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Solar Power Pre-Deployment To Afghanistan?
dAzED1 writes "My little brother is heading for training at 29 Palms as a Navy Corpsman with FMF. He gets a [Sailor|Soldier|Marine]'s pay, so while he can't afford gadgets, I can; since he'll be in a LAR unit, I was thinking of getting him a small video camera, an iPod, and some sort of solar recharger. Whatever he takes, he'll have to be able to carry in his pack, which is already going to be heavy with his medic gear. Other than the weight issue, I am having problems finding a solar recharger that doesn't get wildly differing reviews as to basic quality. He'll have plenty of sun and few clouds, but it needs to be lightweight, effective, and robust. With price not being much of a concern, what would you suggest for accomplishing this? Advice on a small robust video camera would be appreciated as well."
This foldable solar charger from treehugger is great http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/01/foldable_solar.php
He gets a [Sailor|Soldier|Marine]'s pay, so while he can't afford gadgets
Unless he has kids or liens, he should be able to afford gadgets since his housing is free and He'll get a lot of tax-free combat pay if he deploys.
Anybody who's visited a larger military base such as Lackland AFB or Fort Bragg knows the many junior enlisteds driving pimped out ridez and sporting gadgets and bling. When younger recruits get out of basic training they're like kids in candy stores, especially since base exchanges have the latest stuff at low prices.
Also, given his unit, I hope that he dosen't plan to listen with headphones while on duty.
Better PV panels are glass, which is not recommended to be packed into a duffel bag on a military (or commercial) transport. Foldable or roll-up panels are quite a bit more pricey. What are the chances you could ship him one (PV panel) after he gets settled ?? (or is he always going to be on the roll). Solar is not very compact, and the glass is, well, glass. Dust gathers and needs to be cleaned off, with water, to not scratch or haze the glass. Disposable batteries, or a 28V vehicle charger may be a better option.
Skip the solar. You can't anticipate weather in the field like they get. Or even, where in the field. Go for the better battery.
http://www.sfc.com/en/man-portable-technology-jenny.html
This is my sig.
Money may not be much of a concern, but what about time and skill?
I had family overseas recently and had the same thought, but didn't have as much money to spend. I decided to go the DIY route and made one of these Solarize your backpack and power all your gizmos
It's handy because it's lightweight and can be strapped (as the description says) to nearly any backpack, including most military ones, or taken off and set up somewhere stationary.
It also adds more of a personal touch to the whole idea. Buying something nice and expensive for a soldier is nice, but I've often times heard from them that having something personally made (even if it's a letter) is worth gold over there as well. Reminds 'em of home and all, y'know?
If you know how (or know someone that does) I would recommend making one of these.
I don't know about the solar re-charger, but as far as camera's the GoPro is really nice small and durable: http://www.goprocamera.com/
I've got nothing to suggest re PV but the Flip video camera sounds like it would fit the bill quite well. Simple, robust, tough, easy to use. Probably want to give it a different paint job, though. Kinda bright colors from the look of it.
Whilst I haven't used their solar products, I do have a v1 PowerMonkey and love it. Their solargorilla product seems to do what you need:
https://powertraveller.com/iwantsome/primatepower/solargorilla/
Make sure the video cam you get him is flash memory based. HD based ones will certainly die with the shock and vibration they will take in the field. I recently got Canon Vixia HF10, which is flash based, HD and works quite well. However, for something the field he may prefer something a bit more robust like a Sanyo Xacti or a Flip HD.
"There are laws that enslave men, and laws that set them free. " - Sean Connery as King Arthur
Get him a Kindle and lots of ebooks for it. I'm sure he'll appreciate it.
How about a wind up power supply instead? I read that the US Military was actually considering procuring and deploying these to combat the "battery problem."
Oh, wind up power supplies are powered themselves by . . . MREs.
Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
Anything that makes noise or is highly reflective won't go over very well in a combat scenario. What with giving away his unit's position and such. Get something decent that can be used back at a basecamp that he won't need to lug around. He'll appreciate your thoughtfulness when he comes home alive to show you his vids.
Sig this!
