Charging stuff

[Sam Crawley]

I used the Orange charge tents a couple of times with my phone last year, always a fair sized queue though - maybe that band they have inside should play to the queue outside instead, hehe!

Anyway, question is - has anyone had any success with these portable battery powered or solar charge gadgets you can buy? Are they a waste of money?

Also any advice as to best times to hit the charge tents? I had the impression they had fairly limited opening times and there always seemed to be a big queue, especially for the main one.

And finally, maybe Glasto should install one of those electricity generating dancefloors like here in front of one of the more energetic stages

[incident]

If you're going to spend money, then rather than putting it on a portable charger, you might as well spend it on a few spare batteries.

You should be able to get spares for most phones for a couple quid from eBay. The quality won't be the best but it doesn't need to be.

Charge them up before you go, and you're sorted.

[MikeyB37]

I'd say just buy a couple of spare batteries off ebay, or just do as i do & take a second handset to swap the sim over to.

I can't understand why people would waste their time standing in queues to get their phone charged at a festival, there's too much other stuff to be getting on with

[Chocscoffer]

I'd say just buy a couple of spare batteries off ebay,

I can't understand why people would waste their time standing in queues to get their phone charged at a festival, there's too much other stuff to be getting on with

[Mr.Tickle]

My brother forced me into the Orange tent last year as he was low on juice, waste of time, couln't find a free charge point for 20mins, I got fed up cos I just wanted to be out of there and doing something more interesting.

For me a spare battery (about afiver off eBay) worked a treat although I have an iPhone now, not sure I really want to take that with me at all!!

[precious_lillywhite]

Or you can look out on stalls for signs offering to charge phones up - last few years I've always spotted them, they charge you a few quid and you leave your phone with them for a few hours to charge up (might sounds daft but don't forget your charger if you want to do this as my mate forgot his last year!!)

[johnmcga]

Just buy or borrow a second handset. Swap the SIM over when the first handset dies and you're sorted.

Or go mobile-less. I had mine switched off for long periods last year anyway. Texts and calls took ages to get through and I never managed to actually coordinate meeting up with anyone, so to be honest they're of limited use anyway.

[r0cky]

A few years ago I bought four spare batteries for about £1 each, these are for an old Nokia, which is my festival phone. I sync up my contacts and charge up my festival phone + batteries before I set out.

Edited January 27, 2009 by r0cky

[Sam Crawley]

I was using my dodgy no-brand phone (not so easy to get spare batteries) to meet up with friends so will still have it this year. Plus they're handy for leading an occasional mid-gig voicemail with friends who didn't come to make them jealous, hehe!

I might get one of these 16 quid Powerchimp things from Memorycardzoo, as I can use it to charge camera too and would be useful for other trips, although it's not clear how many charges you'd get out of it. I suppose a solar charger would be nice but I can imagine unless the weather's good it wouldn't be any use, and they seem to be pretty expensive too.

[r0cky]

With the powerchimp you can take a few NiMH AA batteries and swap them as they deplete, or even fit non-rechargeable AA's you can buy onsite (expensive).

I've got a powermonkey as well, and it takes actual sunshine to charge really. Cloud works, but very very slow.

Note the powerchimp has a DC-DC converter and can actually charge a mobile (as long as it's +5V), unlike a lot of those cheap battery based chargers, where the final voltage is whatever the batteries naturally produce, and practically useless.

Edited January 27, 2009 by r0cky

[Sam Crawley]

Thanks r0cky, I think I will get the Powerchimp and take it with a small stash of rechargeable AAs. I chuckled when I read your "only in Britain" comment that the PowerMonkey does require "actual sunshine", hehe!

[mr_bizarre]

+1

[pezzypops]

you can get an unlocked nokia 3210 on ebay for around a tenner, just to use as your festival phone. the batteries lasted ages on those stone age phones, and you can play snake on it!

[stoneroses19]

I've never had a problem with running out of charge.

