We are showing in this page,
short movies on how to
charge your iPod or mp3 player using Solar Power, from the EL8 Headlamp - Solar
Panel combination, which I call a
Solar Charger. The perfect solution when you are
away from home,
office, computer, car, or just away from a power outlet. Ideal for when
you are outdoors, at the beach, and some tomes bicycling.
The use of the EL8 Headlamp - Solar Panel as an iPod or other hand held
devices
solar charger, was meant to give a charging boost to those devices,
when you are outdoors, away from power outlets, computers, and cars.
Examples of possible uses of the EL8
as an iPod charger
are: hiking, backpacking,
bicycling, at he beach, picnics, or other outdoors activities.
Very Important Information:
The
EL8 Headlamp and Solar Panel
combination is not a straight substitute to an iPod's wall or car charger,
but
can greatly help in providing some
charge to different
hand held devices. The amount of charge the EL8 combination is able to
provide to your iPod, Bluetooth earpiece, GPS, etc., depends on the
capacity of the EL8 Headlamp, and the capacity of the hand held device
you are trying to charge/recharge.
The EL8 Headlamp has a Li-ion battery
with a limited capacity, designed to power the 5 bright LEDs. An iPod's
battery holds a reasonable high amount of charge, therefore charging it
with solar power, may require several charging cycles from the EL8
headlamp . Only one charging cycle will give you
several hours of playing music, depending on the initial
charge of the headlamp, and the iPod being charged.
1. A Blue tooth earpiece will be
100% charged by any combination of charging methods shown in this and
other pages (Charging
Uses of the EL8 Headlamp): Headlamp alone, Solar Panel alone, or
both Headlamp and Solar Panel together.
2. A 4GB iPod nano, has a much
greater battery capacity, therefore an equivalent charging power demand.
Preliminary tests, showed that a 4GB iPod nano can drain completely the
battery charge of the EL8 Headlamp in about 10 to 15 minutes, if
the EL8 Headlamp is not fully charged, providing about 1/8 or
less of the battery charge/recharge this iPod needs. It's highly
recommended to have the EL8 Headlamp fully charged (about 6 to
8hrs connected to the solar panel exposed to direct sun light, in a
clear, not foggy day), when you charge/recharge
your iPod with any of the methods shown below.
We are going to give you
tips,
following thorough tests, on
how to use this Headlamp in the most efficient way
to charge/recharge your
electronic hand held devices, particularly your iPod, in this page.
Tests are posted following informative and educational videos.
Charging an iPod nano
2GB with the EL8 Headlamp using the EA6-USB adapter
EL8 Headlamp + USB adapter $71.50
1. Plug iPod's USB cable to iPod
2. Plug USB adaptor to headlamp
3. Connect USB adapter to iPod's USB cable
4. iPod starts charging!
This charging assembly will provide you
with about 50 to 60 minutes of charging time, when EL8 Headlamp if fully
charged, which is equivalent to about 6 to 8 hours of iPod's music
playing, or audio book /webcast listening time!!! If you are
outdoors,
in a hiking trip, in the Sierra, a forest, a dessert, camping or
canoeing, this
will make your day. Important note:
you do not need to have the headlamp on to use it as a solar charger.
Charging an iPod nano 8GB with the EL8 Headlamp and the Solar Panel together, and using the EA6-USB adapter
EL8 Headlamp + USB adapter $71.50
Again, sequence connection is not that important; just try
to connect iPod's USB cable last
1. Plug iPod's USB cable to iPod
2. Plug solar panel to "T" adapter and "T" adapter to headlamp
3. Connect USB adapter to "T" adapter and to iPod's USB cable
4. iPod starts to charge!
Charging iPod Option 7 Test:
Testing showed that when solar panel is added to the
charging configuration, charging cycle last 20% to 40% longer
than using EL8 headlamp alone. You can charge your iPod 4GB-8GB in about
2 charging cycles, which is equivalent to 3hrs of full iPod's charge
using a conventional wall charger.
Charging an iPod nano 4GB with the EL8 Headlamp using the EA6-USB adapter
EL8 Headlamp + USB adapter $71.50
1. Plug iPod's USB cable to iPod
2. Plug USB adaptor to headlamp
3. Connect USB adapter to iPod's USB cable
4. iPod starts to charge!
This charging assembly will provide you
with about 50 to 60 minutes of charging time, when EL8 Headlamp if fully
charged, which is equivalent to about 6 to 8 hours of iPod's music
playing, or audio book /webcast listening time!!! If you are outdoors,
in a hiking trip, in the Sierra, a forest, a dessert, camping or
canoeing, this will make your day.
Charging iPod Option 6 Test:
A fully charged EL8 Headlamp will provide about 50
to 60 minutes of iPod's 4BG-8GB charging time. This charge
is enough to deliver about 6 to 8 hours music playing time,
or audiobook / webcast listening time.
Charging an iPod nano 8GB with the EL8 Headlamp using the EA6-USB adapter
EL8 Headlamp + USB adapter $71.50
Remember to charge your Headlamp after iPod took all
charge from it!
1. Plug iPod's USB cable to iPod
2. Plug USB adaptor to headlamp
3. Connect USB adapter to iPod's USB cable
4. iPod starts to charge!
Charging iPod Option 5 Test:
Real life test shows that a full charged EL8 Headlamp, provides
about 1/4 to 1/2 of iPod nano 4GB or 8GB battery charge. A full
(4GB-8GB) iPod's charge
will take between two to three EL8 headlamp charging cycles
(equivalent
to about 3hrs of full iPod charging time with a wall charger).
