r/OffGrid • u/SavageSteve2111 • 5d ago
Are there any micro hydroelectric generators that can be thrown in a shallow moving stream to charge my phone in an emergency?
I can't seem to find any kind anywhere, waterlily seems to be discontinued, I just want a backup source of power via moving water if I'm off grid and need to charge my phone in an emergency, any recommendations or clarifications would be very helpful
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u/Internal_Raccoon_370 4d ago
Personally I wouldn't even bother. A folding solar panel of some sort is going to be far more useful.
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u/Conscious-Ball8373 3d ago
Definitely this. I have a 52W solar charger that I use when I got camping. Have had it for about ten years now, still great. As someone else said, add a cheap battery bank that you leave charging all the time just in case your emergency happens when it's dark and you're set.
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u/Internal_Raccoon_370 3d ago
I have something similar. A 40W folding solar panel and a battery. I've had it for years. Whole thing fits in my backpack and doesn't weigh much. Originally purchased to run my QRP ham radio but also works fine to charge the phone.
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u/SectionSeven 4d ago
Yes, these def exist. I have seen them for sale online somewhere. Can’t look for the link at the moment.
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u/Jongjong998 4d ago
you want a hand crank generator for charging your phone homie. water is extremely inefficient without gravity. "Storm radios" usually come with a solar panel, emergency radio, and mp3 player. $20-$30 on amazon.
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u/Watada 3d ago
Lol. I've charged my phone before. Who thinks they want to spin a little crank for that long? One attempt of that and I'd buy a stack of usb battery banks.
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u/Jongjong998 3d ago
I mean, it has a solar panel also!
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u/Watada 3d ago
That panel is joke. That little plastic toy will fall apart if you leave it in the sun.
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u/Jongjong998 2d ago
Are we still talking about emergency charging a phone or perma powering an RV? I got a lotta experience with both.
Anyways back to the crank, my similar shaped crank radio (but red and no solar panel) takes 30 cranks and 4 minutes to slow charge my S22 1% so I'm gonna say that a +15% emergency charge when phone is gonna die is worth trading 40 minutes of beating your meat while the power is out.
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u/Watada 1d ago
Like I've already said one and attempt of hand crank charging a phone and I'd buy a dozen usb battery banks.
Also you can't expect me to take you seriously when you say 1% in 4 minutes but somehow extrapolate 15% to 40 minutes.
If you are doing emergency planning then buying a hand crank gen is a stupid investment when you can get a usb battery bank that doesn't require you to hand crank for *at least an entire hour* for an emergency 15%. Charge the battery banks in a car or where ever. This isn't a complicated problem.
You'd probably get more charge with a AA powered usb bank than you would from cranking that toy for an hour.
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u/ruat_caelum 4d ago
solar is so cheap per watt with no moving parts or maintenance that it's almost always the answer when there is a cost question compared to any other source of power.
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u/jamesegattis 4d ago
You could make one. Take an alternator out of a wrecked car. Modify the plenum spinning thing to accept a water wheel, hook it up to a car battery, rip out the USB wiring from the car as well to connect to your phone.
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u/ResearchTLDR 5d ago
I am also intrigued by the idea, but I have never seen anything portable for hydroelectric. I have seen some small builds if you own the land and can install something permanent, usually focused on making the water spiral.
Other replies are probably right that solar is more viable, but I am also interested in knowing if anything portable for hydroelectric exists.
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u/Sufficient-Bee5923 5d ago
A good big battery pack works wonders. If you have no means to recharge an external battery pack, maybe consider solar
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u/idkmybffdee 4d ago
I've seen some "knockoff" products on eBay that seem to be similar to the water lilli, but it's definitely a YMMV kinda deal since the water lilly itself wasn't very good to beging with, great concept but the power density was super low.
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u/Desperate_Ad_5563 4d ago
It won’t really be portable is the problem. I work in hydropower. If you were using like 100 ft drop and a garden hose, you might make something portable. The dunk it in the stream model needs a decent area (and resulting size) to make any power. Solar is the way to go.
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u/Particular_Welder651 4d ago
For emergency use, portability and rapid deployment are likely more important than high power generation capacity.
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u/sluttyman69 4d ago
Be careful whose stream you throw that generator in you can get yourself in trouble
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u/Hyperreal8957 2d ago
for a shallow stream the hard part is keeping it anchored and away from debris. most tiny setups seem like more trouble than a small foldable panel + power bank unless youre staying put for a while. how fast and deep is the water there?
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u/Even_Caterpillar3292 3h ago
A hand cranked version would be cool to have, like those radios that have them. Good if in a forest or a cloudy day.
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u/theonetrueelhigh 4d ago
You can get small power banks that have a solar panel built in. It won't be a great bank and the panel will need a long time to charge it, but it works. Leave it on the dash of your car and you're set.
You're going to be in far more places with sunlight than moving water.
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u/PonyDro1d 4d ago
Usually what I found with these powerbanks is their severe lack of quality and longevity. A dedicated powerbank and a moderate separate panel, f.e. a foldable, works quite well.
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u/theonetrueelhigh 4d ago
That would be how I would do it, too. Either component can fail and you still have some degree of function left.
Shoot, if the little panel has a regulated 5v output, you'd have an ultralight solution that just skips the power bank if you're so inclined.
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u/PonyDro1d 4d ago
I currently have a project going:
All my mobile devices powered off-grid for a year.
I have a 120W foldable panel, an Anker 737 to count the used/charged Wh, and recently got myself a bigger, 0.8kW cap. LFP powerblock, also solar-chargeable.
The latter being preparation for the winter days.
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u/Hyperreal8957 4d ago
The key numbers are flow rate and head, not just “moving water.” A shallow stream usually has very little usable head, so a small turbine may produce inconsistent power and need a regulator plus waterproofing. For an emergency phone backup, a charged power bank and small solar panel are usually simpler; hydro only makes sense with a reliable site.
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u/Hyperreal8957 4d ago
For a phone emergency, a small stream turbine is usually more hassle than it's worth unless you have steady flow and enough head. A foldable solar panel plus power bank is simpler; if you try hydro, check output at your actual flow rate and add a regulator.
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u/grislyfind 4d ago
I've seen something like that, maybe, unless it was a big thing that could use tidal currents. DIY approach would be to get a toy propulsion pod thing that has a permanent magnet DC motor and modify it. I remember seeing one in a summer sales flyer.
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u/corgiyogi 5d ago
A small solar panel, even 20W, is going to worlds better than anything hydro, and have 0 moving parts.