If you are planning to buy a solar cell phone charger then it will be a good idea to look into the basics of this equipment. This will help you to find the right device for your cell phones and any other portable devices you may want to charge.
What You Want?
It’s important to first decide on the type of solar cell phone charger you want.Are you addicted to your phone? Does the battery last very long? How often does it normally have to be recharged? How well could you cope without it? Many solar chargers need direct sunlight to work. Others can cope with cloudy days or diffuse light. What you need depends on where you live.
The next step will be to find the charge required by your cell phone battery. It is usually only a few volts. You can use a solar cell phone charger of 12 volts or higher for this purpose. Some chargers come with up to 48 volts of power and you can use them for charging other devices such as laptops and media players as well as your cell phone.
Battery Power
Another way of dealing with the wattage is to look at the battery. Solar chargers usually use NimH or Li-ion batteries. These batteries have the potential of losing their power if voltage control tools are not put into place. Under this scenario, batteries can heat up and provide reduced voltage to the battery. It is therefore better to purchase equipment that comes with smarter controls where a steady voltage is maintained.
Working Temperature
It is equally important to find a charger that could harvest energy at lower temperature and sunlight levels if you live in the north. An ideal temperature range will be between 50F and 110F. This will allow you to use the device under different temperature zones without worrying about the lack of power generation.
Charging Time
It should not take more than a few hours to charge a phone on a solar-powered device. Some chargers can reduce the threshold to 3 hours while others may take 6 hours or longer. You can use this information to purchase a charger that offers exactly what you need.
Type of Solar Panels Used
The quality and durability of solar panels in a charger will determine its real worth. Monocrystalline and polycrystalline silicone crystals offer the best harvesting efficiency and seem to last longer. You can use these panels for up to 10 years if they are looked after, much longer than the phone is likely to last anyway. Amorphous panels don’t last that long but are available at lower prices.
Components
You will find these basic components along with a solar cell phone charger.
- Batteries
- USB cable
- AC adapter
- Connector
You can use the above pointers to purchase a solar cell phone charger with the best features and specifications for the money. It’s also useful to make sure you get the one you need, not just the one you want.