HQRP 45W Flexible Solar Panel 45 Watt Power 12V Mono-crystalline PV Module w/ 6 Stainless Grommets

I used this panel in conjuction with a charge controller to keep my large bank of marine batteries topped off while the boat was in dry storage. The only concern is having to periodically wipe the accummulated dust off that could reduce charge efficiency.

Brunton Explorer Foldable Solar Panel

I got this solar charger to use charging AA eneloop batteries and my ipod. It has a high power output and works very well with the Brunton Solo Batt Pack, charging 4 AA or AAA batteries relatively quickly. What it cannot do is charge my ipod touch. It turns out that this is because of Apple, not a flaw in the charger. For whatever reason, they made it so that you simply cannot charge a 3rd gen. touch with this charger. What I found quite by accident is that if you plug a Boxwave Ipad charging adapter (

Gomadic Car and Wall Charger Essential Kit for the Sony Ericsson C702 C702c - Includes both AC Wall

I bought this kit for my cell phone sony ericsson c702. The car charger works ok, but the wall charger doesn't charge the phone. I don't think this is a good product. It's better to buy the original charger, I found it in amazon for just 4$.

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Premium Rapid Car Charger (with IC CHIP) for HTC 5800 / Fusion / S720, Touch Dual, Touch Cruise (Po

The charger works pretty good. It charges my Tilt's battery with a level higher then a PC USB cord but lower then a regular wall-jack electrical charger.

The only issue I have with this charger is that it's cord is quite short, such that when connected I'll have to look down to the phone, if for example somebody is calling and I want to see who it is.

Over all, for the ridiculously low price paid, can't really complain.

THIS IS A HORRIBLE PRODUCT, IT DOES NOT WORK AND DID NOT WORK FROM THE TIME THAT I PURCHASED IT AND IT GOT TO MY HOME!!!

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5 Volt Polycrystaline Solar Panel

• Solar cell type polycrystalline
• Produces up to 1 watt
• US dimensions: 3X5 inches
• Metric dimensions: 82 X 128 mm
• Thickness 1 inch (2.5mm)

Ok so it isnt the cheapest pannel of this type and size that you can get, you already know that.

so what is different about it? how well does it work?

Unlike some other epoxy covered PCB mounted solar cell items this one is much lighter, it is not a thick coat epoxy style.

this makes it much better for portability.

when weight is important this mid sized multicell pannel was a good choice.

and if your worried about it getting scratched, you can put a very thin piece of vinyl on top (often sold at the wallymart for a few bucks for a whole yard) that will cut output about 5-8% and makes it impervious.

the one i got speced out correctally, the array in there doesnt waste a lot of space , like some arrays with too much gap between cell items.

I put this one on top of a GPS device with an acrylic hinge, and connected a diode and a protection curcuit to use it to charge a oversized battery in the unit. it now forms 3 functions.

1) charges the unit. if it sits inside on the window sil and catches a bit of light, the unit is now self sustaining for minor use. If i put it outside it could fully charge the FAT oversized 5amp li-poly cell in 2 days of brutal california sun. If i go walking with it in the sun, it runs the gps unit non-stop forever :-)

the hinge allows it to be aimed into the sun, and to shade the battery/unit.

2) caps the screen, via the hinge when i close the unit up it is now the top cap covering the screen. not the most durable cover i could put over the screen , but the most funtional one :-)

3) Is a Sun hood , or shade, so when gpsing in the sun it keeps the unit charged and the sun off the unit at the same time.

connections on these were at the "ends" of course to get power off the cell items, and the back of the PCB there is foil traces bringing the power to the Center of the pannel for a good location for connection.

probably be good for solar charger , and solar car projects and lots of other stuff you can think of.

lightweight, still good quality glass cell items, assembled at the voltage as speced.

that about covers it. It did not dissapoint.

Motorola V3 Razr L7 Slvr Z3 Rizr Mini USB Stylish Loop Version Car Charger SPN5401 (replaces SYN084

I was searching for a car charger for my new shadow, and came across this product, almost accidently. It was one of the few cords that stated it would work with the shadow. The price was great, and was not bad if it didn't work. I got the product in a couple days (great turn arond for shipping) and tried it. It worked. The center circle that lights up creates a nice touch. It works, what else can I say?

Easy transaction and speedy delivery. The product is as advertised and expected. Great charger!

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SainSonic 20A Duo Battery Solar Panel Charge Controller Regulator 12/24V + SainSonic MT-1 LCD Displ

UPDATE:

just in case it was not obvious, there are NO load terminals on this device.

original review:

you'd probably assume so, but just to be clear this does charge 2 batteries in parallel NOT SERIAL. you can specify the percentage per battery:

http://www.epsolarpv.com/en/index.php/Product/pro_content/id/407/am_id/136

does what it says. for some reason, you save a few bucks buying it separately instead of bundled with the MT-1 meter.

trying to figure out how to connect the controller to a computer. official reply from Sain is "not possible".

but

the rj45 cable is wired mirror, so probably null-modem. with their MPPT/MT-5 models, the literature claims "ttl232", so it's likely rs232 or rs485, and if we're lucky m-bus/meterbus xml/sml type stuff.

if you want to save some (literally half the) money and risk buying from China (epsolar actual maker, or belismart apparent western distro), the controller is model EPIPDB-COM.

but Sain store are decent I have gotten handheld Ham stuff from them in the past and no complaints.

