ReVIVE Series Solar ReStore 1500mAh External Battery Pack with Universal USB Charging Port for HTC , Motorola , Samsung , T-Mobile Android Smartphones / Kindle 2 , DX , Nook / AT&T and Verizon Apple iPod , iPhone and More USB Powered Devices
ReVIVE Series Solar ReStore 1500mAh External Battery Pack with Universal USB Charging Port for HTC , Motorola , Samsung , T-Mobile Android Smartphones / Kindle 2 , DX , Nook / AT&T and Verizon Apple iPod , iPhone and More USB Powered Devices
- External battery pack recharges up to 1,000 times from the power of the SUN, AC or USB power.
- Provides a full charge to most phones, MP3 players, GPS, iPod, iPhone, e-Readers, Bluetooth devices and other USB powered devices
- Includes AC adapter, MicroUSB and MiniUSB charging cables
- Convenient window suction mounts to optimize solar charging at home, in the car or at work
- LED Power capacity indicator let’s you know how much battery power you have left.
- NOTE: Solar power can only charge 50% of the internal battery, which can provide a 40%-50% charge to your mobile device
Portable Extended Battery Charge Pack
This easy-to-use, multi-functional charger let’s you take charging on-the-go.
It’s equipped with a universal USB charging port & a powerful internal backup battery that stores backup power for when you are away from outlets.
Charge it up by the power of the Sun, USB or an AC outlet to provide a full-charge to most mobile devices.
It’s also designed with a convenient, side-loaded flexible LED flashlight.
Don’t get stuck with a dead phone. Breathe some battery life into your mobile devices with the Solar ReStore!
Led Power capacity Indicator lets you know when this portable battery charger is at full capacity and how much battery life is left.
This sleek portable pack can easily be charged and provides power to all devices that have a micro or mini USB charge port.
Compatible With
Motorola Atrix / Droid X , 2 , Pro , X2 / Milestone / Backflip / CLIQ 2 , XT / Defy / Bravo / Charm
HTC Sensation / HD7 / EVO 4G , 3D / Shift 4g / Thunderbolt / Arrive / Inspire / Surround / Freestyle / 7 Pro / Gratia / Droid Incredible 2 / Eris / Aria / Hero / HD2 / Desire S / Incredible S / Trophy / Mozart / G2 / Wildfire S
Samsung Droid Charge / Infuse 4G / Indulge / Nexus S 4G / Captivate / Fascinate / Vibrant / Prevail / Ace / Epic 4G / Memoir / Omnia 7 / Intercept / Transform / Moment / Galaxy S 4G , II / Focus / Solstice / Continuum
Blackberry Torch / Storm 1 , 2 / Bold 1 ,2 / Tour / Curve / Pearl 3G
T-Mobile MyTouch 4G / MyTouch 3G / G2 / G1
Nokia N900 / N8 / N7 / Nuron / N97 / E7 / C7
LG: Quantum / Revolution / Octane / Optimus 2X, 7, S / Vortex
Amazon Kindle 1/2/DX
Barnes and Noble Nook / Nook Color (OEM Cable required for Nook Color)
Apple iPod Classic / Touch / Shuffle / Nano , iPhone 3G,3GS,4G (OEM USB Cable required)
List Price: $ 49.99
Price: $ 28.95
Solar 11-in-1 Battery Charger
- Solar battery Cahrger. Recharge batteries with the sun!
- Charges 11 different NiCd and NiMH battery sizes (AAA, AA, C, D, and 7 GUM sizes) Never be without power again!
- Charges 2 pcs of NIMH or NiCad “D”/”C”/”AA”/”AAA” size rechargeable batteries
- Adjustable top lid and bottom stand for optimal sunlight exposure
- Blocking diode to prevent discharge
C.Crane Universal Solar 11-in-One Battery Charger with Meter – This high powered solar charger charges two Rechargeable Batteries of the same type and size (D, C, AA, AAA). It puts out about 150mah and about 5 volts. All of the other solar battery chargers we tested were unsuitable because their voltage was too low. Weight: 11.8 oz. Size: 6.8″ W x 4.5″ H x 2.3″ D.
