Gyroscopic Investing

You may have seen the combination battery/solar panel iPhone chargers.  Most of these don't work that well because the solar panel takes forever to charge the battery and there is no mechanism for the solar panel to charge the phone's battery directly.

So I came across this product called the SCharger-5.  It is a compact solar panel folds into a package about the size of a CD case.  In good sunlight it delivers a full 5 watts to the iPhone and can charge it fully in a couple of hours.

As far as I can tell, it's the best overall solar charger available for iPhones and similar devices.

It costs $140. 

The Amazon reviews provide a good overall sense of how this device works.  I have had mine for about a week and I really like it a lot.  You can also use it to charge external batteries for USB-powered devices.

I talked to the owner of the company by phone about a few questions I had about the panel's design and he seemed like a really nice fellow who has built and is selling a great product.

The external 5,000mah batteries he sells on his site for $25 are also a great deal.  I bought two of them and they are being sold elsewhere for $30-$35.

If you're interested in this sort of thing, check it out.

http://www.suntactics.com/shop/usb-scharger-5/

If anyone is interested in purchasing one of these things, I can probably get a discount code for 5-10% off for forum members.

I'm definitely interested. I got my dad a solar generator ( ASIN (amazon code) B004MII08K ) and he loves it. Now I'm thinking about doing something about the wife's iPhone 4s and my iPod touch.

How should I proceed?
FYI, I'll be out of town from 9-16 April). I hope that won't mess things up.

This company also makes a 12 watt solar charger that can handle iPad recharging in reasonable time frames or can charge two phones at once.

dualstow wrote: I'm definitely interested. I got my dad a solar generator ( ASIN (amazon code) B004MII08K ) and he loves it. Now I'm thinking about doing something about the wife's iPhone 4s and my iPod touch.

How should I proceed?
FYI, I'll be out of town from 9-16 April). I hope that won't mess things up.

I talked to the company and they are going to send me a 10% discount code.  I will post as soon as I get it.

Much appreciated!
Interested in charging iPads, too.

This company also makes a 12 watt solar charger that can handle iPad recharging in reasonable time frames or can charge two phones at once.

dualstow wrote: Much appreciated!
Interested in charging iPads, too.

This company also makes a 12 watt solar charger that can handle iPad recharging in reasonable time frames or can charge two phones at once.

If you only want to buy one solar charger and want to charge iPads, I would look at the larger 12 watt charger.

These panels are really cool, though.  Very compact and they appear to be very durable.

As far as I can tell, there is nothing out there that is even close to this product in the 5 volt USB solar charging space.

Here is a good shot of the smaller panel:

Bought one like the one in your pic, about a year ago.  Think it was about $70.  Works really well.  Charges fast.

Okay, if you want to buy anything from their website, use the discount code GYRO when you check out and get 10% off.

Even if you aren't interested in the solar panels, this deal makes their external batteries just $22.50 each, which is a really good deal (plus they do free shipping on everything).

MediumTex wrote: Okay, if you want to buy anything from their website, use the discount code GYRO when you check out and get 10% off.

Even if you aren't interested in the solar panels, this deal makes their external batteries just $22.50 each, which is a really good deal (plus they do free shipping on everything).

Will this code still be good in the second half of April? (I'm sorry if I sound like a commercial.  ) I won't be able to use it until then.

dualstow wrote:

MediumTex wrote: Okay, if you want to buy anything from their website, use the discount code GYRO when you check out and get 10% off.

Even if you aren't interested in the solar panels, this deal makes their external batteries just $22.50 each, which is a really good deal (plus they do free shipping on everything).

Will this code still be good in the second half of April? (I'm sorry if I sound like a commercial.  ) I won't be able to use it until then.

I'll bet it will.  If it isn't I'm sure we can work something out with them then.

I'm going to bump this one a few more times so that anyone who might be interested can check it out.

I'm just promoting this company because I think they have a cool product.

If Denzel Washington had one of these solar chargers in Book of Eli, he could have listened to music a lot more often.

FYI, the code still works today.

I got $14 off, no shipping, no tax.
And they take Amex, so I'll get another 2% back.
Thanks Medium Tex for making this happen.

{ The iPad-charger was for my dad and he wasn't interested, so I got the sCharger-5, 5 Watt for myself and the wife. iPod touch and iPhone. }

Quick follow-up:

* Even after a slight misdelivery, I got my charger yesterday. Pretty quick. It was small enough to fit in my door mail slot along with my neighbor's mail. 

* My one complaint is that for something that you're supposed to lay flat, this thing wants to fold closed. So while I had envisioned putting it on my lap or beside me on a park bench, I had to actively hold it open. I gave up quickly, as it was a bit late in the day for a first test.

* Next day (today)  I tried charging it in the house. Even though the instructions say it may not work through glass, especially heavy glass, it appears to work through my skylights! The A/C outlet nearby is currently (no pun intended) very jealous.

* I don't know if this is recommended, but I'm using office binder clips to help hold it open so I don't have to be present during charging. They're not touching any of the important parts of the charger, so it should be ok.

dualstow wrote: * I don't know if this is recommended, but I'm using office binder clips to help hold it open so I don't have to be present during charging. They're not touching any of the important parts of the charger, so it should be ok.