I am very pleased with this controller. Having 2 banks of batteries hooked up to this controller on our sail boat, we can monitor the battery charging from the solar panels easily. We have 2 solar panel (also purchased through Amazon)each 145w.

Had to return the said controller as it burned out the wires coming in from the solar panels. Amazon was great about returning it giving us a partial refund since we were beyond the return date. We only had the unit for 3.5 months. Up til then it functioned fine. We then purchased another of these units and have installed it.

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Energizer 84021 12V 200 Ca Jump-Start System

My husband has an old 1993 pickup with about 125,000 miles on it. Now that he's retired,he only drives it maybe 2-3 times/mth. Of course, at least once a month he has to jump start the battery. He asked me to look up battery chargers, and of course I came to Amazon.com first. I showed him a few systems and he chose this one. He has been so very pleased. Works every time and doesn't take long at all to get things going for him. Great little product and a great price.

After looking at dozens of jump start/battery backups for an upcoming Jeep trip, I decided on this one. It's size and amp-hour capacity seemed perfect. After receiving it I looked for the wall charger and there was none in the box, so I (yup I did) went to the instructions. Instead of a wall-wart style charger this unit has a male two-prong outlet on the back that you plug your own extension cord into, then charge from a 110V AC wall outlet. This renders this model incapable of being charged on the road from a solar panel or vehicle without using an inverter. Also found out that Amazon won't take it back, since it's classified 'hazardous'. They took my money and sure shipped it to me though....

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This battery jumper is close to perfect. It's light weight which allows seniors and kids move it around easily. Because you can leave plugged in all the time it's always ready

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Was not sure which to buy, decided on this one. Easy to use and charge. A little on the bulky side but overall I'm happy with the product.

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This is a great jump box, I bought it for my daughter's school as some peoples batteries were dying when waiting to pick up the kids. It is easy to use, is a perfect size, and the cables are plenty long enough to get the job done easily.

I like the fact that the jump box doesn't use an AC adapter to charge it, as these are easily lost, instead you can use any 2 or 3 prong extension cord, however this is not included so be prepared to buy one if you don't already own one. I picked one up at the local grocery store for 2 bucks, not a big deal.

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AGPtek® 30A Solar Panel Power Battery Charge Controller / Regulator 12V / 24V 30 Amp with PWM Type

Pros: High power handling, low price, PWM, descaler(?)

Cons: Manual is jibberish, technical data incomplete, display LED has only one segment, the function button feels really cheap

Comments: Before I get into my commentary, a tutorial and some useful information (stuff that should have been in the manual).

1 The charge controller will manage the load automatically.

2 The minimum battery voltage must be 12.35v or the load will cut off.

3 The setting for keeping the load on (without the timer function) is 6.6 (I will call this the normal setting from here on)

4 The load indicator is always yellow (provided you have sufficient battery power)

5 The charge controller won't work without a battery connected to it.

*/TUTORIAL:

The charge controller has a single digit LED mode indicator which has two states (flashing or steady) that indicate whether you are in programming mode (flashing) or display mode (steady). A number may or may not have a decimal point. If it has a (.) to the right of the number, it means that the number is a decimal. No decimal point means that the number you are looking at is a whole number (totally counter intuitive).

* Every time you press the button (if you are in the programming mode), the number will advance to the next higher number.

* A button press will only advance you to the next number.

* Holding the button down will not cause the number to automatically advance.

* Pressing the button will advance the number through all the whole numbers, all the decimal numbers and then cycle back to the beginning of the sequence (0-9 and then .0-.9)

In order to get to the normal setting, you must:

a) Press and hold the button (there is only one button on the far right) until the LED begins to flash.

b) Repeatedly press the button until you get to the number BEFORE the whole number you are trying to set (in my example, until you see the 5)

c) Press and hold the button once again. This will change the number to 6 and it will stop flashing.

** At this point, you have set the controller for 6.x and you will have to repeat the process to get to .6

d) Press and hold the button until the number begins to flash

e) Repeatedly press the button until you get to the decimal number before 6. (in my example, until you see 5.)

f) Press and hold the button once again. This will change the number to 6. and it will stop flashing.

If you have followed all the steps, have your battery connected (charged above 12.35v) and have your solar panel generating sufficient power, LED-1 (far left) will be green, LED-2 (center) will be green and LED-3 will be yellow (indicating that there is power at the load terminals.

End Of Tutorial */

Beyond the little tutorial above, there's not really much to know about the controller itself. It's pretty much a set and forget device. There is not reset button (to restore it to factory default) and no self test mode but for most purposes it shouldn't be necessary.

Another poster stated that the unit can desulfate batteries. I have not verified that but if that is true, then you should also be able to connect this charge controller to a battery charger to recondition batteries (and save on the expense of a standalone desulfator).

Thanks for reading.

This charger has been in service for over a week now. Batteries are charged every sunny day.

Keep in mind, this charger will take a max of 360 watts or 30 amps of solar power at 12 volts; 720 watts or 30 amps max at 24 volts. The "Product Description" doesn't say what size wire you can connect to this but I was able to use 8 gauge wire, no problem.

It does have an LED display for lighting options (on the load side) but I haven't tried to use it. Unless you're very good at reading/understanding broken-English, you'll probably have to read the little manual several times to successfully use the Lighting Control. Says it has a 30 amp load capacity.

Are there better 30amp PWM charge controllers available? Yes.. but not for $25!

