Did You Say "Solar-Powered?!?"

[Brad Adrian]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.scottevest.com/pressrelease/sev_solar/index.html' target='_blank'>http://www.scottevest.com/pressrele...olar/index.html</a><br /><br /></div>Here it is! You've been asking for it, and Scott Jordan is finally gonna deliver it: the <a href="http://www.scottevest.com/pressrelease/sev_solar/index.html">solar-powered Version Three.0 SCOTTeVEST</a>!<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/solarevest3.JPG" /><br /><br /><i>"SCOTTeVEST INC. (SeV) maker of Technology Enabled Clothing®, and Global Solar Energy, developer and manufacturer of flexible solar cells, announced that the first solar-powered jacket designed to carry, connect and charge portable devices will be available in time for the holidays. The solar panels are attached to SeV’s signature jacket, Version Three.0 Finetex, an all-weather jacket with removable sleeves and over 30 hidden pockets. The jacket features SeV’s patent-pending Personal Area Network (PAN), which conceals wires associated with power sources and earbuds."</i><br /><br />Here are a few more specifics:<br /><br />• The battery pack is about the size of a deck of cards.<br />• The battery pack charges any device compatible with USB chargers.<br />• The solar panels are removable.<br />• Devices can begin charging immediately upon exposure of the panel to sunlight.<br />• Typical full charge time is 2-3 hours.<br /><br />Actually, I think this is a pretty neat idea (you would expect me to say anything else?), especially for people who spend a lot of time outdoors and need (or want) to use their devices far from the nearest power outlet. The new jacket systems will be available for the gift-giving holidays later this year, but you can pre-order one right now for only $425. And, if you happen to already own a Version Three.0 SCOTTeVEST, there are plans to offer retro-fit kits for adding the solar panels to your vest sometime in the future.<br /><br />There's just one thing about this that I'm not sure of... If you're geeky enough to wear one of these, do you actually spend enough time in direct sunlight to make it worthwhile?<br /><br />(And, yes, I do want one!)

[sheik]

This is quite an amusing gimmick, but the obvious thought is that if the sun is strong enough to get a charge from, surely people will be taking their jacket off?!

What's next, a kinetic fur jacket that charges devices if you go for a vigorous 10 mile run?! ;)

/\

P.S. Yes, I know the jacket could be draped over a wall or something, but as soon as you take it off the point is sort of lost...

[Oleander]

What I find cool about SCOTTeVEST products is that it hides all the gadget effectively, so why this?

IF it was sewn into the back of the jacket and the area around the panels were made in the same black fabric as the rest of the jacket, then it would be ok.

But this is butt-ugly! :?

[gorkon280]

Over 500 for a jacket?? 8O It better be able to charge my devices and then some for that! :D Well, I have to admit I love my version 2 and I am going to try to get a non-solar version 3 before winter hits as I do need a new jacket. In any case, I question having the pannel on the back.....would it not be better to split the panel in two and put it on the shoulders??? I guess if you have a back pack style laptop bag, you may block the panel there. HMM.

[Lex]

From the user's guide: "In order to recharge devices properly at Noon, insert device into charging slot and touch your toes with your fingers for 2 hours."

[scott911]

The jacket with the panels is actually quite attractive. The panels can be easily removed as well, and used separately, e.g. on your dashboard or on your desk. As you know, even the coldest days can be very sunny. Moreover, you don't need direct sun to charge your devices. In sum, you won't ever need your AC Charger with this product.

Scott

[Radimus]

I don't know. My daughter is perpetually cold, and we live in Florida...

The biggest hangup in her life is that her nokia 3300 runs out too quickly while playing MP3s and she can't talk on the phone for 12 continuous hours.

She would LOVE this. especially if there was a version that showed off the midriff... (probably why she is cold all the time)

Bikers, hikers, Germans and Canadians would love this... UK types would probably need a Rain Slicker version of this, if there is enough sun there for anything solar. :)

[babsuvulawho]

This prospect intrigues me enough to stop my read-only user status and post.

