Bargain or waste of effort?

[Deleted account DD]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270571866249&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

Has anyone used one of these? at this price its worth a go :thumb2

My logic is to dump the ipod and use the phone on holiday to listen to music (even watch a film.....got platoon and hot fuzz on the mo) as the sound is good and the 8gb memory card holds a lot of media.

Only problem is battery life. I know this'll never replace a proper charger but if it can provide an on the beach life extender :nenau

Any thoughts on it? :thumb2

 

[briggie]

my nephew has a archos 7 and loves it to bits

 

[clivvy]

i'm not sure. Never used one and they arent common but for the money, worth a try? Else how do you learn if somethings going to be good or not?

 

[briggie]

i'm not sure. Never used one and they arent common but for the money, worth a try? Else how do you learn if somethings going to be good or not?

this is what my nephew has and he loves it to bits

http://www.archos.com/products/imt/archos_7/index.html?country=us&lang=en

 

[makeitfit]

Ipod is poo anyway, my phone has 32gb and the battery will last 10 times as long as ipod:lol better at sat nav too and HD ish screen and tv out etc etc
So why have another bit of kit to charge. I'd go for it mate , as long as you've got sun

 

[irm750]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270571866249&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

Has anyone used one of these? at this price its worth a go :thumb2

My logic is to dump the ipod and use the phone on holiday to listen to music (even watch a film.....got platoon and hot fuzz on the mo) as the sound is good and the 8gb memory card holds a lot of media.

Only problem is battery life. I know this'll never replace a proper charger but if it can provide an on the beach life extender :nenau

Any thoughts on it? :thumb2

Looks worth a punt!

Same thing available even cheaper here -

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/USB2-0-Solar-Battery-Panel-Charger-Cell-Phone-MP3-/360259102552?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_ConsumerElectronics_Batteries_SM&hash=item53e11da758 :thumb2

Wouldn't expect quick delivery from Hong Kong though.

Regards,
Ian.

 

[patbhoy]

Wouldn't expect quick delivery from Hong Kong though.

Regards,
Ian.[/QUOTE]

Although i have not bought one of these, i have bought loads of stuff on ebay from hong kong and china, it amazes me how fast they deliver.
I've sometimes received items within 3 days.

 

[Deleted account DD]

my nephew has a archos 7 and loves it to bits

One of our lads has/had one of those and no doubt it'll eventually end up in the creative zen/nokia/ipod museum in the sideboard drawer.....no he's got his pown house now so he can stash it.

Anyway Briggie....think SOLAR CHARGER.......................

 

[Deleted account DD]

Ipod is poo anyway, my phone has 32gb and the battery will last 10 times as long as ipod:lol better at sat nav too and HD ish screen and tv out etc etc
So why have another bit of kit to charge. I'd go for it mate , as long as you've got sun

Agreed (re ipod), the battery life seems very good on my BBerry, I'm just after that leccy top up when I'm on the beach all day listening to music,reading james patterson ........you know the score

I had a real good look at ipods, once youre over the excitement of all the little gadgets you can get and have a long hard look at what you need or will use.............hmmmm, not that impressive especially for the inflated price. Have to say although its crashed a few times (now sorted :thumb2 ) the blackberry is supreme for calendar, contacts , email and isnt touch screen.

Each to their own though :thumbs

 

[Deleted account DD]

Looks worth a punt!

Same thing available even cheaper here -

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/USB2-0-Solar-...rElectronics_Batteries_SM&hash=item53e11da758 :thumb2

Wouldn't expect quick delivery from Hong Kong though.

Regards,
Ian.

Probably going for it, just see if the missus wants one for her gadgets :thumb2

Should be here for next months Cyprus trip I hope :nenau

 

[briggie]

Probably going for it, just see if the missus wants one for her gadgets :thumb2

Should be here for next months Cyprus trip I hope :nenau

a common misconception is that it needs to be sunny for a solar powered device to work ...... no it doesnt , as long as its daylight it will work .

 

[Deleted account DD]

a common misconception is that it needs to be sunny for a solar powered device to work ...... no it doesnt , as long as its daylight it will work .

mmmm.......yes and no. A solar charger needs the energy at the high end (violet) of the spectrum.

