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Posts Tagged ‘Charger’

How to Replace a Digital Camera Battery Charger

January 27th, 2011 No comments


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Did you lose your digital camera battery charger? If you have misplaced your digital cameras battery charger and are wondering how to purchase a new one than you have come to the right place. If you have misplaced your battery, than chances are you have already realized how essential a charger is to your camera. Without a charger, your camera will not function, and without a functioning camera you will not be able to capture all of those perfect picture moments! If you are looking to buy a new camera charger than continue reading this article. Throughout the article we will discuss where, and how, to buy a new battery charger for your camera.

Different cameras come with different types of batteries. If you own a cheaper brand of camera, chances are you will need batteries. While replacing these batteries can become costly over time, you do not need to travel far to buy new batteries if your old ones have died. Some people, however, to prevent buying new batteries over and over, prefer to buy rechargeable batteries and a battery charger. If you have an older camera with batteries and have lost your charger, you should be able to purchase a new one at any department store.

When purchasing a charger, first ensure that you are getting the right type. Double check whether your camera takes batteries to ensure that you are buying the appropriate charger. Also, when buying a new charger, consider whether you want a charger that holds less or more than four batteries. If you use your camera often, you may want to select a charger that holds several batteries so that you will always have a spare set of batteries available to you.

One thing that many people forget to consider when purchasing a battery charger is the adapter type. If you travel often, you will want to ensure that you buy a charger that allows you to plug into both 110 and 220 volt outlets. If you do not travel often, this should not be an issue.

Most importantly, when buying a charger for your batteries, do not go the cheap route. With a charger, you get what you pay for. Thus, purchasing a cheap charger for batteries will only lead to your batteries dying quickly. You will want to purchase a good quality charger to ensure that your batteries will last.

If you own a more expensive camera, it probably came along with it’s own battery and battery charger. If you have misplaced the battery or the battery charger that your camera originally came with, return to the store where you bought your camera or to a store that will have employees that are knowledgeable about cameras. When going to the store, make sure to bring your camera with you so you can test the product to make sure that it is the right fit.

Regardless of what type of camera you own, a battery charger is essential. Without one, you will only get a few hours out of your camera. If you have misplaced your charger and are looking to buy a new one, make sure that you purchase one of good quality to ensure that your camera will not die in the middle of that perfect photograph moment!

RV Solar Battery Charger

December 12th, 2010 No comments


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RV’s are a great way to get around, and millions of Americans use them every year for travelling, vacations, camping, or just getting away from the real world for a little while. The power requirements for RV’s are not that high and campsites have power points to connect you RV to but if you’re not at a campsite or you want to keep the cost down and avoid paying for the power connection then you need a different power source.

Solar power is your best option. After the initial installation costs the power produced is free and it’s green so you’re not contributing to global warming.

The technology required commonly known as solar panels are a collection of solar cells called photovoltaic cells. Photovoltaic cells come in different sizes and produced different voltages but the standard output is 12V.

Before deciding on the size and rating of solar panels you will need to calculate your power consumption. If you have a large RV you’re likely to need a 330 watt installation. This is likely to consist of three 110 watt solar panels that are mounted on the roof of you RV. For small RV’s one 110 watt solar panel will be and adequate RV solar battery charger. Medium size RV’s can use two 110 watt panels producing 220 watts

The 12V output from the solar cells is connected to a charge controller which in turn is connected to the batteries of your RV. The charge controller regulates the voltage going to the batteries and prevents over charging. During the day, if you are parked up, the light shining on the solar panel charges your batteries and generating power for you to use. An additional benefit of RV solar panels is that if you are driving during the day, the solar panels charge the batteries of your RV reducing the load of the RV’s engine and therefore increasing your fuel consumption.

The solar panels are placed flat on the top of the RV. They are reasonable light weight so won’t increase your fuel consumption.