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This is an awesome little package. The instructions say that it can use any wire up to #4.

I used a size 8 .... as #8 and #10 are typical wires for solar and electrical. Even the solar for my house uses these size wires.

It does everything I need it to do, plus some. One thing I really needed to know, did it desulfate the batteries. YES IT DOES ... whoo hoo

Very user friendly and easy to use ... it has little pictures on the machine instead of words ... so you know exactly what goes where, and you don't have to worry about losing the instructions.

Read Best Reviews of AGPtek® 30A Solar Panel Power Battery Charge Controller / Regulator 12V / 24V 30 Amp with PWM Type Here

Seams better than the HQRP Solar Power Controller I purchased 7 months age. The fuse blew on it and can not be replaced so I bought this one. It seams to be made better and started charging ion a cloudy day. The Manuel is a bit hard to understand but I was use to the old Manuel.

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This is a good simple charge controller for the money, only a small price upgrade from a 10 amp controller but can handle more power without burning out. Definitely worth the money, but I personally prefer charge controllers with a digital readout.

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HTC Inspire Travel Charger

I purchased a charger for my HTC Inspire 4G to have as a spare for work and the charger would not even go in all the way but I kept it anyway and it stopped charging a few days later. The company did replace it at no charge, but the second charger stopped working as well and when I contacted them through Amazon they were unable to be reached. I found their website and contacted them through their site. They did reply asking me for my order number, but that was it, no further contact or replacement. I will NOT buy from this company again. Prices are cheap, but you get exactly what you pay for-CHEAP products!

The phone charger works great, especially for the price I paid. The only problem I have with it is that when the phone is plugged in and charging, none of the buttons work on the phone!! I can't answer calls, shut my alarm off....nothing! But I guess that's what I get for a 4 cent charger?

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I got my charger in just a few days and it works great. I wish it didn't have a bright green light on it when its plugged in, but it works so I'm happy.

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I keep this charger at work so that I can get my phone charged up -if I have forgotten the night before. It works just like the one that came with the phone. I am getting another one, too, to keep in my suitcase. Nothing worse than forgetting a charger when you are traveling! I love getting stuff like this on Amazon. Otherwise I would have to take the time to go to a store, see if it was in stock, and then probably pay more. This saves me time AND money.

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I bought this charger so that I could have a couple of options around the house to plug in my phone. When i got it i was excited but soon that excitement turned to horror. Soon as i plugged my phone in it froze up and didn't do anything.. the phone started to charge but was useless. Not even sure if i could receive calls due to the screen being froze. So i guess if you don't plan to use the phone at night then this product is for you. other wise look elsewhere.

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Retractable Car Charger for HTC Thunderbolt

Can confirm that it charges the Thundbolt without any problem. The cord is thin and is maybe about 2 feet long or so.

The only thing is that the retraction is very quick. -the plug actually clipped my knuckle when I pressed the button. I recommend holding on to both ends for a slower, pain-free retraction. Nonetheless, I still prefer this charger over a car charger that doesn't retract.

I can leave this plugged into my car charger with no thick cord hanging all over the place. The cord is very thin.

It is nice and works perfectly also, fits other devices such as the kindle fire and other smartphones.

When Im done charging, I slightly pull it out so there is no power, and retract the cord

so when I use it next it is easy to find and already there.

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UPDATED *** Since I bought this charger and its been a little over several months, I'm not happy with this purchase after all. The piece that fits into the charging port to charge it up doesn't stay in the phone. I either have to hold the charger piece into the phone or set it up against the gear shaft in the car for it to charge.

The retractable car charger is a good idea only this product isn't so great.

I bought this product because my original car charger stopped working. I really like this product. I always keep it in my car plugged in. I play music with my cellphone through my radio in the car and whenever my battery life goes down I just plug in the car charger into my phone. The car charger has a long enough cord that I can still listen to my music and charge my cellphone at the same time. I also like when I'm done charging my cellphone I can push the little button on the side of the charger and the cord retracts into the charger. I would definitely recommend this product for HTC Thunderbolt users. Also the price wasn't bad and it arrived quickly too.

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A big waste of your money,Will not keep up charging your phone if your phone is on. Takes all day to charge the phone even if you turn your phone off. Don't throw your money away on this charger, even if it's cheap.

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This charger works great. It retracts, it charges, what could it possibly have done to earn only 2 stars? The very first time I charged my thunderbolt, it was doing great until about 5 minutes of charge time, the charger caused my phone to restart and open about 50 windows telling me that the charger was not good for the phone and will cause damage if use was continued. Since then I have not used this charger due to the fact that I love my phone and will not risk its health to test a possibly faulty charger.

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Samsung Rogue U960 Rubberized Retractable Car Charger

I thought this product would break shortly after I bought it because the cable would get caught in the mechanism. I have had this product for a few months and I LOVE IT. The only problem I had is the sticker on the side fell off right after I took it out of the packaging. It did not hurt the functionality of the product so I'm VERY HAPPY!!!

We bought this because we liked the idea of the cord retracting and not just hanging there in the car or taking up so much room in the glove compartment. It does work well, but the one we received does not retract all the way in. About 2" of the end that plugs into the phone hangs out. It's better than not retracting at all but it would be nice if it retracted all the way like the picture shows.

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Very good product which has worked well. For the price, I don't think you can do any better.

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It broke withing just a ew weeks of having it and it wasn't the greatest at charging in the first place, it was slow to charge.

