I can’t give this solar kit a good score performance-wise until I’ve tried the USB Smart Adapter. My thinking is that if you need this adapter to actually be able to use their products according to their claims then maybe they should include this relatively cheap USB Smart Adapter with their power packs to start with? That feels like a better option than letting customers find it out when they’re holding the products in their hands. Not even in one of those little disclaimers in fine print. This makes me frustrated to say the least, because nowhere in their sales material or on their product pages do they mention anything about needing an adapter.
#GOAL ZERO BOLT MOBILE SOLAR CHARGER KIT PLUS#
No charge.Īfter troubleshooting this and digging around the internet I’ve found out that… Surprise!Īpparently I need one of Goal Zero’s USB Smart Adapters to be able to charge certain newer smartphones and tablets, because phones require anywhere from 0.5 Amps to 2 Amps for charging and out of the box the Guide 10 Plus does not seem to provide the correct Amps to be able to provide a charge to my Kindle or Nexus 5. I also tried charging my Amazon Kindle Touch 3G and experienced the same problem as with the Google Nexus 5. I tried charging a Samsung Galaxy S3 to confirm that there is indeed power in the battery pack and that phone charges without issues from the battery pack. I can turn off and turn back on the charging and then it shows the green light (indicating that it’s charging) but after a few seconds it turns to red (indicating that the battery is out of power, which it isn’t). However this is where I ran into problems.Ĭharging with the phone turned off worked fine initially, but when I turned it on it only charged for a few seconds and then it stopped. After 37 minutes I turned on the phone and the battery had been charged 12%. The results are in: Test #1: Charging Google Nexus 5 from battery packįor this test I let my phone fully discharge to 0% and then plugged my micro USB cable into the battery pack and turned on the charging-mode. Nothing scientific, just hands on real world use. To find out how the Nomad 7 and Guide 10 Plus battery pack holds up to real use I put it through a couple of tests to charge various devices both straight from the solar panels and from the battery pack. The kit consists of two separate products the Guide 10 Plus Recharger battery pack (comes with 4 AA NiMh batteries, 10Wh capacity) and the Nomad 7 Solar Panel, and while I’m testing them separately the overall score will be based on the two products being used as a unit.
#GOAL ZERO BOLT MOBILE SOLAR CHARGER KIT PORTABLE#
This adds another dimension of flexibility to the charger, because you can not only charge smartphones and tablets but also your flashlights, portable radio, and more. the Voltaic Systems 7 watt kit) is that the charger uses rechargeable AA batteries, and can also charge AAA batteries with the included insert. What sets this kit apart from other similar kits (e.g. Because of the collapse in silicon-panel manufacturing prices, the company can now offer its products at half to a third of what they would have cost three years ago, said Joe Atkin, its chief executive.I bought Goal Zero’s Guide 10 Plus Solar Kit because it seemed like the perfect solution for keeping my smaller gadgets charged while on the go, and for providing a backup charging solution at the homestead. The company uses monocrystalline silicon in its portable panels, which fold into the size of a CD case.
![goal zero bolt mobile solar charger kit goal zero bolt mobile solar charger kit](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2013/04/25/business/GREEN1/GREEN1-jumbo.jpg)
Goal Zero, for instance, grew from the humanitarian efforts of Robert Workman, an entrepreneur active in bringing renewable power to remote parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The companies have come to the mobile charging business in different ways. Ascent Solar says its sales began taking off after Fry’s, an electronics chain based in California, began carrying EnerPlex chargers. Goal Zero, which offers battery packs that fit in a purse as well as mobile generators that can power a home, says it expects its revenue to double this year to about $60 million. There are signs that the products are beginning to find an audience. Others, like Ascent Solar’s EnerPlex, use solar to charge a protective case, which then can recharge the smartphone. Some, like the Solio Bolt or the Joos Orange, use a stand-alone solar-charged battery pack that connects to devices through a USB cable. A range of chargers, some selling for less than $100, is becoming widely available through major retailers like REI, Target and Radio Shack.