This is the most versatile battery charger available on the market today. The solar panel is incorporated into the hinged cover which can be angled for maximum sun exposure. It goes beyond ordinarily employing the sunlight strength to charge your Ni-Cad batteries. Its in-built meter shows you the following conditions: -The strength of the sun -The strength of the current out-put from the solar panel -The time required to fully charge the different types of batteries This battery charger incorporates a built-in blocking diode to prevent reverse flow of electricity from charged batteries during storage. It is environmentally safe, cost efficient and trouble free. The polycarbonate transparent cover makes the charger weather resistant. This charger is an ideal gadget for camping, fishing, boating, and picnics. It is equally suitable for home use. “D,” “C,” “AA,” and “AAA” size batteries. Batteries D-Size (UM-1) 1500mA 5.6×16.4×66.2mm 600mA C-Size (UM-2) 1000mA 5.6×16.4×66.2mm 720mA AA-Size (UM-3) 500mA 6.1x17x67mm 650mA AAA-Size(UM4) 180mA 7.8×16.4xx66.5mm 850mA 8.3x17x67mm 900mA 10.5x17x67mm 1200mA 10.7x17x67mm 1750mA Specs Voltage (VOC): 5V (maximum in full sunlight) Current (Isc): 140 mA (maximum in full sunlight)
List Price: $ 39.99
Price: $ 19.99
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Great entry level solar portable unit,
As part of my long-term goal of living off the energy grid, I decided to get my feet wet with a small, inexpensive solar power charger for my iPhone and other small electronics. My Solar ReStore solar battery pack turned out to be a great way to get started using free energy from the sun.
Priced around $30 from Amazon.com, my Solar ReStore unit arrived swiftly in a white plastic bubble-pack mailer. The package is made of that rigid clear plastic that you need scissors to open and can give you a deep ‘paper’ cut if you are not careful. I cut off the top of the plastic with kitchen shears and carefully made a cut down the side to pull out the materials.
The charging unit itself is almost exactly the size of my iPhone, being a tiny bit larger and considerably lighter. The front consists of a solar panel. The sides offer a USB port, an AC charging port, an LED light on a long, flexible stem that wraps around the side of the unit, an LED light button and a charging indicator light. The back of the unit has a press button indicator showing how charged the unit’s battery is – 20, 50, 80 and 100%.
My solar charger arrived 50% charged from the sun, which is apparently as much of a charge as the unit can get from solar power only. I hooked the unit to a wall outlet with the included AC adapter and waited around an hour to see the charge total listed as a full 100%.
From this point I connected my iPhone, which was down to a 20% charge, to the unit to see how long the stored energy in the charger would take to top up. It was a simple matter to plug my iPhone cord right into the USB port on the charger. At that point I clicked the sliding switch to “on” and waited. After two hours my phone was 100% charged. It only took an hour to bring me to a 50% charge, for reference. I disconnected the charger and plugged it back into the wall to get back to a 100% charge.
PROS
Since the charger has both a solar panel for energy charging and a battery to hold the energy, I am pleased that I can run my phone indefinitely off the power of the sun. While running the unit purely with solar has limitations (ie – you can only charge the charger to the 50% mark), I can easily work around those limits by paying attention to my use and charging habits. The price was excellent, I was pleased with the thoughtful accessories included, the LED light runs for 20 hours off a single charge, and I can be confident to have a working iPhone no matter when/where I go.
Besides charging my phone, I can also charge other electronics like a Kindle, Nook, a GPS unit or any USB-connectable handheld device. I will test this on my Toshiba Netbook next.
There are three ways to charge the charger – using the sun, using an AC cord (included), or by using a USB cord (also included) to take energy from your laptop or other fully-powered electronic item. This is convenient versatility.
Since I do a lot of camping and RV boondocking, I anticipate getting a lot of use from my Solar ReStore charger. I would also use this for overseas traveling, long car drives, cruise ship trips (any boating really), and in emergency situations when the power is down or unaccessible.
The two included window suction cups are useful for charging the unit in car or home windows.
The LED light is plenty to read by at night, or cook with, or provide enough low lighting to find your way around camp or a dark house. The flexible stem makes it easy to direct light where you want it.