Srsly - any compact camera from the last three years also makes an excellent video camera. How about the Canon PowerShot D10, which is also waterproof and drop-resistant?
http://rocknerd.co.uk
http://www.powerfilmsolar.com/
Flexible, thin film cells.
I use their components for rocketry.
Very tough stuff.
"I may be synthetic, but I'm not stupid." -- Bishop 341-B
This is a good suggestion. Wind up dynamos are now available that provide 5.5V at up to 0.5A, and it is difficult to get this out of a small solar panel if you cannot mount it easily at the right angle. It should certainly be considered as a backup. Of course the other gadgets need to be chosen to be compatible.
From scarped cliff or quarried stone she cries "A thousand types are gone, I care for nothing, no not one."
http://www.vholdr.com/
VHoldr has a pretty nice and affordable helmet cam. The lens is self-leveling and has a little laser-pointer (might be combat issue) but it has a dull black housing, uses microSD cards and has several mounts available. The mounts include helmet, handlebar, goggle and it'd be pretty easy to hack a mount to a Gorillapod (3 arm bendy tripod). Not to sound like a commercial but I've been looking @ that camera for a while.
Combine that with a solar-battery gadget/pack, extra memory cards and a Netbook with card reader and he's good to record indefinitely. APC makes a laptop distributed-power system, easily combined with solar panels or use the above posted "solarize your backpack" info. Not sure on using iPod w/ netbook but not impossible. There are more expensive helmet cams that include video out and other recording solutions.
Best of luck to your brother.
gigantino.tv - Heavy but weighs nothing.
As a former infantryman, I can tell you that you are really over thinking this. Rugged means more than just hard to break. It also means that it is a single piece (so he can't loose part of it) and that those pieces are easily replaceable.
Forget the charger, and get him something nice that runs on AAs. Lots of military equipment, such as the AN/PRC-14 night vision goggles or the little radios that squads carry around, run on AAs and so he is sure never to have a shortage. You literally have boxes of these things just floating around where ever you go. They aren't that heavy, they are virtually unbreakable, and he will have to carry some anyway. When I was in, guys bought electric shavers that ran on AAs expressly for this reason.
Besides, his unit will appreciate him not flipping a mirror out for all to see whenever he wants to listen to music.
weirdest thing I ever saw: scientology advertising on slashdot.
I spent $15 and use one of these to keep my tractor battery charged:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=44768
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=41427
The kind of chargers that charge the batteries in a holder directly under the solar panel are no good, because the batteries are destroyed by excessive heat. This was my experience near sea level in equatorial Africa. Although a friend that lived nearby but in the mountains didn't have this problem because of the cooler climate.
I wish I'd had something more like this. I haven't used it, but it looks more like what would have worked best for me. I would buy separate battery holders and use the alligator clips.
Keep batteries out of the sun!
He's a Navy corpsman medic attached to a Marine recon unit. When he gets deployed he will spend extensive time in the field. Solar backup makes a lot of sense.
Have you seen the kind of kit these guys sport? It's pimp in it's own way.
gigantino.tv - Heavy but weighs nothing.
This guy asks for some input and you guys go off on your tangents. Did nobody read the links embedded before they shot their mouths off? His bro is probably an E1 or E2 the pay scale doesn't change much until +4 yrs, he doesn't get hazardous duty pay until he is actually in theater. Sure $1400 doesn't seem too shabby, but if you live on base/post (as is assumed here) you don't get allowances for housing and food, you still pay federal and sometimes state taxes. Unless you want to eat Mess hall food everyday you still need to supply your own food, you also need to buy your own uniform items most of the time(granted with a little extra coin after a few years in, but not at first), pay for your own luxuries like cable/internet/phone/cell/personal grooming items etc. If you have a car then that comes out too, not to mention old loans\bills etc. So it is not a walk in the park. LAR units also move around a ton and with it being AFG the amount of power is actually and issue. And no matter how funny it may sound the power issue in Iraq is actually better then Afghanistan. I would also recommend getting him a vehicle charger versus the solar panels. Although the ones posted here may actually be fairly versatile(One setup at camp to charge may be a good idea too) Sorry I can't help with the camera though. But it looks like the helpful people here have given some good info. HTH
Small, should meet the power requirements, and is meant for travel.
