Reviews > Electronic Devices > Solar Chargers > Exponent Flex 5 System with Batt Pak > Stephanie Martin > Initial Report

Initial Report: ICP Solar Exponent Flex 5 and Batt Pak

Contents

- It's Here! My Portable Power Arrives!

- Words on the Web

- Product Features and Construction

    - Exponent Flex 5

    - Batt Pak

- Initial Impressions

    - Exponent Flex 5

    - Batt Pak

- Test Strategy

A Quick Word Before I Get Started
For clarification sake, the Exponent Flex 5 is manufactured by ICP Solar Technologies, but is marketed under the Coleman brand.  The Batt Pak is also manufactured by ICP Solar Technologies but is marketed under the iSun brand.  The two items can be used together, however they are not marketed together.  Now that we've got that out of the way, onward we go!
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It's Here! My Portable Power Arrives!
The Exponent Flex 5 and Batt Pak arrived in a somewhat mangled box.  Luckily for me, the individual components had been packed inside with plenty of packing peanuts and were undamaged.  Each item came packaged separately in a clamshell-style plastic container with the product clearly visible inside.  The product packaging provided highlights on the product features; in the case of the Exponent Flex 5, this info was provided in 5 languages in addition to English.  Each item came packaged with easy to read instruction sheets in multiple languages that include product contents, use and care procedures, average charge times (for various devices) and frequently asked questions.  The Exponent Flex 5 came packaged with a 12V socket adapter and a 10 foot (3 meter) extension cord.  The Batt Pak was packaged with an AC adapter and 12V (DC Cigarette Lighter) Adapter.
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Words on the Web
The ICP Solar Technologies Website is cleanly designed and well presented.  The site is easy to navigate and the images display the product nicely.  Each product page provides a quick overview of the product features in addition to pertinent product specifications.  ICP Solar Technologies does not directly retail its product, however it provides plenty of links to online retailers.  I will  note that the ICP Solar Technologies site does not mention that the Exponent Flex 5 can be used with the iSun Batt Pak, nor does it specifically mention its potential use to power a portable battery charger.  For marketing sake, it may be helpful if this information is added.
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Product Features and Construction
Coleman Exponent Flex 5:
The Exponent Flex 5 is a foldable solar charger that can be used to power or charge small portable electronics that are equipped with a 12V Car Lighter Adapter.  The Flex 5 is comprised of 4 high efficiency solar cells mounted inside a five panel folding case.  The areas that are not occupied by the solar cells are covered in a navy blue water-repellant ripstop nylon.  The edge of the unit is bound by a nicely contrasting yellow webbing.   The cells themselves are opaque and not shiny - they look and feel like slightly malleable plastic - and appear to be laminated to the nylon covering.  There is a raised ridged texture across the entire surface of the cells.  In each corner of the Flex 5 unit, there is a 1/2-inch (1.3 cm) grommet to be used to secure the device to a backpack, tent or kayak during use.  The power output connection is mounted on the back of the Flex 5 via a plastic housing and a short length of cable.  When folded, the Flex 5 is slightly larger than a standard paperback book, and has no means to secure itself in a closed position.  Included with the Flex 5 is a 12V socket adapter and a 10 foot (3 meter) extension cord.  The unit is claimed to be fully weatherproof and durable - made of UV and impact resistant materials.
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iSun Batt Pak:
The iSun Batt Pak is a versatile battery charger that can also be used as a power source.  It is capable of charging two to ten* Ni-Cd or NiMH AA or AAA batteries via a standard wall socket or via a 12V source.  Why not one to ten you ask? Well, apparently inserting one battery into the charger will activate the circuit, but it will not charge the battery.  Each battery slot is clearly labeled with positive and negative terminals.  The Batt Pak has two LED indicators - a red one to indicate that the batteries are not yet charged and a green one to indicate that the charging is complete and that the batteries are being maintained via a trickle charge.

In addition to acting as a portable battery charger, the Batt Pak can be used to power or recharge small electronic devices via a 12V socket on the unit.  This is done by inserting sufficient batteries into the Batt Pak to provide the output power to charge or operate the small electronic device that is connected to the system's 12V output socket.  It is also possible to provide output power for a device that accepts a (male) 12V adapter, but off the top of my head, I can't think of any such devices.

The iSun Batt Pak is made of black plastic and has a translucent hinged lid that covers the battery compartment.  The device feels durable.  The lid closes with a small latch that is released by pushing a small button on the side of the Batt Pak. Unlike the Exponent Flex5, no claims are made regarding the weatherproofness of the Batt Pak.

