Can I use solar power or an external battery pack to power LabQuest?

We recommend the LabQuest Battery Boost 2, order code LQ-BOOST2, $109, a rechargeable external battery designed for the LabQuest or LabQuest 2. This includes charging cables not available from Voltaic directly.

There are also several external power options that are available from third party vendors for a LabQuest or LabQuest2, including solar back packs and bags. Please be aware that the LabQuest 2 has a larger battery than the LabQuest.

If you want to buy something off the shelf that will work well, take a look at a solar backpack, tablet case, or messenger bag from Voltaic Systems. These are very nice packs that are made from recycled material. Their web site is:
http://www.voltaicsystems.com/index.shtml

These packs are fairly expensive (between $200-$400), but they come with an internal battery that stores the energy from the solar panels.

You can also just get external batteries from voltaic systems.

The V11 can be used as an external power source for the LabQuest. It can supplement power for a LabQuest 2, but does not have sufficient current to 'start-up' the LabQuest 2. The V39 does have enough power to 'start-up' a LabQuest 2 if the battery is dead in the device. The V60 Universal laptop battery can also be used to 'start-up' a LabQuest 2 with a dead battery.

See the link below

http://www.voltaicsystems.com/external-battery.php

Note that the LabQuest can not tell if it is running from AC power or an external battery since they both provide power via the same port and therefore by default will not enter power save mode on an external battery. The solution to this is to check the box for "Enable Power Management on External Power" which is an option in the Light & Power control panel, (tap the Home icon, then select Control Panel.)