BCCHardware - Your Daily Tech News & Reviews

Product: Solar Style SC002 Solar Charger Ultra Kit
Provided By: Solar Style
Price: MSRP $55.99

Introduction:

Most solar chargers are a fad as they only generate enough power to trickle charge devices to either keep a battery at full charge, or to keep them from freezing in cold temperatures.  Solar Style has developed a winning combination of features which separates their chargers from the rest.  Read on to see how Solar Style makes you want to "own the sun."

The Package:

The SC002 comes packaged in a molded plastic sealed case with the solar charger itself displayed on the front with a box packed full of connectors in the back half.  The solar charger itself definitely has style.  When it's closed, its smooth silver finish makes it appear a lot like a PDA.  From the outside, you'd never know this is a solar charger.  I was quite astounded with the number of cables that are packaged with the solar charger for charging your favorite electronic devices. 

The SC002 Ultra Kit includes charging adapters for the following devices:  Cell Phones: Motorola, Blackberry, Nokia, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, MotoRazr.  Other: Palm TREO, iPod, GameBoy, 4-pin generic connector.  An AC adapter and 12V car adapter are also included.  Dozens of other charging connectors are available from Solar Style for your favorite electronic devices.

Specifications:

Here are the specs from the user manual:

Features:

The specifications show that this is no ordinary solar charger as this one contains an onboard battery.  The SC002 can be used directly as a charger with enough sunlight, but when the sun goes down the battery can typically provide you enough power to get you through the night.  I like to think of the SC002 as not just a solar charger, but more of a universal backup battery.  While sunlight is the primary method of charging the on board battery, it can also be charged with an AC adapter or the 12 volt car adapter.  (Both included in the ultra kit)