The SunCell™ Solar Powered Charger

A good friend of mine who knows the founder of EcoPowered Solutions here in Colorado recently lent me a SunCell Solar Charger recently to try out, and I am very impressed both with the product as well as the company. In fact, I will have a hard time giving it back--I may just have to buy one of my own!

The SunCell Solar Charger

The SunCell is, at its core, a rechargeable battery that can be used to recharge any number of devices, including virtually any USB device (like cell phones, iPods/MP3 players, digital cameras, etc), plus a number of other devices with proprietary connectors (like Motorola and Nokia phones, for example). The battery holds enough juice to fully recharge a typical mobile phone three times. Unfortunately, it can't recharge laptops, as they generally require much higher voltages to recharge, and some (like Dell) also have proprietary charging mechanisms. The device comes with a selection of 16 "power tips" that can accommodate a wide variety of gadgets. The device is small and lightweight: 5.5 inches x 4 inches x 1.4 inches and 0.5 pounds in weight, and it's available in a number of colors.

The product's "Inspector Gadget" feature is that it can be recharged using a number of methods, the coolest of which is two solar panels that are included with the unit (it opens using a 'clamshell design' to expose the panels. The SunCell can also be recharged using an external USB port (e.g. from a computer or a USB wall charger). It works as advertised--the internal battery fully recharges in 3-5 hours from an electrical outlet or a laptop and will recharge using solar energy (strong sunlight--outside is best) in 8-12 hours, depending on how depleted the battery cell is. The SunCell's battery capacity is 3600 maH (about what a laptop battery holds) and the solar panels can output a peak of 1.5 watts. The device has selectable output voltages that are sure to accommodate virtually any device, including 4.8v, 5.8v, 8.4v and 9v.

The SunCell retails for $125 US, including a full selection of power tips, and you can purchase the units directly from the EcoPowered website.

In addition to being very impressed with EcoPowered Solutions' product, I am equally impressed with their mission. As one might guess, they are very much into promoting renewable energy, which is admirable in itself, but they also have a higher calling--providing their technology, free of charge, to organizations that utilize it to save lives and increase the quality of life in the areas they serve. Currently, donations to their program go directly to providing SunCells to Partners in Health, which is an international health services organization. SunCells are currently being used by Partners in Health in many of the countries it has operations in such as Haiti and Malawi. They are used by the communities they work in to power cell phones in remote areas and they can be used as lighting systems for people that have no electricity. If you're interested in donating to this program, click this link.

This is a point to ponder. In addition to assisting organizations like Partners in Health, this device could very well save your own life one day. 15 years ago, I was an Emergency Medical Technician and volunteer fire fighter in a ski resort in the Colorado mountains. I also served on the local search-and-rescue, helping to locate and rescue people that had become lost in the wilderness.

There weren't as many radios and mobile phones then as now, but every time that I hear about people that get lost in the outdoors because 1) they relied on a GPS that lost power, or 2) their radio/mobile phone battery died and they weren't able to call for help, or 3) their camera ran out of juice and they couldn't save themselves by signaling to passing aircraft using the flash (you think that's funny? It works!), I think about this device. If you were to become lost or stranded, you could use the SunCell to recharge those devices that could potentially save your life, over and over. Pretty cool. It also has a built-in LED flashlight that will run non-stop for up to six days on a charge, which can also be used as a signal light. I think it makes a lot of sense to purchase a couple of these units to place in backpacks and car trunks--just in case--it could save your life some day.

The SPOT Personal Locator Beacon (PLB)

I recently attended the Denver Sportmen's Exposition, and tucked in between all of the fishing/hunting lodges, wonder glass cleaners, and knife sharpeners was a booth for the SPOT Personal Locator Beacon, also known as a PLB.

PLBs are small Blackberry-sized devices that allow you to either notify the authorities that you need help (also known as "911" mode, named after the U.S. emergency phone number), or to "check in" to let your loved ones know where you are and that you're OK. These are NOT satellite phones--you can can't use them to communicate via voice--but they are capable of transmitting your GPS fix to orbiting satellites from many places on the earth. The "check in" service allows your friends and loved ones to access a Google map that shows all of the places that you checked in, along with the date/time. The device weighs 8 ounces and will run 14 days in "SPOTcast" mode (using the check-in feature) and 7 days in 911 "emergency tracking" mode. It also has replaceable AA batteries, in case the original batteries fail.

I've seen PLBs for a number of years, but they were always really expensive (like $500+). What struck me about the SPOT is the price: $149, plus a $99 annual fee for the service. The coverage is also pretty good: virtually everywhere in the U.S., Canada and Europe, plus portions of South America, Australia, Asia and Northern Africa--click here for a complete coverage map.

This could be an invaluable, potentially life-saving device for outdoors types, especially since it works in areas where mobile phones do not. It also gives the outdoors types' loved ones peace of mind. Either of these advantages would be easily worth the $150 price tag!