[clug] Modern palmtop

[steve jenkin]

Ben Nizette wrote on 14/02/10 1:12 PM:
> 
> Possible, though afaics a fold-up solar charger of sufficient size to
> give you a few hours of use even after a cloudy few days would cost
> about the same as the netbook itself.  All other electronic kit is
> standardised to AAs and there are solar chargers for them already so
> sticking with that would be good but yeah, not absolutely essential.
> 
> --Ben.
> 
> On 14/02/2010, at 1:00 PM, Andrew Janke wrote:
> 
>> Option 3: Roll up solar charger?
>> 
>> 
>> a
>> 
>> On Sun, Feb 14, 2010 at 12:57, Ben Nizette <bn at niasdigital.com>
>> wrote:
>>> Option 2 is to get the most frugal netbook which can be found and
>>> build a big ole external AA battery pack, does anyone have any
>>> experience with this?


Here's a recent review of Solar-powered cell-phone chargers:
<http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-11288_7-6427792-3.html?>

They also reviewed "hand-wound" cell phone chargers.
My take: don't bother... "Fingers got sore after 2 minutes" [into a dead
battery]

Vanuatu might have good hours of sunlight - should be able to check out
the weather.

Will your father be travelling in cars/vehicles?
Worth taking a 12V recharge kit?

Another approach to consider, get a 4Amp-Hr 12V 'gel cell' to connect to
car, plus enough bits to connect the gel-cell to a 12V recharger.

You might get enough charge in a 30-min trip to last a good time...

Other people/place to try:
 - AusAid regularly sends people to the third world.
 - Howard Lowndes of Albury has spent time volunteering in
    3rd world countries: <http://lannet.com.au/>
 - NGO's that send volunteers or deliver aid will face these problems
   and have solutions.
 - The Vanuatu consulate might be able to help directly, give you
    phone numbers over there to call, or help with NGO contacts.

The caveat is that this might already be a well-solved problem locally.

Micro-businesses spring up in response to demand: like selling time on a
mobile phone.
Which implies recharging the phone...

HTH
s

-- 
Steve Jenkin, Info Tech, Systems and Design Specialist.
0412 786 915 (+61 412 786 915)
PO Box 48, Kippax ACT 2615, AUSTRALIA

sjenkin at canb.auug.org.au http://members.tip.net.au/~sjenkin