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This item is apparently not meant for actual use, as it is so flimsy and cheap, it wouldn't survive being stuck into a charging socket. I received mine in 2 pieces, and it doesn't look like it's even designed to hold together for more than 5 minutes. Consider yourself warned.

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Solar Joos Orange Portable Solar Charger

When it comes to devices that charge your gadgets on the go, there are tons of external battery options out there, tons of portable solar panels and transportable solar panels out there, and finally, many crossover devices that are portable solar panels with built in external batteries.

Of all the choices out there today, one of the seemingly clunkiest has got to be the Joos Orange.

At 1.5 lbs, it's certainly not light, and at 5400mAh, it's weight to battery capacity ratio is far far below average. A 5400mAh battery can charge an iPhone 2.5 times. At that capacity, external batteries that have no solar panel or ruggedness are far far smaller. In fact, batteries of roughly 1.5lbs typically hold over 11,000mAh or more, more than double the capacity of the Joos Orange.

And solar panels, no matter how incredibly efficient, are still not very efficient at all.

So, why do I LOVE this solar panel battery so much?

Three main reasons and one small reason:

FIRST, it's got the most efficient solar panel I've seen yet. Keeping in mind that I can't really tell the efficiency difference between a 3" solar panel, a folding textile based solar panel, and the Joos Orange panel, the only factor I can really use is how fast it charges. The Joos can charge its internal battery via the sun about 5% every hour, requiring 18-22 hours to fully charge. That would typically mean about 3 days of charging by sun to get one full charge of the 5400mAh built in battery. But since a fully charged Joos Orange battery charges an iPhone to 100% 2.5 times, the Joos battery really only needs about a 35-40% charge on itself in order to get an iPhone from 0-100%. Basically, that means just over 1 day of solar charging = 1 full iPhone charge. Put another way, in a pinch, roughly 1 hour of charging the Joos battery in direct sunlight charges an iPhone enough for 2 hours of talk time.

And that's damn efficient compared to other portable solar panel chargers I've seen to date. You might argue that It's less effective than a trans-portable solar sheet, but it's way more effective than any portable solar device I've ever seen. It's likely more efficient per square inch than a transportable solar sheet, and of course, you can't really charge a transportable solar sheet while walking around, as you have to set it up on a stand.

NOTE: Two other solar chargers I own are much less efficient as they get about 10-20 minutes talk time with a 60 minute charge and have only a 1000-1500mAh battery built in. Better than nothing, for sure, but a far cry from the Joos Orange and really only good in the most desperate of conditions.

SECOND, Toughness. There are two major thieves of the weight to battery capacity ratio. First, the solar panel itself adds a lot of weight to the battery (and forces the larger size too) when compared to pure external batteries. Second, and just as big a thief of the weight to battery capacity ratio is all that ruggedness built in. And I truly, deeply thank Joos for that toughness. This little gadget is so tough you can drop it in a stream, pick it up, and it'll keep on working. You can have it out by the pool and if it gets splashed on or if it accidentally falls into the pool, no problem. You can wash it under the faucet or in a stream if it gets dirty....This baby isn't just water resistant, it's completely water proof, and submersible. In addition to that, it's also shock proof and dust proof. That's not just worry mitigation, that's worry proof. In an emergency situation or out camping/hiking/boating, it's one device you can count on for years and years of use and storage.

For that kind of maintenance free and worry free toughness and dependability, I'll happily deal with the reduced weight to battery capacity ratio.

NOTE: There are plenty of folding transportable solar chargers out there that are water proof, but the very nature of a product made of textile material in these large and cumbersome folding solar panels means that these chargers need regular care and maintenance and have higher risk factors for damage over years of use and non-use (long term storage can dry and damage textile materials without proper maintenance and care). The simple, solid materials of the Joos Orange means that it will not suffer the wear and tear prone to textile materials.

THIRD: Light range. One of the biggest problems with most portable solar panel chargers is that they just don't work under cloudy conditions. The other ones I have don't charge at all even on a sunny day unless aimed directly at the sun. The Joos Orange may not be a sci-fi level super fast charger, but even under cloudy conditions, it charges. It actually, really, charges. This alone is an unbelievable value in my eyes.

This makes the Joos Orange the only useful portable solar charger I've ever owned.

NOTE: With transportable textile folding chargers, you have to set it up at a camp site and ideally adjust the angle once in a while to aim at the sun. If you sit at a camp site all day, no problem. But if you spend much of the day away from a camp site, or set up at a different location every day, you only get a few hours of sunlight each day to set up and charge, especially if you worry about animals getting to the site while you're away, wind knocking it down, or even have a few trust issues with other campers. With the Joos, you can strap it to a backpack or waist pack, keeping it with you, and charging all day long while walking, boating, or doing other activities. No setup, just make sure the panel faces outward and you're charging. And unlike other portable chargers, you don't have to constantly monitor the angle of your device to charge. Just strap it and go. Speaking of which, this is why i think an open faced case with more strapping options would be ideal.

Finally, and this is a small thing, the device is designed with a rather large hole at one end making it easy to strap to a backpack using string or a large carabiner. That means keeping it attached to your backpack and sun charging while you're hiking or moving around, something you can't do with transportable textile based folded/rolled solar charger, and as long as the panel is facing outwards, you don't need to worry about direct sunlight like you do with other portable solar chargers, and even better, even if it's raining, you can keep it attached to your backpack and know that it'll keep charging and won't get water damage.

