Reviews > Electronic Devices > Chargers > BioLite SolarPanel 5 > Test Report by Kurt Papke

BioLite SolarPanel 5

Test Series by Kurt Papke

Initial Report - September 8, 2016

Field Report - November 22, 2016

Long Term Report - January 24, 2017

Tester Information

Initial Report

The BioLite SolarPanel 5 is a battery recharging device powered by the sun.  Unlike the BioLite SolarPanel 5+ it does not have a built-in battery for power storage.  The user must either charge the device directly, or carry a standalone battery to store power.

Product Information

• Upper left: packaging as seen from front.  In the upper-right corner is the "sundial" with no shadow, as this picture was taken indoors.
• Middle left: set up on my patio in hazy morning sun showing the dot on the "sundial" near the middle of the crosshairs indicating the device is optimally aimed.
• Bottom: back of packaging which includes usage instructions and specifications.
• Middle right: charging my iPhone 5 on my patio.
• Upper right: the little "lightning bolt" next to the battery icon indicates the iPhone is charging.
  

• 5W real-time power output.  Standard USB output port, no cable provided.
  
• Auto reconnect when sun is obstructed.  I observed this in action immediately after setting it up by walking in front of the panel.
• Analog sundial: dot + crosshairs to indicate when the panel is orthogonal to the sun's rays.
• 360 degree kickstand - rotates fully around the unit to provide options for setting up or hanging the unit.
• IPx4 weather resistance - should handle rain and dampness.
• Corner latch points: grommeted holes in the lower corners to allow cord or carabiner attachment.
• Charge strength LED indicator: there is a light-blue LED just above the USB port that blinks at a rate proportional to the amount of power being generated.  The more power, the faster it blinks.
  

Initial Inspection

Summary

Things I Like So Far:

• Lightweight.
• Nice size: large enough that it should have significant power output, small enough to fit on the back or top of a pack.
• Flexible and easy setup with the kickstand and sundial.
• Sturdy - doesn't seem like it will be easy to break.
  

Things That Concern Me Upfront:

• Power output.  I have never met a backpacker that has used a solar panel with success in the backcountry, and my initial test on my patio was not encouraging.  I live and do most of my hiking in southern Arizona, a locale that should be optimal for solar power generation, though we are heading into the Fall and Winter months where the sun will be lower in the sky.
• How to piggyback my battery or phone while they are connected to the solar panel and strapped to my backpack.  I am going to have to ponder how to do this and not have things fall off.

Field Report

Field Usage

Aravaipa Canyon

Mogollon Rim

This weekend outing was a "hammock hang", where hammock campers congregate to compare gear, drink beer and talk around a campfire.  The site was a camp area up on the Mogollon Rim, the edge of the Colorado Plateau in northern Arizona.  The campsite I chose was in an area of tall Ponderosa pines, but the spot where I stashed my pack on top of a picnic table was in the sun, so I thought I'd plug in my iPhone 5 to the solar panel for charging.  The following photos show the solar panel in the sun, and a screen capture of my phone before and after charging.

This was very disappointing.  After over an hour in the sun, in Airplane Mode (see the little airplane icon in the upper left corner), my phone LOST 6% of its charge!  How could this be?  I believe that as the panel went in and out of the sun from its movement across the tree canopy that the action the iPhone was taking to report that it was/was not charging actually consumed more power than what was generated by the panel.

Backyard Test

I was getting a bit frustrated with the device, so I thought it might be good to do a little more extensive backyard testing.  Plugged my iPhone 5 into the solar panel in my backyard, set to Airplane AND Low Power mode (see the yellow battery indicator in the photo below) and achieved a 16% charge in about 50 minutes.  Not bad.  My takeaway is the device needs to be in a consistently sunny spot and well-aimed for the duration of the charge to attain the listed performance:

Romero Canyon

This was a one-night backpacking trip located near my home.  It's a short hike, but a tough one.  I had my iPhone 5 plugged into the solar panel all the time I was on the trail, in Airplane Mode.

On the way up the canyon, I could hear my phone constantly "bonging" as the phone went in and out of charge state.  The net effect after five hours of hiking on a brilliant sunny Arizona day was a 2% charge of my iPhone.  I was pretty discouraged.

Before I set off on the way down I decided to set my phone on "Silent" and "Vibrate off".  It was the lowest power consumption mode I could think of.  I'd have no way of knowing if the phone was charging or not, but it wasn't important to me.  I checked the power level before and after my hike, and the net was a 21% charge over roughly five hours.  Woohoo!

Summary

The Good:

1. The BioLite SolarPanel has been mechanically robust - no cracks, dents, broken stand, etc.
2. It has been easy to mount to the front of my backpack, and easy to set up on a flat surface when stationary.
3. Charging performance when stationary and perfectly aligned with the sun is acceptable.
   

The Bad:

1. A smartphone connected to the panel will constantly go in/out of charge mode.  This means an iPhone cannot remain powered off (it will power up on the first charge it sees), and it can be quite a task to learn how to minimize phone power consumption resulting from the power cycling.  To maximize charging, the phone must be in: Airplane mode, Low Power mode, Silent with Vibration disabled.  This is a LOT to remember to do every time I want to charge my phone.
   
2. The SolarPanel is very picky about sun alignment.  I was able to get some fractional charge of my phone when the panel was mounted to my backpack, but nothing remotely close to what the device achieves when stationary and perfectly aligned with the sun.

My bottom line from what I have seen in the first two months of use: the SolarPanel is most appropriate for basecamp use, not hung from the front of a backpack while hiking.

Long Term Report

Field Usage

Escalante Route

The Escalante Route is one of the tougher hikes of the Grand Canyon, running along the Colorado River from the Tanner to the New Hance Trail.  We decided that wasn't difficult enough, so we tacked on several days of the Tonto Trail and exited the South Kaibab.

In principle this should have been a good hike to use a solar charger: there are few trees to block the sun, and our route on the Escalante and Tonto is pretty much East to West, so mornings should have a fair sun exposure.  The reality was quite different.  I plugged in my iPhone 5 several times in the morning before setting off, and saw a charge of 5-10% during the morning hike.  There were some days with a bit of a haze, but also the trails are rarely due West.  They meander North and South to follow the cut of the canyons.  Also, we were probably in shade about 50% of the time due to the buttes and other formations in conjunction with the low winter sun angle.  The following photo shows the panel attached to my backpack near the intersection of the Tonto and South Kaibab trails.

This was an arduous hike with some serious scrambling.  The panel sustained a few scratches, but managed to make the entire journey and keep on kicking, which is no mean feat.

Summary

My experience during the second two months reinforced my conclusion from the Field Report: this solar panel is great for a basecamp application where it can be kept well-aligned with the sun.  It is not appropriate for attaching to the back of one's pack during a hike and expecting to get a serious amount of device charging.

The device itself is quite mechanically robust and reliable.  I didn't baby it at all, and it really took a lot of punishment on the Escalante.  The front of my pack  suffered some tears along the front close to where the solar panel was strapped to it, yet the charger continues to function.  The photo at left shows what the surface looked like at the end of the test, just a few minor scratches.  It looks much better than my pack does!

Thanks to BackpackGearTest.org and BioLite for the opportunity to contribute to this test.

Reviews > Electronic Devices > Chargers > BioLite SolarPanel 5 > Test Report by Kurt Papke