Hiya, I hope I’m not completely in the wrong place (/c/Technology seems to only be dedicated to tech news but not questions). I have this powerbank with a built-in solar panel. The powerbank itself seems great so far, but it’s a pretty tiny solar panel. I’ve read about the difficulty of just hooking up a regular powerbank to a solar panel (spikes and dips in voltage due to clouds, people, etc.).
But since this powerbank is already designed to be charged with solar energy, can I simply hook a big-ass solar panel onto it and recharge it much faster than the officially displayed “several days, depending on the weather”?
Wow thanks to all of you for the very detailed replies, especially you, @Powderhorn@beehaw.org !
Looks like I’ll save your answers and keep them in mind for when I have the nerve to deal with all that effort (we had the idea of installing solar panels on our car roof and buffer it to a second car battery for extended camping trips)
It’s definitely a rabbit hole. What I can recommend as first steps if you’re considering a vehicle solar setup is a two-pronged approach: determining what will be electric vs. some other fuel source and getting a usage monitor like a Kill-A-Watt for devices you’d be planning on using during those trips.
Hard numbers on capacity need are crucial when starting to put together a system. Everything else stems from those figures. Good luck!