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Reviews > Electronic Devices > Solar Chargers > Exponent Flex 5 System with Batt Pak > Bill Jeffrey > Long Term ReportICP Solar Technology Exponent Flex 5 System with Batt Pak - Long Term Report
Tester Personal Biographical Information Bill Jeffrey
I have over 30 years backpacking experience, starting with Scouting as a youth. I am currently the High Adventure Leader for a Scout Troop. I try to get out once or twice a month, plus at least one week-long trek each year. My trips are of two types. First, I am hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in sections, and generally use a lightweight approach on these typically solo trips. Other trips with family involve more traditional backpacking equipment. Terrain varies from sea level to 14,000 feet (4,300 m), desert to mountain, and trail to cross country, occasionally including snow travel. I usually carry several electronic devices with me - cell phone, ham radio, digital camera, and GPS - all of which eat batteries. This is the last of three reports of the ICP Solar Technology Exponent Flex 5 System with BattPak based on use in the field. The First report described the system in detail. That information has been summarized below. The Field Report was based on field use over a two-month period. This final report updates that information after six months of use. Product Description: (To skip this section and go right into the test click here.) Two separate items are being tested:
Long Term Test: While most BackpackGearTest reviews endeavor to test a product under varying weather conditions, the ICP system simply will not work without sun. Therefore, my tests were conducted during daylight hours without extensive cloud cover. Temperatures generally were between 50 and 80 F (10 and 27 C). During my initial use of this system on backpacking trips, as described in my last report, I found that I just could not keep the solar cells in the sun long enough to charge my batteries while hiking. It was not possible to have all the cells horizontal on top of the pack, but when the solar panels where hung down the back of my pack they were shaded when hiking towards the sun. Other difficulties noted were the tendency of the cord to unplug from the BattPak and the batteries to come unseated if jostled. Therefore, my subsequent use of this system has been exclusively for car camping. Testing was generally in open country below 2,000 feet elevation (600 m). Difficulties: The plugs on the Flex 5 are designed to be water resistant. Unfortunately, rubber boot that makes them water resistant also caused the plug to not seat fully into the socket on the BattPak. I learned to check to make sure the plug was in and the red LED light was on. The red LED is difficult to see in the sun, and I had to shade it to make sure it was on. Success: I purchased a new set of 2300mAh NiMH AA batteries. I then put them in three small flashlights and left them on until the flashlights went dark and the battery voltage was below 0.9 volts. Setting the panel flat in full sun, six of these batteries charged to 1.35 volts in about 7 hours. (Remember that rechargeable batteries are rated at 1.2 volts.) Reinstalling the batteries in the flashlights, they shone as bright as ever. Attempts to use the system in cloudy weather resulted in charging only during mid-day. Similarly, the early morning and late afternoon sun apparently does not provide sufficient power during the winter when the sun is at a low angle. Of course, the charger simply did not work at all in stormy weather. Success, soft of:I ran my cell phone battery down to one-quarter strength and then used the Flex 5 to recharge its battery, using the 12V socket and the phones cigarette lighter adaptor. In full sun, the cell phone indicated it was done charging after just three hours. Unplugging the phone and turning it on, I found it was only charged to 75%, but would not charge further using this solar power. Failure: The Flex 5 instructions say to use it "in conjunction with your electronics' car charger which serves as a regulator" to protect from the higher voltage of the solar panels. This is not practical for my handheld transceiver, so I instead tried to use it to charge its 7.2 volt, 1100 mAH lithium ion battery using its portable charging dock. In full mid-day sun, my charger said the battery was fully charged, although it was down to 6.0 volts. My guess is that the solar panels cannot provide enough current to power the radio's charger. (This may be the problem with the cell phone charging as well.) More: Use of the BattPak charger with AC power was as expected and as advertised. Use with AC power is of minimal use for backpacking, other than an initial charge before a short trip. I could not find much use for the BattPak as a power supply, as it is rather large for portable use. It is much easier to simply use the Flex 5 and BattPak to charge AA and AAA batteries and use those batteries in my electronics. Weight: For me, weight is crucial. It does not make sense for me to carry over a pound (.5 kg) of solar panel, cable, and battery charger when I can carry a few extra batteries that weigh less than an ounce (28 g) each. Summary: This is a very useful tool during an extended natural disaster and a fun gadget on car camping trips. It works best in full sun while in camp or at home. However, in my opinion, it is too heavy and awkward to use for backpacking.
Reviews > Electronic Devices > Solar Chargers > Exponent Flex 5 System with Batt Pak > Bill Jeffrey > Long Term Report | ||||