Solar for RPW4 idea's & suggestionss

[Joel52334]

Hello all.  I've been pondering about doing some multi-day trips.  I've found this set of accessories on Amazon.  Thoughts/Ideas?

Jackery SolarSaga 100W Portable Solar Panel for Explorer 240/300/500/1000 Power Station, Foldable US Solar Cell Solar Charger with USB Outputs for Phones: SRP $299.

Onite 20-US24USB3W-WW USB Camping, Also for Garage Warehouse Car Truck Fishing Boat Outdoor Portable LED Bulb, Emergency Light, or Children Bed Lamp, WarmWhite, Warm White: SRP $9.99

Jackery Portable Power Station Explorer 500, 518Wh Outdoor Solar Generator Mobile Lithium Battery Pack with 110V/500W AC Outlet: SRP $499  I'd have to save up for it anyway, but would this work to charge Battery2, at a campsite?

anyone else's suggestion.  This looked sharp, neat, same folks with each piece.

[Altema]

It's expensive, but it would work, and the AC output will run the stock Rad charger fine. I'm too sleepy for math right now, but I think it will give you about a 60% charge for the 14aH Rad battery, which is adequate unless you drain the battery completely each day. If you charge the bike while the Jackery is being fed by the solar panels, you will get a bit more.

It would make for a nice setup, and I'd probably go the same route. Were you planning on using the bike to haul the Jackery and solar panels to the campsite?

[Calson]

If you use 10 amps from the battery and take 4 hours around noon each day to recharge the battery the panel output needs to be 3 amps as the charge controller is at best 90% efficient. Do you want to be sitting around for 4 hours each day to recharge the bike battery?

I would pack a 25 foot 18 gauge extension cord so you can plug in the charger wherever you can find an outlet. In the days before wireless I would pack a cord like this and plug in my laptop at a vacant ticket agent counter and be able to reach a place to sit or to jack into a pay phone headset.

Better to use a non-electric bike for multi day trips where nothing needs to be recharged and you only need to worry about flat tires.

[twistydave]

I want to add solar too.  thinking about portable solar panels and a light controller instead of bringing the bigger 110 charger from Rad and the heavy power station.

[Joel52334]

It's expensive, but it would work, and the AC output will run the stock Rad charger fine. I'm too sleepy for math right now, but I think it will give you about a 60% charge for the 14aH Rad battery, which is adequate unless you drain the battery completely each day. If you charge the bike while the Jackery is being fed by the solar panels, you will get a bit more.

It would make for a nice setup, and I'd probably go the same route. Were you planning on using the bike to haul the Jackery and solar panels to the campsite?

Yea, I thought it would work riding from State Park to State Park, here in Iowa we have 99 counties (101 county seats - don't ask)... each is "a day's horse ride" from the other.  ~35 miles or so.  It would be a fun ride around the state (not in Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb Mar "tundra season") or (June-Sept - tornado season the 95/95 humidity/temp) ... We do have RAGBRAI but that's in July...& people die only 1 or 2. It goes from the Missouri River to the Mississippi River, a Monday to Saturday trip, never the same route. Over 10,000 riders participate.   It's not possible to go SE to NW or NE to SW.  We are on a 1-mile grid, most of the state.  E-W & N-S are possible.