This summer, It's decided, We rent a large catamaran in family ! Finally, would be better to say "in extended family. : four adults, two older teens + their respective boyfriend-girlfriend + a child of 11 years ago. It has thought of everything : journey, victualling, clothing, Sun creams, sunglasses, caps, masks and snorkels, fishing lines… about ! A week before our departure, the skipper has whispered :
-You thought to charge phones ?
There, a silence, then the response :
-UH, isn't it, what for ?
-You will be new on board, It's been so many smartphones and certainly half of tablets… and there are only two plugs cigarette lighter on the boat !
-Damn…
Actually, between youth smartphones, the old iPhone and iPad, the Nexus of the junior, and one of the two Sockets 12V of the vessel who shall be reserved exclusively to the iPad's browsing, It'll be war if it does not find a solution for everyone.
The market today offers many solutions, but few of them are suitable for the use at sea. Even if a catamaran wet not much, better be careful. A brand has been selected by our friends at iTabNav, company X Move, offers several products to rather barbarous names, but meeting our criteria of use : robustness and tightness.
Sealed batteries
X-Moove© Rugged™
This small battery of Pocket fun design is perfect for a smartphone. It allows two full recharges from an iPhone, 20 h additional use. It gets 70% the load of an iPhone in 2 hours steps, 100% in less than 3 hours steps. You can continue to use its smartphone connected to the battery in a Pocket. 3 green LEDs show the charge and/or discharge levels. a mini torch and a small laser pointer complete functions. It is the happiness of my wife, iPhone addict !
Specifications :
- Sheathing rubber shock
- Sealing : IP67 (valve closed)
- Compatibility : Smartphones and USB devices
- Battery capacity : 5600 mAh
- Time to recharge the batteries of 0 at 100% about 5 hours steps
- Supplied with Micro-USB cable, Dock iPhone adapter, Mini-USB adapter
- Dimensions : 102 mm x 56 mm x 26 mm
- Weight : 145g
- Suggested retail price : 59,99€ inc VAT
- Promo iTabNav : 44,95 € inc VAT
X-Moove© Rugged™ Adventure
Big sister of the previous, This very powerful battery is perfectly suitable to the iPad and other tablets. It allows to charge to 100% d’un iPad, up to 6 an iPhone or a Galaxy full refills, charging a GoPro, and many other devices. 4 charging/discharging control diodes, Mini-torch with SOS function. This is the ideal battery, all-terrain, the Rolls ! The manufacturer advertises :
"Its X-Charge technology™ detects your device and optimizes the charging speed. It allows to recharge your device as quickly as your original charger. "
What better ?
Specifications :
- Sheathing rubber shock
- Tightness IP67
- Compatibility : Smartphones and USB devices
- Battery capacity : 9000 mAh
- Output power : 2A
- Time to recharge the batteries of 0 at 100% : about 7 hours steps
- Dimensions : 102 mm x 56 mm x 28 mm
- Weight : 140g
- Supplied with Micro-USB cable, Dock iPhone adapter, Mini-USB adapter
- Suggested retail price : 69,99€ inc VAT
- Price iTabNav : 59,90 € inc VAT
The solar panel
Solargo™ Trail 18W
Brand new portable solar panel for iPad and smartphones. Ships as a small Briefcase, folds and hangs anywhere by a robust stainless steel eyelet and several clips how to sail, which are also used to secure it.
"Equipped with SunPower solar panels™, world leader in photovoltaic cells, X-Charge technology™, the Solargo™ Trail has a yield 40% superior to equivalent surface compared to competing products. "
Dixit manufacturer. Actually, with nominal power 18W (Sun at 90 °), a voltage of 5V. and dual USB output, the Solargo can recharge two devices simultaneously, including two iPad, but can also recharge the Rugged battery™ and 5h. et la Rugged™ Adventure en 9h.
