Originally Posted by
JohnJ80
That’s been kind of my plan after research. If you go back farther this thread, my question had been to see if increased solar panel efficiency and USB-C PD technology converging had become viable. So I procured the solar panel mentioned here and have been testing it. Then, because of the earlier discussion I posted what I had found out so far. More to come because as he sun gets higher in the sky here at 45N latitude, the panel should perform better. The weight penalty is <100g.
So I think for off-grid use, we’re seeing declining utility in dynamos both from power in from pedaling, the low power out, against rapidly improving solar panel efficiency. Alternatively, for on grid/near grid use, high power batteries that can be charged by high power density and small chargers over USB-C PD are really convenient if there is any proximity to the grid and are lower weight.
Pretty well my experience on tours is that you need a bit of everything. Solar panels are great if there is sun, but you often are in situations where there isn't enough sunshine (I try to ride and camp in the shade where I can, personally) and you can't leave them unattended at your campsite or on your bike in a lot of places. AC power is good, but it can be hard to find sometimes. Dynamo hub with a decent converter will do most things, but very slow off road or a day or two ring up a mountain pass sees it go backwards. So we use Forumsladers with large internal batteries, with an AC back up, and my partner carries a little just in case solar panel. Plus the dynamo lights are good in tunnels...