Testing a foldable solar panel today.

[Call_me_Ishmael]

I want to give a portable 60 watt panel my daughter to keep her Garmin InReach powered in the event of SHTF. It has a built in USB port and I know it easily provides USB at 2 amps. I've tested that. But that's only 10 watts. I am going to connect it to a cheap MPPT controller and see how much I can get for charging some LiFePO4 batteries. I'll report later

[Big Dummy]

I suggest one of the 80,000ma battery backups with a built in folding solar panel. The battery will be ready when needed for probably 6 or more charges and the solar will help get it back. If you want your could use your larger solar to help charge the battery.

This is my method for SHTF comms. Using a HT ham radio. Are you sure there will be a satellite for the inreach text service? It can be shut down a the flip of a switch and will be.

This is what mine looks like, but with 80,000ma battery. Costs less that this on amazon to boot.
https://www.survivalfrog.com/product...UaAjOzEALw_wcB


Let me also add no shtf electronics are worth a shit unless you store them and transport them in a faraday cage/bag.

[Call_me_Ishmael]

I suggest one of the 80,000ma battery backups with a built in folding solar panel. The battery will be ready when needed for probably 6 or more charges and the solar will help get it back. If you want your could use your larger solar to help charge the battery.

This is my method for SHTF comms. Using a HT ham radio. Are you sure there will be a satellite for the inreach text service? It can be shut down a the flip of a switch and will be.

This is what mine looks like, but with 80,000ma battery. Costs less that this on amazon to boot.
https://www.survivalfrog.com/product...UaAjOzEALw_wcB


Let me also add no shtf electronics are worth a shit unless you store them and transport them in a faraday cage/bag.

Thanks. She already has a couple of those....or similar. Those solar panels are 5 or 6 watts. In the winter, low sun in temperate zones, you will get 3 watts and maybe 10Wh per day (13 would be the max even if you constantly reoriented them). For 5 volt usb thats, 2Ah per day. A 80,000 mAh battery pack will take 40 days to charge. Rough numbers but you get the idea.

Indeed, you could charge the inreach mini in a day... a half decent day in the winter. And I'm glad she has those. But there's some days that are heavily overcast. And lots of things that use USB to recharge power.... Flashlights, UV water sterilizer, communications, etc. So I'm providing something bigger now and yet still portable and using a separate cheapo ($40) mppt controller to charge some LiFePo4 batteries in addition to providing USB power for her inreach mini on a very suboptimal day

So far... overcast day October in New York state... 3 Amps into the LiFePo4 battery pack. That's 40 watts and as good as I was hoping for from that foldable panel ( that I quickly just eyeballed wrt angle) and cheap charge controller.

[Call_me_Ishmael]

I suggest one of the 80,000ma battery backups with a built in folding solar panel. The battery will be ready when needed for probably 6 or more charges and the solar will help get it back. If you want your could use your larger solar to help charge the battery.

This is my method for SHTF comms. Using a HT ham radio. Are you sure there will be a satellite for the inreach text service? It can be shut down a the flip of a switch and will be.

This is what mine looks like, but with 80,000ma battery. Costs less that this on amazon to boot.
https://www.survivalfrog.com/product...UaAjOzEALw_wcB


Let me also add no shtf electronics are worth a shit unless you store them and transport them in a faraday cage/bag.

BTW... not sure of anything. Satellites can be taken out with EMP or solar storm. Switches can be flipped. All the people at the ground station could be dead. Daughter could be dead. I could be dead. I don't assume anything and I dont assume that I am prepared for every possible variation of SHTF.

I simply thought I'd share my test with a portable solar panel. That was all I intended to do.

[Well Bonded]

I suggest one of the 80,000ma battery backups with a built in folding solar panel. The battery will be ready when needed for probably 6 or more charges and the solar will help get it back. If you want your could use your larger solar to help charge the battery.

This is my method for SHTF comms. Using a HT ham radio. Are you sure there will be a satellite for the inreach text service? It can be shut down a the flip of a switch and will be.

This is what mine looks like, but with 80,000ma battery. Costs less that this on amazon to boot.
https://www.survivalfrog.com/product...UaAjOzEALw_wcB


Let me also add no shtf electronics are worth a shit unless you store them and transport them in a faraday cage/bag.

Still too small to be of any real use.

[Call_me_Ishmael]

Still too small to be of any real use.

Sure buddy.

[Big Dummy]

Still too small to be of any real use.

Wrong. The radio has a 2500ma battery. It is plenty useful and backpack portable. I plan to operate deep undercover with no vehicle support. To each their own. I choose to be a wraith.

[Call_me_Ishmael]

Wrong. The radio has a 2500ma battery. It is plenty useful and backpack portable. I plan to operate deep undercover with no vehicle support. To each their own. I choose to be a wraith.

I support what you are doing..... your prepping activities. If there's anything I, as an engineer or as a prepper-lite (compared to you), can do to assist you, let me know.

[Captain Kirk!]

Let me also add no shtf electronics are worth a shit unless you store them and transport them in a faraday cage/bag.

^^ This.

[JMWinPR]

https://www.amazon.com/FOOTIC-Bicycl...%3D%3D&sr=8-18
Get a couple of these for her stationary bike