Thoughts about
solar power-banks and charging VHF radios
If you read the first blog post in this series on electronics in small boats,
https://arwensmeanderings.blogspot.com/2019/06/electronics-in-small-open-boats.html
you will know that I am going on some extended camp cruising trips this summer and so have been considering how to charge all my electronics whilst away. I’m also also giving thoughts to installing an electronic bilge pump as well.
https://arwensmeanderings.blogspot.com/2019/06/electronics-in-small-open-boats.html
you will know that I am going on some extended camp cruising trips this summer and so have been considering how to charge all my electronics whilst away. I’m also also giving thoughts to installing an electronic bilge pump as well.
One of the three options I have been considering is this
one:
1.
A portable bilge pump box with small 12v Yuasa battery
and then some solar powered portable power banks which I can then use for
trekking, land-based camping and cycling as well. The advantages are
portability and multi -use and I would have power-banks that could be recharged
or topped up by solar energy each day.
I had started to look at combined solar panel/power-bank
combinations. Expenditure is a major consideration now that I have retired. No
income is coming in any more so spending on Arwen is now severely curtailed. Some
quick research showed up this type of combined unit:
Knowing nothing about electronics whatsoever and being
frank, rather a slow learner, I went to the various small boat FaceBook forums for help
and advice. The issue isn’t that such a piece of equipment can’t power android
tablet, phone and assorted camera batteries for GoPro and DSLR’s. It will with
no problem. The fly in the ointment is charging my ICOM M23 handheld VHF which
runs off a normal wall charger. It isn’t a USB charged radio although I have
various kits that can assemble on the end of a USB cable to give me the correct
fitting for the radio.
In all, thirty or so people took the time and effort to give
the issue some consideration and I am grateful to them all. Thoughts were mixed.
Some people felt
it could be done
“There are packs
around with multiple outputs, you just need to match the numbers on the normal
charger”.
“Yes, you can but you
need to have a power bank that has the same amperage and voltage as your radio recharger”.
Someone suggested investigating ‘sunpower flexible solar
panels’ and some people said:
“I looked up the specs
of your radio for you and although the battery pack is 3.7 volts the charger is
6 volts. The solar power pack will only provide 5 volts per USB spec. I would
suggest contacting ICOM and asking them if they have a USB charger cable
arrangement which would work”.
(I did contact ICOM and they replied – more on that at the
end)
.
Another intriguing comment worth investigating was this one:
“If you're not afraid
of a little soldering, you can get USB -->12V step up converters that would
then work with the lighter cable”.
I like this idea but what I’m not sure about is whether such
a thing would then work with the solar panel powerbank I mentioned.
You can actually buy something like that:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/KUNCAN-Converter-Voltage-2-1mm-Connector-Black/dp/B01ID90E3C/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?keywords=KUNCAN+5ft+USB+5v+to+DC+12v+Step+Up+Converter+Cable%2C+USB+Port+Voltage+Converter+to+DC+5.5+x+2.1mm+Connector&qid=1559573654&s=electronics&sr=1-1-fkmr0
You can actually buy something like that:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/KUNCAN-Converter-Voltage-2-1mm-Connector-Black/dp/B01ID90E3C/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?keywords=KUNCAN+5ft+USB+5v+to+DC+12v+Step+Up+Converter+Cable%2C+USB+Port+Voltage+Converter+to+DC+5.5+x+2.1mm+Connector&qid=1559573654&s=electronics&sr=1-1-fkmr0
One forum member said
“You need 12V to
charge your radio. A USB charger is only 5V, so that one won't do it. You *can*
buy an adapter that will convert USB to a 12v socket, and then another that
will take the 12v to charge the radio, but I don't know if the USB-12v adapters
put out enough wattage”.
So, if you are reading this and you understand the physics, please dear
reader, help me out – would the above work with the solar power-bank I am
thinking of getting – to recharge up my ICOM M23? My M23 wall charger
plug charger says input 100-240v50/60 hz 0.16A
and output 6.0v 0.5A. if
that helps!
Another train of thought was this one:
"Hmmm. The standard charger for this radio is 6v, 500ma. I give it a better than 50% chance that if you:
1: Cut off a USB plug from something.
2: Cut off the DC plug that fits the radio from the charger (or, far better, buy another one...)
3: Attach the above 2 bits together.
Then it's possible the radio wants the full 6v to charge but I doubt it; the USB port will kick out a bit over 5v (5.2 is common) at a few hundred ma which is probably enough for the job".
Another train of thought was this one:
"Hmmm. The standard charger for this radio is 6v, 500ma. I give it a better than 50% chance that if you:
1: Cut off a USB plug from something.
2: Cut off the DC plug that fits the radio from the charger (or, far better, buy another one...)
3: Attach the above 2 bits together.
