Initial Report: ICP Solar Technologies Exponent Flex 5 and BattPak
 

The products arrived intact on September 29, 2004.  The solar panel and BattPak were each encased in their own transparent blister pack and protected by bubble wrap.  All pieces were accounted for, by comparison with the packing slip and the inventory of parts in the instruction sheets.

1) Reviewer Information

 

Name: Jason Dolman

Age: 27

Gender: Male

Height: 6 ft (1.83 m)

Weight: 145 lb (66 kg)

Email address: nolonger@canada.com

City, State, Country: Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Date: October 3, 2004

 

Backpacking Background: I have camped since I was 13 and have backpacked as a traveler since I was 21.  I have enjoyed numerous bike, canoe and camping trips throughout the United States and Canada, and backpacked in Australia, Europe, South East Asia and South America.  I backpack as light as possible.  My travel pack holds 30 L (1830 cu in), so each piece of clothing/gear is selected to be multipurpose and durable. 

2) Manufacturer and Product Information:

Manufacturer: ICP Solar Technologies

Year of Manufacture: 2004
URL: http://www.icpsolar.com/

 

a)      Flex 5 (Model#: 50200)

 

The Flex 5 is meant to charge portable electronics such as lanterns, GPS, phones, games, music players, batteries, and PDAs.  The instructions list average charge times in full sunlight for a variety of devices.

 

Unit Size as measured (folded): 8.5 x 5.5 x 1 in (21.6 x 14 x 2.5 cm)

Unit Size as measured and as stated by manufacturer (unfolded):

8.5 x 28 x 0.25 in (21.6 x 71 x 0.6 cm)

Unit Weight as measured and as stated by manufacturer: 9.2 oz (260 g)

Unit Weight as measured (incl. 12V socket): 12.3 oz (348 g)

12V Cigarette Lighter Socket (female) wire: 1 ft (30.5 cm)

Extension Cord: 8 ft (2.5 m)

 

Rated Power: up to 5W

Max current: 300 mAmps @ 14.8V     

Operating Voltage: 16.5V

Open Circuit Voltage: 23V

Operating temperature: -40 F to 140 F (-40 C to 60 C)

 

Warranty: 2 years

MSRP: US $99.99

 

b)      BattPak (Model#: 22001)

 

The BattPak charges up to ten rechargeable batteries (NiMH, Ni-Cd AA and AAA) using power from the wall (AC adaptor), a DC car charger or the iSun solar source.  The box advertises seemingly conflicting information about charge times.  On the front it boasts that 10 batteries can be charged in as little as 4 hours, while the back of the box lists a minimum average charge time as 8 hours for the same number of batteries. 

 

Another advertised use for the Battpak is as a portable power source for devices such as cell phones, PDAs, laptops, walkie talkies, GPS and games.  The instructions suggest using one battery for every 1.5 V of operating power required by the device.  More batteries are required if the cigarette lighter socket is used as an output.

 

Unit Size as measured and as stated by manufacturer: 7.5 x 3 x 1.2 in (19 x 7.5 x 3 cm)

Unit Weight as measured: 6.2 oz (177 g)

Unit Weight as stated by manufacturer: 6.3 oz (180 g)

12V cigarette lighter adapter (male) wire: 3 ft

12V cigarette lighter adapter weight: 1.5 oz (41.1 g)

AC adapter wire: 5 ft 8 in

 

Operating temperature: -40 F to 176 F (-40 C to 80 C)

 

Warranty: 2 years

MSRP: US $29.99

3) Descriptions

 

a)      Flex 5:

 

Included in the Flex 5 package were: one foldable solar panel, one extension cord, a 12V cigarette lighter socket (female), and sheets of instructions in various languages (including English, French, Italian, German, and Spanish).  The Flex 5 two-year warranty displayed through the bottom of its packaging.

 

The Flex 5 solar panel is dark blue with a muted yellow border and is made of a reinforced flexible synthetic fabric.  A yellow “X” (for Exponent) is stitched onto the front.  There is a small, light-blue box securely affixed to the outside from which the black power-out line extends about 6 in (15.2 cm).  There are four sections of solar panel, each containing 10 squares of maroon/copper-colored solar cells, which are not to be creased, according to the instructions.  The four corners of the solar panel are each fitted with a durable black grommet. 

 

The black cigarette lighter socket and the black extension cord arrived neatly folded and secured by twist-ties.  There is no protective cap for the cigarette lighter socket.  All wire ends are color-coded for easy setup (power-in are grey, while power-out are black) and are paired with a protective plastic cap to protect against dust and moisture.  The caps are fitted with o-rings and feature raised dots on the outside to facilitate gripping.  Each cap is attached to its wire by a short, plastic leash.

 

b)      BattPak:

 

Included in the Battpak package were: one Battpak battery charger/power source, a 12 V cigarette lighter adapter (male), an AC adapter, a warranty registration form, a brochure of other ICP products and one sheet of instructions written in English, French, Spanish, German, and Italian.  According to the instructions, some models include batteries.  Mine did not.