I like the included cloth protective bag. It protects the solar panel when sliding around in my purse! It also lets my fingers know that I am not grabbing my phone, since they are the same size and configuration.
CONS
The unit does NOT have a clip, grommet hole or any way to attach itself to the outside of a backpack. Many units like this do come with some kind of attachment point you can clip a carabiner or bungie cord to. My solution is to place the solar panel facing out in a freezer strength Ziplock bag and duct tape the edges of the bag to the outside of my pack. It takes six hours to charge the unit (and again, only to 50% using the sun’s energy), so you do have to make sure the panel receives as much light as possible. What’s nice is that it does not have to receive direct solar light to charge – although direct light does help speed things up.
I would still rather see an upgrade of this unit have some kind of attachment point for clipping purposes.
A car-charging (cigarette lighter outlet) is not included, which would have been a thoughtful charging option for auto travelers on overcast days or at night.
The Solar ReStore charger is not designed to be used while charging. In other words, you can’t sit in the sun and run your phone while it is charging in a continuous…
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|Best Solar Charger I’ve had so far,
Before I decided to spend the money on this charger I had Scosche SolBAT II Solar Powered Backup Battery and Charger. The first one I had worked as long as you didn’t use the cable they provided, but I left it on a plane and bought another one. The second one fried and you could smell the electrical smoke from a component blowing up internally and I sent it back. The third one wouldn’t charge my Droid 2 at all so I returned it and bought this one.
I love that it has a diagram that tells you how quickly it will charge as well as the percentages. It is a bonus it has a light…but a feature I wasn’t particularly “looking” for. I also like that it has a switch so you get to choose whether it dissipates energy or not. I have had no issues charging my Droid 2 with this charger and would recommend it to friends. I will update if there are any issues that come up later.
Arrived when stated and with appropriate accessories. I haven’t tried the suction cups yet.
Note: LED light and charger will not work at the same time. Not an issue for me…but it should be noted.
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|Not bad for the price…works in a pinch.,
I bought this to help keep my iPhone charged while backpacking. While the reviews for this item are mostly good, I have to be middle of the road on this one. It’s only $30 so one can’t really expect 5-star results. Overall I would say it has met my expectations. My 3-star review simply means it is average. Not great, not bad.
I do a lot of overnight and weekend hiking, and in August 2011 I will be climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa. I’ll be without power, water and other luxuries for 7 days. I plan on using my phone as my camera, for texting and updating Facebook while on the mountain. I have run this charger through several tests over the past two weeks. It charged to 100% with no problem using an A/C outlet. I then attached it to my phone when it had only 5% battery remaining. The ReVive recharged the phone to 100% within 2 hours using my own iPhone cable and if I can believe the LEDs on the back, which showed 50% remaining, I still had enough juice left to top off the phone later. So far so good.
The real test, and the reason for my purchase was it’s solar capabilities. I followed the instructions and set the depleted ReVive outside in the bright sun for approximately 6 hours. As advertised, the LEDs showed a charge of 50%. I then plugged it into my phone when it was showing 60% battery life and wanted to see how long the ReVive would last. After about 35 minutes my phone was at 80% and that’s when the ReVive shut off. So ultimately I got another 20% of battery life added to my phone from a 50% recharged solar unit. That’s not what I would call great results, but in an emergency 20% is better than nothing. I’ll just have to remember to conserve while on the mountain.
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|Amazing device,
This is truly an amazing device, fashioned of high-strength durable plastic, and photovoltaic cells that can charge several different sized batteries at once. The unit can recharge AA, AAA, C and D batteries, and does so extremely well. (The same model is also available here from a different seller.) It does take a while to recharge the batteries. Although in strong sunlight in a south-facing window, units can recharge in five or six hours, it can in winter sunlight or on cloudy days take much longer than that. However, once the batteries are charged, they tend to hold the charge for a long while — several months in some cases, depending on their use.
We originally purchased this unit for camping. That turned out to be rather impractical, as many campsites are in shaded, forested areas. However, the purchase was worth every penny and over time has saved us a fortune in battery costs — and no doubt quite a bit for electric-grid prices as well. Highly recommended.
