Freeloader demands you RTFM
First Inqpressions Freeloader solar powered battery charger
Product: Freeloader 8.0
Supplier: Solar Technology
Web:www.solartechnology.co.uk
Price: £29.99 (inc VAT)
Compatibility: mobile phones, MP3s, cameras, games consoles
JUST HOW difficult could it possibly be to charge up your mobile phone using a solar powered battery pack such as the Freeloader?
Actually, we made a complete hash of it. You'd definitely want to practice using the Freeloader before you took it to Glastonbury or away on a camping holiday.
Other reviewers have proved that his product definitely works. It can charge up a mobile phone powered from the kind of daylight that's typical in good old Blighty. The snag is that the INQ didn't see the kind of performance which the company claims for this device.
There's a big clue on the front page of the instructions leaflet which you'd want to read first. It says, "We recommend that you charge your Freeloader via USB for its first charge."
So in other words, before you show the Freeloader to any rays of Sun at all, it's a jolly good idea to plug this device into the nearest USB port and wait for the indicator light to turn from red to green.
The INQ didn't do this and the loan model appears totally messed up. Recharge times just fell through the floor. It's a real case of reading the instructions very carefully before you start to plug the Freeloader into any electronic device in order to charge it up.
Some of the other reasons for reading the instructions are banal. For example, the INQ had assumed that the plastic packaging over the solar cells themselves was designed to protect them from damage. Actually they're only there to prevent damage during shipping. So carefully remove it.
Another of the warnings is a bit ominous… "Keep Freeloader's body away from fire, water and any form of moisture." What? The INQ's motivation in testing such a device is thanks to its green credentials that fit perfectly in with the music festival ethos. It sounds like this product is just way too sensitive to be crammed into a rucksack.
There's one very definite design fault, too. One of the unit's three indicator lights will definitely go green once it has been fully charged via a USB connexion. No such luck with solar charging. You have to guess when it is full.
The Freeloader does provide a big clue, though. Its two other indicators glow red more brightly the more sunlight it gets. So in overcast weather a recharge should take ten hours but a mere five hours in decent sunlight. Don't leave it out in the rain, though.
The list of adapters the Freeloader comes with is very impressive. It includes an Apple Ipod and the Nintendo DS Lite. Plus there are connectors for Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Samsung and LG mobile phones. Along with a mini USB adapter for certain Motorola phones, many digital cameras and the Crackberry.
There's a list of additional connectors for more obscure handsets and devices.
The long and short of it is that the Freeloader has been designed for a very laudable purpose. Recharging batteries for free. That's not just quite the purpose the INQ had in mind for it. µ
The good
It recharges devices for free so it's utterly green
The bad
It is highly sensitive to damage
The ugly
It sooo easy to ruin battery performance from Day One
Comments
the bad... eh?
Sensitive to damage? The dozen or so pictures on the company's own website from customers in various precarious locations would suggest otherwise.See here: http://www.solartechnology.co.uk/products/solar_chargers/freeloader.asp
Awesome
that thing is soo cool. If you were into hiking or visiting remote places that thing would be awesome.green? - well, dirty brown
> It recharges devices for free so it's utterly greenSo long as you conventiently ignore the heavy metals, chemicals and enery used in it's manufacture. Plus the fuel used to ship it and the landfill it becomes when it eventually expires (after being left in the rain for a few seconds). Then yes, it has no environmental impact.
Of course, you could always go a few hours without music, or a cellphone but that might be too much to ask.
Imagine Reading
Imagine Read(ing) The ....... Manual.what a concept..?
I've had one of these for a while...
Handy little thing it is too.I used to occasionally plug it into the USB at work to give it a good charge, however one day it got so hot doing this (with the lights still red) I have been too scared to do it again! I think the battery has suffered for that experience too.
My only other complaint it the clips on the solar panels are too delicate. Given that in normal use you are plugging them in and out all the time, they break very easily. I've had to resort to a bit of gaffer tape to hold one of my panels in place.