Another USB solar charger/battery

[GPSGuided]

Just saw this on 1-Day's email.

Compact solar charging unit with internal 5000mAh Li battery.
http://www.1-day.com.au/products/AAMLCN3BC#

Appears to be a no brand but similar looking units are on DX.com and Amazon. All I can say is that it's a bit too cheap to be true at $20. Anyone have experiences with this and similar models?

[madmacca]

I have been looking at similar units on ebay out of Hong Kong and China - pricing at $27 delivered is comparable. But at least 1-day would be a more local retailer to hold accountable.

No actual experience using one yet - 5000 mAh plus solar should keep a smart phone running pretty much indefinitely. The specs don't give the power of the panel itself, but most similarly sized units seem to be 0.7W, so it is going to take a LONG time to charge via solar. But presumably anyone using it would be heading bush with it fully charged via AC, so the solar is really only an opportunistic top-up. There are lighter 2600 mAh units around, but the battery capacity is unlikely to keep up with a combination of heavier usage and bad weather.

[GPSGuided]

I read from Amazon reviews that it takes more than time to go beyond 75% charge on the internal battery with solar. Otherwise it seemed to recharge an iPhone pretty well.

[madmacca]

I think this slow charging as the battery approaches full capacity is the case with most rechargeable batteries. It's just that it becomes more noticeable with the trickle charge provided by a solar panel.

Ent who posts on these forums regularly seems to know a fair bit about battery chemistry and characteristics will hopefully be along to confirm.

[tastrax]

Just be careful with all these chargers - I have the Power Monkey extreme and some of my devices wont charge from it. Some devices expect an exact amperage and anything other than that means they wont charge. I have also noted that the device can be in the sun for days and get very little increase in stored capacity.

My contour camera wont charge from it, but my iphone (3) will charge.

[GPSGuided]

Chemistry is nice info, but at $20, the key question is how it'll perform. Or whether it's one of those gadgets that's good for a short period before going into the junk bin., best avoided in the first place?