5oz and 9x5 folded.
http://www.rei.com/product/770230
Not sure about the reviews, but if I had a choice I would get this...
http://store.solio.com/Solio-Magnesium-Edition/
Light, durable and can power almost any gadget (phone, gps, camera....) and has an internal battery so you have reserve power available at night.
No sig here...
For bonus points: c) return fire instantly.
Return fire to shoot a sniper? No, you take cover instantly and hide damn well first! There's no chance to measure the impact vector on the dummy, so you'll have to approximate the origin of the rounds (bullets).
If you have countersniper measures, you stay damn well hidden, then locate and shoot him, using either a sniper scope and rifle, or grenade launchers and machine guns. If not, you throw smoke grenades, stay low, and get the HELL out of there!
Don't get him any gadgets at all.
He and his fellow soldiers will figure out things to do during their downtime. Let him be immersed in his job without modern distractions. Let him get a taste of what it's like to be completely cut off from modern conveniences. When he's older, he'll look back on it and it will give him a sense of pride that he was able to survive in a hostile environment for months without all the luxury gizmos and gadgets that are currently so popular with his civilian peers.
While I was certainly no Marine, I did spend 8 years in the military and I can say that if I were in the little brother's place, all I would want is a couple of paperback books and a disposable camera. Anything expensive is either going to get broken or will be a liability in terms of distraction.
Check out the solargorilla. You can get different tips for it for laptops, ipods, phones, etc. You can also get this little battery pack that can solar charge all day, then you run your devices off the battery pack later. That way you can run things at night, or have a reserve source of power.
Please ignore the subject "Scout vs Sniper". Just realized his brother is a medic. Sorry, my bad.
Medics don't use thin needles like our everyday hospitals. They use THICK ones, like the inkjet refill syringes that we use!
Also, medics inject one another on a regular basis during their medic training. Almost all of them have arm veins that have collapsed from too many injections!
(True for the Singapore army anyway.)
E-Ink screens have a front layer that is very thin glass. They're incredibly sensitive to even general shock or pressure on the screen. Go read the mobileread.com forums, there are tons of reports of people literally just setting a reader down on a table and the screen breaking or developing dead segments. There's no way in hell a soldier would be able to physically protect the device enough, unless it came with a completely hard shell of some sort.
Please help metamoderate.
I got a freeloader. Just long weekends at festivals for me, but so far so good.
Red to red, black to black. Switch it on, but stand well back.
Having 2 years deployment time in Iraq, I'll assure you that the solar charger is overkill. Your brother is more likely going to need a high wattage, 220v converter and a power strip. The solar cell is a great idea, but unless these guys are going out for a week at a time, I doubt the solar cell is going to do much. However, if he is, I would recommend finding some kind of 12v power converter so he could hook it to the HMMWV's battery.
Also, keeping in mind that your brother's a corpsman, he usually will have access to a generator, unless he is on patrol with LAR.
When I look back on it, if I were to list the things that were most useful:
Solar Shower (if your brother is moving all the time)
Baby Wipes (When you don't have enough water to take a shower)
Utility Knife (Eating MRE's suck unless you cut them down the middle)
Water Heater (the MRE heaters suck, so we used to just heat them in this)
Condiments (Tapatio, Texas Pete, Salt and Pepper, etc.: life is unbearable if you have to eat an MRE plain [tray rations are worse])
Febreeze (because your neighbor probably didn't bring baby wipes or a solar shower [attack him in his sleep!])
Snacks (send a lot throughout the deployment [tuna, canned chicken, whatever]; keep in mind that he'll probably go weeks without packages).
New TV shows, music, movies. Keep him updated, because it sucks trying to catch up. Send it to him on disk (divxed and burnt on DVD) or better yet, cheap flash media.
I would say the best gadget I had on deployment was my Share Steno hard drive. It emulates a computer and will allow you to transfer media to and from devices [probably not an Ipod though].
Also, I bought a cheap little COBY DVD player that can play divx/xvid on a 9 inch screen. Cost something like $120 and I liked it a lot better than an Ipod [too small], PSP [pain in the butt to get media going on it] or laptop [too bulky, power hog when traveling].