That's a huge benefit compared to transportable textile based solar chargers which have to be set up at a camp site, and portable solar chargers which, while also able to attach to backpacks, only charge when pointed directly at the sun.

CONCLUSION:

All in all, the Joos Orange chose all the right compromises and combination of features. More battery capacity and more effective in low light conditions than other portable solar chargers, more "charge on the go" utilitarian and long term toughness than transportable textile based solar chargers, and a truly maintenance free and worry free portable solar panel.

When broken down into scenarios, I'd say that it may only be reasonably useful on business trips as the feature gains reducing weight to battery capacity ratio aren't as highly valued, but, it's extremely useful on camping trips and boating trips where those those feature gains are not only valuable but critical.

One more thing, in this era where smart phones have become not only a critical voice communication tool, but also the be all and end all triage device for all things communication, internet, and GPS, the worry-free toughness, solar efficiency, reasonable battery capacity, and portability of the Joos Orange is not a nice-to-have in an emergency 3 day kit, but an absolutely must have.

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Addendum notes:

NOTE: Incidentally, if you're worried about the battery losing efficiency over time, as batteries tend to do over years of use, note that the back panel opens up and the battery is replaceable. I imagine that there is at least one o-ring, possibly more to ensure a water-tight fit, and they don't sell the spare batteries today. But it will hopefully be an option in the future.

NOTE2: I hope they create a case (denier fabric or strap weave or skeletal frame) with attachment options (e.g. 4 corner carabiner rivets or something along those lines) to give more flexibility to attach it to backpacks, tents, car windows, or even a car roof, etc. while still leaving the solar panel fully exposed to making charging in a variety of scenarios much easier. The single large hole is useful, but hard to stabilize.

NOTE3: I'm not sure, but I believe the front bezel is white to try and partially mitigate having the device get over-heated when out in the sun all day.

NOTE4: The only bummer with this device is the cabling. It's a female micro-USB. That's okay, but the port is shaped a little funny, more rectangular than a typical micro-usb female plug. some of my other micro-USB cables didn't work, some did. I ended-up spending $45 with SolarJoos in additional cabling so I can have spares in case I ever lose one.

NOTE5: I have heard from customer support that charging via USB only gets the internal battery to about 90% (with considerable slow down around the 85% mark). So it may be best to charge the internal battery via sun for the last bit to get it to 100%.

NOTE6: The one feature available on other solar portable chargers that I wish the Joos Orange had is some method (e.g. a button) to be able to see the blinks to know, whenever I want, what the charge level is).

Our boy scout troop spent a week in Glacier National Park this summer, and my Joos kept my Droid (original) alive all week. I'd leave it leaning against the tent in the morning, and it would be full when we returned in the evening. Then I'd charge the phone overnight.

Everyone else was recharging their phones in the cars or the bathroom at the campground not me! I ended the week with a nearly-full battery in the Joos, despite running the phone down to 15% during the day (combination of poor cell signal, GPS addiction, and doubling as my primary camera). I took 300 photos on my Droid that week, as my pocket camera broke.

I'm currently running a Droid3 (bigger battery, but longer run-time than the original), and can charge it twice from a full JOOS. So I figure I can last 6 days without any sun.

Lastly, a tip: This thing performs great in the snow. On a bright March day with snow on the ground, I can get 1.8 watts which is as good as I can get in June.

Another tip: Some phones like to turn the screen on when they're charging, thinking that they're on wall power. Turn off the screen and put the phone into "airplane mode" while charging, otherwise the phone will waste power.

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Well I guess I will be the odd ball. I bought this unit for recharging my droid3 and I have to say it DID work. However the one gripe I have is the connector. The usb connector is very flimsy and sometimes wont make good contact. For example once I was down to 30% on my droid and I hooked it up. I waited for it to do its job. When I came back my droid was down to 10%. I looked at the cable and everything LOOKED connected however upon further examinations I found that when I wiggled the connection to the Joos the droid would show charging the show not charging. I tried diffrent cables and it was the same. It turned out the connector to the joos is very flimsy. They should have stuck to a more robust connector like a traditional usb connector. Don't get me wrong the solar portion works wonderful. You just have to make sure you have a good connnection.

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Got the Joos Orange to provide backup power for Android phones and iPads in case of an extended power outage, and to provide travel power to the same devices when we're away from a car or wall socket for extended periods. The biggest pro here was that it's a one piece unit with a replaceable battery. Originally I was looking at solar panels and charging for AA, but the efficiency just wasn't great and I didn't want too many moving parts to lose, break, forget about, etc. The Orange Joos is all one unit except for the charging cables to attach the devices, and those are in a bag that we tie to the Orange so it doesn't get lost.

The unit is solid and well designed. We haven't had any drop tests ourselves yet but I have no concerns about beating it up. The little flip feet could probably bust off under the wrong conditions, but we bought it from REI so if we have any issues, back it goes for a full refund.

The red and green charging notifications are fairly intuitive put it in the sun and see how fast or slow the red light is blinking for how much charge power it's getting, and the number of green blinks (0-5) is relative to how fully charged it is. Or when you plug in a USB cable to power something count the green blinks there as well, same deal.

