Some of us use these for amateur radio charging and operation:
http://www.powerportstore.com/Solar%20Recharging%20-%20AR.htmNote the backpack cover version. "Battery size adapters" can be built easy enough but some do exist already. A variable voltage regulators are available in postage stamp size using surface mount parts.
As TrailRunner said, solar charging looks good on paper. Constant sun (or lack there of) is the problem, along with keeping the cell array pointed at the sun. If you have the luxery of a sunny day, mounting your solar array on a umbrella might work.
Eric said:
I realize few of us "need" this gadget (until it comes on the market, that is!). But let's say we take an existing unit from someone like West Marine or a sea kayak company and try to adapt it to AA, AAA coin batteries of various numbers, and the CR123 batteries in SteriPens, etc., etc. HOW IS THAT DONE??
Obviously different retainers are required for diffrent batteries shapes and sizes but the trickier part is different amperages for different batteries. No?
It's actually quite easy. In backcountry radio I use a 5ah gel cell, 13.8 vdc, for just about everything, or to be really lightweight, a bank of lithium ion batteries like what come in your cell phone, banked to again, 13.8vdc. As long as I know the voltage needs of what I'm trying to power, a simple voltage regulator circuit allows me to vary the voltage of the power supply to run the appliance with a turn of a trimmer pot. That circuit is about 1" in diameter. In the case of your steri-pen, you'll do some minor surgery (yes, the warranty will be voided) to solder leads directly to the positive and negative terminals, out to a battery connector, usually an "Anderson Powerpole" or a molex type. You'll still be able to use internal batteries if done right. The current capability of the battery doesn't matter other than to make sure it will supply the device with at least what's specified.
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