I'm just curious, and don't know exactly how to do the math to figure out how well such solution would work. Last I'd heard solar technology still blew. What I'm wondering is, how big is the battery? I can't seem to find a number like I'm used to seeing (rated in mAh for instance) to have any idea if this would truly be a solution or not. The site gives a couple numbers, such as a typical 2-3 hr charge time for its battery, and then goes on to say 3-5 hours to charge a PDA (which is sort of the direction I'm taking this in my mind). They could be talking about a handspring visor, I don't know-- but even those two numbers, collectively, would suggest that a full charge on the provided battery with the vest will not fully charge their example PDA. Anyway, it'd be nice if anyone could come up with some concrete numbers. They also give battery output figures such as 5.0 V +/- 10%, 0.5 Amps max current. But that could be 0.5 amps that lasts 10 mins right?

right so anyway, very cool to see technology progressing so. Anxiously awaiting devices' ability to recharge from our bodies. now THAT will be cool.

[scott911]

Please refer to this link for answers to your questions:

http://www.scottevest.com/v3_product_info/solar_faq.shtml

Scott

[Mr. PPC]

This could be very useful for those that hike/camp using a GPS unit.

Scott,

Could the power cable from the panels be extended (if needed) so that the panels could be hooked onto a backpack and plugged into the GPS/PDA unit?

[scott911]

The cable from panels to battery is 4 feet, which is plenty long, especially once you add the usb charging cables to the battery.

[Mr. PPC]

Now to save up $764.30 AUS :(

[milaremi]

I've been waiting for this Jacket and will probably ask the wife to buy it for me for my "big" Christmas gift - THANKS Scott for innovating once again! Having recently converted my mountainsmith backpack to a water proof solar rig (Sundance solar, Aquapac and Radio Shack) - I can tell you all from personal experience that walking (hiking) and charging offers up many advantages both in limiting your packed weight and in flexibility (duration) of the trip - Especially with a Pocket PC along. Imagine, taking your books to read, your music, your GPS rig (and included topo maps and hiking trails), your games, an emergency light source AND power your emergency communications (cell phone) in one compact (and now rechargable) unit (or jacket). And then being able to charge it all at 12,000' with confidence and without the added weight of disposable (and environmentally unfriendly) batteries!

Woohoo! it's a good time to be alive!

Plus, with a charging rig, you can limit your fossil fuel consumption and weight further (by buying a Sierra ZZip camp stove - AA operated blower and scraps of wood or even dung for fuel), You can run your LED flashlights indefinitely (rechargable nickel metal hydride- AA's) and you can even spoil yourself with a portable fan for those hot days. But most of all you can sit on top of an outcropping look down at the world and record, or write down your thoughts (pocket pc thoughts?)! Oh and of course take unlimited pictures (if you wish to carry along a digital camera - with rechargable batteries).


And realize that the freedom that comes from being unconnected (yet connected) is what it's all about!

Thanks again Scott - Keep innovating! :D

[babsuvulawho]

Scott,
I appreciate you linking me to the FAQS, but either I'm not smart enough to figure it out or it doesn't answer my question. Like I said, the sort of number I know how to deal with usually comes in mAh, so if the battery with the vest is rated at like 1000 mAh, I could compare that to the battery that comes with a PDA, and anything less than 1000 mAh I would think could be fully charged by a full solar charge of the vest battery.

Now it may be a different question to ask whether direct charging of the vest battery with concurrent charging of a device's battery would provide enough energy to keep the unit powered. In other words, if everything is connected and I'm sitting in direct sunlight, concurrently actively using my PDA, would it work out to the same as being plugged in to AC power, potentially charging the device (albeit slowly), or would the net power be on the negative side, so that such use extends the natural battery life of the PDA while using, but does not actually maintain or increase charge.

Apologies if this is obvious, and no matter what, it's a cool solution that would at least extend the battery life and provide a means of charging devices without access to good old AC. Now if I just had 500 dollars that I didn't need...

