I measured the power draw on a Gen1 P8079HP tube @ 0.192W using a 6V supply i.e. a couple of 3V RCR123s.

I'm having some fun with the tube (about £90), the picatinny rails and the epoxy.

It works quite well with a 50mm C mount CCTV lens (about £25), IR Lasers and I'm looking to get a collar adapter machined up to do some digiscoping with a Nikon Coolpix P310 camera and FSB-series Digital Camera Bracket digiscope adapter to hunt for UFO's
I'm currently waiting for a faster Russian 85mm M42 F1.5 lens to be delivered, with much more light gathering capability.

It also works with a 940nm pill on a T50 illuminator.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sd0GIe9Ed0w

The intensifier gain is apparently similar to Gen3 but without the Gen3 improvement in size/weight constraints and barrel distortion and tube life.

I never really get why people need a huge amount of lumens. I do a lot of outdoor things and the most I need are: quick short term higher lumen output for navigation (100 - 200 lumen), a lower output to see in front of me and a even lower one for stationary things. Easily done with regular AA or AAA batteries. The only moments i need a higher lumen light is while MTBing or trailrunning in the dark.



150watts? Really that much? I don't think a average pack has enough surface area for 150watts of panels and how much battery banks do you want to carry? A panel big enough to supply the maximum amount of batterybank input most of the time is large enough. Maximum batery input for lithium batterybanks are generally only 2.1A.

Phone, (head)light and maybe a GPS. What else do you want to carry with you? The more you bring, the slower you are.

There are a lot of useful comments here.
If someone can recommend good-quality solar panels (preferably those that roll up) ... that would be useful.

The SIMPLE thing I got from this discussion ... don't try to charge your phone directly from the solar panel. This takes too long. Instead, buy a couple of rechargeable batteries. Leave the solar panel so that it is constantly charging one battery for the entire day (e.g. leave on the roof of your vehicle or cabin). Carry the other battery(fully charged) as a backup. And this way there is always an opportunity to re-charge your phone if you need to.

THANKS. excellent suggestions!!
Pete

The only solar panel devices I have experience with are WakaWaka and Goal Zero. The former comes in essentially one, small size, suitable for charging a single smartphone. It works a treat. Goal Zero comes in a variety of sizes and form factors depending on your needs. Neither rolls up and I'm not aware of any high-quality solar cells that do.

I have experience with solar monkey (underpowered for the marketed use and expensive), Goal zero (expensive, but works well) and some small cheaper ones. But the solar power industry has exploded the last few years, so too many new choices these days.


I would say have a look at some comparissons:

https://youtu.be/MgRloFSeWoE
http://www.outdoorgearlab.com/Solar-Charger-Reviews/ratings

(not affiliated, but find them to have nice comparions)

As far as electronics go: I'd add a pocket or emergency radio, try to get a light with a very low power mode to prolong the battery life (you only need about 2 lumens to avoid stepping on someone on the way to the bathroom), and a power source of some sort (solar, power bank, battery charger).

Phone: 1/2 lb with charger (required)
Headlight: 1/4 lb (required)
Pocket radio: 1/4 (sports) to 3/4 (crank) lb (optional. Made somewhat redundant by a smart phone, but not vulnerable to network congestion and with wider coverge)
GPS with charger: 1/2 lb (optional, same reason as radio)
Solar charger (10W) or 10Ah power pack: 1 lb (required)
External hard drive (remember that this is a one-way trip): 1/2 lb (optional. Copies of critical files can be carried on a smart phone memory card)

So figure that a full e-load is going to run from about <2 - 3 1/2 lbs.

I would think if the refugees can purchase a SIM card in whatever European country they have fled to, they also have access to mains power to charge their phones which this image shows. The image was taken recently at the Keleti Railway Station in Budapest, Hungary.

That image kind of demonstrates my point. There are how many hundreds or thousands of people waiting at Keleti? And, each outlet is only supporting about a dozen phones, with each phone taking 3-4 hours to charge. The mathmatics aren't real encouraging.

Sounds like a solar panel plus battery pack would be very handy....

I guess we are not seeing this the same so I will make my last comments on this.

These desperate people are refugees from Syria, South Sudan, Iraq, Libya and other war and politically torn countries. I would doubt that before they fled their homeland that they really thought about how they were going to charge their phones or batteries while on the go or when they hit Europe.

Also I would doubt that most probably do not have the financial means to be purchasing any on the go charging options before they fled and when they arrived in Europe. Even if they had the means, the many options mentioned here in this thread are very niche, not readily available even in Europe or for that matter here in NA.

For example, I live an very large Canadian metro area and I can only think of 3 outdoor oriented store chains that carry any type of good quality backpack style solar panel setups. Of those 3 stores, only one has a real good selection on hand, the other 2 would probably order if you asked. The only other option would be Ebay or Amazon.

For those people fleeing from the many global hot-spots mentioned, I don't think that visiting a local outdoor store or ordering from Ebay nor Amazon is an option...

Finally, for those here. Do not discount making your own backpack solar setup. I made this proof of concept last year for <$20.00. The panels were ordered from Ebay. The case is an old DVD case with the DVD sleeves removed. I already had the wire, wire loom and Schottky diode. In real good summer sun, charging amps is just only about .7 amp. Voltage can hit just under 14. This setup will not charge a phone but can charge a couple of AA batteries at a time, albeit slowly - which is better then none.

Now that the cost of mini flexible panels have dropped, my winter project is to make a 7-10 watt foldable panel setup for <50.00.