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Portable Solar Power Generator - Mobile Devices Charged For Free
By: Adrian Fletcher
We've all been there, you're listening to your ipod on a long bus trip and it runs out of power in the middle of your favorite song. No listening to podcasts, no music or audio books, what are you going to do with all the time ahead of you. If not that then surely your cell phone has given up the ghost half way through an important conversation. The phone sounds a beep and you see the low charge warning on the screen. Looks like you'll have to find an un-vandalized phone booth - good luck!
I guess I'm as guilty as the next person. I want immediate access to my entertainment or communications devices. This is the reason why I have this and that gadget for all sorts of things. Unfortunately all these appliances need power from time to time and I have forgotten to recharge them leaving me stranded. The way round this common problem is to use a portable solar power generator.
Given the increasing awareness of renewable resources, many portable solar generators are been developed. Basically they consist of the same things. There are numerous solar cells that create electricity when exposed to direct sunlight. This is used to charge a battery in the generator. The generator will have one or more power points where a hand held device can be plugged in and utilize the battery's charge.
The best part is that as long as there is some sunlight, your solar generator will always be charged or at least not losing power. Provided there is some sun out, the battery will always be charging. This should mean that whatever hand held device you may be using will always have a potential power source. You'll never be inconvenienced again from lack of power.
If a portable solar generator sounds like something you need then here are a few pointers on selecting one. You should consider the efficiency of the solar cells in the generator. Larger panels will be able to charge a battery quicker. However you don't want the generator to be cumbersome. You need your solar power generator to be similar with regards to size with the portable devices it will be charging. It should be easy to carry round on a belt or in a backpack.
Another factor is the length of time the battery will power a device. A good test of this would be to determine how long a portable dvd player would last using the battery. Obviously the longer time this is the better but again size will be a factor if you want it to be truly portable.
Finally, you should check out what portable appliances can be plugged into the generator and how easy this is. At a base level, it should be compatible with your cell phone and any of personal digital appliances you may have (including a gps device if you do a lot of car traveling). You will probably use it most often with entertainment devices like PSP's , portable dvd players and mp3 players so it should be compatible with these devices too.
Article Source: http://www.ezarticles.info
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