[LM24] Your Le Mans 'Inventory' - Have You Bought Anything New to Take Next Year?

[Aysedasi]

My Dad used to have a Spitfire.... the only car I've ever thrown up in.

[GT6]

could you not have just lent out of the window

[Tim the Grey]

Asda Solar Powered Fairy Lights. They should make the gazebo look pretty. YAY!

[CTD]

I'm Still awaiting my new Lens, but as it got caught in customs, it will be at an additional cost (25% of the price + 14£ in fine!)

[isynge]

Originally Posted by Tim the Grey

Asda Solar Powered Fairy Lights. They should make the gazebo look pretty. YAY!

Solar powered fairy lights are very good - we have them in some of the trees in the garden, and in the event it ever stops raining, make evenings very pleasant.

I'm pondering a solar mobile phone charger for this year. Previously I've done fine by making sure I plug the car charger in when heading to Carrefour and for the periodic further afield trips and judiciously using the laptop battery for what ever the IT equivalent of in flight refuelling is, but having an additional string to the bow strikes me as none too bad an idea.

Anyone had any experience with such devices or any recommendations for what might be good?

[racerkeke]

Is getting a solar charger or solar powered lights an invitation to the weather gods to give us a cloudy Le Mans? I hope not. Perhaps you'd better offset the effect by also loading up on rain gear.
keke

[CTD]

Originally Posted by isynge

Solar powered fairy lights are very good - we have them in some of the trees in the garden, and in the event it ever stops raining, make evenings very pleasant.

I'm pondering a solar mobile phone charger for this year. Previously I've done fine by making sure I plug the car charger in when heading to Carrefour and for the periodic further afield trips and judiciously using the laptop battery for what ever the IT equivalent of in flight refuelling is, but having an additional string to the bow strikes me as none too bad an idea.

Anyone had any experience with such devices or any recommendations for what might be good?

I've bought one of ebay for 7£, which work and charge fine. However only on older devices. Smartphones won't get charged unfortunately by it.

What i bought for backup is an AA battery charger system, where i can charge AA battery's with the Solar Charger, and then use the AA batteries to charge my iPhone . (and i can also by a huge stock AA batteries at home and bring along if it should be rainy )

[Down F0rce]

I recently bought one of these, and think I will find it useful! You charge it via USB and then attach it to your phone's USB port when the battery is low. With my smart phone I was able to get about one and a half charges from this device. Great if you need a full battery in a pinch!

[CTD]

Originally Posted by Down F0rce

I recently bought one of these, and think I will find it useful! You charge it via USB and then attach it to your phone's USB port when the battery is low. With my smart phone I was able to get about one and a half charges from this device. Great if you need a full battery in a pinch!

Iphone?

[Simmi]

Originally Posted by Down F0rce

I recently bought one of these, and think I will find it useful! You charge it via USB and then attach it to your phone's USB port when the battery is low. With my smart phone I was able to get about one and a half charges from this device. Great if you need a full battery in a pinch!

Looks decent. I had a solar-powered thing last year to do similar and it was complete gash. I'd have more confidence with in the Duracell one.

[Down F0rce]

Originally Posted by CTD

Iphone?

Nope, Samgung Galaxy Mini.

[bella]

Originally Posted by Tim the Grey

Asda Solar Powered Fairy Lights. They should make the gazebo look pretty. YAY!

think i might need some of these, chateau fangirl is normally a cricket pavillion and could do with a bit of an upgrade for the lm24 weekend... the industrial pack of magic trees can only do so much

[Aysedasi]

I have two external chargers for my iPhone. Get about 1.5 charges out of the small one, 3-4 out of the larger one.

[CTD]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

I have two external chargers for my iPhone. Get about 1.5 charges out of the small one, 3-4 out of the larger one.

What kind is the big one?

[isynge]

Originally Posted by racerkeke

Is getting a solar charger or solar powered lights an invitation to the weather gods to give us a cloudy Le Mans? I hope not. Perhaps you'd better offset the effect by also loading up on rain gear.
keke

My first Le Mans was 2007, so you'll appreciate there's a lot of Berghaus and Mountain Equipment involved in our packing every year - preparation is preparation though - and if the miserable spring we're having in NW Europe presages a glorious summer then why not look at solar generation?

@aysedasi - interested in the recharging solutions you've spotted - looking at the long weekend by hook or crook I need to run a PC and a couple of mobile phones, and while last year I somehow made things work with the car power socket I suspect this isn't an especially long term fix.

