Portable Power - Battery w/power inverter

[Snag]

I'm needing some type of portable power unit that will run a few fans for about 8 hours a night for camping. I've been looking at one of those "do everything" units that will jump start your car, inflate a tire, light your way, charge your cellphone, and do your taxes... But I don't need all of that..(well, maybe help with the taxes). They have less expensive units that don't include the built in inverter so I could go that route and just pick up an external inverter. I don't mind paying the money for one of the "duz-it-all" units but from what I'm reading, they seem to die after about two years. Not sure if that is due to the type of batteries they use or if the folks just run them dead and leave them that way until they need them again. Was even thinking about dropping a deep cell in a milk crate ;-) but I'd still need some way to recharge it if I drain it every day... Any ideas? Thanks!

 

[jebatty]

If you're going for fans, why not full air conditioning? Would make "camping" really fun, or better yet, stay home, and set up the tent in the living room? Just kidding!

I can see a 100+ ah deep cell maybe getting you through one night, but recharging is the issue. Use DC fans rather than an inverter. A portable solar array would provide some charging capacity, but I think you would need at least 120 watt output to start to get a decent charge on the battery during the daytime. Good luck.

EDIT: Backpacking a 100 ah deep cell could be challenge!

 

[Snag]

You're right. DC fans will do the job more efficiently. I bit the bullet and picked up a diehard unit with 22ah. After looking at a few of them, the diehards were the only ones I found that gave you the option of replacing the battery when they get too old to hold a charge anymore. I should be able to several nights use out of it without needing a recharge and use two 12 volt fans while a single .8 amp fan will only be powered for 2 hours max. I didn't realize AC was such a power pig. I'm thinking I should be able to rewire two battery operated fans (12V untis) to cigarette lighter adapter plugs and go that route. If that doesn't work, I'm thinking Plan B will be using some 12v computer case fans.

 

[semipro]

You're right. DC fans will do the job more efficiently. I bit the bullet and picked up a diehard unit with 22ah. After looking at a few of them, the diehards were the only ones I found that gave you the option of replacing the battery when they get too old to hold a charge anymore. I should be able to several nights use out of it without needing a recharge and use two 12 volt fans while a single .8 amp fan will only be powered for 2 hours max. I didn't realize AC was such a power pig. I'm thinking I should be able to rewire two battery operated fans (12V untis) to cigarette lighter adapter plugs and go that route. If that doesn't work, I'm thinking Plan B will be using some 12v computer case fans.

I don't think the issue with AC is inherit inefficiency but more so the DC to AC conversion process. Inverters, especially cheaper ones, are notoriously inefficient, producing a lot of waste heat. I used to run DC fans in my camping van that ran off a spare battery. The fans would even oscillate back and forth. I think I bought them from JC Whitney.

Is that a rescue greyhound?

 

[Snag]

Thanks, Andy, for the info about power-wasting inverters. And to think I paid extra for the convenience of a built in inverter and ac plugs. I'd have been better off with a less expensive power pack and investing in a better inverter. I'm just guessing the inverter in the diehard is not an efficient device.

I've rewired my old DC fan with cigarette lighter plug from Radio Shack, has 8' of wire so I'll be able to put the fan just about anywhere I need to. Drilled a hole through the base, knotted the wire so it can't slip out and connected everything up.... Couldn't have been easier. I found a $19 AC/DC fan unit at Lowes that has an AC adaptor receptacle so I snipped a matching plug off of an old AC adapter I had stuffed in my computer parts drawer and wired it into a 2nd Radio Shack adapter.... I shoved the plugs into the DC ports, flipped the switch and ... Bob's Yur Uncle! I've got "air conditioning" ;-) Field test proved both fans barely draw any power off the battery after using them for 2 hours so I'm thinking I won't need to charge the power pack back up until we get back home. I'm sure now it will rain all weekend and I won't need any fans at all.

The fur-kid in the pic is "Siobhan", aka "Vonnie" aka "Doodles". She's an Irish wolfhound, my courser extraordinaire and one of our two resident snuggle-muffins ;-) My boy-oh "Dune" is also an IW but he's almost too big to fit in the camera lense. (grin). I took them both with me to Lowes the other day to help pick out the fan. I never knew you could take dogs IN Lowes either ;-) It's been a very edj-um-acational week.


Scruffles to Easy and the rest of your crew!
Snag

 

[Delta-T]

what kind of camping is this??? dont tell my wife, she'll want fans too. I have her convinced its technologically impossible. if you're camping in central PA you'll be in/near Happy Valley, how could you need fans in a place called Happy Valley??

I have never heard the colloquialism "Bob's Yur Uncle", I like it.

super neat fan idea btw, and super excellent dog.

 

[Snag]

LOL, I've spent some time in Happy Valley, way, way back when I was young and dummer and I'd from my experience the "happy" part of the valley had nothing at all to do with any abundance of cool breezes!

Bob's your Uncle (and Fanny's your Aunt) has it's roots in England/Ireland I believe.

Now I'm wondering if the fan concept can't be converted for use in the car when the dogs are doing a ride along. I wonder what kind of damage two cpu fans (one to draw air in and one acting as exhaust for cross ventilation) would do to a car battery if you wanted to leave the pups in the car to run in for an 5 minute errand. I can't imagine much. and having a way to move heat build up out of the car would be a plus for the dogs. I'm not advocating taking animals in the car in the heat of a 90 degree day knowing you're going to have to leave them alone, but having a little extra "security" against overheating them on a road trip while you've popped into a restroom on the turnpike would be a "good thing". Heck, once the car is under power, you could use the fans to blow more AC to the rear of, in my case, the SUV where they're stretched out watching the world go by;-)

 

[semipro]

LOL, I've spent some time in Happy Valley, way, way back when I was young and dummer and I'd from my experience the "happy" part of the valley had nothing at all to do with any abundance of cool breezes!

Bob's your Uncle (and Fanny's your Aunt) has it's roots in England/Ireland I believe.

Now I'm wondering if the fan concept can't be converted for use in the car when the dogs are doing a ride along. I wonder what kind of damage two cpu fans (one to draw air in and one acting as exhaust for cross ventilation) would do to a car battery if you wanted to leave the pups in the car to run in for an 5 minute errand. I can't imagine much. and having a way to move heat build up out of the car would be a plus for the dogs. I'm not advocating taking animals in the car in the heat of a 90 degree day knowing you're going to have to leave them alone, but having a little extra "security" against overheating them on a road trip while you've popped into a restroom on the turnpike would be a "good thing". Heck, once the car is under power, you could use the fans to blow more AC to the rear of, in my case, the SUV where they're stretched out watching the world go by;-)

Sounds like the car application should work. I've also seen solar powered window ventilators for cars. My past buddy (mutt) that practically lived in my van and went on our honeymoon, benefited from a similar system.

We like the big dogs too. We have two 100 pound german shepherds that keep us on (and off) our toes.

 

[Delta-T]

i was trying to remember where I've sen those solar window fan things....alas I cannot, but if I was a bettin' man, I'd wager on JC whintey having those things in the VW section right next to the electric window defogger. Now, if Snag just goes and gets himself a Rolls Royce, they come with 2 batteries. Problem solved, lol.

 

[Deere10]

I have the same Diehard unit. I love it. Bought it as a jump pack,basically site unseen. Then when I picked it up at Sears..Wow it does everything. But as with any battery replacement units I am sure the battery is as much as a new unit.. Good luck n camp on