New battery pack with solar assistance

Posted by petertgarner 
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New battery pack with solar assistance
October 03, 2016 10:31AM
I recently decided to upgrade my battery for a new Raspberry Pi 3 Piratebox (but this can apply to any Piratebox). I wanted a pure solar power solution but this was impractical, so I compromised with the
Aisla Solar Power Bank 20000mA/h which should power my rig for a long time.

What I like about it is that it holds a lot of power anyway but will also top-up using the built-in solar panel. This link to a short video shows it in action: it is facing a window with a lot of light and the blinking LED shows it is receiving a charge from the solar panel. The manufacturer states that the "solar panel charges very slowly" but I will need to test it out to see how long it takes. This is about the largest capacity (portable) power bank that I could find.
I have heard the built in panels are mostly for show some times not even connected to the battery so be sure to let us know how it turns out
Re: New battery pack with solar assistance
October 12, 2016 01:35AM
I'd be interested in hearing how it works out. I started running one on a Nexus 4, and the battery was shot within a few hours (3-4). Though to be fair, poor battery life is why I finally kicked it in the first place.