Solar power RV kits are available from supplies such as RVMaxx. Their biggest kit is 330 watts. The kit consists of the following components.

o Solar Module: 110W x3

o Flat Mount Hardware x3

o 35 amp charge controller

o 34 feet of 8-2 output wire (8 ft for module interconnection, 6 ft for controller to battery connection, 20 ft for solar array to controller connection. Battery clamps and connection lugs not included)

o Combiner box with breakers

o DC disconnect with breakers

Cost:

110 watt RV solar battery charger kit will cost in the region of $900

220 watt RV solar battery charger kit will cost in the region of $1800

330 watt RV solar battery charger kit will cost in the region of $250

Categories: 220 to 110 converter Tags: ,

Allaying "Range Anxiety" With a 220 V Electric Car Charger

September 22nd, 2010 No comments


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If you are going to invest in an all-electric car, you will most certainly want to minimize charging time as much as possible. If you do not have a full charge, you may more easily fall victim to the new emotion electric car drivers have been experiencing:  people are calling it “range anxiety.”  Range anxiety refers to the driver worrying whether he or she has charge enough in their battery cells to make it to their desired destination and back again. Since public charging stations are virtually nonexistent in most areas of the country, running out of charge would be like running out of gas in the middle of nowhere, no gas stations for miles around.  Additionally, many electric cars have a very limited range, sometimes only about 100 miles or so.

Accelerating Charging Time

One way you can fight range anxiety is by having your batteries 100% charged before you leave the garage.  Unfortunately, this can be a time-consuming task with many vehicles.  For example, the Mini-E became available for lease through certain private companies in Los Angeles and New York in June of 2009. With the standard 110 V outlet, such as that which is standard in most residences, charging to 100% capacity took about 14 hours. Unfortunately, that is even longer than overnight, and could most certainly cause problems with your morning commute. However, by installing a 220 V charger in one’s home, charging time can be brought down to only three hours. The thing is, installing a 220 V charger requires a licensed electrician, a permit to do so, and about $2000.  That’s a significant increase of investment. 

As time goes on, charging stations will become more prevalent across the country.  With these may come 420 V “fast-chargers,” which are estimated to given an 80% charge in as little as 5 to 30 minutes.  For now, however, prospective buyers of all-electric cars should remain aware of the costs associated with installing a 220 V outlet in their home.

Electric Cars on the Horizon for 2011

There are two exciting electric cars on the horizon for 2011. One is the Nissan Leaf, which is all-electric and has a range of 100 miles per day. The second is the Chevy Volt, which has an onboard gasoline engine which acts as a generator to provide electricity if the batteries are depleted. This should help to allay range anxiety to a large extent.  Moreover, its range will be nearly triple that of the Nissan Leaf. However, the Volt will cost about $7000 more than the $33,000 Nissan Leaf. Both qualify for $7500 federal tax credit.

New Electric Car Charger Cuts Down Recharging Time

April 11th, 2010 No comments


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Hybrid vehicles have become increasingly popular in the U.S. since Toyota launched the Prius some time ago. The skyrocketing price of gasoline has driven American car buyers to opt for these fuel efficient vehicles which can run as much as 50 miles on a single gallon of gasoline.

In response to the demand for hybrid vehicles, car manufacturers are looking for ways to add another feature to the already fuel efficient hybrid vehicle. The plug-in technology has already been knocking on the doors of the auto industry. This technology allows hybrid cars to be recharged from an ordinary household socket. This means that the battery pack integrated into the car to power the electric motor can be conveniently recharged and there is adequate power on call from the battery.

Aside from hybrid electric cars, there are also full time electric vehicles using the plug-in technology.

Pioneering in the manufacture of electric cars is ZAP. This company has given American motorists with a choice of electric cars which are categorized as zero emission vehicles. This means that the cars from ZAP do not produce greenhouse gases which contribute to even greater global warming.

The three wheeled vehicles from ZAP are equipped with plug-in technology. Normally, electric cars need up to six hours to fully charge its battery pack. This means that you can charge your electric car while you are sleeping at night and wake up with your ZAP electric car juiced up and ready to go.

But developments in the auto industry is constant, and ZAP has announced that they are offering an electric car charger which cuts down charging time from hours to just thirty minutes.

The company said that the charger on the XEBRA, their electric car, can be configured to suit either a 110- or a 220-volt outlet. The revolutionary charger can provide up to 100 amps or 10,000 watts of electricity into the car. The company promises that the new charger will significantly increase the range of the XEBRA.

ZAP Chairman Gary Starr has this to say about the new charger: “This new charger can reduce your charge time from hours to minutes. Now you can drive your electric car all day with just a few short stops. In the time it takes to eat lunch you can hook your XEBRA up to the charger and have a full charge in less than an hour. Think of it as putting your XEBRA out to graze.”

The fact that the XEBRA is a zero emissions vehicle means that with its use, emission of greenhouse gases is limited to zero. This shows that there are technologies available today which can put a stop to global warming as effectively as an EBC pad works when stopping a vehicle. And with the technology for these cars growing steadily, the use of electric cars like the XEBRA will surely gain momentum.