I review the 14W fold up usb solar charger from Anker on a perfectly clear sky sunny day.
The maximum I’ve been able to get out of this unit is 8 Watts, no matter how I angle it towards the sun. I plan to do another test with the panel flat on the ground and the sun directly above. This will really measure the maximum output of this unit. I’m expecting it will output the 10 watts under the right conditions, I will update this video description after doing the test.
Although Anker sell it as a 14 Watt unit, their website says the maximum output is actually 10 Watts.
Anker gave this explanation:
“Please be advised all solar chargers in [the] market have conversion loss. During the charging process, approximately 30% of the solar will be consumed, including power lost from circuit heat and voltage conversion within the solar charger (approximately 15-18%).”
Although I understand what they’re saying, I don’t agree it’s the correct way to market the product. If we were buying just a solar panel on it’s own, then fine, market it as 14W and we know there will be losses after adding a voltage regulator or charge controller . But if we’re buying a finished product with all the electronics built in, why market it as 14W if the maximum output is 10W?
The 14W figure should be a side note. Or at least the Amazon product description should be more clear about the maximum output.
It feels really well built and like it could survive a long time. Although it’s not water resistant so you need to ensure it stays dry. It has no problem charging Android or Apple devices and can charge portable power packs.
I think this is a much better purchase than the power banks you can buy that have built in solar panels. The solar panels on those power banks are usually generate so little power that it would take days of direct sunlight to charge the battery. The battery would probably get destroyed by being out in the sun that long!
It’s better to have something like that Anker solar charger so you can put it in the sun while the device you charge is in your bag or your some other shaded place.
Because of the built in eyelets, you can easily mount the panel on your bag while you’re hiking or on the side of your tent or just lay it flat on the floor.
This video was shot in Metro Manila, Philippines. CDRKING sell something similar but I’ve been unable to find a store that has stock. I wanted to do a comparison between the two units.
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Post time: Jun-27-2017