Computer,Music,Books

UltraLast Green Solar 2 AA/USB Charger with 2 AA Everyday Precharged Batteries

List Price: $49.95
Price: $17.44 ( Click to see lower price ! )
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Product Features:

Use the power of the sun for the ultimate in Green power

AA/AAA charging 8-20 hours

Charges USB power pack for cell phones, bluetooth headsets and MP3 players

Includes 2 AA precharged batteries

Now includes Micro-USB

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Technical Details:

Brand Name: Ultralast

Model: ULGSOLAR

Item Package Quantity: 1

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Customer Reviews:

Fun little gadget - limited practical values

This item (UltraLast Green Solar 2 AA/USB Charger with 2 AA Everyday Precharged Batteries) looks like a versatile product. It is very compact (same size as a deck of playing cards), and offers multiple functions. You can:

1. Use it as a solar-powered charger: to recharge two internal AA NiMH cells under direct sunlight
2. Use it as an USB-powered charger: to recharge internal AA cells from an USB port
3. Use is as an USB power source: to recharge cell phone or other gadgets from internal AA cells

Upon closer examinations, however, each function turns out to be poorly implemented:

1. The solar panel is quite small (4x7cm). Even under direct sunlight at noon time, with the panel perpendicular to the sun beam, the maximum charging current is just 100mA. In real life it will take about 3 sunny days to fully recharge a pair of 2100mAh cells. The case is not weather-resistant, so it should not be left in the open. But when I placed it under the windshield of my car, the charging current dropped by 50% because the glass is UV-filtered.

2. When powered from an USB port, the two internal AA cells are continuously being charged at about 125mA. The problem is there is no 'charging done' signal. The little green LED simply remains on forever, even when there are no batteries inserted. You have to unplug the USB cable after about 20 hours, to prevent over-charging of internal batteries.

3. When used as a USB power source, the 5V output it generates is limited to 300mA max., which is lower than the 500mA from a normal USB port. I have used it successfully to recharge my Philips GoGear Aria MP3 Player and my Motorola W755 cell phone. However, I'm unable to use it to recharge someone else's Kodak Easyshare camera, because the current requirement is too high.

In summary, the ULG Solar charger is still a reasonable value if you can use it as a cell-phone charger. But it is not practical as a solar charger during hiking trips, because the case is not weather-resistant. For smaller size and less weight, you could bring an extra set of Lithium AA Battery instead.

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