Introducing: Our Brand New Bluetooth Speakers

#375

As an option, it would simplify but the problem with solar and panels is that the sun really likes strong sunshine but batteries need to be kept cool. So I use a longer cable and keep the battery in shade, e.g. behind the backpack the solar panel is propped up against. Solar performance drops off with temperature so propping up to be cooler helps and then a heavier panel (as includes battery) then is harder to prop up.

I would like Anker to make a white solar panel to be cooler (it will perform better) and remove the separate panel and place it behind a solar panel to save space and weight and easier to prop up, and for a zipped pouch so you can also do what you say of keep battery attached, the velcro small pouches can’t hold much.

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#376

That’s a good point. I leave my batteries inside the backpack I use which keeps them sufficiently cool. I haven’t really had to think about it because of this…maybe a panel with a little prop built in to give a battery some shade? I do like the backpack because the bottom is rigid, so it’s always at an angle when I set it down. That’s good up here where the sun is always to the south to some degree - you want to that panel pointing straight at the sun.

I’ve never thought of a white panel. That’s a good idea…

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#377

that actually sounds like a great idea! white solar panels. Why did nobody do that before?

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#378

I’d like a white version of a 2-panel with a zipped pouch. I’d also some kind of option to prioritize the ports. So charging a battery to then charge a battery loses energy, so say one port which has priority over Wattage to which you’d plug in a phone / tablet / device and then the other port gets any power spare to which you’d plug in say a Powercore 10000, then when say the sun is weak your phone is charging and the Powercore is not, but if sun in strong or your phone is approaching fully charged then the Powercore gets more. At present the two ports are equally served.

2 panels is about “15W” (actually 7W) and 3 panels is “21W” (actually 10W) so in say 2 hours of strong sunshine that’s 14Wh and 20Wh respectively, a typical phone is 11Wh, typical smaller tablet 15Wh, so say plugging in phone to priority port and tablet into lower priority port you can recharge both fully with a 3 panel system in a few hours. In reality you’d not be able to drain both devices fully overnight so this is an every-other-day type situation which makes the variation of weather.

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#379

@AnkerOfficial This is legit. I’d totally buy this.

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#380

Ahh so we are sorting the wheat from the chaff. We get near to message 400 look out for a post every few seconds from those you barely see, they’ll then disappear and reappear at message 500.

#381

The drop off from heat is measurable, example here. Of course if Anker were to send test units to this chap we could see Anker’s performance measured (hint)

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#382

Though it is amazing to still see this chat going, you guys are really determined… But then again so am I. However I can’t really be invited for a chat because I have limited knowledge on Solar panels, and “manly” stuff.

#383

Lmao I went to bed last night and I thought for sure when I checked again it would be past 400 replies…obviously everyone went to bed too :joy:

#384

I know right, I though our U.K. pals would come and get some speaksers too, but where they at?

#385

Must be on a holiday…I’m assuming it will pick up once everyone wakes up. I saw this giveaway yesterday morning and replied in the very beginning and then check the thread once I got home from work and we just scrolling through the discussion, must say had some very determined folks out there :joy:

#386

Based on past giveaways, I would say that they (we) have either overlooked the thread based on the title i.e no giveaway mentioned or most likely with the deluge of posts thought, what’s the point…

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#387

Been looking at these three speakers the last couple weeks but just couldn’t pull the trigger on one becasue i different had a feature that I liked as well. Guess if i win in could buy one too:blush:

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#388

So the speakers, they are being marketed for use in the outdoors - the waterproofness for example - so if you were in a big group long trip you’d likely be car camping and don’t care about weight but if you were backpacking then if its a long camping trip then you’d want solar to recharge the new speakers.

Yes solar is subtle and complicated, I learn via use of a USB meter and find what is actual output in different conditions at home, then I know what to expect. For example the failure rate of cables is higher than you expect. Anker cables are good but from my own tests across makes about 1 in 4 cables were bad - you’d be thinking “bad solar panel” in some cases when its the cable’s fault - but here the answer is easy - buy Anker cables they fail far less.

#389

Yesterday I saw this post like 12 minuets after it went up, I don’t give up. The only thing I give up in, is finishing my artwork lol.

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#390

Eh, I’ve given up on the speaker. I’m just enjoying this discussion with @nigelhealy - he knows his stuff.

I would like to help optimize consumer-level solar collection. My experiments with it suggest it’s totally possible and not all that difficult to get off the ground for the average person. I think a well-designed product that mitigate heat drop-off would be awesome. Also, I think it’s important to actually get out there and plug people into power banks and have them watch it work. My friends are always amazed when I charge them super fast using an Anker power bank. Most of them don;t even know this sort of thing is an option. That’s why @AnkerOfficial should send me some stuff for the Red ants Pants Music Festival charging station I want to set up (hint hint).

Heck, they could even send someone on a solar tour across the world, setting up the power banks and solar panels and letting people charge to get the feel for it.

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#391

We should see some permutation of Schmukler soon :smile:

#392

We can keep on going

#393

The only reason I would advise waterproof speaker for my family is because we live by the beach, our house floods like once every three months, someone’s always dropping a glass or cup of water or any other liquid on something (and/or someone), and I take a ferry to school. Having something waterproof is the smartest thing we could do.

And yea, I’m not the sharpest knife on the chopping block, but I can tell Solar is the way to go for my family. Living by he beach has some perks, one being that there is far less trees where I’m at so there is more skylight avalible. Plus with summer coming, it’s going to be less cloudy and more like hell on land.

#394

Top of the morning to you guys! Every so often I checked in last night until we got terribly busy at work.

@nigelhealy I have actually always wondered that as well about white vs black panels. And here is what I was told by an individual who works in that industry. He said that a white panel would not attract the proper amount of heat a solar panel would need in order to produce electricity therefore making it less efficient vs the black panel that attracts more heat but does lose a “marginal” amount of it to heat dissipation. To me that all sounds like it would make sense. And in a setup as small as a 15W like you would want, maybe that panel wouldn’t even output as much in a small package the panel would have to be bigger to achieve the same output wattage a black panel can achieve.