PowerFilm USB+AA Solar Charger

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Price: $70.04 $69.49   

Product Feature

• Folds up compactly to fit into a pocket
• Charges 2 AA rechargeable batteries
• Charges most USB devices
• Lightweight portable power
• Includes 2 AA rechargeable NIMH batteries

Product Description

Ultra compact, ultra lightweight and yet very durable, the PowerFilm USB+AA Solar Charger is ideal for everyday use. The USB+AA Solar Charger charges most USB devices. Proprietary charging circuitry maximizes charge into the batteries. It provides a full charge in four hours of full sun. Six grommets are built into the charger for secure fastening to a pack or to the ground. Direct integration of the PowerFilm flexible solar panels onto the fabric allows for easy storage into a pocket.

PowerFilm USB+AA Solar Charger Review

The PowerFilm USB + AA charger is probably the best product and design I have seen in terms of AA solar chargers, especially for backpackers. Stores like REI and EMS need to carry this charger. Basically, this is 2 devices in 1. It is a solar charger for NiMH batteries (2 NiMH Sanyo 2000mAh batteries come with the product). It is also a voltage transformer that takes the 2.4v of the NiMH batteries and ramps it up to 5v allowing you to charge a USB device (like a cell phone or iPod) using the charged batteries, even when it is NOT in the sun. This means that you can lash the unit onto your backpack or car dash without having to tether your phone to it all day, and then draw from the stored energy in the batteries at night. I charged two batteries in the sun with no problem and then charged an iPod Nano 2G while the solar panel was folded up, and it work perfectly.

In terms of backpacking, I can't imagine that there is a better option. It is light weight (I weighed it myself and it's 4.95oz without the batteries, 6.80oz with batteries) and has a large enough solar panel to get the job done. It also has a number of grommets for lashing the unit to the hood of a backpack, and the solar panels themselves are just about the width of a hood on most backpacks (not daypacks for school, but full-on internal frame Gregory, Dana, Osprey, REI backpacks). Most AA solar chargers have a ridiculously small solar panel that would require a week in the sun to charge a AA battery. This unit can charge two dead 2000mAh NiMH batteries in 5 hours of full sun. Given that you might have a cloudy day, that is exactly the type of power you need.

In regard to the reviewer who gave this a 1/5, you have to install the batteries into the unit and charge them some before it will produce sufficient USB power. If you had a lot of sun and dead batteries, then charge them for 2-3 hours first and then plug in your USB device. The instructions clearly state this as follows:
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ATTACHING A USB DEVICE FOR CHARGING
Plug the USB cable that came with your device into the USB socket on the side of the battery compartment. Connect your device to the other end of the USB cable. Check your USB device to determine if the device is charging. Note that the AA batteries are required to be installed for USB charging, and that the AA batteries must have some level of charge. Charge AA batteries from the sun before charging USB devices for best performance.
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The only "con" to this things is that the manufacturer really has not taken the time to explain how versatile and useful the thing is. Prior to making my purchase, I really had to search through a lot of web pages to figure out that it can charge a USB device from the batteries when it is not in the sun. That is a big positive feature that they have not mentioned.

Overall, I can't think of a better charger that is this small, lightweight, durable and is versatile enough to charge AA batteries for something like a Garmin GPS for hiking (eTrex, 60CSx, Oregon, etc), and it works on USB devices as well. In addition to an iPod Nano 2G, I charged a Nokia cell phone with no trouble. It is definitely the best of the best in terms of solar AA/USB chargers.

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