Freeplay freecharge 12V output hand crank charger NEW IN BOX
- Thread starter careca
- Start date
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Hey Guest, Early bird pricing on the Summer Moot (29th July - 10th August) available until April 6th, we'd love you to come. PLEASE CLICK HERE to early bird price and get more information.
Guys please be aware of the limitations of these devices and your charging adapters (the ones you put it the cigarette lighter socket). The hand crank can only produce 600mA if you crank it at the required 120 rpm. Some of the cheaper iphone/smart phone USB cigarette lighter adapters are not switch mode adapters and use very inefficient ways to step the voltage down from 12V to 5V. So you may end up getting only 500mA or so out of your adapter instead of an amp or more if you had used a switch mode based adapter (with a switch mode adapter you are trading volts for amps, so as you step down in voltage you are stepping up in current). Since iphones/smart phones draw over an amp of current when charging it may not charge or show a message saying so, the same adapter in your car will work since the car battery can output an enormous current.
Just be aware of this.
Standard phones wont be a problem, its devices which charge with a high current which are.
Just be aware of this.
Standard phones wont be a problem, its devices which charge with a high current which are.
Biker
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Got mine yesterday according to an email from my Mother whose address it was sent to as per request. Thanks for the heads up too about the cheaper USB adapters. I presume that comment was aimed at me specifically since I linked you to that one on ebay I saw. Anyway I'll work something out, just happy to have the base unit to start with to work up from.
Many thanks again.
Many thanks again.
ditto
I am hoping to use it to charge batteries (AAA etc) when there is no sun, for use in a radio.
Alan
So what USB cigarette lighter adapter do you recommend we get as technical stuff like this is mumbo jumbo to me
Biker
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
So what USB cigarette lighter adapter do you recommend we get as technical stuff like this is mumbo jumbo to me
Hey Steve, This was what careca directed me to have a gander at in a PM I received:
EDIT changed the details following a posting by careca
I'd seen this on ebay which seemed to suit my needs. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/130629121228?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649
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You lot need to try Dealextreme (http://www.dealextreme.com)
NO P&P, take a couple of weeks (slow boat from china), but I have used them a lot. The trouble is, once I et on that site, I can't seem to get off without buys loads lol.
Alan
Biker
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Yeah that does seem to be an issue having read the fine print on that product at Amazon. Seems it's aimed at Apple branded stuff the most. There is a get around way by shorting out two of the intermal connections, but ideally that's not really a viable option as it ought to be clearly stated it only works on certain items. Still thn king of going for the one I linked to on ebay, at least that clearly states it's for the Kindle4 which is what I want to use my charegr for... and maybe my Apple shuffle.
Dont get that one i recomended to biker Guys, it was a mistake to recommend that one. this issue was brought to my attention last night by rapidboy which prompted me to read up on the freeplay website. The belkin one is a cheap one and is very small so most likely is not switch mode design.
As to which one to get, thats a difficult one. You would never know which one is a switching adapter unless you cracked it open. My opinion is that asking these hand cranks to charge higjh current charging smart phones is too much. standard mobiles & devices which run off standard USB max current limits (500mA) should be no problem, its just that certain devices which charge with high currents refuse to charge with less than that high current.
As to which one to get, thats a difficult one. You would never know which one is a switching adapter unless you cracked it open. My opinion is that asking these hand cranks to charge higjh current charging smart phones is too much. standard mobiles & devices which run off standard USB max current limits (500mA) should be no problem, its just that certain devices which charge with high currents refuse to charge with less than that high current.
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In that case you may be better off topping up a battery pack which you can then use to charge the smartphone from.