With one exception I wish they hadn't made "full charge" no green blinks when you plug in a cable, which is the same as "no charge." So if I ran the unit down completely and then put it out to charge and came back at the end of a day of leaving it in the sun, I might not know if I had full charge or still no charge until I'd had something plugged in to run it down a bit. This is mostly an annoyance, and more of a hassle when trying to explain to someone not familiar with the unit how it works. Obviously when it is fully charged it should stop blinking so you know it's "done", but maybe a future model could do a single long green light to indicate full when you plug in a USB cable.

That said, once you've used the unit a bit you forget about this annoyance and it just becomes normal. I wouldn't let this stop me buying the unit.

Android Phones

Samsung Galaxy S3, Motorola Droid Pro and HTC Incredible all charge fine off the Joos Orange and register "Charging AC" either using the Micro USB tip that came with the Orange, OR using the female USB tip that came with the Orange and the regular USB to Micro cables that came with the phones (for longer cord reach) the phones all still registered "Charging AC" indicating they are drawing the most power they can during charge. The Orange has been really sweet for using the 4G on the Galaxy as a mobile 4G hotspot, which drains a lot of battery, but the Joos provides enough of a battery backup to keep things running for hours and leave the phone with a full charge. If you do something like this be sure and keep the phone as shady and cool as you can, as running WIFI and charging full bore will heat it up and it will stop charging if it overheats too much. The Orange Joos of course you want in the sun. :)

Apple original iPad and iPad3

Both charge using the included iPad tip but as noted elsewhere and on the Orange website they do NOT charge if you use the female USB tip and connect the iPad cable. Would be nice to have a longer cable via this setup, but it is working as designed and we clearly knew this before we bought the Joos so no hard feelings there.

We keep all the tips and cables in the little bag that came with the Orange, and tied that bag to the locking hole on the Orange using the cord provided with the bag. It's a little annoying to have it hanging off there all the time, but it makes sure we don't lose any tips.

One more con I completely understand why they need their own proprietary tips with the current design, but honestly I think adding a 2nd regular "dumb" female USB port and jacking up the price of the unit would be worth it to be able to use regular cables. If I lose a proprietary tip on a camping trip it will be hard to replace but I can always borrow someone else's regular USB.

I leave the unit in a secure window of my house where it gets full sun about 3-4 hours a day and that seems to be doing fine to keep it topped off and charged on full and ready when we need it.

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Connector issues? We hear you. On our quest for Solar Enlightenment we hit a bump in the road.

In our first production run of our world-class SolarJOOS charger, we ran into problems with the black charging cable failing. Needless to say, this was not the Sunshine of our Lives. The good news is that it has nothing to do with the actual JOOS Orange connector port, but rather the cable and plugs specifically.

Fast forward to now: The dedicated SolarJOOS team decided to change cable suppliers, revamp connector plug type and add new steps to quality control. All JOOS Orange units shipped from 3/1/13 forward have the new fail-safe cables. If you run into a connectivity issue, we will happily send you a new cable free of charge, regardless of when you purchased your JOOS Orange. Just let us know!

Our sincere apologies for any inconveniences or frustrations that you may have encountered with the connectors; we now have a fantastic connector cable to share with all of you JOOSers and look forward to your feedback!

Craftsman Impact Wrench Kit

My husband got his package the day before Christmas. He opened it that evening as we open 1 present the night before Christmas. He was like a little kid with a new toy that he's been good all year to get. It was priceless. Was grateful that it arrived just in time for Christmas.

LG CE110 Cell Phone Car Charger / Vehicle Charger

This was sent to me for the LG420g phone and it did not fit it. I let them know and they returned the money immediately. Now I can do business with someone like that. They get one star because they let it happen. Would I order again certainly!

I bought this to put in my second vehicle. I've been using it for almost a year and it still works great.

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I purchase this charger to have an extra in our spare car. It works great and seems to be really well made. It's hard to beat for the price.

Read Best Reviews of LG CE110 Cell Phone Car Charger / Vehicle Charger Here

Retractable Car Charger For Samsung Brightside

This item came when expected. I like the way the cord is retractable, because it fits nicely in my glove box.

This is an innovative and easy to use improvement over the bulky car phone charger cords I had been using before. And at a very reasonable price.

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This is a neat concept that keeps your car clutter free since you don't have the excess cord hanging down. The retract mechanism doesn't always fully function but it still works pretty good. I'm happy with it!

Read Best Reviews of Retractable Car Charger For Samsung Brightside Here

Kensington K39255US SoundWave Sound-Amplifying Car Mount--Compatible with iPhone 4-Black

I was looking for a mount for my iPhone to keep it from sliding off the area where my cup holders are (and often it would slide between my seat and center console...a complete hassle to retrieve it!). I saw a few basic mounts, but was intrigued when I saw this Kensington version that increases the sound.

I have to say...it actually does work. The sound is noticeably louder when in the mount. I'm not sure how people will use this, but I've sometimes used it to listen to music or even take phone calls...both of these when I'm parked and waiting for my kids to finish practice. The sound isn't quite enough when I'm driving on the freeway, but in low-noise environments it works great.

The only con on this item is that the arm length is about 10-12", and my windshield is too far for that. But the vent mount option works great for my situation.

Highly recommended.

I've used it for a few months now. The suction mount is very strong. The arm is long enough that you can twist and bend it to fit your needs. I feel the arm clips don't really grab on to my iPhone but I'm satisfied it won't slip out. The big thing is the sound amplification which is why I bought it. Honestly I don't notice a huge difference whether I'm listening to Pandora or turn-by-turn directions.

