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Description

Quit hauling batteries into the backcountry and bring the lightweight, durable Brunton Solar Roll to charge your GPS and digital camera instead.

Roll the Brunton Solar Roll up like a poster and stuff it in your backpack or luggage. This rugged portable solar panel charges your digital camera, camcorder, GPS, and satellite phone. Expedition members no longer need to pack heavy batteries for their worldwide journeys. Choose from the 4.5-watt, 9-watt, or 14-watt Solar Roll—all of them are waterproof, come with a carrying tube, and have built-in reverse-flow protection. These flexible solar panels have amorphous solar cells, which work great in overcast or indirect light. The 14-watt Solar Roll is the best option for charging laptops, though the lower-wattage options will trickle charge it.

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Here's what others have to say...

1 5

Norris

Member since 

I bought one of these in 2008 just prior to an Aconcagua trip and ran out of time to test it before leaving. On the mountain it produced zero current. I should have returned it or made a warranty claim, but I figured I must be using it wrong. It went into the garage. Now I have a Peru trip coming up so I tested it today with a multimeter. Nothing. Zero output. So if you take a chance on one of these, test it carefully as soon as you get it. I think there are better options out there these days.

Norris

Member since 
Responded on

I fixed it! After posting this I decided to take it apart to see if there was a loose connection and sure enough, the solder joint between the panel and the connector assembly was broken. So I cleaned off the old solder and re-soldered the connector assembly to the panel and got it working. Since the panel was never used and always transported in its protective case this had to be a manufacturing defect, bad solder joint. But it works now, and I plan to mate it with a 5 volt DC/DC step-down converter with USB output so that I can (hopefully) trickle charge a Satechi 10000 mah portable energy station with it

Norris

Member since 
Responded on

Success! Here is a link to some photos showing the SolarRoll mated with a Satechi lithium batter pack via a 5V DC converter with USB output:
http://preview.tinyurl.com/q63btxl

thinking about getting one of these for...

chris

Member since 
Posted on

thinking about getting one of these for my hike on the AT to charge my ipod and kindle, however i was planning to just drape it over my pack while walking. One chap said this wouldnt work, does anyone else agree, or has anyone else tried this?

Arthur Debowski

Member since 
Groups:
Responded on

The problem you may run into is that the charging circuitry of some modern electronics require constant input (like the iPhone for instance) so if you end up walking in dappled shade or under trees or experience cloud cover the charging may stop and you wouldn't know it. You may have to unplug and then replug the devices to start it again. The easiest solution is to get a battery pack that your panel charges throughout the day and then just juice up your stuff from that overnight while you sleep. That's what I tend to do and it works like a charm.

chris

Member since 
Responded on

Thank you, thats exactly what I needed to know, however just to be sure I understand, you are suggesting something like a brunton inspire, along with a solar roll? The solo will charge even in intermittent sun light conditions as you decribed above

Arthur Debowski

Member since 
Groups:
Responded on

yes, Chris the Inspire would be a good solution to use with the solaroll.

Unanswered Question

If my travels ONLY involve using my MacBook...

cmpsr4502545

Member since 
Posted on

If my travels ONLY involve using my MacBook Air and iPhone, can the battery in the MacBook be used as my storage device for the SolarRoll 26? And how do I best connect the MacBook to the SolarRoll?

Can this be used to keep a house warm in...

Kory Kencayd

Member since 
Posted on

Can this be used to keep a house warm in winter?

Arthur Debowski

Member since 
Groups:
Responded on

That will not likely be a good solution as the panel only generates 4.5 watts of power, which wouldn't really be enough to run a heater.

Will this charge a Deep Cycle Yellow Top...

dennis sanders

Member since 
Posted on

Will this charge a Deep Cycle Yellow Top car battery? If so any ideas on how long it might take?

Dave Marcus

Member since 
Responded on

The 14-watt version may trickle-charge a car battery, but it will take a long time to fully charge. Max output of the 14 is 900mAmps @ 12 volts. Your Yellow Top likes 13.8 to 15.0 volts, 10 amps maximum. (http://www.optimabatteries.com/product_support/charging.php)

Is the 9 watt brunton capable of charging...

tony

Member since 
Posted on

Is the 9 watt brunton capable of charging the goal zero AA battery packs? Also is it capable of charging more than one devise at a tim?

Arthur Debowski

Member since 
Groups:
Responded on

It should be able to charge those packs but won't charge multiple items at once.

I own the Solarroll 14 but am missing the...

Hilaree O'Neill

Member since 
Posted on

I own the Solarroll 14 but am missing the accesories. Does anyone know if and where I could purchase the adapter accessories separately?

