Travel question

Hi all,

I know there's been a posting covering this but I cannot find it in the search, so apologies.

I am off to africa in the summer and will be in places with no power a lot of the time and daren't risk running out of batteries or laptop juice.

Can anyone recommend or tell me if there are such things as:

- Car chargers for Canon 1d2 battery charger
- Car charger for laptop (Sony vaio)

Budget is tight for this as I have many other questions soon that will no doubt all mount up... but these are necessities I guess.

THanks for any help at all

I would have thought the simpler solution is to look for a cheap power inverter - the type that plugs into any cigarette lighter and then you can charge what ever you want on the move.

I use an inverter for charging up my 1d2 camera batteries - this plugs into the 'cigarette' power outlet in a car. This is a 'dirty' power source that possibly won't be suitable for laptop batteries, either not working (if you really want to try it, do it with the laptop turned off) or possibly causing damage to the laptop circuits. It will certainly take longer to charge a camera battery than 240V would, so allow plenty of time to charge, and it makes an alarming noise. You need to check that it has the correct output (I'll check mine when I get home and post info later) to be able to do the job.

In addition I would advise a caravan hookup - these are an international standard and will allow you to top-up quickly if/when you do stop at a camp. Its just a simple lead (you can buy them with just a few inches of cable) and has got me out of a fix a couple of times.

I've not tried solar charging but can't imagine that this is really workable. Am sure someone else has a more informed opinion.

The best method is to take plenty of spare batteries. Take enough to keep you going for the days you will be between power sources, edit the pix quickly at the end of the day and keep the best shots as protected files on your memory cards. You can worry about back-ups when you connect the laptop to a clean power source.

Andrew

Thanks Mike. I noticed they range from about £15 to £100. Has anyone had problems with cheap ones? Am I running the gauntlett with risking my kit on cheaper end inverters? Obviousl;y there'll be a fair amount of money on the end of the charger.

Thanks Andrew

The cost of the inverter mostly relates to its power output and continuous running time (ie its cooling efficiency). I wouldn't risk a cheaper one as those 1D2 chargers aren't cheap, plus this is less likely to have the umph (forgive me if I'm being too technical) to power the charger.

I picked mine up at Maplin's. I can't remember the brand off the top of my head, but it's like a big silver beer can and is supposed to sit in a drinks holder (how very Safari). Its worked for me so I'll post the necessary info later.

Hi Graeme I use one from Maplin Nikkai converts from DC to AC for my Laptop havn't tried it with my 1 D MK2n but would not hesitate to use it for the batteries. Hope this helps. I think it was about £20.
John
Aberdeen

I tackled the problem by buying a few of the cheap 1D batteries from 7dayshop.com, and charging them prior to the trip, and when possible whilst away, they are £11.26 each, and I think they last much longer than the Canon batteries. There is less risk of problems such as the inverter failing or burning out your charger!!

Hi Graeme,

If your concerned about using an inverter for your laptop you can get proper car laptop power supplies form Maplin that have a number of connectors for different Laptops, I bought some for work (car industry) and everyone has been really pleased with them.
There is a High Power version currently on offer at Maplin £14.99 usually £29.99 which is cheaper than the low power version
Maplin part number: L40BB

I hope this helps.

Mark

Here's the model I used:

http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?ModuleNo=97788&doy=14m1

I've not used the USB charge point but am sure that it'll come in handy someday. It does boast the ability to charge some laptops but it really struggled to put anything useful into my GigaVu Pro. Maybe the direct power solution suggested by Mark would be sensible.

This (together with a caravan hook-up) has kept me going through two weeks camping in Africa and two weeks in outback Australia. Handy little devil.

I wouldn't consider connecting this directly to the camera via the Ac unit. It's a modified sine wave, which means 'jerky' current that may damage delicate circuits. Just stick to charging batteries and I think you'll get on fine.

Andrew

Graham

We went to Africa a couple of years ago and had similar concerns. A lot depends on the nature of the trip and the company (if any) organising it. I had a car charger for the batteries for my 10D at the time. Problem was, the vehicles we were travelling in either didn’t have functional cigar lighters or the drivers weren’t happy to use them for charging. Luckily, all the camps we visited had generators and were sensitive to our needs – after all, they rely on customers taking back good images. We never had a problem getting a charge. However! Lots of people had the same idea, and one of our batteries ended up in another part of Africa with a group of Americans. We got it back a couple of days later.

Good luck!

Ian Mason

I bought a £40 one from Halfords for my camper van that charges my laptop, although it takes ages. It also has direct battery connecters, so you can wire it straight rather than going through the cigarette lighter. The VW battery is under the drivers seat so this is a really excessible place.

The higher the power, the slower the charge rate. On the 5D grip I have it can use AA batteries which makes it very ideal for travel. Can the 1D2 not be adapted?

Hi Graham

I found last year that the inverter was as important as the camera! The only thing was that as it was packed in my hold luggage the Kenya Airport bods got a bit excited

Look at the link below this is what I bought with no problems. A good investment.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?TabID=1&criteria=usb&ModuleNo=48723&doy=search&C=SO&U=Strat15

Steve

Hi Graham. Where are you going? I only ask as most places in Africa do not run on mains but have solar inverters or a generator. Unless you are driving a new car or taxi, you may be out of luck with the cigarette lighter idea. Most of the vehicles I travelled in, this was used to power something else, missing, or knackered! Drop me an email if you are going on safari. I'll be happy to share what I learnt in Africa in 2007.

Thanks for a great response with lots of useful things to go on. I shall investigate and return with any questions

Elliott, off to Kruger probably in July. Etosha was the aim but is being pipped by Kruger, just for number of species at this time of year. Plus I haven't been to the Kruger since I was 10. That's 3 years ago! I will mail you when I have looked into it further so I have a more considered approach of what I really need to ask. Many thanks

Graeme,

Haven't been to Kruger for a few years now, but all the main camps (including their accommodation there) had mains power and sockets. Can't comment on the bush camps though.

I'd give the park a ring (number easily found on the web) and check out each camp set-up you're staying in.

Mark