This little device – a FreeLoader solar recharger – should be worth its weight in gold en route; it will hopefully keep the mobile phone topped up with energy without the need to stick it into the mains. It also encourages me to take the i-pod touch with me; this might be useful if I can get anywhere with Wi-Fi access… An i-phone of course would combine the two devices into one. I am eligible for a free update on the 17th July of all days (the day before I go) but really won’t have the time to spend fiddling with a new gadget with just hours to go. I spoke to Orange yesterday to see if there was any flexibility on their upgrade date and there isn’t 🙁 Unless I stump up £50 for an early upgrade fee. As if I am not a good customer!!
Categories: Cycling
I have a free-loader and tried it out last weekend- it worked wonders!! I have recently invested in a Nokia E72 which has maps and gps and I used it to navigate a cycle on Saturday and then recharged with the free-loader. Should work well I think!!
Does the free loader charge up from solar then dump the power at a later time onto your phone/device?
Yes, that’s exactly what is does, or is supposed to do at least. I have yet to test it…. I’ll let you know how it performs.
The iPhone is superb and if you have a touch you will pick up how to use it in seconds. Thing is the roaming charges are huge so can only use it via wifi when abroad unless you are loaded, unlike me.
I have a “powermonkey” for charging which works well for everything other than my iPhone! It takes aa batteries and charges my iPod and garmin edge 705 but it needs lithium batteries or high power rechargeable batteries, which you obviously need to recharge via USB every so often. Throw away batteries are more wasteful than solar but as I need the garmin during the day and can’t charge it while travelling and I wonder if the solar could get enough energy for it.
The iPhone doesn’t like it though and won’t accept a charge from the monkey so last week in scotland I just kept it switched off and left it to charge in a wash room at one place to charge up from the mains.
I’d like to know if your solar charger charge the itouch and if you try it with a friends iPhone of it works with that too?
I’m not loaded and will stick to Wi-Fi! 🙁