UPDATE 6/6/2011: This doe NOT work for the iPhone 4. The sound on the iPhone 4 comes out of the bottom right speaker. The mount only takes sound coming out of the bottom left speaker. Other versions of the iPhone will work for the sound amplification.

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Having been a volunteer EMT back in college, I saw enough accidents to conclude that there is no way that I want to cause or contribute to a car accident by paying attention to my phone rather than the road. I therefore usually find myself having to ignore calls while driving, or pulling over to pull out my phone. Needless to say, I miss a lot of calls while I drive. That makes my boss irritated.

I received this Kensington-made device today and was excited to give it a try. It took exactly 10 seconds to attach to my car's windshield. I was able to set it up in a location that in no way interferes with my view of the road an important consideration. I then attached the device using the climate control vent attachment and found that it too took a very short period of time to set up. I placed my iPhone 4 in the cradle, leaving it within its bumper case (I hate the case, but I hate dropped calls more...).

The bumper case did not interfere with fitting the phone in to the cradle. Surprisingly though, it also did NOT interfere with the enhanced sound quality that this car mount kit is supposed to offer. I placed three calls from the phone while it was in the cradle and found that the sound quality is MUCH better than when I hold the phone in my hand and use speaker-phone. The people that I called all said that I sounded crystal clear to them, and that they thought I was holding the phone to my head rather than using speaker-phone.

I'm a convert.

Please note that this is NOT a powered device. It does not require a power plug connected to the cigarette lighter, and does not draw power from your phone. It achieves the improvement in sound quality by collecting and directing sound rather than allowing it to radiate out in all directions evenly.

If you HAVE to take a call and do not have a bluetooth-enabled car stereo system, you should be using this device, or one like it.

Read Best Reviews of Kensington K39255US SoundWave Sound-Amplifying Car Mount--Compatible with iPhone 4-Black Here

After looking over reviews on a number of cradles I went with the Kensington K39255US. I was thrilled with the vent attachment and the sound amplification. At first the cradle lived up to all my expectations. After a couple of uses, the sound amplification wan't the same. One of the little rubber bumpers had fallen off at the bottom of the cradle where it meets the iPhone speakers. With the rubber piece missing half the sound isn't amplified. With one of the contact points missing, the cradle doesn't seem to hold the phone as well either. I couldn't believe the cradle would fall apart so easily. I looked at the other piece, the one that hadn't fallen off, to see how it was attached and the rubber just barely protrudes into a plastic cutout. I looked everywhere for the missing piece which was black and not much bigger than a pencil eraser. If I would have found it I would've glued it to reinforce the flimsy mechanical failure point.

The box says "The Kensington Promise" and that the cradle comes with a 2-year limited warranty with a url to Kensington's warranty website which says "product will be free from defects in material and workmanship under normal use and service for two years after date of purchase". That seemed "promising" so I contacted Kensington support with my problem. They apologized and told me that "We regret to inform you that these parts are not available for separate sales or replacements." That was it. No offer to replace the unit either.

I may try removing the other rubber bumper to see if the sound amplification and fit can be improved, I may also try fashioning a bumper replacement myself, but what I won't do and this I can "promise" is to ever buy anything from Kensington again.

It's a shame really, because the cradle is almost perfect. Perhaps the rubber bumpers were from a bad batch and normally they don't fall off or maybe the box should include instructions that the product requires some additional adhesive to prevent disintegration. I can't recommend this or any other product from Kensington unless you are prepared to buy a replacement if there's a problem with it.

*UPDATE*

After reminding Kensington about their warranty, they shipped me a replacement unit. The replacement exhibits the same loose fitting rubber bumpers, but I used some adhesive to strengthen the poor mechanical fit. Now the cradle is working as intended. I appreciate that Kensington came through with the replacement and once reinforced with adhesive the cradle really does work quite well. I would probably recommend this cradle, but with the caveat that the bumpers can be lost if not glued. Kensington needs to either improve the bumper connections or improve customer support. As it stands the customer support was a little too self-service for my liking. I personally still wouldn't buy from them again after this experience.

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Let me preface my review by saying this is the 5th iphone window mount I've owned in a few years. I use my iphone nearly daily for GPS travel and, consequently, I apparently wear them out quickly.

I gave up on window mounts awhile back after I finally got one that attached to my airconditioning vent...it was perfectly at the right level and didn't block my vision or advertise I had an iphone if I chose to leave it in the car if I wanted to pop in for some errand. So, while I use this one only with the vent clips again, I will add I tried the window mount just for the review and it worked very well if that's your preferred method. It snapped on easily and held well. As for the vent mount, I have the oddest vents in an unusual car and it adjusts to fit any size vent and air goes around it...it wont keep you too hot or too cold 'cause it sits at the vent mount, if you choose that.

Why this is my favorite mount for my iphone? Because it is, thus far, the ONLY one that allows me to slip my phone in and remove it with one hand...just clip in and clip out and the clips are on the side...important because it seems like those that hold it from the bottom primarily wear out easily...but, most importantly, regardless of whether I have a thick iphone case on it or no case, it adjusts automatically to still hold it tightly. The ones that just let it lay in the clip jiggle around and make it hard to read when using ipod or GPS...the ones that clip on very tight or require a special case to hold it to the mount, mean I can't use an iphone case or I cant't remove it with the flick of a wrist.

