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Archive for the ‘Power’ Category

Darley Defense Days – EFB

Tuesday, April 15th, 2014

SWIPES (Soldier Worn Integrated Power Equipment System) is a modular power distribution system designed to reduce battery weight carried by soldiers. It is adaptable to a variety of commercially available tactical vests. SWIPES utilizes a central distribution hub which connects to an external battery source. Quick disconnect cables attached to the hub are woven through the vest and can connected to charging stations for all utilized electronic devices. SWIPES is adaptable any number of battery sources that can supply power in the range of 10-16 volts. 7500 SWIPES systems are currently being utilized in theater by select U.S. Army units.

There is also the upcoming SWIPES II PD, which in addition to distributing power also transmits data from all networked items to a tablet or smartphone device.

www.efbpower.com

Tags: Darley Defense, EFB
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OR – PowerPot

Monday, March 10th, 2014

I’ve mentioned PowerPot a couple of times in the past and at this past OR Winter Market they showed their new PowerPot X which offers twice the power of its predecessor the PowerPot V. This means you can charge two smartphones or one tablet (10w and up to 2a) via 2 USB ports, in a package that weighs in beginning at 20oz depending on whether you use the regular 2.4l or XL 3.8l model.

The concept is simple. You use the PowerPot to cook and the device converts heat into power which can be used directly or stored in a battery.

www.thepowerpot.com/power-pot-x

Tags: Outdoor Retailer, PowerPot
Posted in Field Gourmet, Outdoor Retailer, Power | 6 Comments »

Revision Acquires Panacis

Tuesday, February 25th, 2014

Canadian company Panacis has been making quite a bit of buzz over the past 18 months or so with their battery products for military applications; particularly the SharePack. Looks like they caught the eye of Revision which has been doing quite a bit of work in the Soldier Systems arena.

REVISION EXPANDS INTEGRATED SOLDIER SYSTEM CAPABILITY THROUGH ACQUISITION OF POWER MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY COMPANY

Montreal, QC (February 25, 2014) -– Revision Military, a world leader in protective soldier solutions, has expanded its capabilities by adding power management to its roster of integrated technologies, through the acquisition of Panacis, an Ottawa-based company focusing on Lithium ion rechargeable energy storage systems.

Advanced, electronic battlefield equipment such as networked radios, night-vision systems, GPS, smart phones and laptops, while increasing situational awareness and capability within smaller units, comes with the challenge of sustaining power for these devices, ideally without the weight and complexity that numerous types of batteries present.

“The opportunity for an integrated power management system that provides flexible storage and power management that can be easily adapted to a wide range of mission scenarios is extensive” said Jonathan Blanshay, CEO of Revision. “We are pleased to add power management – the ability to store, deliver, harvest, and share energy – to our roster of technologies in support of fully
integrating electronic equipment while lessening the battery burden on soldiers”.

Revision has been working collaboratively with Panacis on several projects, including reviewing power support for the “Prowler” Human Augmentation system and development of a conformal battery housed on the helmet developed for Natick under the HEaDS-UP ATO program, among a number of other initiatives where next generation energy management is crucial to soldier performance.

“We are delighted to be part of Revision Military and are looking forward to bringing our technological expertise, intellectual property, engineering strength and global program experience to provide highly efficient energy management and storage systems to the warfighter”, said Steve Carkner, founder and CTO of Panacis. “We welcome the opportunity that Revision offers to further commercialize our current products as well as new product ideas in support of Integrated Soldier Systems”.

“The expertise the Panacis team brings to the Revision portfolio of capability will allow Revision to offer a much more complete solution package to both users and partners such as Prime contractors” said Richard Coomber, Revision Military’s VP of Integrated Systems. “By integrating power, data management and protection in flexible ways Revision aims to become the solution provider of choice on a range of platforms. The history the Panacis and Revision teams bring in working together means that we can hit the ground running and deliver on our current projects and the exciting new ones our team can tackle, many of which are already in the pipeline”.

The acquisition is effective February 21, 2014, and the energy solutions team will continue to operate from Ottawa.

Tags: Panacis, Revision
Posted in Industry, Power | 4 Comments »

Powertraveler – Powermonkey Expedition

Thursday, February 6th, 2014

While attending DSEi back in September, UK-based PowerTraveller showed me the next big thing in expeditionary power generation. Ever since then I’ve been chomping at the bit tell you about it. It goes beyond anything commercially available and allows you to collect power by Hand, Wind, Solar, Water and Shorepower means. It’s already been recognized with an ISPO Gold Award which recognizes the best new products internationally.

As a guy who spent some time on both the G-76 and G-67 hand crank generators, I was pretty impressed. The Powermonkey Expedition features 32:1 gearing which allows you to use a hand crank to produce power and 10 minutes of cranking gives you 1% charge on the Powermonkey Expedition’s internal battery. Not sure if you’re cranking at the right speed? The device has a simple LED that goes green when you’re up to snuff.

Don’t want to crank and have stiff wind? Or, driving to a destination? Attach the Powermonkey Expedition to the top of your vehicle to create your own wind while you drive around. Just pull out the silicon windcups and attach them. Want more? Pull out a solar panel and attach that, even while you are using wind power generation.