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|A versatile solar battery charger,
I bought two of these recently. They do what they are supposed to do. I’ve used them to recharge Sanyo Eneloop batteries after I drained them in my Kodak digital camera. This battery charger works quite well. It uses sunlight to generate a current that charges pairs of batteries in sizes AAA, AA, C, or D. It will also charge gum batteries.
Sanyo Eneloop AA Battery 4 pack Precharged Use Up to 1500 Times
Kodak EasyShare C182 Digital Camera (Blue)
However, it will not recharge 9-volt batteries. The voltage from the solar panel isn’t high enough. If you want to charge a 9V battery, the product you need is
AA and 9 volt battery charger with 3, 6, 9, and 12 volt power supply
The only thing the Crane charger’s dial really indicates is current. The time shown on the dial is an estimate based on the assumption that the battery was drained until its pole potential difference was about one volt. It isn’t the amount of time remaining. You still have to check the batteries from time to time with a voltmeter, until they’re just over 1.4 volts each when you measure them with a voltmeter 30 minutes after taking them out of the charger. (The battery voltage usually falls off by 0.01V to 0.03V during the first half hour after removal.)
Not all of these chargers are equals. Some of them generate a higher charging voltage than others do. I tested mine with a voltmeter and found that one of them has a maximum voltage (full sun on perpendicular panel) of 5.4 volts, while the other shows 4.8 volts. As the result, the charger that creates the higher voltage charges pairs of batteries faster than the other one does. But both of them do charge pairs of NiMH batteries.
Added 21 April 2011. I bought a third charger. The voltage in full sun with panel normal is 5.2 volts.
Will a solar battery charger pay for itself? It depends on how you look at it. Versus buying lots of single-use alkaline or lithium batteries, definitely it will. Versus recharging batteries with a cheaper house-current powered charger, probably not. In 1500 rechargings of a pair of Eneloop batteries, you’ll be lucky to get a dollar’s worth of electricity out of them, at the present price of utility supplied electricity.
E = total energy
B = number of batteries = 2
R = number of rechargings = 1500
P = electric power
T = time
V = average battery voltage = 1.25V
E = BRPT = BR(IV)T = BR(IT)V
IT = 2000 mAh = 7200 amp-sec
E = (2 batteries)(1500 rechargings)(7200 amp-seconds)(1.25 volts)
E = 2.7e7 Joules = 7.5 kWh
Cost = 7.5 kWh ($0.1/kWh) = 75 cents.
Consider a solar battery charger to be a way to hedge your battery investment against the possibility that you might not have house current someday.
Added 21 April 2011. The maximum charging voltage for my best Crane charger is 5.42V. Once it has enough light intensity to reach this maximum voltage, further increases in light intensity no longer raise the voltage, but will raise the current flow. In full sun, with panel normal, the highest current flow I noticed was 0.180 amps. So the power being put into the batteries, at most, by the Crane charger is about 0.976 watts. This energy transfer rate will slow to about 0.457 watts as the two batteries, upon being charged, oppose their own voltage to that from the solar panel, assuming that the sunlight remains at a constant intensity and that the panel remains normal to the sun’s direction during that time. If I approximate the average energy transfer rate by averaging the extremes of net voltage, it would take about 7 hours to fully recharge a pair of 2000 mAh AA batteries that had been completely discharged before recharging. In actual practice, you don’t really fully discharge the batteries; you recharge them when their voltage has dropped so low (but not to zero) that they can’t make anything work anymore, so it doesn’t take as long as seven hours to top them off again.
Added 21 April 2011. Contrary to some of the reviews here, this charger will charge a pair of AAA, AA, C, or D size NiMH batteries on a cloudy day. The voltage from the solar panel on a cloudy day remains high enough to do the job. However, because the current can be under 30mA under heavily overcast skies, the charging rate would be very, very slow.
Added 24 April 2011.
Assuming 1 volt potential difference across the poles of the…
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|does NOT charge 4 batteries,
I bought this because the description says “Charges four “cylinder” sized batteries ..” but it does not. It only charges 2 at a time. I would not have bothered if I’d known that. With the weather around here, it can take 2 days to fully charge 2 batteries, and so for something requiring 4 batteries, that can take 4 days to charge. If we were in an extended power outage, we would be using up the batteries much faster than we could charge them.
Just not worth it.
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