dwh
Tail-End Charlie
Someone gave me one of these last month as a birthday gift:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01H...SL75_QL70&keywords=solar+USB+battery+pack
Bloody hell...it's my new favorite gadget!
20 bucks, 10,000mah battery. Charges via USB input or built-in solar. Says water resistant, but don't count on it...
Okay, it's only got 1.2w of solar, so it takes a LONG time to fully recharge from solar. Like, five 8 hour days in the sun. For that matter, it takes like 8 hours to fully recharge from the USB input.
It has 5 led indicator lights in a row to indicate battery status, and if you leave it in direct sunlight from dawn to dusk, it will go up by one led. But it's thin film solar, so it does the same thing in indirect sunlight. Hell, I wrapped it in a plastic baggie and set it out in the rain on a seriously cloudy day and it still charged up the same as it does in full sunlight.
So figure all day gets it like 2,000mah, which is enough to take my phone from dead up to well above 50%. And while the thing charges up slowly, it goes like hell when charging something else. Tops up my phone in like half an hour.
But what really rocks is the flashlight function. THAT is why I'm in love with this doohickey.
The flashlight led is BRIGHT AS HELL! I mean like a bloody area effect work light. Short range, but it rocks in the van and would rock in a tent too.
AND!! You can turn it on and leave it on for hours and hours! Charge it in the sun for like 8 hours and the battery charge status will go up by one led. Then turn on the flashlight and run it for like 8 hours at night and the battery charge status goes back down by one led.
So this thing is a halfway decent USB/solar charger for other gadgets, but is is an unbelievably awesome flashlight/camp light.
Push the flashlight button a second time and it blinks. It didn't say so in the manual, but it didn't take me long to notice that it blinks SOS in Morse code. And you could charge it all day and let it blink all night.
------------
The Bad:
The spring steel belt clip just pushes straight in, and pops right out. Not trustworthy at all.
For some reason, when you put it in the sun AND try to charge a phone at the same time, it will drain the phone. I suspect it has something to do with the way it handles USB switching. Oh well, no biggie.
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Dunno what it weighs, but it's not much. I have a 4,400mah USB battery pack/flashlight as well (not solar) and I think that one is actually a bit heavier. I would not hesitate having this in my pack all the time.
Tried it under a bright modern led street light. Nada. Tried it in moonlight. Nada. Haven't tried a full moon yet though.
Recommended.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01H...SL75_QL70&keywords=solar+USB+battery+pack
Bloody hell...it's my new favorite gadget!
20 bucks, 10,000mah battery. Charges via USB input or built-in solar. Says water resistant, but don't count on it...
Okay, it's only got 1.2w of solar, so it takes a LONG time to fully recharge from solar. Like, five 8 hour days in the sun. For that matter, it takes like 8 hours to fully recharge from the USB input.
It has 5 led indicator lights in a row to indicate battery status, and if you leave it in direct sunlight from dawn to dusk, it will go up by one led. But it's thin film solar, so it does the same thing in indirect sunlight. Hell, I wrapped it in a plastic baggie and set it out in the rain on a seriously cloudy day and it still charged up the same as it does in full sunlight.
So figure all day gets it like 2,000mah, which is enough to take my phone from dead up to well above 50%. And while the thing charges up slowly, it goes like hell when charging something else. Tops up my phone in like half an hour.
But what really rocks is the flashlight function. THAT is why I'm in love with this doohickey.
The flashlight led is BRIGHT AS HELL! I mean like a bloody area effect work light. Short range, but it rocks in the van and would rock in a tent too.
AND!! You can turn it on and leave it on for hours and hours! Charge it in the sun for like 8 hours and the battery charge status will go up by one led. Then turn on the flashlight and run it for like 8 hours at night and the battery charge status goes back down by one led.
So this thing is a halfway decent USB/solar charger for other gadgets, but is is an unbelievably awesome flashlight/camp light.
Push the flashlight button a second time and it blinks. It didn't say so in the manual, but it didn't take me long to notice that it blinks SOS in Morse code. And you could charge it all day and let it blink all night.
------------
The Bad:
The spring steel belt clip just pushes straight in, and pops right out. Not trustworthy at all.
For some reason, when you put it in the sun AND try to charge a phone at the same time, it will drain the phone. I suspect it has something to do with the way it handles USB switching. Oh well, no biggie.
---------------
Dunno what it weighs, but it's not much. I have a 4,400mah USB battery pack/flashlight as well (not solar) and I think that one is actually a bit heavier. I would not hesitate having this in my pack all the time.
Tried it under a bright modern led street light. Nada. Tried it in moonlight. Nada. Haven't tried a full moon yet though.
Recommended.