Battery charging in the middle of nowhere

Anybody ever go off roading with the AT setup in the deserts of California (or anywhere else remote) and do you have any recommendations for charging the board where you will likely not have access to a typical power outlet?

 

I have a Goal Zero yeti lithium 400 that I've used to give my board a charge in the trunk of my car while I take a break and have lunch. They have a bigger 1000w one that would be even better. You can also get a solar panel to charge up the power bank.

It's not something you can just carry around, but I'm assuming you are driving to these locations. It's also handy to have around the house for when the power goes out, or if you go camping.

https://www.goalzero.com/shop/power-stations/yeti-400-lithium-portable-power-station/

 

Thanks KCF, having done some research since my 1st post the Yeti seems like what I'm looking for. Do you think the Yeti 150 would have enough power to charge the board? The price of the 150 is more in my budget vs the 400, thanks for your help!

 

The 150 could probably help top up part of your battery, it definitely won't do a full charge or even a charge from less than 50%. The 400 is just enough to do a full charge.

The other thing to consider is the capacity of power output for both packs. When using the quick charger, the initial draw is just within the 400's capability to accommodate. I don't think the 150 would work with a quick charger. It may work with the regular charger, but I'm not sure what the regular one draws. I can try using my yeti to charge by board with the regular charger and let you know if the 150 would work.

I actually got my 400 as an open box item from Goal Zero, it was less than half the price. I'm not sure how frequently they put the open box stuff up on their site though.

Maybe look at getting a used one. The batteries are replaceable and the rest of it is likely to last a very long time.

 

That makes total sense on the wattage because from what i can tell the board will use approx 328 watts to charge (assuming this is the right way to calculate this the standard charger i use puts out 42v at 2 amps and it takes about 4 hours to fully charge from 0%). I definitely watch for an open item from goal zero, meanwhile i might just get a cheap 400 watt car power inverter and run the car to charge the board (totally environmentally friendly right? LOL)

 

You could also try charging straight from a solar panel since you are out in the desert. I don't know too much about them, but you can get some portable panels and a power manager than can make sure it manages the power output in a stable way. A decent 100w panel should have enough amps to do the job (again not an expert here in anyway).

That way if you get a Goal Zero down the line, you already have a solar setup to keep it charged on the go. The goal zero's use a special connecter, but you can get an adapter that works with all the common panels that are on Amazon.

 

Definitely also considered the solar option, Harbor Freight has a 100w kit and combined with a power inverter would likely do the deed. Although the whole setup starts to get bulky and might take up more space in my little honda than i would like lol, however I'll check it out at the store and confirm that detail. Thanks again for your help!

 

No worries man! Amazon has some folding/flexible panels, but they are probably more expensive than the HF setup.

(yet) another option is to make your own battery pack. You can get a deep cycle battery from West Marine and an inverter and just make one. Don't use a normal automotive battery since they are just designed to start cars. The deep cycles are designed as power sources for boats and trailers. You can even set it up so that it charges from the alternator of your car. You can probably build one for less than $200.

 

I'm really bored at work right now if you can't tell...lol

 

I like the DIY idea, walmart has all that stuff for cheap lol!

 

I came very close to making one. The only reason I went with the Goal Zero is that when I'm camping at remote race tracks I sleep in my cargo trailer and the battery is in there with me. If I'm going to be sleeping beside it, I want something professional with all the safety features....and the sale price of the Goal Zero was hard to pass up.

The DIY thing is super easy, just connect the inverter to the battery. The only challenge is keeping it charged. You could easily just hook it up to trickle charger in your garage after you use it, or like I said get a part that allows you to charge it from your alternator.

 

I have one question: could I use this battery pack to charge my evolve bamboo?. I am interested in this one pecause it is very light, and even if it charges the skateboard like 30% maybe it is worth it.

It could be a good option to charge a little bit the skateboard while in a cafe or something because it is light enough to carry it in a backpack while riding the skateboard.

Is it possible in terms of electrical especifications?

Thanks

 

Definitely a cool gadget and at just shy of 3 lbs it could fit in a back pack. Sadly it wouldn't be enough power to charge the board as the wattage just isn't there like the goal zero yeti 150. I too was gonna experiment anyway with the yeti 150 since rei has such a liberal return policy so if my charger and board go fu I can bring it back lol but like you 30% or so was my thought as better than nothing

 

Ya unfortunately it won't work. It's not about the watt capacity of the battery - it's the max output.

These battery packs use DC batteries, the charger is an AC appliance. The pack has an inverter which converts it to AC current. This takes energy and there is extra load on the battery to do it.

Even though the charger only uses 2A, it takes more power for the battery pack to provide that 2A.

Those smaller packs can't do it, unless you hook them up to a more powerful inverter. I tested the Goalzero 400 with the standard charger the other day, will post up those stats in a bit.

 

Ok so as mentioned above - tested the Goal Zero Lithium 400w battery back with the standard charger.

The board was at 37v when I charged it. Time to charge was no different from if it was plugged into the wall.

The max draw I observed was 115w @ 10.5-11 Amps. During charging it fluctuated down to 105w minimum and 9.3 amps. It stayed there until fully charged. The battery pack was at ~43% when it finished charging.

When balancing the draw dropped to something like 20w @3.5 amps or less.

By itself (when not charging) the standard charger pulls 14w @ 1.1 amps.

These numbers will vary slightly between the different battery packs because it's really the DC-AC inverter that determines the power draw. However, the Goal Zero is likely using a more expensive and more efficient inverter than the cheaper packs. I don't know that for sure though.

 

What if, in order to use the 100W max output bank battery (Suaoki portable 100W), instead of using the evolve charger (100-240V 2A) we use a slower lithium charger (100-240V 1,8A) like this one:

So with that charger we could use this external battery:

Am I right? And I think you could even charge the skateboard while using it because the battery could fit on the skateboard between your legs.

Other possibility is this: the perfect battery pack I think:

For charging up to 120 W AC devices, and it weights 63,493 oz (1,8 kg)

What do you think?

 

A friend of mine is using this mobile combo to charge his board during a ride or while having a rest:

6S 10.000mah Lipo

and

400W Booster Step Up Module

or this one (with LCD display):

BST-400 400W Booster Step Up Module

The module is set to 42V 4A output. The lipo and the booster are stored in a 3d printed box which is mounted above the rear axle, so he's able to charge during a ride. There is plenty of space to carry that box on the Carbon GT board. Charging speed is not as fast as you can drain the battery in GT mode but it takes considerably longer to drain the battery and increases the total range. You can also charge while having a rest.