 

The Battpak is a small, black, rectangular plastic box.  It features a frosted plastic lid that opens up to reveal ten spring-loaded parallel, horizontal battery slots.  According to the instructions, at minimum the two leftmost slots must be occupied in order for the Battpak to work.  The lid is held closed by a spring-loaded ridge of plastic and is opened by pressing lightly on a button at the front of the box.  Also at the front is a DC out socket (cigarette lighter socket), covered by a rubber cap.  The cap is not attached to the box by a leash.  A handle slides out from the right side of the box for easy carrying or hanging.  On the left side of the box are a green and a red led that indicate the status of the charge.  On the bottom of the box, a sticker describes the proper operation of the BattPak.  A power-in and a power-out socket are located at the rear of the unit.  The box has raised corners on the top, so that it can remain stable even when sitting upside down (while attached to the iSun solar source).  The iSun BattPaK and ICP Global logos are printed on the lid.

 

c)      Specific Positive Impressions

 

-These are environmentally friendly products

-The Flex 5 has a slim profile, durable construction and seemingly no maintenance

-Both products are light-weight.  The Battpak was lighter than I had expected it to be.

-All equipment appeared to be well-made and in good condition.

-Both products use few pieces and can be used intuitively.

 

d)      Specific Concerns

 

-Charge times seem long and may not be practical

-Adequate sunlight (for the Flex 5) may be difficult to find

-The stitching on one short end of the solar panel (where the border fabric meets) looked unfinished, as if it might loosen and unravel over time.

-These products would seem to work best in an environment where the sun is never blocked and the products can be left for hours on end.  My plan is to see if they still work in less than perfect conditions.

4) Test Plan

My tests would evaluate the claims as described on the ICP website as well as general usefulness criteria:

a) How much sunlight is necessary to run portable electronics?  Is a sufficient amount of sunlight frequently available and dependable?  Is the Flex 5 unit only useful in strong, direct sunlight?  Does the BattPak deliver adequate power to batteries and other devices?

b) How quickly is the power flow of the Flex 5 affected by variations in solar conditions?

c) Does the system pack well?  Is the shape cumbersome?  Is the weight offset by the usefulness of the product? [This question has already been partially answered.  Each product is light and pretty compact, so they would not impose a serious burden in a backpack.  The question of usefulness and value has yet to be answered].

d) How does the unit respond to impact while stored in a backpack?  How about while open and operational?

e) Is the unit adversely affected by frequent folding and unfolding?  How easy is it to accidentally crease a solar panel?

f) How easily does the unit attach to backpacks or other objects while open?  How about while closed?

g) How weatherproof is “fully weatherproof”?  Can the Flex 5 and BattPak withstand snow and rain? [This question has also been partially answered.  The ICP makes no claims of water resistance for the Battpak and the unit does not appear to have any water seals or other protective attributes].

 

Prospective Test Conditions:

 

The Flex 5 will be tested in full and partial sunlight by using it to power the Battpak and a 4^th generation iPod (not at the same time, of course).  The tests will be performed in a variety of temperatures and other conditions.  The iPod tests will determine how well the Flex 5 can supply power to play music and how long it takes to charge a dead battery.  The Battpak tests will illustrate how well the Flex 5 can charge various numbers of dead AA or AAA batteries.

 

The Battpak will be tested in a variety of temperatures and with varying numbers of batteries.  In addition to charging batteries, it will also be used to charge and run a 4^th generation iPod.

 

Both products will be subject to normal amounts of abuse to see if they have structural weaknesses that might cause a problem on the road, in the bush or on the water.

 

In my first brief test of the Battpak, I filled it with eight rechargeable batteries and connected it to a wall socket via the AC adapter.  The red light came on, indicating that the unit is charging the batteries.  When the batteries were mostly charged, the green light came on, indicating that the batteries were almost ready but being trickle-charged.

 

My initial setup and first brief tests of the Flex 5 were easy and already informative.  The day was overcast for the first trial.  I connected the solar panel to my iPod (through a Macally car adapter – see * below) and kept an eye on the power indicators.  The iPod power indicator features a lightning bolt when it is being charged and the Macally adapter emits a blue light when receiving power.  Both indicators showed that some power was indeed coming through, but only weakly and sporadically.  The instruction manual indicates that the Flex 5 requires direct sunlight to be an effective power source for portable MP3 players.  During my next test, direct sunlight was plentiful and the Flex 5 performed beautifully.  In the same configuration as the previous test, the power indicators now showed a strong, consistent current and the iPod was able to charge.  In a third test, the iPod was able to hold a full charge while playing music at high volume.  I am very impressed with this product so far!

 

*The Macally iPod Car Charger connects the iPod firewire cable to a 12V cigarette lighter socket for charging by providing a female firewire socket on one end and a male cigarette lighter plug on the other end.