Yeah, we had a generator that ran for two hours twice a day, plus a solar setup that ran during the daytime. We could plug things into a set of power strips during those times. Space was limited, so you couldn't always plug in everything you had. That's why my external battery pack was so useful. It allowed me to stretch out the times I could charge my other stuff. There was one fridge and we had beer and soft drinks in it. It wasn't as cold as your one at home, but I'm not sure if that's because the power was intermittent, or if it ran on gas or something. Given that we were a four-hour boat ride up-river from the nearest city, they did pretty well for us! Overall, it was an amazing experience. I'm planning to take students back there in the next couple of years.
Rob Sent from my iPad On Sep 26, 2011, at 6:07 PM, Charles Simpson <[email protected]> wrote: > Rob, Did you have a generator to keep those ipads, iphones charged up or were > you able to make do? > > On 9/26/2011 5:38 PM, Rob Alexander wrote: >> >> Okay, this isn't really about what phone to buy, and I could have done the >> same thing on any smartphone or PDA, so if Steve will bear this one >> indulgence, I'll answer Helen's question. (It is her rule, after >> all.). :-) >> >> Obviously the phone part wasn't working in the Amazon. We would be out all >> day hiking or canoeing in the jungle and the phone was a useful way to take >> notes of the species we saw, and of what they were doing. I had ebooks about >> the place we were visiting, and it was nice to be able to look up >> information about what we were seeing on the spot. I also used the phone >> every night to read fiction before going to bed. A phone is much lighter >> than a pile of books and the backlight was nice for reading at night where >> there is no electricity. >> >> The iPad really shone as a platform for reviewing the photographs I took >> (http://wildearth.smugmug.com/ then go to the Americas section). Again, this >> is nothing that another brand of tablet couldn't also do. We'd all sit >> around after dinner and folks would squint over their photos on the 2" >> screens on the backs of their cameras, and I would drop mine into the iPad, >> where I could view them on a bright 10" screen and even crop and edit them. >> We also loaded other people's photos so they could see them at a decent >> size. People enjoyed passing the iPad around while we talked and drank beer, >> seeing the photos we'd taken of the things we had all seen that day. When we >> got back to Iquitos (with Internet access), I was then able to upload a set >> of photos to Facebook for my friends to see, even while we still had a week >> in the Andes left on our trip. >> >> I know it sounds odd to take high tech stuff to the wilderness, but it can >> really be as useful there as in everyday life, just for different reasons. I >> have colleagues who go out for much longer than I do, who use solar chargers >> to keep their tech running for a couple of months at a time. >> >> Rob >> >> >> >> Sent from my iPad >> >> On Sep 26, 2011, at 12:57 PM, Helen Huntley <[email protected]> wrote: >> >>> What I really want to know is what Rob was doing traipsing around the >>> Amazon with his iPhone. >>> I have to admit that I enjoyed reading this passionate missive even though >>> I still have a dumb phone that I frequently forget to turn on. >>> On Mon, Sep 26, 2011 at 12:36 PM, Steve McKibben <[email protected]> >>> wrote: >>> A lot of great and useful info (and some that is less so on both accounts) >>> has been posted in this thread. >>> >>> It originated because Shane needed to find out how to send the articles >>> that he always does (thank you Shane!) to GatorNews. >>> >>> Shane's phone is now fixed, and everyone that has taken the time to read >>> the posts has an idea about the relative strengths/weaknesses of the >>> various phones/platforms, and who among GatorTalk posters is loyal to which >>> one. >>> >>> Since it's not really a Gator related discussion, I'd like to "Helen Rule" >>> it. For those not familiar with that term, it simply means that this dead >>> horse need not be beaten anymore, at least not on this list. >>> >>> You could take it to Too Hot I suppose, although the discussion hasn't been >>> that incendiary, at least not yet. >>> >>> Maybe we should start a "Too Boring for GatorTalk" list... >>> >>> :) >>> >>> Steve >>> >>> >>> -- >>> GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! >>> 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions >>> 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions >>> 2008 National Football Champions | >>> Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), >>> Tim Tebow (2007) - Visit our website at www.gatornet.us >>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> Helen Huntley >>> (727) 823-3801 >>> www.helenhuntley.com >>> -- >>> GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! >>> 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions >>> 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions >>> 2008 National Football Champions | >>> Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), >>> Tim Tebow (2007) - Visit our website at www.gatornet.us >> -- >> GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! >> 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions >> 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions >> 2008 National Football Champions | >> Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), >> Tim Tebow (2007) - Visit our website at www.gatornet.us > -- > GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! > 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions > 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions > 2008 National Football Champions | > Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), > Tim Tebow (2007) - Visit our website at www.gatornet.us -- GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 National Football Champions | Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007) - Visit our website at www.gatornet.us