[Steptoe]

Originally Posted by isynge

by hook or crook I need to run a PC and a couple of mobile phones

Having been going since before mobile phones were common place and you had to put real money in a call box which always had a queue outside it. I can even remember getting lap charts from the ACO office to see what was going on in the race!!(no radio with headphones).... showing my age now.

I find that the best solution is to go back to basics for race week and leave behind the Smartphone get a basic 'brick' for fifteen quid it will last the whole week without a charge. For cameras just get either a second/third battery, or if you use AA's a couple of precharged sets you can always fast charge a set between qualifying and the race in the car. As for radio I use a Tesco 5 quid FM cheapie and I,ve never needed to replace a AAA for the entire week as yet.

[isynge]

Originally Posted by Steptoe

Having been going since before mobile phones were common place and you had to put real money in a call box which always had a queue outside it. I can even remember getting lap charts from the ACO office to see what was going on in the race!!(no radio with headphones).... showing my age now.

I find that the best solution is to go back to basics for race week and leave behind the Smartphone get a basic 'brick' for fifteen quid it will last the whole week without a charge. For cameras just get either a second/third battery, or if you use AA's a couple of precharged sets you can always fast charge a set between qualifying and the race in the car. As for radio I use a Tesco 5 quid FM cheapie and I,ve never needed to replace a AAA for the entire week as yet.

See your point about back to basics on the mobile front, and may well do that this time round, that said, having the live t&s via a smartphone is nice, especially when trying to follow something a little further down the order

[Tim the Grey]

It's not been tested as yet, but my lad has a MarcVDS back pack with a solar panel built in, with a charger storage battery... My faith is in my inverter. 12v to 240 for charging laptops, phones, etc...
But solar is the way forward, hence a pair of 12volt solar chargers! Tenner each from Maplins.

[lemansfan]

Get yesterday my new Monopod . Will test it on Saturday in Spa .

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by isynge

My first Le Mans was 2007, so you'll appreciate there's a lot of Berghaus and Mountain Equipment involved in our packing every year - preparation is preparation though - and if the miserable spring we're having in NW Europe presages a glorious summer then why not look at solar generation?

@aysedasi - interested in the recharging solutions you've spotted - looking at the long weekend by hook or crook I need to run a PC and a couple of mobile phones, and while last year I somehow made things work with the car power socket I suspect this isn't an especially long term fix.

Ian, obviously as we have a base, I don't have any problems re-charging most things, but for the race, I use Technet chargers for my iPhone. The small one I've had for a couple of years now:-

http://www.amazon.co.uk/TeckNet-iEP1...892529&sr=8-16

This is now about half the price I paid for it. It gives me about one and a half full charges and will charge from your pc's USB port or from the mains with the standard iPhone charging lead.

I also have the bigger one:-

http://www.amazon.co.uk/TeckNet%C2%A...5892529&sr=8-8

This is now less than half of what I paid for it. It should give 3-4 full charges but I've never had to test it that far.

Even though I avoid using the phone during the race, I find the charge seems to die dramatically during the night and I've used the smaller charger in both 10 and 11 to top me up. Recommended.

[CTD]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

Ian, obviously as we have a base, I don't have any problems re-charging most things, but for the race, I use Technet chargers for my iPhone. The small one I've had for a couple of years now:-

http://www.amazon.co.uk/TeckNet-iEP1...892529&sr=8-16

This is now about half the price I paid for it. It gives me about one and a half full charges and will charge from your pc's USB port or from the mains with the standard iPhone charging lead.

I also have the bigger one:-

http://www.amazon.co.uk/TeckNet%C2%A...5892529&sr=8-8

This is now less than half of what I paid for it. It should give 3-4 full charges but I've never had to test it that far.

Even though I avoid using the phone during the race, I find the charge seems to die dramatically during the night and I've used the smaller charger in both 10 and 11 to top me up. Recommended.

Thanks Ayse! .
Do you know if it works with the 4s? (which one do you have?)

[Aysedasi]

I bought them when I had a 3GS and now have a 4, and they work fine - the power connection is the same. They plug in just like attaching the normal charger. For those prices I'd say they're a steal.

[CTD]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

I bought them when I had a 3GS and now have a 4, and they work fine - the power connection is the same.

I know, but a few items (read cheap from China) will not work with the 4s for weird reasons

[Aysedasi]

Well, I can't vouch for the 4S - but you clould always check with them

http://www.tecknetonline.co.uk/

[CTD]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

Well, I can't vouch for the 4S - but you clould always check with them

http://www.tecknetonline.co.uk/

Will do! - Thanks mate!