That's funny that you mention a binder clip because I actually sent them a photo of a few different ways of using a binder clip(s) to secure it to other surfaces or hold it open.

One thing about the hinge is that as it warms up in the sun it does tend to lie flat on its own after a while.

I had one sitting atop my desk when I opened the charger, so I didn't even need a lot of brainpower to make the connection. :-)

Tex,

One thing I find strange is the battery indicator's behavior on my iPod Touch when I solar charge. It is as erratic as the odd cat that my parents recently adopted. Are you experiencing the following, too, or is it just my device?

First of all, the charger works well, and that's a fact. I know this because I can use the iPod for a long time between charges, as long as w/ any other method of charging to the brim, it seems.  So it's charging. During a sun-charge, like with any charge method, I see the charge-in-progress glyph, like this but without the green:

However, the green battery image that shows you accumulating juice does not budge during a sun charge. Not on my device, anyway.


When I plug the same iPod into my desktop computer, suddenly that juice level jumps, and then I know that all is well. How do I know when to leave my sunny patch of clover in the park near my home and stop charging? I do it when the first glyph I posted becomes an "unplug me" glyph:
( I hope Apple doesn't mind me doing a little deeplinking).

At first I thought this fershlugginah battery was shot, and that a charge to ~ 1/3 capacity was registering as a full charge. Not the case. The ipod's battery is intact.
It could be an Apple issue or something unique to my device, BUT I don't experience this during a conventional A/C charge or a charge via the desktop Mac.

My guess is that the charge speed from the Suntactics unit is different from that of a conventional charge, possibly "too fast" for it, and that the juice level indicator is just an estimate. (?)

I watched a review of the same unit on youtube by ColoradoSelfReliance and he had no such issue. He charged an Android phone.

Any thoughts? I might not write to the manufacturer because the charger does what it's supposed to do and I have no complaints. But, since I assume you have one, I thought I'd run this by you to see if it's the same with your device.

I would just give them a call and ask them the same question.  I have spoken with them a couple of times and they love talking about how their products work and what they can do.

What happens to your ipod touch after using the solar charger if you turn it off and turn it back on?  Does the battery readout give you the correct level or does it only start showing the correct level after you plug it into an AC power supply or a computer?  Have you tried charging it with the power turned off?  Does that provide any different results?

How old is the ipod touch?  I have older ones and newer ones and I find that the older ones are quirky when trying to do a lot of things.  Part of it is they are no longer updating ios for them and part of it is probably that the batteries are not in as good a shape as when they were younger.

It sounds like you are talking about a battery level display issue more than a battery charging issue.  If you get additional insight on this issue, please post.

I have a USB battery charger ordered that will take AA and AAA batteries.  With that device and my solar charger I will have the off grid solar system equivalent of an ant farm.  I can't wait!!!  So much fun messing around with this kind of stuff.

Many thanks for the reply. I removed the quote tags to keep the font normal size.
MediumTex wrote:
I would just give them a call and ask them the same question.  ...
Will do.

What happens to your ipod touch after using the solar charger if you turn it off and turn it back on?  Does the battery readout give you the correct level or does it only start showing the correct level after you plug it into an AC power supply or a computer?  Have you tried charging it with the power turned off?  Does that provide any different results?
I did try turning it off & on the other day, but it didn't matter. It only gives the correct level w/ AC or a computer.
Hmm, I should try w/ the power off. Have not tried that.

How old is the ipod touch?  I have older ones and newer ones and I find that the older ones are quirky when trying to do a lot of things.  Part of it is they are no longer updating ios for them and part of it is probably that the batteries are not in as good a shape as when they were younger.
Yeah, the Apple page on batteries says that you should run some electrons through your device once in awhile, even if you don't use it. No wonder my rechargeable AAs are not what they used to be.

It's the latest generation, but I did buy it when it came out. (I'm a masochistic early adopter when it comes to ipod touches. I like to get it right away and then watch the price drop). So, September 2010. I also have the 1st gen model which, as you said, does not fully update. I have not even tried to sun-charge it.

It sounds like you are talking about a battery level display issue more than a battery charging issue.  If you get additional insight on this issue, please post.
That's exactly right. / I will.

I have a USB battery charger ordered that will take AA and AAA batteries.  With that device and my solar charger I will have the off grid solar system equivalent of an ant farm.  I can't wait!!!  So much fun messing around with this kind of stuff.
Sounds interesting. I have an A/C wall charger, but a few years ago I did pick up some AA's that have a USB dongle under the cap for charging via computer. I may try sun-charging after checking the manual to see if it's ok. { image }

Added Later: Did you ever see that Popular Science project that makes candles out of 9V batteries and LEDs? The picture showed a table with Chinese takeout boxes and fortune cookies, romantically lit by a few of these. You have to attach some resistors to the snaps for the batteries, but it's all very simple (even though the instructions got some of the wiring backwards). I ordered the parts and did that project. It's fun to pull those out when there's a power outage, but I thought it was wasteful and pollutive to stock up on 9V cells. Now I can just get solar-chargeable ones. Nice!

dualstow,

I tried out the solar charger with an iPod touch today and I see what you mean about the battery indicator.  It's charging, but the battery indicator doesn't show that it's charging.