Just dont leave your phone on all the time. i turn it on for hour in the morning and hour at night just to check if anyones contacted me.

with meeting up with mates, we just pick a time and place, and meet. simple.

Dont know what half of you would have done before mobiles.

[r0cky]

I chuckled when I read your "only in Britain" comment that the PowerMonkey does require "actual sunshine", hehe!

[guinevere]

Or you can look out on stalls for signs offering to charge phones up - last few years I've always spotted them, they charge you a few quid and you leave your phone with them for a few hours to charge up (might sounds daft but don't forget your charger if you want to do this as my mate forgot his last year!!)

[glasto-worker]

Go to

http://www.carphonewarehouse.com/buy/SONY-...132-VRW10-WEB10

Sony Ericsson J132 on Virgin Pay As You Go

£ 4.95 + £ 10 airtime credit = £ 14.95

its battery is claimed to last 14 days.

Its a very neat basic phone and I bought one recently.

As it happens I work at the event so have access to power but with such a battery life I am not bothering taking the charger.

brian

[glasto_freak]

I've got a pretty cool charger. You charge it off the pc at home, and then plug your phone in when your out and it gives at least one full charge. But it also has a solar panel, so you can top off the charge when you're there. Used it last weekend, camping, worked a dream.

It's made by a company called powerguy, but i got it as a freebee so i don't know much about it.

Bring on the sun!

[r0cky]

Sony Ericsson J132 on Virgin Pay As You Go

£ 4.95 + £ 10 airtime credit = £ 14.95

its battery is claimed to last 14 days.

Its a very neat basic phone and I bought one recently.

As it happens I work at the event so have access to power but with such a battery life I am not bothering taking the charger.

[alphamaing]

I used the Orange charge tents a couple of times with my phone last year, always a fair sized queue though - maybe that band they have inside should play to the queue outside instead, hehe!

Anyway, question is - has anyone had any success with these portable battery powered or solar charge gadgets you can buy? Are they a waste of money?

Also any advice as to best times to hit the charge tents? I had the impression they had fairly limited opening times and there always seemed to be a big queue, especially for the main one.

And finally, maybe Glasto should install one of those electricity generating dancefloors like here in front of one of the more energetic stages

[alphamaing]

I used the Orange charge tents a couple of times with my phone last year, always a fair sized queue though - maybe that band they have inside should play to the queue outside instead, hehe!

Anyway, question is - has anyone had any success with these portable battery powered or solar charge gadgets you can buy? Are they a waste of money?

Also any advice as to best times to hit the charge tents? I had the impression they had fairly limited opening times and there always seemed to be a big queue, especially for the main one.

And finally, maybe Glasto should install one of those electricity generating dancefloors like here in front of one of the more energetic stages

[glasto-worker]

Basic phones are the way forward. I take a really old Nokia, it's my festival phone, but the keypad is getting a little dodgy these days.

Be careful though, those estimated battery times are with a following wind. At Glastonbury everything is interference limited (lots of mobiles), so they do have to work harder when chatting with the base station periodically.

I've got my eye on the new Nokia E55 when it comes out, it claims up to 31 days stand by! Even if it's a 1/4 of that in practice, it will still be nice.

Hope your battery still has some juice in it when we arrange our meet though Brian!

Edited May 29, 2009 by glasto-worker

[guinevere]

Serendipity (B Field) charges 'phones - look for the giant magic mushroom outside! No need to take your own charger unless it's an unusual model!

Next to the Jazz lounge near Leftfield.

[HannahandGary]

I got a couple of spare batteries for my Sony ericsson c902 from www.memorybits.co.uk

i get all my gadgets from there. you should check it out.

[phil the shrew]

I've invested in something called the freeplay charger - its basically a wind up charger that you attach to your phone via a car charger and about 3 minutes winding gives you aproximately an hours battery life depending on age of your battery and how much juice your phone needs.

Charger costs about £15, and can also be used for any other item that can be charged via a car charger. and it somehow seems to fit in with the environmental outlook of glastonbury!