Near a stream? Flip it on its side and harness the power of gravity to spin the cups with water.

This thing has a lot of base’s covered which is why I am so impressed with it.

(Click to view .pdf)

Granted, it weighs 1.8 kg or just over 4 lbs but the versatility is phenomenal. It relies on a Lithium Polymer battery that 10500mAh with 12v and 5v 800mAh output.

Look for release worldwide May, 2014 in both outdoor (Black/Silver) and tactical (coyote) versions.

www.powertraveller.com/expeditionvideo

Tags: powertraveller
Posted in Gadgets, Power | 5 Comments »

OR – Barebones Outdoor – Connect Power System

Wednesday, February 5th, 2014

One thing all of us have learned over the past few years is that we can face power outages due to natural disasters or other mishaps. Many have turned to solar, wind and fossil fuel generators. Others use these power generation systems for camping and other outdoor activities. I’ve run across numerous power collection and management systems but generally they fall short with distribution, particularly those systems available to the commercial market. When I saw the Barebones Connect Power System at Outdoor Retailer I knew this was something I’d want to share with my readers.

In fact, CPS was created out of necessity by the Utah-based crew at Barebones Outdoor who provide assistance during disaster relief operations. Originally intended for use with their Safari tent seen above, it can be use virtually anywhere. The basic CPS kit includes a single six-foot extension cable, an On/Off push-button switch box, a three-prong male AC adapter, and their ingenious outlet box that features double three-prong AC outlets and two USB female outlets for portable electronics. Any of the components can be ordered separately to expand the system for larger structures or your own specific power needs, and all CPS components are compatible with Barebones light fixtures and battery packs. It’s essentially a plug-n-play system and due to its scalable nature can be configured in a wide variety of ways.

The CPS is compatible with multiple power sources and features a three-prong grounded male plug adapter, allowing it to plug directly into any power source with AC input. If you are off the grid, the CPS is compatible with solar and fossil fuel generators. Goal Zero’s portable batteries and solar panels also work with the CPS, making continuous off-the-grid power possible.

www.barebonesliving.com/outdoor

Tags: Barebones Outdoor, OR
Posted in Lights, Outdoor Retailer, Power | 2 Comments »

OR – Brunton

Thursday, January 23rd, 2014

REACTOR

The Hydrogen REACTOR from Brunton was actually launched at Summer OR. Over the past 6 months they’ve improved the storage capacity of the HYDROCORE cylinder. It now produces up to 30 AA batteries of potential energy. The hydrogen is stored in a solid state rather than gaseous making it more stable for transportation. Meaning, it is cleared to be airline safe. However, beware of uneducated TSA agents who may be wary of the technology.

The REACTOR is where all of the magic happens. As soon as a HYDROCORE is inserted into a REACTOR, it immediately begins to produce electricity. The power can be ported to a power bank or used to directly power electronic items.

The only by products are a low amount of heat and water. And by a low amount of heat, you can comfortably hold it in your hand.

Compases

Brunton was founded on making compasses. In fact, they still manufacture the Pocket Transit in Wyoming. There is a variant of the Pocket Transit some of you cannon dockers may be familiar with; the M2 artillery compass that features mils.

The new World’s Best Compass takes design cues from the venerable Pocket Transit but streamlines the features for more casual use. While the Pocket Transit has a machined aluminum chassis, the WBC uses a lighter polycarbonate body. And, the WBC does not feature the inclinometer of the professional grade Pocket Transit.

For their other orienteering models, they’ve incorporated a new global needle that is balanced for use in both Northern and Southern Hemispheres. If you use the wrong needle in the wrong hemisphere you may encounter severe needle drag. Additionally, the three higher end compasses feature rare earth magnets which offers stronger attraction to magnetic north in addition to resistance to de magnification as well as jewel bearing for smoother needle movement.

www.brunton.com

Tags: Brunton, OR
Posted in Outdoor Retailer, Power, Sensors | 3 Comments »

Batteryclip

Friday, January 17th, 2014

The Batteryclip is so cool I wanted to drop it in the middle of our SHOT show coverage. Offered in AA, CR123A and 9v sizes, they load just like a regular weapon magazine and offer innovative battery management.

The 9v model accommodates 10 batteries and the other 2 hold 8 each. Just like a pistol magazine there are indicator holes at the rear.

The interesting thing is that they weren’t inspired by gun magazines at all but rather were developed simply as a solution for batteries rolling around in bags and pockets.

The Batteryclip is available through Bottom Line Military Sales for individual or GSA purchases.

Tags: Bottom Line Military Sales
Posted in Power | 15 Comments »

SOMA – Panacis

Monday, December 16th, 2013

At first I was surprised to see Canadian battery developer Panacis at a medical show until I spoke with Matt Fisher. He explained that many tactical medical devices rely on power. The long pole in the tent apparently are the cables.

Panacis offers a couple of different options such as the conformal battery seen above. The chargers and meter are built into these rechargeables meaning they can be recharged more easily.

www.panacis.com

Tags: SOMA - Panacis
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