Scosche Solbat2 solar charger
Sunny disposition
Review Even though the phrase ‘There’s no such thing as a free lunch’ remains a truism, however cynical, it doesn’t seem to stop Scosche from using the promise of ‘something for nothing’ to tempt you to buy its Solbat2 solar-powered backup battery.
Scosche's Solbat2: Simple, idiot-proof design for charging and discharging
Like the Solar Pico Freeloader, the Solbat2 utilises a Lithium-ion battery with a charging circuit connected to a solar panel. Besides charging from the sun, a USB power source can be used instead. The battery is rated at 1,500mA, nearly double the Pico Freeloader’s 800mA and enough to deliver a full charge to most smartphones.
The Solbat2 is a well-made piece of kit. The high-gloss black plastic body – about the size of a credit card, but 18mm thick – is solid and simple. With two LEDs in its front face, labelled ‘charge in’ and ‘charge out’ and two sockets in its top end – one USB and the other a small power jack – it doesn’t take a lot to deduce how to use it.
The supplied power plug to USB cable connects the device to any USB socket which can supply power – typically a desktop or laptop, though you could use a mains to USB PSU. Taking power from it means using the dedicated USB leads – supplied with most mobiles, media players or PDAs – to connect from its USB socket to the receiving device.
With its internal battery full, the Solbat2 happily charged up a variety of devices I tried, including mobiles and an HD-based media player. No complaints there. It was the other side of the equation which proved less useful.
1500mAh battery can fully recharge most smartphones
Scosche claims the Solbat2 takes four to five days to charge its battery from sunlight. Yes, it’s worth repeating that it’s days. Brownie points to the company, for honesty. Solar, by comparison, claims a day for the Pico Freeloader, but I reckon it’s not much faster than this one.
Next page: Solar flair?
COMMENTS
Even..
..if it charged in six hours, the idea that a lump of plastic with a solar cell and a lithium ion battery shipped for the far east is going to be less environmentally damaging or more economic than taking 5Wh from the grid/car/plane is just stupid.
As a reserve battery I guess it works ok, I bet however if someone did the maths the 1KWh or so of energy this thing is going to provide in its lifetime, won't offset the carbon used to manufacture, integrate and ship that solar panel.
You could....
overcome the time and weather by buying 5x for 5 sunny says plus a few more depending how non-sunny you expected it would be. So a string of about 25 of them dangling from your sporran would sort you for a week of Munro bagging.
Scosche kit
If it's like anything else under that brand name, it's nicely made, very attractive but not competitively priced. The Seppos who run the company are rather excessively profit motivated.
A full charge takes x days. How much is a full charge?
I mean, say this thing can charge your phone ten times before it's dry. Then charging it from the sun only takes a few hours per phone charge. You can top it up, I suppose.
However, I have doubt about charging batteries from other batteries - that includes driving this from the laptop, too.
indeed
There are quite a few cycle dynamos, some with USB sockets, some with car cigar sockets. Not such a silly idea for people who commute into work (or go on cycle holidays)
