Decent solar charger for cell phones and similar devices?

[Eclipse]

Less for the zombie apocalypse and more for convenience / camping / CAP-USAF pulling the plug, etc.

Looks like most of the stuff om Amazon and eBay is junk, so hoping for some recommendations from people with
hands-on experience.

[Майор Хаткевич]

A buddy is making his own. So far so good he says.

[Jaison009]

These work pretty well and have several other functions http://www.digitaldeliverydownloads.com/eton-american-red-cross-solarlink-fr600-solar-power-usb-cell-phone-charger-red.html

Less for the zombie apocalypse and more for convenience / camping / CAP-USAF pulling the plug, etc.

Looks like most of the stuff om Amazon and eBay is junk, so hoping for some recommendations from people with
hands-on experience.

[FlyTiger77]

We got a Goal Zero solar panel and battery pack for my son for Christmas. He seems to like it. He took it to the desert at NTC in February and he said it worked great.

http://www.goalzero.com/

[isuhawkeye]

I like the Goal zero products that I have. 

[ol'fido]

Hey, Bob, do you have one of the emergency jump starter/ air compressor/power converters for your vehicle. I have one that has USB ports for charging phones. Unless you are trying to jump start the entire wing vehicle fleet, that would probably last for as long as you need it. Better that than a purpose made unit that has no other use.

[Eclipse]

We've got one in the Albatross - saved me a couple times and has run CAP radios a few times as well, though
I don't know today what kind of condition the batteries are, etc.

Just for clarity, I'm looking for something like a solar 5000Mah pocket battery, etc. - everything here so far has been
pretty bulky.  The ability to top off a 1/2-charged battery on a picnic table or run the phone in an ICP for internet
is all I really want. 

My issue is that most of the comments in the rags say the smaller / cheaper ones have poor cells and no capacity.

[JoeTomasone]

The Gomadic SunVolt is an excellent choice:

http://www.gomadic.com/sunvolt.html


Get the battery pack for it so that you are always charging it, then charging the phone from the battery.   Worked quite well in my testing.

ust for clarity, I'm looking for something like a solar 5000Mah pocket battery, etc. - everything here so far has been
pretty bulky.  The ability to top off a 1/2-charged battery on a picnic table or run the phone in an ICP for internet
is all I really want. 

My issue is that most of the comments in the rags say the smaller / cheaper ones have poor cells and no capacity.

You will need, on average, a 10 watt panel in full sunlight to charge your average smartphone with anything approaching normal charging speed.   The panels that are on those battery packs that are about the size of a small paperback are usually 1-2 watts..  To charge the battery, it'd need a few days of sunlight.. Something that they neglect to tell you.

If I were running off grid for a weekend, the GoalZero or Gomadic panels would suffice.   When you're preparing for something serious, like a North Korean nuke strike hurricane, I'd want something like a 100w panel charging one or more deep-cycle batteries that can power not only your phone, but radios, small appliances, and LED lighting too..

[Blackjack]

Hey guys, this solar charger has worked great for me. It good for hanging on backpacks also.

It's the Guide 10 adventure kit. Here is the link:

http://www.goalzero.com/shop/p/79/Guide-10-Adventure-Kit/1:1/

[ol'fido]

Don't know if this is something like you might be looking for.

http://bit.ly/15HQeEu

[Eclipse]

Don't know if this is something like you might be looking for.

http://bit.ly/15HQeEu

Certainly a nice form-factor, the only issue being that it's not solar.

[ol'fido]

At that price compared to some of the solar sets you might buy two or three for the price of one solar unit.

[Eclipse]

At that price compared to some of the solar sets you might buy two or three for the price of one solar unit.

Agreed - but in the coming robozompacalypse, I won't be able to recharge my phone.

[ol'fido]

If it's a robozompacalypse, who you gona call? Ghostbusters?

[Eclipse]

If it's a robozompacalypse, who you gona call? Ghostbusters?

Not calling nobody, but can still use the device to record the "Great Fall" on video, watch movies, play music, GPS navigation with mapping until the
satellites fall from the sky (though Max Brooks says they will be saved), compass, level, distance measurement device, notepad.

If I have enough advance notice to cache everything I can pretty much pretend life is normal for a long time as long as I have a way to charge the batteries.

[ol'fido]

I use Jack Daniels for that.

[Robborsari]

I have a Freeloader Pro

http://www.amazon.com/FreeLoader-Pro-Solar-Power-Charger/dp/B002DMLKT8

It worked great for me in India and really helped when I was stuck in a taxi for 28 hours.
It comes with a battery charger adaptor that can connect to many different camera brick batteries also.