014 Share #9 Posted March 4, 2014 Panel efficiency power output is the key. Obviously the larger it is the better the power, but because they are generally very inefficient devices you need the good ones for your project. If for example you need 6 hours of sunlight to charge a pack using a 10Watt panel, you will need half that if your panel can output 20watts. Also, these numbers can only happen if you let your panel in a permanent spot out in the open, efficiency drops if the orientation is anything other than horizontal (with a little inclination) to gather sunlight. And depending where you are, sunlight can also vary from 0 to 12h Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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