It's just a quirk with these devices I guess.  Let me know if you came up with some kind of workaround since your last post above.

Overall, I'm still really enjoying the charger a lot.  I use it on about six different devices and it's great fun, plus its very convenient when you are outside and not close to a plug.

Hi, MT

If I plug in w/ the Touch on, I do sometimes get a charging indicator. However, I took your advice and tried powering down before charging, and that seemed to work better. I do that most of the time now.
Strangely, though, charging it that way often powers it on.

I don't know if it's just clouds or another obstruction, but sometimes it makes the charging noise over and over again, like it's stopping and starting. My wife walked by and said that it can't be great for the battery.
I don't care. I'm having fun.

Maybe iOS7 will help.

dualstow wrote: Hi, MT

If I plug in w/ the Touch on, I do sometimes get a charging indicator. However, I took your advice and tried powering down before charging, and that seemed to work better. I do that most of the time now.
Strangely, though, charging it that way often powers it on.

I don't know if it's just clouds or another obstruction, but sometimes it makes the charging noise over and over again, like it's stopping and starting. My wife walked by and said that it can't be great for the battery.
I don't care. I'm having fun.

Maybe iOS7 will help.

I spoke with the guys at the company about the way the charger works in general, and they said that the Apple devices automatically stop charging when the incoming voltage fluctuates in order to protect the battery (I think that a lot of electronic devices have the feature).  Following one of these power input interruptions the Apple device ordinarily wouldn't start charging again without unplugging it and plugging it back in.  In order to deal with the inevitable voltage fluctuations when you get some clouds moving in front of the sun, the charger has built-in "reset" capabilities so that when the charger experiences a voltage fluctuation it ceases the current flow, which tricks the device into thinking that it's been unplugged and plugged back in. 

When you hear the periodic beeps from the device when plugged into the solar charger that you hear when you plug it into the wall, it's this reset function being performed by the solar charger.  Instead of damaging the battery, I think it is actually preventing damage to the battery by providing it with power at a constant voltage.  If it didn't have this ability, what could happen would be that you plug in the solar charger in and it would only charge your device until the first voltage fluctuation occurred based upon variations in the available sunlight, and then no further charging would occur until you unplugged it and plugged it back in.  This issue is one of the reasons that putting the charger on a backpack to charge your phone while you are walking isn't recommended--i.e., there will be a lot of voltage fluctuation by constantly changing the position of the charger as you are walking (plus the natural variations you are getting when there are clouds in the sky).  While the charger is smart enough to reset itself as needed, I'm sure it would take a lot longer to charge the battery than if the charger remained still and thus was able to provide the steadiest possible voltage based upon available sunlight.

I hope that all makes sense.  The guy at the company said that this was an early design issue they ran into because the iphones are very sensitive about charging interruptions arising from voltage fluctuations.

If you hear a lot of the beeping sounds it probably means you are not getting good sunlight, which can occur when using the charger in a window that has a "low e" coating, as many windows today have or if it's just a cloudy day.

I charged several devices with the solar charger yesterday and I told my kids to keep an eye on the sunlight today, because it might be a bit less bright than it was yesterday due to the solar power that I used for the items I charged.  When I get home I am going to check with them to see if they noticed any difference.

Well it does make sense, and I really appreciate the report. Very good to know that I'm not hurting the battery! Now wifey can focus on my other faults.

The last time I got a hankering to buy the next generation ipod touch was when my battery wasn't performing well, and not because of some software updates. I own the first and the last, and nothing in between. But, same deal for cameras: when the battery's no longer any good, it's time to buy a new, superior camera, not a new battery.

Lol, I love that you are draining the sun. Being your son or daughter must be only a tad less fun than being Robin Williams' kid. (Although I do remember an interview in which he confessed they sometimes asked him not to do the voices at bedtime book reading.. "Could you just do it straight, Dad?")

dualstow wrote: The last time I got a hankering to buy the next generation ipod touch was when my battery wasn't performing well, and not because of some software updates. I own the first and the last, and nothing in between. But, same deal for cameras: when the battery's no longer any good, it's time to buy a new, superior camera, not a new battery.

I have five external batteries of various shapes and sizes that allow the older ipod touches with weak batteries to continue working fine for use when sitting around (as opposed to doing some kind of activity where the extra battery would be a hassle).

Given how quickly a healthy iphone battery can be drained during heavy use, I view the external batteries as essential accessories.

You can, of course, also charge these external batteries with the solar charger.

To dualstow and other ipod touch enthusiasts, the best ipod touch I have found is an old iphone.

If you can get your hands on an old iphone 3gs or 4, put it in airplane mode and then turn on the wifi, as a music player, web browser and email device, its battery will seemingly last forever.  For me, it's easily worth the extra bulk of the heavier iphone vs. ipod touch.

Other battery extension tips include: turn down the screen brightness as much as you can tolerate and select the darkest possible backgrounds for the wallpaper and other background screens.

Just a thought that I sort of stumbled on by accident.