First off, let me say that this company has it right with sourcing great materials. Like using high grade mono crystalline solar panels and then having a nice non scratch/anti reflective coating.(this is a huge help when getting it to pick up even low levels of light)Then it has a 2000 maH lithium ion battery on board that can charge my phone (which has a 1000mah battery) in the same time it takes a wall outlet. The time it normally takes from the wall is around an hour or so give or take 30 min.
For portability, it is the size of a 7" tablet or a paperback novel, so it is the smallest and most powerful charger to date for its size . This is due to using efficient materials and a methodology of keeping it simple.
User note: It has a lithium ion battery on board. So when it is a 100F out you need to cover the battery so it will not swell and blow up, or just fold the flap behind the panels.
If there is no sunlight, you still have the ability to charge the on board battery using a nokia charger that has a very thin barrel type connection. There is a rubber seal that peels off the usb and charger port to ensure it is protected from the elements. It is not water proof(submerge it in water), but it is water resistant(a light rain) and this is an awesome feature.
It has eye loops on each corner to strap this to a backpack or whatever you want to make your mobile charging platform. It is very light, robust and is half the price of similar brunton and sunlinq products(who use the lowest grade materials ie amorphous or polycrystalline solar panels). Mono-crystalline is the absolute best. Then there is nasa stuff, which is gallium Nitride, but me and you can not afford that stuff.
There is a charge indicator led on the battery pack to show the user if the battery is below 80%(Solid red LED will show) or above 80%(Solid green LED will show).
To ensure maximum life expectancy, the user should charge this manually using the nokia style charger for at least four hours. I did it over night as i do not want to sit and wait for it to be done. Then go ahead and use it as you would normally. This is not vital but will ensure you get a good base charge.
I live in Arizona so the charging results may vary slightly. As for performance, I made sure the device was completely dead by charging my phone and other usb devices. It took under 2 hours to fully charge the battery(from red led to green led)
My quick checklist:
1) High efficiency mono crystalline solar panels CHECK!
2) 2000maH battery ( twice the size of my phones current battery) CHECK!
3) Materials and workmanship is of the best CHECK!
4) If there is no sunlight, there is a backup method of charging CHECK!
5) It actually charges the on board battery and the external usb device at the same time(while exposed to the sun) CHECK! (Note: do not have your phone out in direct sunlight as it will ruin it if it is a 100F out and above)
This will fit into a purse or a glove box to ensure that you will always have a usb reserve to keep your vital electronics up and running and having to no longer rely on the wall plug(a wall wart).
Another main reason I chose this product is that I had purchased their larger 10W panel setup and love it. It is the bigger version of this and has no battery on board, two usb ports and is three times this size. To sum it up, the main reason I love this device is that this tool actually does what it supposed to and then some!. I would recommend this to family and friends and I feel that every dollar was well spent, even in this economy.
Very Important:
1) To ensure a quicker charge, make sure the solar panels are exposed to direct sunlight. For example: if the sun is directly above you at noon, lay the panel flat on the ground. This is perpendicular to the sun and means the best charging conditions.
2) Make sure it does not get exposed to anything hotter than 140F as the lithium battery will explode, just like your phone.
3)Wipe off the panels lightly to get the dust off before you fold it up again to further eliminate scratches.
4) Buy the bestek usb cable kit for like $6 on here to ensure you have all the right connections to charge this device or charge any device off this.
The first solar charger I tried was theOpteka BP-SC4000 Ultra Thin Solar Powered High Capacity (4000mAh) Backup Battery and Charger for the Apple iPhone 3G, 3GS, 4 & 4S, iPad 1 & 2, iPod Touch 1G, 2G, 3G, 4G, & 5G. Following very spare directions I charged the unit by computer via USB. It charged full in a few hours and I hooked it to my phone (a moderately priced smart phone)that was about 40% charged before I began. The Opteka unit charged my phone to 100% in about 2-3 hours. So far so good. The power left in the Opteka was diminished by half. (There were only 2 bars lit out of 4, meaning it had about half its charging capacity left.)
I tried to recharge the Opteka to 4 bars multiple times in direct full sunlight. I must have had it in full sun for 20+ hours and could only get the battery charged to 3 bars, out of 4. I sent it back.
This product, the Instapark® Mercury 4S Ultra-slim Portable Solar USB Cell Phone Charger with Built-in 2,000 mAh Rechargeable Battery Pack for Apple iPhone (all generations) & other smart phones, Color Black arrived uncharged. The instructions specified that it should be left out in full sun for about 4 hours for a full charge. I laid it in full sun, per instructions, and a small green LED light lit up on the battery pack. With the Mercury 4S completely charged, I was able to recharge my phone in about 2 hours...and 2 days later, using the charge that was left, "fueled" my phone back up to 100% again. After the second phone recharge, the LED light on the Mercury 4S was red, which meant it was out of power. I placed it in full sun for 3-4 hours the next day, picked it up, and noticed that the tiny light was green and the battery was full again. And again, I was able to recharge my phone, twice.
I highly recommend this product on simply one attribute. Using only 4 hours solar exposure, this battery charger is full and ready to charge my phone, two times.The product is firm, feels weather-proof, durable, and very rugged. Definitely ideal for camping or hiking, and even has a rubber plug for the USB port.
The product works just like you'd think! You plug in a phone (I use iPhone 4s but it works with any, basically) and put it in the sunlight and instantly the little battery appears and it starts charging! It's great!
On top of that, the device comes with a 2,000 mAh battery, so if you're not charging a phone you can just charge it. This is *especially* useful!
All in all, great product, no compromises. Does exactly what you'd expect, and certainly won't let you down. I'd highly recommend this product!When I got this, it was much smaller and slimmer than I expected, and I said....hmm...probably won't work so well.
Your first time charging it, just charge the panel's battery, a good long time. I left mine all day in a sunny window. The green light came on, meaning a full charge. I fully charged a drained ipod touch, no problem. Today I plugged the ipod into to panel (it goes via the battery's USB), the battery light was red...as in not fully charged, the battery pack IS attached to the panel, keep in mind, so I don't know what part of the charging was from the sun and what part from the battery, but it charged it fully as quickly as a wall charger. Very impressed! My Goal Zero Guide 10 Plus is not compatible with my Ipod, via the panel itself, but their guide 10 battery pack is.... and I love that little charging kit (7 watt), but I thought to try this cheaper smaller one for fun. What's great about the Instapark, it is so tiny, I can throw it in my bag, and take it anywhere, it weighs next to nothing.
I have Instapark's Mars 100 solar panel kit too, which rapidly charges my Stanley Power Stations I use for power outs. They make a good product. Customer service, I have always gotten through right away and the tech people talk to you at length and know their products well. I'll be getting a few of these little 4 watt chargers as gifts, they are way way cool. Mine will likely live in the car's glove box, just in case of whatever, since I have the Goal Zero for home use. The little Instapark charges up super fast on the dashboard. Don't expect it to do a lot, just charge little things. It charged my cell phone, bluetooth, all pretty fast. It's adorable and cute and works! Reasonably priced and good quality.It works, but not for very long. The battery is not capable of charging a modern cell phone for more than 20 minutes. In order to work the phone must be charging with the solar panels in direct sunlight and the phone must have some power left.
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