Light, robust, impact resistant, water and extreme temperatures, It is the response to the absolute autonomy ! Finally, as long as there is sunlight…
Specifications :
- Dimensions : 260 mm x 174 mm x 40 mm
- Weight : 660 g
- Compatibility : Any USB device
- Delivered without cables
- RRP : 149,99€
- Price launch iTabNav : 129 €
Good, well, There's more than just to heat the blue card… to prevent the mutiny ! And especially, do not forget all kinds USB cords :
USB cables
USB type A to :
- USB standard A et B
- Mini USB A and B
- USB micro A and B
- Apple Dock (old generation)
- Apple Lightning (new generation)
- Apple USB-C (universal format)
A real puzzle. 6 different formats for a standardized connector (USB) and three Apple formats. And a Council, Mark your own cords with adhesives of color, It will avoid discussions on the return of cruise.
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a small return of experience, I happen to browse a little and this on different boats, often for at least a transat, see a little more. On the IPad, I tested the 1, the 2 and the first air, Fed behind a 12V Jack, they normally hold without problem 24/24.
And behind a 12V outlet I use it, I can link : http://www.amazon.fr/gp/product/B00JRJUL9U?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00
I tested it long enough with 3 connected devices, I have just the change the fuse which had slammed once. 4 devices, from time to time, 5 I've never tried.
Happy holidays …
Can be trusted to Christophe, When he tests it is on the long term, see his blog :
Christophe Mahé - logbook
Very good full article,
I am a party in Corsica with my Surprise without electrical circuit all my Electronics was battery, I had extra phone batteries, a pamphlet solar panel and a portable recharge for highly efficient car battery; on ten days we were electrically completely autonomous.
Thanks for your great articles.
I finish a month's cruise in the English channel with an iPad and Weather4D pro + iSailor. No problem with the apps but I have to turn off the iPad between two sessions iSailor otherwise it is inexorably emptied in less than a day. This even when connecting an external battery 6000 My.
I bought a cigarette 2A plug known as fast, but I do not load. Certainly, the battery declines slowly, but it falls.
The main disadvantage of the extinction in the repetition of the iPad is to have no trace of the history of the road.
Does anyone have the same concern ?
Patrick
Vous avez peut-être un iPad 3 or 4 ? Les plus gourmands en recharge, 5h30 avec le chargeur 2,1A fourni en standard. Voir mes commentaires sur l’article Which iPad for navigation ?.
The trace in iNavX or iSailor may be registered in the background, When the iPad is in standby, but better feed it permanently.
Very nice products in this respect are the Snowlizzard extreme cases for iPhone or Samsung Galaxy: they combine a very rugged and waterproof case with a in corporated 100% spare battery AND a small solar panel. See: http://www.snowlizardproducts.com/collections/cases
Hello everyone,
Article well documented but not comprehensive enough, I thought other solutions, It is small portable but once empty batteries, It connects them where to recharge ? At the cigarette lighter socket that is already occupied by another device support !
These batteries have the disadvantage (I mention those that I have pu try, not those quoted in the article), to have some times too low voltage reached a certain power transmission, which is what happened to a certain level of discharge, It no longer provides nothing to the connected device.
It is better to, as stated in the previous comment, use multiple devices output cigarette lighter or some cigarette lighter plugs with the possibility of having 4 outputs USB to connect as many cords. Pity for those who have the mark to chewed Apple devices, and their format of cord owner, on trouve plus facilement des cordons micro-USB a 1€ que ceux pour Apple à 30€. Pour mon Blackberry j’ai même des cordons à double sortie micro-USB pour recharger deux appareils en même temps, We can not have everything… I had but I no longer and it is so much better…
No, au panneau solaire décrit ci-dessus, tiens 😉 Et merci pour l’article « pas assez complet ».
I am also skipper and it is always fun to see how fast people are looking of wi - fi and the current handling. On my side, I carry a cigarette lighter adapter that has two output ports, one for my iPad with iNavx and another for passengers.
I even in extreme cases and when the weight of the luggage allows a Doubler of cigarette lighter with a small extension, which allows to recharge 4 devices. But good, South of the Turkey, quand on est toujours « offline », l’équipage se surprend à pouvoir vivre sans portable ni tablette pendant plusieurs jours consécutifs 🙂
Otherwise thank you for your blog !
Charles