Then it's possible the radio wants the full 6v to charge but I doubt it; the USB port will kick out a bit over 5v (5.2 is common) at a few hundred ma which is probably enough for the job".
Finally, before moving on, one or two people suggested I just
give it a go and charge it off a power-bank and see what happens. As long as
the power bank was supplying 5v output, people felt that the charge controller
in the radio would be probably pretty flexible and so would charge the 3.7v
battery, only more slowly. General consensus was that the worst that would
happen is that the radio just wouldn’t charge but it would be unlikely to have
been damaged in anyway.
There were those
who said no it wouldn’t work.
“No. That panel is
specifically for cell phones and other devices that use a USB charger. I am not familiar with the M23, but most
handhelds need more than 5 volts”.
“We use this model for
iPads and iPhones and it works very well.
Won't charge our radio as it has no usb slot”.
Much mention was
made of alternative strategies
·
the new ICOM M25 which charges by USB - a nod to the fact that it can be done but perhaps
not specifically with the M23. https://icomuk.co.uk/IC-M25Euro/Handheld-VHF-Marine-Radio
·
building my own adapter using the M23 cradle –
which seems a good idea but I have no knowledge of how and I’m still not sure
about whether it would work anyway as I feel that the issue here is tied up
with watts, amps, output and voltages. My
M23 wall charger plug charger says input 100-240v50/60 hz 0.16A and output 6.0v
0.5A. So, I guess that is what I am looking for on any portable power-bank?
I have no idea, really, it’s so sad. Physics at school bypassed me somehow!
·
One suggested alternative was by far the easiest
and cheapest. If I am going for no more than a week maximum – buy three spare
radio batteries (BP-266) and charge them all up before the trip. Replace the batteries
as and when. The M23 doesn’t have an accessory tray for taking AA batteries,
sadly. This option would cost around £50. A linked suggestion was to backtrack
the 3.7v BP-266 battery type and see if anyone manufactured a USB charger
cradle for it. (Great idea, been
looking, so far no luck).
The most popular
reply – get yourself a 12v system
The most popular reply essentially was – ‘get yourself
a 12v system on the boat and use solar panels to top up the battery’. I
will do a more detailed blog post on this next week but in essence – here were
some of the points made.
“If you have room for
it, your best bet is a few large batteries setup as a power cell, use a solar
panel to charge those and then power your devices from the battery cell”.
Which is helpful but leaves me with questions – like ‘HOW DO
YOU DO THIS? HOW DO YOU ACTUALLY SET
THIS UP?’ I am a visual learner –
I need to see it!!
‘Do you have 12v
available on your boat Steve? https://www.gaelforcemarine.co.uk/en/GB/Icom-12V-Charger-Lead-for-M23/m-1496.aspx?PartnerID=22&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=UnitedKingdom&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI3LyGidzM4gIVy7ftCh3vaQUNEAYYCCABEgK8I_D_BwE
So, I can get an appropriate cable to charge the radio and
then using cigarette lighter sockets and chargers, do it that way. This would
be all contained in a plywood box arrangement. But then, sadly that puts pay to one of my aims which was to try and
make things work across the range of my interests – portable power for climbing,
cycling, off grid caravanning, canoeing and camping.
“I use a solar panel
on a 12V battery and then use an inverter to use the regular charger that comes
with the handheld. It works perfectly”.
“That’s my system too.
A small, 85 ah deep cycle battery powering a 300watt inverter plus a few other
bits and pieces. I've two 10 watt panels plus charge it before leaving home and
have never managed to run it flat so far”
OK – but how big is all this, how do you set it up, what does it look
like, what are the rough costs? I’m not being lazy and will investigate
it all thoroughly – I just don’t understand the basics of electronics – nothing
– nada – no idea!
“You could probably
eliminate the 12V battery if you used a "car charger" for the ICOM
and a controller on a simple "12V" solar panel. In fact, I have a 60W
folding panel that has a 12VDC socket - that would probably work fine – this one
below -
Now this is a lovely bit of kit and meets my multi use and
portability criteria but sadly is beyond my budget plans – pity!
And finally, what did ICOM have to say on the matter?
“Hi Steve,
I'm afraid the IC-M23 does
not support USB charging, you would need a CIGAR.003 cigar lead plugged into a
12v supply to charge the IC-M23.
The USB charger blocks you
list would work with the IC-M25 as this model does support USB charging”.
Um!
Um!
How confused am I feeling?
My grateful thanks to everyone for their
thoughts. Greatly appreciated and sorry I am such a ‘electronics numpty’. I
will try and process what you have said and investigate the portability power
banks a little more before abandoning the idea in favour of a 12v system on the
boat. However, if any of you have cracked the charging radio conundrum using
solar power-banks, please, please do let me know what you have done……in words
of one syllable if you can – so I can understand something 😊