[dean_shan]

This could be really useful for those people that Geo-Cache.

[Darius Wey]

Would you call this a fashion accessory that the opposite sex would be attracted to? :mrgreen:

[rugerx]

Not even if I won the lottery.

:lol:

My friends would beat me with a geek stick!

[Darius Wey]

Not even if I won the lottery.

:lol:

My friends would beat me with a geek stick!

I know! A guy with pink solar panels on the back? Surely not. ;)

[Rob Alexander]

Imagine, taking your books to read, your music, your GPS rig (and included topo maps and hiking trails), your games, an emergency light source AND power your emergency communications (cell phone) in one compact (and now rechargable) unit (or jacket). And then being able to charge it all at 12,000' with confidence and without the added weight of disposable (and environmentally unfriendly) batteries!


Yeah that's where I see this being great. I can't see walking around with solar panels on my back in civilization, but I'd easily do it on the trail to let me have some of my electronics without carrying 10 pounds of batteries. Well, not for $400+, but in concept it's a great idea. You have to give Scott credit; he's always thinking one step ahead.

[Brad Adrian]

IF it was sewn into the back of the jacket and the area around the panels were made in the same black fabric as the rest of the jacket, then it would be ok.
I see your point. I like the idea of it being removable, though, and am especially excited about the chance to "retro-fit" it to my current Three.0 jacket.

[Brad Adrian]

I guess if you have a back pack style laptop bag, you may block the panel there. HMM.
I'm not sure, but I think the panels are on a big flap, so you might be able to just drap the flap over a backpack.

[Brad Adrian]

The cable from panels to battery is 4 feet, which is plenty long, especially once you add the usb charging cables to the battery.
And if that's not long enough, because it uses generic USB connectors, you can always get a USB extension cable from your local computer store.

[Brad Adrian]

Would you call this a fashion accessory that the opposite sex would be attracted to? :mrgreen:
Of course!!!! Obviously, you've not heard all the stories of me being absolutely SWAMPED with females every time I wear any of my SCOTTeVEST duds!

[Right, Jason? Janak? Ed? Aw, c'mon, guys, tell them you've seen it!]

[SlipstreamSolutions]

This product might seem a little geeky, but I think it could prove extremely useful for mobile worker such as surveyors or council workers who have a mobile data solution on a PDA but don't get frequent access to power.

Nice one!

Slipstream Solutions

www.SlipstreamSolutions.co.uk

[JonathanWardRogers]

The cable from panels to battery is 4 feet, which is plenty long, especially once you add the usb charging cables to the battery.

So when do we see this solar technology in your hat offerings?

[Wasp]

Unless you have a really BIG head, I don't think you will have enough surface area in a baseball cap. Now a sombrero... 8)

[scott911]

I am checking with my technology partner, Global Solar Energy, regarding the power specs. I will report back.

FYI: You can toss your other charges with this. I use it on the dashboard when driving and on my desk during the day. It can be used easily on or off the jacket.

I think the hat would look silly with solar panels, IMHO.

Scott

[babsuvulawho]

Thanx Scott-- I'll keep checking back. quite interested.

[scott911]

I just heard back from my technology partner, Global Solar Energy. Their response follows:

The auxililary battery with the vest is a 750 mA-hr battery. Assuming the auxiliary battery is completely charged and you connect a completely dead PDA that has a 1000 mA-hr battery capacity, here is what is going to happen. The PDA will begin being charged at whatever rate the PDA internal electronics demand. But since the system was designed for a USB cable, the maximum charge rate is 0.5A. At a result it will take 2 hrs to fully charge the 1000 mA-hr PDA battery. During the 2 hr process the PDA will be drawing 0.5 A from the auxiliary battery at the same time the solar array is adding 0.35 A to the auxiliary battery. At the end of the 2 hr process the PDA will be completely charged and the auxiliary battery will be charged to 450 mA-hr (750mA-hr starting - 500 mA-hr to the PDA in 1st hr + 350 mA-hr from the solar during the first hr - 500 mA-hr to the PDA in 2nd hr + 350 mA-hr from the solar during the 2nd hr = 450 mA-hr left in the auxilary battery).

