Norm Reviews: The Solio Rocsta Hybrid Solar Charger H1000
So, there you are. It's after the end of the world, you have left your bunker once the nuclear fuel ran out, and you are trying to make your way in this new and desolate world. While you are leaving behind all the subterranean comforts of home, you are hoping to bring with you a small mp3 player and a basic cellphone, modified to transmit using now ubiquitous gamma waves.
So you bring along with you a little solar charger, the Solio H1000.
Unfortunately, you find out three things:
1) Under the near constant haze left by the thousands of warheads, the solar panel doesn't do all that much
2) There are very few convenient USB charging stations
3) Gamma waves coming out of your cellphone are a bad thing
But down to the nitty gritty. There are a lot of reviews of this thing out there, because for a while it was $49 at LL Bean and REI, and a lot of people bought one. I bought mine off eBay, off someone who bought theirs from LL Bean, and realized it was not what they were looking for.
What most people are looking for is a cool, "green" way for them to charge their iPhone. It 'aint happening with this little guy. The reality is this: the H1000 is small and light. That's what so cool about it, and what makes it a great companion, but more on that later. Really small means the solar panel probably has about the surface area of an iPhone: not a lot.
For reference, a modern smartphone takes 15w through their USB cables when hooked up to a wall charger. This is a 15w solar panel:
It is 3ft long and 1ft wide. Bringing that on a hiking trip would be... awkward. And in the post-apocalyptic world of tomorrow, you would stand out. Standing out is not a good thing. The bear-pigs will get you. The solar panel on the Solio? Only 0.6w, and not very good except in direct sunlight.
What the Solio really does is this: the first (1000mAh) charge gives you enough juice for most of an extra day on your phone. The small solar panel, when in bright sunlight (read: only a couple hours a day unless you are hiking in the Sahara) slowly charges this battery. What it gives you is roughly this: 15mins of cellphone use for every hour of direct sunlight. It will not replace your wall wart. It will allow you to bring your mp3 player (I recommend the Sansa - love that little guy) and your cellphone with you on longer outdoor adventures, and use them a little bit each day.
And for that, I think this is an incredibly cool product. It is light, waterproof, and durable: three of the most important aspects to any outdoor gear. In the vast majority of situations today, a cellphone is the most important safety and survival tool that you have. This ensures that you will be able to make a call when you need it most.... and play angry birds once in a while.
I give it 4 stars, with one taken off because they are now trying to sell it for $79, which is just way too much. This little guy will be coming with me on my trek around the world when I look for enlightenment, profits, the worlds best sausages, and the geographic distribution of yoga pants.
So you bring along with you a little solar charger, the Solio H1000.
Unfortunately, you find out three things:
1) Under the near constant haze left by the thousands of warheads, the solar panel doesn't do all that much
2) There are very few convenient USB charging stations
3) Gamma waves coming out of your cellphone are a bad thing
But down to the nitty gritty. There are a lot of reviews of this thing out there, because for a while it was $49 at LL Bean and REI, and a lot of people bought one. I bought mine off eBay, off someone who bought theirs from LL Bean, and realized it was not what they were looking for.
What most people are looking for is a cool, "green" way for them to charge their iPhone. It 'aint happening with this little guy. The reality is this: the H1000 is small and light. That's what so cool about it, and what makes it a great companion, but more on that later. Really small means the solar panel probably has about the surface area of an iPhone: not a lot.
For reference, a modern smartphone takes 15w through their USB cables when hooked up to a wall charger. This is a 15w solar panel:
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| Not a very exciting photo... I know... |
What the Solio really does is this: the first (1000mAh) charge gives you enough juice for most of an extra day on your phone. The small solar panel, when in bright sunlight (read: only a couple hours a day unless you are hiking in the Sahara) slowly charges this battery. What it gives you is roughly this: 15mins of cellphone use for every hour of direct sunlight. It will not replace your wall wart. It will allow you to bring your mp3 player (I recommend the Sansa - love that little guy) and your cellphone with you on longer outdoor adventures, and use them a little bit each day.
And for that, I think this is an incredibly cool product. It is light, waterproof, and durable: three of the most important aspects to any outdoor gear. In the vast majority of situations today, a cellphone is the most important safety and survival tool that you have. This ensures that you will be able to make a call when you need it most.... and play angry birds once in a while.
I give it 4 stars, with one taken off because they are now trying to sell it for $79, which is just way too much. This little guy will be coming with me on my trek around the world when I look for enlightenment, profits, the worlds best sausages, and the geographic distribution of yoga pants.
This is a great review... and I am definitely going to bookmark and facebook the norm and the book of norm. I saw some chargers at segue to solar too - take the chargers out to the park to charge lyour phone, music players and other electronic gadgets. thank you norm
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