Since
iPod's nano 4GB-8GB music playback time is about to 24 hours when iPod is
fully charged, 1/4 of charge will give you about 6hrs of music. If you
will be hiking/backpacking several days or weeks or
months, like in the Pacific Coast Trial, PCT, you can keep you
iPod nano 8GB (or 4GB) alive for the whole trip, as long as you
listen about 6hrs of music a day, or less, and you are diligent in keep
charging your iPod every day.
Charging iPods nano 4GB and 8GB is equivalent; both have same battery
capacity.Charging an iPod nano 2GB, will take about half of the time or charging
cycles of the iPod 4GB or 8GB, only one or two charging cycles when EL8
headlamp is fully charged.
Charging an iPod nano 2GB with the EL8 Headlamp and the Solar Panel together, and using the EA6-USB adapter
EL8 Headlamp + USB adapter $71.50
Charging assembly method recommended for outdoors
activities: hiking, backpacking, bicycling, etc,
because of the simplicity and very lightweight. Especially designed for hikers and backpackers
on extended trips
.
Sequence connection is not very important,
but connect iPod side (iPod and USB cable) and Solar Power assembly
(Solar Panel and Headlamp to "T" adapter), and then connect USB adapter
to both sides, iPod and Solar Power assembly.
1. Plug iPod's USB cable
to iPod
2. Plug solar panel to "T" adapter and "T" adapter to headlamp
3. Connect USB adapter to "T" adapter and to iPod's USB cable
4. iPod starts to charge!
Charging iPod Option 4 Test:
Charging an iPod 2GB takes about 1 1/2 EL8 Headlamp charging
cycles (about 1 1/2hr). If the solar panel is added, like in the
example above, this charging time charging cycle will be longer, and iPod 2GB can be
charged in just one cycle.
Some times iPods freeze
when it is connected to Solar Panel first and there is not enough light
to power the Solar Panel. Do not despair!
Just press iPod's center bottom and top Menu bottom together, to reset
it.
To avoid iPod freezing,
use above charging configuration, EL8 Headlamp plus Solar Panel, and
connect iPod after "T" adaptor is plugged to Headlamp; or you can
choose to charge iPod safely with Headlamp only, as shown in movie below.
Charging iPod nano 8GB with the EL8 Headlamp
Ideal method to use when sun light is not enough to power the
Solar Panel, like early in the morning,
late in the afternoon or
at night, hiking, camping, bicycling, indoors activities, while watching
sports, etc.
V23
Charging an iPod nano 8GB with solar powered Headlamp, EA1 12 volt converter, and iPod's car charger
EL8 Headlamp + 12V car converter $71.50
1. Connect 12 Volt Converter to Headlamp
2. Connect iPod's car charger to iPod
3. Plug iPod's car charger to 12 Volt Converter
Charging iPod nano 8GB with EL8 Solar Panel
Option recommended ONLY on sunny-clear days, away from computers
and power outlets (when not
moving, walking, or hiking-backpacking):
at the beach, camping, on sport fields (while watching your boy or girl playing soccer, or
baseball), etc.
(a larger and better shown movie is coming soon)
V22
Charging an iPod nano 8GB Red using the EL8 Solar Panel, EA1 12 volt converter, and iPod's car charger in a sunny and clear day
EL8 Headlamp + 12V car converter $71.50
1. Connect Solar Panel to (one female end of) "T" adapter Solar Panel have to face straight, perpendicular
to sun light.
If angled, it wont output enough current to
charge/recharge
iPod.
2. Connect 12 Volt Converter to (other female end of) "T" adapter
3. Connect iPod's car charger to iPod, as you normally do
4. Plug iPod's car charger to 12 Volt Converter's female cigarette
socket
Charging an iPod nano 4GB,
from the EL8 Headlamp and Solar Panel at the same
time
This option is recommended for outdoor people on the go, walking,
hiking, bicycling, backpacking, etc.
V21
Charging an iPod nano 4GB Silver
with the EL8 Headlamp,
Solar Panel, EA1 -12 volt converter,
and iPod's car charger
EL8 Headlamp + 12V car converter $71.50
1. Connect Solar Panel to (one female end of) "T" adapter
2. Connect (male) plug of "T" adapter to Headlamp
3. Connect 12 Volt Converter to (other female end of) "T" adapter
4. Connect iPod's car charger to iPod, as you normally do
5. Plug iPod's car charger to 12 Volt Converter's female cigarette
socket
Do not be afraid to experiment different charging
configurations; you can not harm your iPod, cell phone,
mp3 player, GPS, Bluetooth headset, or any other electronic hand held
device, by using the EL8 Headlamp - Solar Panel combination!!!
Important Notice III: Once, on a very
hot and sunny day (about 90ºF in "sunny California"),
I connected my EL8 headlamp to the solar panel to charge it, at about 8
a.m. I positioned the solar panel a couple of degrees away from the
maximum charging point, so the solar panel would be exposed to the sun
without moving it for about 4 hours. I left the headlamp completely
exposed to the sun. Six hours later I came to check on it and take
it away from the sun. The headlamp battery should be fully charged by
that time. Both headlamp and solar panel were very hot, not burning, but
hot. To my surprise the headlamp did not turn on. I thought the
battery hadn't charged, caused by a bad connection from the solar panel.
Wrong. I tested the battery (with a voltmeter) and it was fully charged.
I busted the headlamp, I thought!!! I opened it up, and I saw a
few tiny, semiconductor chips. I couldn't see any part disconnected or
"melted". I tried pushing the switch again and again, however, for the
rest of the day, it do not turn on.
The next morning, I tried once more, and to my
surprise, it was working normally!
Moral of the story:Do not leave the headlamp directly
exposed to the sun!
