watts minimum needed to charge MBP

[nicolamoore]

Need to charge my MBP with solar. (Work in African country where power is very unreliable.) One person told 26 watt Brunton will work (with Mikegyver Power Travel Kit to connect the two), but another person said that 26 watts won't even allow the MagSafe to turn on and allow trickle charge. Does anyone know what the minimum wattage is that will turn MagSafe on?

 

[Tallest Skil]

Yeah, 26 watts probably won't work at all.

 

[TEG]

The Power Brick for the MBP is 85W.

I believe that the Airline Adapter is lower (as it is just DC) but it only allows you to operate the computer, not charge, as there is not enough power provided.

This is what you want:
http://www.applelinks.com/index.php/more/solar_power_for_apple_macbook_macbook_pro/
or
http://www.designrelated.com/news/post_detail/3776

TEG

 

[nicolamoore]

The Apple Juicz thingy looks lovely, but $1000?
Isn't there some way to do it for less than that?

 

[Phatpat]

You should be able to charge something like this duracell power source (battery + inverter) with any size panel and use that to power the MBP.

I'd recommend getting at least a 40W panel though.

http://www.amazon.com/Duracell-Inve...2?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1218676250&sr=8-2

 

[nicolamoore]

That DURACELL thingy looks great. And I like the price.
Why would you still recommend a 40W panel?
Wouldn't a trickle charge of 26W all day from the African sun be enough?

 

[alphaod]

That DURACELL thingy looks great. And I like the price.
Why would you still recommend a 40W panel?
Wouldn't a trickle charge of 26W all day from the African sun be enough?

Unless you're planning to use it during the night and charge it during the day no.

These panels are idea for low power computers like the Air which is not only portable, but also only requires a 45W adapter.

 

[nicolamoore]

Exactly what I expect to do: charge the MBP during the day and use it at night. (I work as a doctor during the day; only use the computer at night.)
So....a trickle charge of 26W converted via an inverter to 120V would be OK, no?

 

[alphaod]

Exactly what I expect to do: charge the MBP during the day and use it at night. (I work as a doctor during the day; only use the computer at night.)
So....a trickle charge of 26W converted via an inverter to 120V would be OK, no?

Might be tough. I would invest in something with higher capacity. You might have to consider that Apple Juicz @ 58W. Remember the computer normally needs 85W to charge it and it takes about 3 hours to charge; if you plan to have fresh batteries every night you need that 58W to charge it for like 8 hours assuming it runs at full capacity; don't forget during cloudy days or rain, you won't get 100% efficiency.

If you don't mind me asking, where are you working that doesn't have power?

 

[e12a]

i wouldn't stray far from 85w... the 85w magsafe may not even supply enough power during high loads and will use the battery as a buffer. Obviously don't do anything stressing to use a lot of power.

 

[nicolamoore]

In answer to question of where: Zimbabwe. Electrical power is very erratic in the countryside, where I work.
Also, re: another comment: rain, clouds are essentially non-existent 10 months of the year, and the other two months, the sun is not visible for about 2 hours a day; otherwise, it's sunny all the time.
I'm sort of stumped for what to do. I don't want to spend $1000 for the set up.
Is the general consensus that a 26W panel won't do me any good at all?
Or is it just not optimal?
(I'll settle for not optimal. Much in Zimbabwe is not optimal.)

 

[hitnrun7]

Take this as a bump as im not exactly sure what wattage you would need, but good work man. Keep it up.

 

[e12a]

In answer to question of where: Zimbabwe. Electrical power is very erratic in the countryside, where I work.
Also, re: another comment: rain, clouds are essentially non-existent 10 months of the year, and the other two months, the sun is not visible for about 2 hours a day; otherwise, it's sunny all the time.
I'm sort of stumped for what to do. I don't want to spend $1000 for the set up.
Is the general consensus that a 26W panel won't do me any good at all?
Or is it just not optimal?
(I'll settle for not optimal. Much in Zimbabwe is not optimal.)

seeing that a Core 2 Duo mobile processor already consumes over 25w, I wouldn't be too hopeful.

edit: i just re-read the post and its about charging...hmm I wouldnt know.

http://www.quickertek.com/products/apple_juicz.php
they sell solar panels for charging the macbook. The macbook (pro) one however is 55w. everything lower is only for the Air. Perhaps you should give them an email.

 

[Phatpat]

26W is just not optimal.

If you have some access to power, and just want to supplement, it should be fine.

I was able to get about 1.75 hours of moderate use on my Macbook (not pro) from 5 hours of sun on a 15 Watt panel.

http://www.patrickluckow.com/solar.html