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Marktm

Well-known member
Leaf Supporting Member
Joined
Jan 21, 2016
Messages
854
Location
Houston, TX
This forum group has demonstrated a wide range of knowledge that can potentially help Puerto Rico during it's apparent long "black out". Any comments/ideas on the following is appreciated:

Puerto Rico is going to need literally thousands of cell phone chargers (probably Solar) at some point (telcom has to be a top priority and could precede utility power by many months?). I'm trying to figure a realistic/pragmatic solution, working with a local advocate group. It seems many of the "foldables" stop charging at the first cloud - that's no good - and they are quite expensive. I'm wondering if a Solar system that is just large enough to use the small, UPS batteries (5-7 ahr, 12v SLAs) with cheap cigarette lighter USB assemblies might be an answer, but it has to be large enough to charge these completely discharged batteries (which I'm sure is the current state of most server/UPSs on the island). And it needs to happen quickly or all those batteries will die sitting completely discharged (if the UPSs are not gen backed up). Maybe some combination of a generator to do the initial recharge and then the small maintenance Solar chargers to distribute to the remote areas. This is just a thought.


Thanks in advance,
Mark
 
Is there a major relief organization that has a technology focus already on premise? Maybe we can try to offer collections of batteries and panels to donate?

Often times, if the relief org is not sizeable enough, their cost of overhead to get supplies out would be higher resulting in fewer of the funds reaching the end point. If, for example, Red Cross had a technology division we could donate, this may be ideal.
 
If there is some generator charging available it might make sense to send powerpack-type units that can recharge multiple cell phones each and that can also be recharged in vehicles while driving from site to site.
 
Still waiting on the local fund raising organization to get back with basic needs information. I know they want to send a large container full of needed items. Thanks for the good suggestions and they are in line with what I was thinking to send a number of the cheapest portable panels, with multiple/parallel female cigarette lighter/USB chargers into which the panels can be plugged into and also plugged into any vehicles available. I'll post as soon as I get some information.

I'm quite sure that the 2-5 watt panels will work fine with any small battery without a controller since they are basically trickle charger panels. the problem is getting any "dead" batteries recharged - the bulk charge even for the small 5 ahrs UPS batteries is realistically 5 watts (~10% C) at least. And that would take a full day of sun just to get a minimal charge. Check me on this, but I'm thinking this is about the simplest, cheapest and readily available transportable set up? I am familiar with large server UPSs and one 10KVA UPS could have 64 of these small 5 ahr batteries! May be a long shot, but I figure worth trying.
 
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