Therefore in reduced or filtered sunlight it will not work as well as clear sky in Spain during the summer.

As the process within them is only around 20% efficient (Im told, never measured it) it goes that proportionally smaller chargers need clearer better bright sunlight to produce the leccy.

Therfore on a UK overcast day this one with its low output may struggle and not work well enough. But on the cypriot beach I'm optomisitic :thumbs

Im not a solar panel nerd just did loads of research when I was looking at caravan ones

 

[briggie]

mmmm.......yes and no. A solar charger needs the energy at the high end (violet) of the spectrum.

Therefore in reduced or filtered sunlight it will not work as well as clear sky in spain during the summer.

As the process within them is only around 20% efficient (im told, never measured it) it goes that proportionally smaller chargers need clearer better bright sunlight to produce the leccy.

Therfore on a uk overcast day this one with its low output may struggle and not work well enough. But on the cypriot beach i'm optomisitic :thumbs

im not a solar panel nerd just did loads of research when i was looking at caravan ones

it will not work as well .... But it will work

 

[briggie]

enjoy cyprus ... loads of piccies please .. and bring a few sticks of rock back :lol

 

[Deleted account DD]

it will not work as well .... But it will work

again not quite a true statement and hinges on what you reckon is "working"

If AA duracells in my old digital camera fell below a certain level they wouldn't power the camera although they had a flickering of charge left in them. They clearly werent working any longer.

If a solar charger (consider this one) finds itself in reduced shall we say ,daylight, yes it may be working but only so far as not defective if it cant produce enough energy/current through the reaction to power the item it was designed to.

Therfore it is not working because it isnt charging the phone.

There has been some massive misconceptions about solar charging perpetuated. The carte blanche without caveat statement they work in any light is one of them and considering only caravanners, theres a lot of misled disappointed folk around.

You can measure the trickle charge from my solar panel to the van battery. During daylight it ranges from blasting to cock all.

 

[Deleted account DD]

enjoy cyprus ... loads of piccies please .. and bring a few sticks of rock back :lol

Thanks :thumb2

Never been there.

 

[Damian Strudley]

I own a single solar power unit, struggled inside my car but worked well on the beach. Used it during a long trip to Africa. It held a steady charge on my phone and kept it running over 3 weeks without any other charging device. BUT I have seen some others that have struggled to keep a phone charged at the rate it was discharging. enjoy your hols

 

[Deleted account DD]

I own a single solar power unit, struggled inside my car but worked well on the beach. Used it during a long trip to Africa. It held a steady charge on my phone and kept it running over 3 weeks without any other charging device. BUT I have seen some others that have struggled to keep a phone charged at the rate it was discharging. enjoy your hols

Cheers Damian :thumb2 have ordered one today from the even cheaper link irm750 posted

 

[Deleted account DD]

Quick update on this gizmo.....................arrived yesterday,

Its the mutts bits but with a slight reservation.

It definitely works but my BBerry (in modest sunlight) comes back with a "cannot charge, insufficient power" message. The wifes HTC HD2 mobile and my works nokia 6300 love it and starts charging up in any glimmer of sunlight.

So, wifes now got a present , Im all heart me, and Ive just bought a power monkey solar charger which kicks out about 2 1/2 times the power and runs the blackberry superbly :thumb2:thumb2

Excellent bits of kit.

 

[lacroupade]

Quick update on this gizmo.....................arrived yesterday,

Its the mutts bits but with a slight reservation.

It definitely works but my BBerry (in modest sunlight) comes back with a "cannot charge, insufficient power" message. The wifes HTC HD2 mobile and my works nokia 6300 love it and starts charging up in any glimmer of sunlight.

So, wifes now got a present , Im all heart me, and Ive just bought a power monkey solar charger which kicks out about 2 1/2 times the power and runs the blackberry superbly :thumb2:thumb2

Excellent bits of kit.

Some of the Nokia chargers only output about 350mA....the BB one I notice is 700Ma...but then we are more important.:augie