Anyways, I hope this helped. I wish you brother good luck and I hope he returns safely.
http://www.heliotropics.com/Assets/solar%20panel.jpg
Although I have no anecdotal advice, I still would suggest a backpack that has solar panels. To avoid sounding like I'm plugging a company I'll refrain from adding a site.
A multifunctional item couldn't hurt.
I use this for hiking all the time. My gadgets recharge while I'm hiking and a small panel is on my backpack!
I bought a sparkfun solar panel capable of putting out about 9V@310mA (http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=7840) and added a USB charger from this company here: http://www.onehalfwatt.com/index.php?crn=218&rn=418&action=show_detail
All of my gadgets are USB (including a small flash memory digital video camera) and this company has a small adapter to make one of the ports compatible to charge your ipod (http://www.onehalfwatt.com/index.php?crn=218&rn=420&action=show_detail) which I needed too. I bought the 4 port one and just have it in a pocket of the backpack with the device cords fed through a slot into the other pockets where the devices reside. It was incredibly easy to get it setup.
why bother with a solar charger when he can tap into AC from the generators, DC from the LAVs and trucks, and 7-tons have a cigarette lighter port! also, MRAPs have AC outlets on them. idk about the LAV, but on the AAV, i know of trackers that tap into the lighting for AC (idiots) and then folks who just mount an inverter on one of the batteries. get him an inverter and hell be fine.
dealextreme.com has some cheap solutions. I have no experience with them, but it's a good tip, I think.
Mag.
The dust is incredible over there. Real fine stuff, gets everywhere. It kills electronics if you arent careful, most of our stuff held up though. Pelican cases are nice but bulky. We never had much problem with power. Heck everyone has laptops so power is available. Common battery sizes are nice like others have mentioned AA's are great.
I'm an Army physician - being deployed I would recommend skipping the video camera entirely, even the smallest ones are too big. I'd recommend instead a small digital point and shoot (dpreview.com) and it would be better to buy him two of the same model than one top of the line one. Tell him you want pictures and you expect them both to be broken by the time he gets home. AA battery model up the thread is a good idea. Better to have lots of pictures than an awesome video camera that never gets used. Something that fits in his shoulder cargo pocket. Also recommend a video iPod - the single greatest technology I've found though is this: Bose noise canceling headphones - worth their weight in gold. I've slept in some very noisy places thanks to them. Video ipod and noise canceling headset - he will have a lot of hours to kill flying around. With the money you don't spend on the video camera, load up his computer with videos / music - there isn't the bandwith to use the iTunes store once he gets to theater.
More importantly - before he deploys - sit him down with his financial assistance office and education center and make sure he understands his benifits and has clear financial goals before he deploys. He can take college classes in theater, apply to higher education - the military even runs it's own medical school. As his big brother, better than gadgets, make sure he is working the military system to his advantage, not just coming home with a wad of cash to blow on a new car and nothing else to show for his deployment. Even in this economy - the compound interest on 30K saved when someone is 19 is a tremendous by the time he is ready to retire.
I would think it's him coming back in one piece. PS we are losing the "war" there.
Get up!
In case you ignore all the above advice:
Solio has been in the game for awhile, I wrote about one of their devices a few years back:
http://www.solio.com/charger/
This one also looks cool, solar and wind powered:
http://www.kinesisindustries.com/
Or maybe just get a hand crank radio. Although I'm not sure what stations it'd pick up over there.
http://www.batteryjunction.com/solar-s-2600p.html
There are also adapter kits and a number of company's that sell the same thing, it's a no name out of china that will charge anything with USB power.
I am always doing that which I can not do, in order that I may learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso
Oregon Scientific Action-cam, either ATC3k or ATC5k. Takes AA batteries, records to SD card, will survive being strapped to a 4x4 (on the outside) and raced off-road all day. Lots of example videos on YouTube.
There is no music - home taping killed it.