*Incidentally, if using the DC Car Lighter Adapter, it is not recommended by the manufacturer that more than six batteries be charged.
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Initial Impressions
Coleman Exponent Flex 5:
The Exponent Flex 5 is just about what I'd expected after various visits to the ICP Solar Technologies website.  I was disappointed after taking my measurements on the device to note a considerable weight discrepancy between the manufacturer's stated weight and the actual weight of the unit as delivered (over 20% error!).  At minimum, I would need to carry the device and the 12V socket connection.  The combined weight of which is 2.3 oz (65.2 g) heavier than the stated weight.  Granted, in the scheme of things, 2.3 oz (65.2 g) isn't that much, but still, I'd rather be carrying 2.3 oz (65.2 g) of chocolate when out backpacking.  Other than the small weight discrepancy, the Exponent Flex 5 appears to be well made, with clean stitching and grommet placement.  The power output appears to be securely attached and the extension cord and socket adapter seem to be reasonably durable.  I was a bit dismayed at the small grommet size, as all my packs have lash straps and hardware that are much larger than the small 1/2 inch (1.3 cm) diameter which means I will have to find other methods to attach the Flex 5 to my packs for use.  Praise does go back to the manufacturer for offering up some suggestions in the instructions.
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iSun Batt Pak:
As far as battery chargers go, the fact that it can also be used to charge or even power other small devices is unique and innovative.  I'm not clear as to whether I can use rechargeable or regular alkaline or even lithium batteries batteries in this application (as a power source for other electronics) as it's not mentioned anywhere in the product literature. But that's what testing is for!  The Batt Pak is nicely designed and sleek in appearance.  I was a bit confused as to why a single battery couldn't be charged, but quickly got myself past that since I personally never only have *one* battery to charge - if I'm charging batteries, I'm always charging multiple batteries.  I do have two niggling hang-ups as a part of my initial impressions on this product - the first is the six battery limit for charging when the device is being sourced by a 12V adapter; and the second is the application of the DC adapter as a power output method.  Even after thinking about various small electronic devices, I couldn't think of one that has a DC socket on it to accept an adapter...oh, I take that back.  As soon as I wrote it down, I thought of one!  My portable car jump starter!  Well then, now that I've thought of one, I'm not sure I could even put out enough juice on AA batteries to make a dent in recharging that particular device.  Oh well.  In any case, my overall impressions on the Batt Pak is of clean design and unique functionality. Let's get on with the testing, shall we?
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Test Strategy
Living in Arizona, I seem to have access to sunny weather 365 days a year.  Even when hiking, I am often out in places that do not garner any shade from trees.  As such, I figured I live in an ideal location to test a product such as the Exponent Flex 5 and iSun Batt Pak.  While I'm not as loaded down with electronics as some others, my husband and I typically find ourselves out hiking with various battery hungry devices - all of which are fueled by AAA or AA size batteries.  A while back, we made the switch to rechargeable batteries for both environmental, cost and performance reasons.  It seemed that we were getting better performance out of our higher drain devices such as our GPS and digital camera off rechargeable NiMH batteries.  Unfortunately, when we go on some of our extended trips, we run out of juice on our rechargeables and have to switch to conventional batteries.  Well, hopefully this will be a thing of the past with the iSun Batt Pak and the Exponent Flex 5 on hand.

Most of my testing will occur in the desert southwest of the United States in the states of Arizona and Utah.  Temperatures can range from below freezing at night to close to or even surpassing 100°F (38°C) during the day for the duration of the test period, depending on my exact location.  Temperatures inside my car can easily exceed 100°F during warm days with the windows rolled up.

I plan on evaluating the Exponent Flex 5's durability, resistance to UV damage and hopefully its weatherproofness (Arizona is not exactly known for precipitation).  In addition, I'll be evaluating its ease of use - seeing just how hard it is to get the Flex 5 strapped to various objects as well as checking to see if angle of "exposure" to the sun has a great impact on performance.  In terms of powering small devices, I will, of course, be using the Exponent Flex 5 with the Batt Pak to keep my NiMH batteries in working order while on trips.  I'll also be checking to see what other devices I have that can be powered - amongst these devices are a portable CD player and my aforementioned portable jump starter.  I also have a hazard/safety light that I carry in my car that can be powered by a 12V adapter in addition to an air compressor.  As for more traditional devices, I'll have to see if I can find 12V adapters for them.

Specific to the iSun Batt Pak, I'll be evaluating its battery charging performance on NiMH batteries in conjunction with the Exponent Flex 5.  I'll also evaluate its charging performance when plugged into a car lighter socket in a vehicle as well as via the AC adapter.  The ability to power other small devices via the Batt Pak has me intrigued, so I will attempt use it to run my portable CD player and other devices that I evaluate to have an appropriate power requirement.  I'll be checking with the manufacturer to clarify just what types of batteries are allowed for use in the "power" application of the Batt Pak.

I'm looking forward to having portable power at my fingertips...let the testing begin!
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My thanks to BackpackGearTest.org and ICP Solar Technologies for this opportunity to test out a renewable energy technology.

Reviews > Electronic Devices > Solar Chargers > Exponent Flex 5 System with Batt Pak > Stephanie Martin > Initial Report