Regarding running a device directly from the solar/auxiliary battery. Most PDA's and cell phones consume less power than the solar provides so with the system connected the solar should both run the PDA and charge it's batteries at the same time. Depending on the PDA electroincs, the PDA should charge at close to the same rate as with AC power. Short answer. It should actually increase charge!

[babsuvulawho]

Scott,

thanks again for checking up on this and reporting back.
So it seems there's a few ways the device could be used. Maybe while on a camping trip, you would be walking around all day, and the solar battery would become fully charged (I guess with all devices connected in the spiffy jacket, there'd be no reason not to keep your PDA or whatever charged, but for argument's sake...), then at night after the full day of tracking your position with GPS or whatever, and the PDA's worn down, you charge it up. With our hypothetical 1000 mAh battery, the 750 mAh solar battery could not provide a complete charge, but 75%, and would take 1.5 hours to do so.

You've given the example of charging the dead PDA with full solar battery, taking 2 hrs, leaving you with 450 mAh in the solar battery. I'm not sure exactly how it would work out with a dead solar battery to boot (which for some reason I'd imagine the more common scenario). Since the solar battery charges at 0.35 A and the USB at 0.5 A, the solar battery would have to build up enough charge to provide the 0.5 A output, then charge itself some, then drain some, etc. I would assume if that works out optimally, we'll have -1000 mA, which will have to take 2 hours, during which time the solar cell gains 700 mA, leaving you net -300 mA. This is getting like a complicated SAT question. So I think this means that worst-case scenario you would have to let the solar battery charge up to 300 mAh, taking about 52 minutes, and then fully charge the PDA, leaving you with full PDA and dead solar battery, total time 2 hrs 52 mins. Not too bad.

And lastly, the concurrent using and charging, as if plugged into AC power. It seems we should be able to guess some on this one. We'll assume heavy use, when a 1000 mAh battery runs a PDA for about 3 hours, which means it's using 333 mA current, which is less than the 500 mA it's being charged at. I don't know too much about the USB charging, but I'm assuming it can only run at 500 mA, which means there's still a net negative on the auxiliary battery. So once again, a couple of scenarios, I suppose. Let's say the PDA battery is 50%, the auxiliary battery 100%. Charging at 500 mA, the PDA using 333, net 167 gained, meaning 5.98 hours to PDA 100%. In 6 hours, the auxiliary battery loses 3000 mA, but gains 2100, net -900, which means the auxiliary battery would be drained before the PDA would be full. Unless the USB can charge at lower current also, and then it provides 333 mA, while the sun provides 350 and the auxiliary battery remains full or even becomes charged.

There's probably more that I'm missing here, and you've already done more than I'd expect (the original "read the FAQs" was more what I'm accustomed to)-- so I won't ask you to go out of your way to find answers to these questions also. Maybe if I had 500 dollars ready to plop down, but being that I'm mostly just fascinated with the prospect and wouldn't be able to purchase any time soon, I'm happy with the answers thus far. I'll remember your assistance, and maybe when that windfall comes, I'll be buying version 15 with complete solar panel coverage (in an inconspicuous design) providing enough energy to power a hair dryer.

So thanks again, and I'll keep my eyes peeled for someone's review when these guys come out.

[Darius Wey]

Would you call this a fashion accessory that the opposite sex would be attracted to? :mrgreen:
Of course!!!! Obviously, you've not heard all the stories of me being absolutely SWAMPED with females every time I wear any of my SCOTTeVEST duds!

[Right, Jason? Janak? Ed? Aw, c'mon, guys, tell them you've seen it!]

Haha. I dunno...I think I need more people agreeing before I try it out for myself. :lol:

[scott911]

Your analysis and conclusions have been confirmed.

Scott