I'm in the infantry and have been out in Afghanistan for the past nine months. Basically anything that can't withstand being dropped 20 feet and then run over by a truck will break out here. Personally I don't think he will need a solar charger of any kind. I'd just get him rechargable AA batteries that he can charge while he's at base. They don't weigh much and he'll have to carry a bunch with him anyway. A lot of our equipment runs on them.
As for a camera I have a VIO POV.1 helmet camera. It captures near DVD quality video and has fair sound capture with a port for an external microphone. It's gone on dozens and dozens of patrols. It's been dropped and tripped over. It's still in one piece. The only problem I have now is the audio quality sounds tinny. Though a reporter who came out here has had the same problem with all of his video cameras after having them around 120mm mortars firing (120-db to 205-db depending on the charge). I'd highly recommend it. A newer one has come out since I purchased mine. The VIO POV.1.5 might be worth a try.
POV.1 - http://shop.helmetcameracentral.com/HC-VIO-POV100.html
POV.1.5 - http://shop.helmetcameracentral.com/HC-VIO-POV15.html
Suntrica makes a flexible charger with buffer battery, they presented it in Mobile World Congress, see http://www.suntrica.com/. It looked like very robust design, and they had charger tips for almost anything. It is not the top efficiency panel as it is flexible, but if the idea is to charge handheld gadgets it is likely to be plenty enough, and buffer battery allows you to have it in the sun all the time and charge the device when needed.
For the video part, get a black AA-powered Flip camera (http://www.theflip.com/products_flip_ultra.shtml). Super-light, rugged, no moving parts except the flip-out USB. My 10-year-old has had one for months and it doesn't break. It takes an hour of video on built-in flash, and has amazingly good sound and video quality. Also you don't hold it up to your eye, and it doesn't look like you are pointing anything at anyone, so it is safer for you brother.
These guys make great cheap helmet cams.
http://www2.oregonscientific.com/
0x or or snor perron?!
As a recent veteran, here is what I brought which proved essential.
Black Leatherman Charge XTi, and Spec-OPS case, spare/additional bits, leatherman tool adapter, and one set of velleman security bits (30-some pieces, $15)
Spare CR2016 and CR2032 coin cells, and type 377 button batteries (should have brought more 377 and 357s)
Wavetek-Meterman VT-201 non-contact voltage detector (now only the fluke is available) (I put mine in a Spec-OPS brand case)
one of those test plugs to check 110v american style outlets
Weller Portasol refillable soldering iron, with an additional smaller tip or 2. Stay away from ones powered by lighters, as it will be hard to find any given brand, but butane is easy to source anywhere.
4-oz fine roll of solder.
small semi-flush cutters
flux pen
paste flux (must bring, digikey, mouser, etc will not send, they only deleted it from my order)
super glue. super glue. super glue. fixes anything. if you can only have one kind o' glue for a year, super glue
also, i brought a small tube of some 3m general purpose glue, not sure what kind.
3M Super 88+ better get 2 rolls, and hide 'em
Tiny, cheap multimeter and spare battery.
ordinary screwdriver, phillips and flat. bit kits are great, but they do not get into certain recesses.
3M high performance cloth, 2x. Lots of dust over there.
there is a particular plug adapter available at certain PX's that works very well and reliably. It is small, fits into a british outlet, and has an LED in the upper right corner. The rest weld themselves to the plug or jack and/or burn plastic at some point
Everything i brought was dual-voltage, so all I did was buy a 220v "universal" power strip in country where I could plug different types of plugs in to it's outlets, and it's plug was the correct style.
Also, I would recomend a sandisk sansa, *not* IPOD. Less likely to get stolen, and somewhat more reliable. Also does not need crazy software, so can be updated from most computers. Remember, I had to sustain myself for a year. Most 'pods do not last that long. I was seeing 6-8 months out of most soldier's in Iraq. Get 2-3 pairs of earphones, like those JVC gummy ones, which handle lots of sweat and different sized ears better, at a reasonable price. Available in colors, avoid pink. Will not be stolen, but not worth the hazing.
Also, have him go to PX/BX and get some slip 'n' snips, and SLIVER GRIPPER tweezers. Also available at Brigade Quartermasters, and Ranger Joes. These tweezers are the ones our medics borrowed from me about once a week before they had their supply guy get them some. Tiny, they come in a little keeper. goes in first aid kit, on keyring, whatever.