Gone Fishing

Member since 
Responded on

I would try contacting Brunton and see what they can do for you.

http://bruntonoutdoor.com/contact.php

Richard

Member since 
Responded on

Check NewEgg for the adaptors. Some solar works @5.5v with a USB2-3 connector. Some works on 12-24v cording that you can get anywhere Coleman campgear is sold. WHATEVER you use, make sure it is correctly attached! I had one of my cheap little solars on charge too long. It went from flat to sausage overnight. Still works, though.

Unanswered Question

I would like to purchase the 14WT solar...

Jim

Member since 
Posted on

I would like to purchase the 14WT solar roll panel but am not sure what the needed componets required to charge my AA Ni-Mh rechargeable batteries as well as my GPS and Phone?
I like this to this to be as universal as possable for a variety of componets. Got any ideas?

I have a glider, on a curved surface I...

john

Member since 
Posted on

I have a glider, on a curved surface I would like to permentently incorporate a solar panel for charging and power supply.
the battery is a 30 AH 12volt.
the area is 30''w x 45'' long .
I need to imbed /attach and come out with a smooth,
curved surface.

Jerry Lewis

Member since 
Best Answer Responded on

Did you have a question?

I do a lot of fishing and have just bought...

Peter Skuja

Member since 
Posted on

I do a lot of fishing and have just bought a larger boat with 2 12v batteries. If they went flat could I use a roll up flexible solar panel to trickle charge one battery?? Pete

Ryan Hamilton

Member since 
Responded on

I don't think you can connect directly to the battery. You'd need a battery charger connected to a solar panel. Also I'd suggest going with the Goal Zero brand, top notch stuff.

Christopher Minguez

Member since 
Responded on

It would take an extraordinarily long time, but it is possible, Peter. Ryan makes a good point about Goal Zero, because they are designed to be linked together to take care of heavier charging tasks like a boat battery.

4 5

Noah Howell

Member since 
Groups:

I used this for 10 days on snow in the Arctic this spring and it worked well. It stores nicely wrapped around your sleeping pad or bag. I used it to charge a Brunton Impel Portable Power Device and it operated as advertised. I attached the roll to the outside of the tent and put the power unit inside. We had bright/direct sun and it juiced the device right up, better than I was expecting. Didn't try it on overcast days so can't speak of how limited it's use is there.

2 5

pburke2051370

Member since 

I had a 9-watt roll for a summer. Planned on using it on the John Muir Trail to recharge my camcorder and other gear. The device worked "ok" in testing, but in real life use out in the mountains, the performance was rather unacceptable. It took over 4 hours in direct sunlight to charge two AA batteries (ok, could be the charger not being designed for the low current, but it still was impossible to spend half a day to charge batteries the GPS would chew through in a day). The camcorder batteries took about 4 hours to charge, but discharged more rapidly thana wall-charged. Worst of all, you had to keep the panel flat on the ground during the peak sun hours of the day to get any charging power. Draped over your backpack, it didn't do anything. Unless you are staying put in one place for long periods of time, this is not the device you want. It may be durable, but the charging performance for its size was not enough for my needs. I've switched to AA lithium batteries and saved pounds from my pack. You need to carry more than just this panel - all your gizmos need their car chargers, too, and that adds up. Instead, I now bring gear that is exclusively powered by AA and my pack weight is down, no hassle with charging breaks, and no worries when it is rainy.

Quick question, I've been looking to get...

Sofia

Member since 
Posted on

Quick question, I've been looking to get either the 9 or 14 to charge a Nook and maybe some other slightly larger things (laptop etc). Would the 14 be too much for a Nook? Or would it be ok if I also got a Solo to go with it?

Ryan Hamilton

Member since 
Responded on

The 14 would not be "too much" it would charge it faster. If you're going to the Pac NW you won't get as much sun so you'd probably need the 14. Going somewhere sunny like AZ and the 9 is probably enough. Take a look at the Nomad 7m from Goal Zero. I think it's a better product and though it doesn't roll, I think it's more packable. Also check out the 27m for even more useage.

We bought a 14 watts brunton solarRoll for...

zgal

Member since 
Posted on

We bought a 14 watts brunton solarRoll for a missionary friend in Uganda. What do we need to get for him to hook this up to his laptop computer?

Phil Maher

Member since 
Responded on

You need the car cigarette lighter charger that's specific to the laptop. Plugs right into one of the included accessory cords. It's also nice (but not absolutely necessary) to have one of Brunton's Solo battery packs as well. What he would then be able to do is use the SolarRoll to charge the Solo during the daylight, and then use the Solo to recharge the laptop battery overnight. That configuration would also give him multiple charges for the laptop from just one good day's worth of charging up the Solo.

