Last summer, I went on a fishing/camping trip to Lac Chigoubiche in mid-northern Quebec, just below Baie James. Needless to say, we had electronics–a GPS, GMRS and CB radios, and iPod–but were hundreds of kilometres from the nearest electrical outlet. So, I ordered a Solio.
ACCESSORIES
It has become a useful–and fun–tool for technology. The Solio is essentially a battery pack attached to three compact solar panels. The battery can (and should) be charged from a wall adaptor if it's going to be out of the sun for extended periods of time. Once the Solio is full, you should be able to charge most of your devices with one of the selection of so-called "nibs", which are really adaptors for various devices, that ship with the Solio. I was happy to see that it shipped with a USB (device mini and host types) but floored to see the inclusion of a 12V car cigarette lighter adaptor! I also use a Telus Mike (Nextel in the USA) cellular phone, using Motorola iDEN handsets with a non-standard Motorola connector. I was able to order an iDEN "nib" to charge my unusual phone.
The Solio ships with a suction cup which I have found performs poorly unless the surfaces are as sterile as an operating theatre. Still, it does hang on to the Solio well. However, as most cars windows are coated ultraviolet-blocking material,attaching it to the inside of your car's windshield will reduce (or eliminate) the efficiency of charging it in your car.
This brings me to my pencil dilemma. The Solio team though it would be clever to put a pencil-sized hole in the centre of the Solio and claim that a pencil slid through it (image) will be enough to stabilize it, and to keep it pointed at the sun. This has, in my experience, proven difficult. There are two main disadvantages to this system: the Solio slides down the pencil, and a pencil is not something you necessarily want to carry in your Gregory ultralight alpine backpack (for fear of tearing the bag or breaking the pencil). I have instead opted to use nylon 1/4" bolt with washers and a wing-nut:
This configuration allows me to lower the wing-nut and increase the angle of the panels, or to tighten it and lower it to the horizon. A longer bolt will allow more room to adjust the array's angle. The nylon bolt, washers and wing-nut are important, since they're much less likely to damage the device than metal hardware, and cost under 2 $. My set-up is more rugged, more steady, and will fit inside my Pelican 1030 case:
The Solio is not water-resistant (or, really, anything-resistant), so if you're planning on taking it outdoors, invest in a Pelican case, or other watertight, shock-resistant container.
CHARGING
The Solio will, on a full charge, provide enough power to fully charge about one device. At 45° to 48° north latitude, the Solio will, however, take many hours to fully charge in the full summer sun, and much longer in the winter, or in overcast skies. Occasionally, it can take several days, if you're not diligent about re-orienting the array to face the sun at it's geometric normal (i.e., keeping the sun perfectly perpendicular to the solar array). At lower latitudes, however, the Solio should be able to completely charge in a few hours.
It should be noted that the Solio's solar array does not directly power your device. The array charges the battery internal and the battery, in turn, charges your device. This means that you can not put your Solio in the sun, attached to your iPod, and power your iPod continually. This has not proven to be a big problem for me, though it's likely because I understand that particular limitation and have been happy with it.
I've seen my Solio charge (albeit slowly) in skies so dark and cloudy that nothing casted even a hint of a shadow. Other than cleaning the device (which I've not yet had to do) and keeping the battery charged, it has been completely maintenance-free.
VERDICT
I often stick my Solio to my apartment window and use it to chage my cell phone. I get a nice feeling out of using my own solar array to power one of my devices. It's been a useful asset to my outdoorsy and energy-concious lifestyle.