Other items i was glad to have was a good set of clothespins and string (got in country), but I brought, and had my wife replenish, some laundry detergent. Now, the military has powdered detergent, but I was able to use less perhaps 3-4 lbs in 15 months, and get actually clean clothes with 5 parts Arm & Hammer perfume and dye free detergent, 2 parts perfume and dye free oxyclean, and 2 parts 20 mule team borax. I know A&H is now available w/ Oxyclean. I did all of my own laundry (no, i was not a fobbit, yes, I worked 16-18 hours a day) but it was worth it, and good relaxation time for me. Plus, I did not care when the laundry came back, and never lost any after that. YMMV per situation, but it worked for me.
Spec-OPS Recon Wrap, 2x. Best headgear ever. serious. available to match uniform, at PX/BX
A few long-life AAA batteries, as good ones are hard to find over there.
Also, I brought an MSR (and MSR only) multi-fuel stove, 33 oz fuel bottle, Titan Kettle and mug, mugmate, and a skillet and spatula. It runs on gas, white gas, (use g-jet) diesel, kerosene and JP-8 (use k-jet, clean often, prime well with denatured alcohol if you can as JP-8 burns filthy and clogs jet). I enjoy cooking, and having a choice besides 8 entree rotation. You can do cool stuff with ramen or
http://www.powerfilmsolar.com/
Personally, I'd recommend the PowerGuy SPX.1000. It's hardly bigger than the devices it loads, weighs just 110 grams and comes shipped with direct adapters to IPods, cameras, etc. Additionally, it sports two USB-Ports with which it can power pretty much every other USB-device with their own sync-cables. Devices like Smartphones and PDAs come to my mind. Additionally, the USB-Ports can be used to recharge the battery in the Solar charger itself. If you happen to find an unguarded PC to siphon off power... :P
There are really only two downsides: One is the rather small battery which clocks in at just 1000mAh, the other is that it takes 8-10 hours of direct sunlight to reload, due to the small size of the solar panel. But at 110grams, nobody stops you to get two, or three. As for ruggedness, as long as you don't step on it with your boots, or submerge them in water for some time, they'll survive.
http://www.powerguy.biz/products/1/12/powerguy-spx-1000/
i'd second adding battery life. instead of a solar charger that he won't be able to use EVER, get him an external battery that he can charge, or just a battery powered charger. since he's light armor recon, he'll have vehicle access. i'm army recon, and i've never had my ipod die in 3 year-long deployments. you always get a chance to charge it. and since he's the medic, they'll treat him good. the other point i wanted to bring up is solar-powered anything in combat. everyone thinks it's always sunny and awesome in the desert. far from the truth. if it is sunny, you're usually working twice as hard and don't have time for solar. good luck to him and i hope he has an easy deployment.
okay some say such a cell could blink .. and so you shouldnt use it.
but perhaps if he becomes a marinier, what about a solar AA batery loader ?.
In time of direct combat, he can use rechargeable AA's but when hiding out,
it can refill. thereby limiting weight, and give night vision etc some extra suply of energy.
"Foldable or roll-up panels are quite a bit more pricey."
I'm not in the military or anything but I've looked into the roll-up panels for outdoor use, particularly those with the adhesive backing that people tend to use to adhere between the panel seams on metal roofing. Those are the thin film polymer solar sheets.
They appear robust, bendable to a degree, they are shipped rolled so you can put them on a backpack like sleep pad. They are likely very durable, being able to withstand hail and the like.
The only thing I don't know about them is weight. I believe you can cut them to application too, away from the leads end. The advantage with the flexibility is that you can also probably make a backpack or carrying case out of the material if you were really inventive. They are really expensive though; I saw a sheet on ebay for $435 and that was the cheapest I could find.
Looking at this, the AA batteries thing is true, but having your own power is handy as well. I suggest something that has rechargeable AA's. not to be green or anything, just covers your bases on both fronts.
I suggest looking at having something from Solio
http://www.solio.com/
I swear by mine, use it while biking & camping most of last summer.