I am buying a Roy L-Heat. This is a calf...

Kendra Scott

Member since 
Posted on

I am buying a Roy L-Heat. This is a calf warming hut. I need to take it to the field and have power to run the motor and fan. I am looking to get a solar panel to run it instead of electic power. What do you suggest?

Dean Whitehead

Member since 
Responded on

This will be hard pressed to provide the amount of current you need to power a motor and fan. Plus there is no battery, so you would have to have it in sunlight in order to function. I would look into some plain old batteries, with maybe a solar trickle charger that you could leave there and just let charge when not in use.

I just got one from a friend for my trip...

robert henry walz

Member since 
Posted on

I just got one from a friend for my trip to Haiti and do not want to undo the packaging to unroll it now. What attachment do I need to obtain to make it work for charging my computer, etc? Are the cords that go from the solar mat to the usb ports on my equipment already included inside? If not, what do I need to purchase to make it work on site. And, how long does it take to get a full charge under non obstructed sunshine? Is it just for charging or its own power source when fully charged so I can watch dvd's in my own tent?

Phil Maher

Member since 
Best Answer Responded on

You need the car charging adapter that's made for your laptop, and/or the specific cables for whatever piece of electronics you want to charge. This doesn't hold a charge, but it will directly power whatever you're using. How long it takes is really a matter of what it is you're charging, but basically, depending on exposure, anywhere from a few hours on up. The best way to use this is to trickle charge one of Brunton's Solo battery packs, then use that stored power for use or charging your stuff. Also, you really should take it out and become familiar with set-up and capabilities before you take it out into the field and need to learn it when it should already be second-nature and you know what to expect.

Would this work to adapt the solar panel...

April

Member since 
Posted on

Would this work to adapt the solar panel to any item that needs to be plugged in, a laptop for example?

http://cgi.ebay.com/12V-DC-to-120V-AC-Car-Cigarette-Lighter-Power-Inverter_W0QQitemZ380143750590QQcategoryZ60208QQcmdZViewItem

jcr100490665

Member since 
Responded on

An inverter would adapt the voltage, but would require more amperage than a solar panel could provide... 1.5 Amps at 120V (the input for my laptop power converter) means 15 Amps at 12Volts. Remember this panel is on 14W, so you can charge small batteries, etc. but would get only about maybe 60ma at 120V.

I need to charge a camera battery for which...

Jon

Member since 
Posted on

I need to charge a camera battery for which the only charging option is the external AC charger that comes with the camera. How can I use the solar roll to charge this battery?

Phil Maher

Member since 
Best Answer Responded on

You want the Brunton Solaris 26 instead. Better output. As for the camera- go to http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/Power-Adapters-Chargers/ci/1099/N/4288586265 and look under your battery type. Try to find a battery dock for your type that will run on usb. Your plug-in factory recharger converts AC-DC when charging, so what you're trying to accomplish is to eliminate the need to use the AC from the house. A simple process, if you can find the right component. If you don't find what you need readily, or have any questions, call B&H Photo @800-606-6969 to tell them what you want to do, and ask them what they suggest.

Normally, what you need is a DC/AC inverter, but these types of panels and the sine waves from the inverter are hard to synch, so it's slow and unreliable, at best. You're talking about a good chunk of change to pull it off, so the best advice I can give you is to load up on spare batteries and invest in a $35-75 DC/AC adapter for the car's cigarette lighter. We use that set-up for everything from some fairly high-end cameras-rechargeable batteries-pumps-laptops...pretty much anything that needs power.

I wish there was an easier, cheaper solution, but I'm not only speaking from my own experience, but from a conversation with Chris at Brunton's tech support this morning. Good luck. Hope this info was somewhat helpful.

New to this solar stuff, so please excuse...

Fooch

Member since 
Posted on

New to this solar stuff, so please excuse the ignorance. Does anyone know if there is a way in which to use this to charge some sort of battery that you could plug an appliance into? Being that people run their houses on solar, I am assuming there must be a way? Thanks.

Phil Maher

Member since 
Best Answer Responded on

Yes there is. Brunton makes a few different sizes of a unit called the Solo. You can charge it up and, depending on what you want to run, it'll power it. The Solos can be charged using the SolarRoll, a DC car plug, or even with a typical AC household outlet. If you want to followup with what it is exactly that you want to power, somebody here can easily tell you which unit will fit your needs.

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