At first I only gave this product 4 stars because I didn't see any difference in the sound amplification. However, I was using a 3Gs on it at the time. As soon as I used the iphone4, I DID see that it amplified the sound. So it should be noted, if you have an iphone that is not the iphone4, it will fit perfectly in the holder and you can keep it charged as you use it since the bottom is open for your charge plug to connect. It will grip the larger phone just fine...but, if you aren't using the iphone4, the sound amplification feature will not be present. I like it enough that I'm still using it for both our 3Gs and iphone4. And, I should note, if you DO have the iphone4, you WILL notice the sound amplification feature engage.

this one is my favorite.

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Naztech Classic Series Vehicle Charger for all Micro USB Phones

Recieved the charger today, earlier than posted. Plugged in to car and Blackberry 9900 Bold and worked the first time. If you are looking for a car charger for your BB 9900, this is the one you want at a very reasonable price. Buy it from Global Trading Hub, they recommended this to me.

Thanks Guys!

Black Nylon VG GPS Carrying Case (Size 4.3) for Garmin nüvi 3490LMT 4.3-Inch Portable GPS Navigato

• VG Brand semi hard nylon case, manufactured to fit your Garmin nüvi 3490LMT 4.3-Inch Portable GPS Navigator
• Semi hard nylon exterior protects your GPS from bumps, dents, and shock
• Non scratch microfiber lined interior prevents scuffs and scratches from accumulating
• Fishnet pocket allows you to carry accessories such as cables, batteries, and a cleaning kit
• Designed accessory slots that allows to conveniently carry up to 3 memory cards

The description says it can carry cables, but there is not room for the one cable you need. So, it is bigger than needed just to carry the Nuvi, and too small for any of the Nuvi accesssories. Well made for the money, but either too big or not big enough.

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It is very small, the GPS does not fit well, it is not the right size and has poor quality.

Read Best Reviews of Black Nylon VG GPS Carrying Case (Size 4.3) for Garmin nüvi 3490LMT 4.3-Inch Portable GPS Navigato Here

This case seems to have been the best purchase for my 3490. the screen feels very well protected it's a stiff outer with a soft interior and the body actually curves away from the screen so I'm not worried about it getting scratched. There's a flap inside that can separate the Garmin from the charger, though I don't use it I like having just the Garmin in it.

Lenmar AIDCU2 Auto Charger with High Output Dual USB for for Smartphones, iPad/Tablets, MP3 Players

• High output dual USB car charger ideal for smartphones, iPad/tablets, mp3 players and other USB powered devices
• 2.1A total output for one USB port or shared between two
• Sleek, compact design looks great and reduces clutter around your vehicle's dashboard & console areas
• Works with any 12V DC auto lighter socket to keep you powered and connected on the road
• Replaceable 10 amp car fuse protects your connected devices from electrical damage

Found this today while out @ Fry's for $4.99 so I took a chance. Since my needs are minimal (occasional iPod 5G use in non-iPod integrated vehicles) I thought it might be nice to get one with dual USB ports, just in case.

After taking it out to the parking lot I recall how a number of these chargers don't always work in every car. So I plugged it into my '04 TSX 12V power port and low and behold it lite up, so far so good.

Since my car has dual 12V ports (with flip-up protective covers)and because the charger is not a flush mount (sticks out more than an inch) it appears somewhat awkward and prevents the covers from closing. Next I relocated it to the power port inside the center console storage compartment (below armrest). As soon as I did the device began to flicker. After removing and reinserting it, it failed completely.

Only after closer inspection did I notice the center pin was dislodged and fully retracted (should be spring loaded and fully extended). I grabbed my receipt, product and packaging and immediately returned it (all within 15 minutes of purchasing it). Rather then exchanging it, I decided to wait and reassess my options.

I post this as a heads up to anyone contemplating this model (also branded under other names)...

BTW, I'm not completely heartless so I gave it 2 stars instead of one primarily because of:

Dual USB ports with 2.1 Amp (max on top port)

Integral and accessible fuse

Subtle illumination

Bottom line, I don't expect much of electronics (other then work reliably for a reasonable time) but if a device fails within the first half hour... time to start over. It's also the best way I know to send a message to companies regarding inferior merchandise quality.

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I originally purchased this to run my GPS and charge my phone or I-pod while on motorcycle trips.

It was excellent for this use and my wife has since "borrowed" it to use in her car.

I really need to get another one.....

Read Best Reviews of Lenmar AIDCU2 Auto Charger with High Output Dual USB for for Smartphones, iPad/Tablets, MP3 Players Here

Best Car Charger I've Used! Second one I've bought. Gave one to a family member. Compact and yet powerful charger.

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I really enjoyed this project right up until it broke. It's not too long, so you can fit it into a tight space. It also puts out a lot of power, nonstop.

The trouble is, if you pull it out and put it back in too many times, the shell starts to crack, and the fuse falls out. Replacement fuses are very hard to find. Eventually the tip fell out and the whole thing split apart. My wife's unit, however, is still going strong because she leaves it in.

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When plugged in and turned on, it works ok. But there is a serious voltage spike when you first power this up. Apparently no filtering is used at all. Messed up my phone. So only add/remove devices AFTER it is plugged in and powered.

And that big bright blue light...what a waste of energy! This thing is BRIGHT. In the dark it lights the whole car. So even when nothing is plugged in, it's still drawing alot of power. Annoying and unnecessary.