I bought another solar powered USB power bank on eBay to see how the capacity and circuitry compared to the previous one. Interestingly this one had a marked chip in it that even yielded a (Chinese) data sheet.
http://www.sz-hxdz.com/uploadfile/pdf/201601181142572979.pdf
Notable things about this unit are the 2400mAh cell (supposed to be 5000mAh), 1A total output between two sockets and overcharge protection on the solar charging as well as the USB charging.
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Hello Clive love your vids just a thought on the colour thing indeed a black object will absorb more heat than lighter colours from a radiant source eg sunlight but the flip side is it can actually reject heat just as well as it absorbs it for example they make many condensers on refrigeration systems black or darker colours as it actually improves the ability of the coil surface to radiate heat like the guys in the desert in black loose clothing you would think there bonkers but they actually lose more heat on there dark side than they absorb apparently… But to be honest I doubt the wonderful folks in China were thinking that it was probably more a cas of the cheapest heat shrink they could find at the time 😉 As a side note growing up I remember we had a fridge that was nothing but trouble on a hot day it would shut down apparently overhearing compressor but fine otherwise when the weather was cooler we had a bloke look at it and the first thing he said is paint the condenser coil black so dad cracked out the spray can and presto fridge never played up again.
I am planing on buying one but I still need to check on some reviews.. nice video..
Won 2 of these off some advert and as chargers they are utter dire. I have a Blackberry Priv and it discharges still with one connected unless I switch off and leave it. Solar Charging is pathetic but…… flashlight is only but a double click and it works! Its built in so a better LED me thinks!!!
Actually sir this product inspired me to make my own dodgy electrical work.
American sanctions might save Lifes then…the Death Daleks!!!…lol
That has been an issue with some of these power banks. They only can manage .500 MA at 5 volts. The power banks I build can handle up to two amps at 5 volts. That is the mark of a good power bank. Also seems to have a bit to do with the battery as well. If the battery is a smaller cell, then even with a good boost converter they still have low output.
I just bought this and was able to power a smartphone and ipod touch very quickly. I just don’t know how long it takes to charge under sunlight. It worked great for me so far. I just hope it re-charges properly under sunlight. For 7 dollars, I can’t complain too much.
I don’t know if anyone translated for you already, 2.8V refers to the stop discharge voltage for the lipo cell, basically what you already said. and 3.0V is the “low charge warning” spec, which I assume a pin on the chip will flip the state when the cell is discharged down to that point?
do you have a video on how to measure capacity of lithium cells?
i have that same one, and it’s not terrible. it suffers the same flaw as another you ‘reviewed’ and shuts off if it doesnt draw enough amperage. the plus sides is that for about 17 USD mine is definitely about 3000mah, advertised 5000. like so many chinese power banks, the cell inside will vary depending on the seller. mine doesnt have the same black wrap. my phone can draw about 900ma consistently, which is common for my moto E. i can feel the cell inside beginning to bulge only slightly after repeated uses, and i may discard it, or replace the cells soon, just to be on the safe side. as for solar charging, it’s nearly pointless unless you leave it in a windowsill all day for several days. that said, it’s enough to get you a little extra use in emergency situations.
hi i have that one also . big fan are GTL white 18650 cells safe ??
Hi. If I chain 6 of these, will it charge the last piece in the chain get charged almost 6 times faster?
hey i bought the same type solar charger! same color also! the thing doesnt work ! chargers for an entire day but unable to charge phone ! how do i fix it???
huh, I found one of those apart in some rocks on the side of the road.
The instant Chinese translator app should work fine in the uk, two other uk tech guys use it on their videos, their channels are TechMoan and Julien Illet
Haha! Oh god.. I bought this exact power bank from My local ‘The Range’ store. Guess I’ve bought crap..
I’ve seen these exact same ones on Ebay for $800, and selling… Only difference is the ones on Ebay have a laser etched brand name. That’s one expensive branding.
What type of screwdriver is that
Chinese datasheets are interesting. Some of the Chinglish (Chinese-English hybrid) listings on Ebay are funny, too. I saw a listing for some (probably knockoff) Wago connectors. It made a mention of “September 11” (a sad day in American history). I was puzzled until I read the description of another seller’s listing which said “strip 9-11 mm. of wire”. Sounds like auto translate with a touch of auto complete…
Are there any solar USB power banks that you would recommend? Thanks.
having a cup of tea right as you said go have a cup of tea. right on 🙂
I just got a 12000mAh one that looks just like yours and it has the same model number as yours as well. Interesting. Heres the link if you are interested in checking it out. http://www.ebay.com/itm/252357684543?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&var=551203400261&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
what was the ampiar of the battery..?????
I got the same one but a green (with the 5 leds and the button on the left side). i choosed the 8000mAh, it measured out at 2600mAh. it was cheap, so atleast I can use the solar cell for something 😀 also, my circuit board didn´t have any screws haha
EDIT: after watching the other video, the first thing I did was to take it apart and look for bridges haha
exactly to what i used to had!!! 5000mah fake cap, but mine is green.
now component is resalvaged by me (not including battery) 🙂
With my experience with these chargers the led will trickle discharge the cell
That particular one’s battery bloated while exposed to the sun. Bad news!!
Can it be used to light at night if i connect it to a flashlight ??????
I use google translate for fun on the epackets I get from ebay. You can do it real time or take a picture and then translatem
Any item having to be left in the bright sunlight or on a window sill to capture the sun, you would expect them to be in white or something to reflect the heat of the sun from them so they don’t get overheated that would cause them to malfunction being in the sunlight.
Hello, Once you have dissembled this powerbank it pop to me a question if maybe it’s possible to connect in a row two of this solar power cells and both batteries in order to have 4.9 Amh and double solar capacity of charging without fearing it would explode!!! lol thanks in advance if you read this.
Clive – did you build that USB Load yourself, or is available from the “usual sources”? If the latter can you provide a link to supplier(s)?? Ta in advance, Phil S.
I have a large led bar in bakc
Have similar, never opened it though… mine does seem to have a fake solar panel (did not you have one of the fake solar panel ones also?)
My wife scored me a couple of these from some Facebook ad (just P&P to pay). Took ’em to bits as a matter of routine and they both have Hotchip HT4936S chips instead. Maybe a revised version? No DW01 in sight.
Hi there Cive, i have one of these that was a “collect points” gift from CocaCola’s two years ago, and i only had it used a few times as it won’t charge my phone (2.600Ma) even 1 time. How i can check if it’s okay? also, it takes FOR EVER to fully charge (Using a 2A 5V charger), almost like a complete day. Could you help me? mine’s Red on the shell and black at the bumper
I was wondering how to charge the internal battery of this device using a cord and not the solar feature. Turns out you have to use the micro input. Just fyi. – Great video.
Please do a tutorial how you would do to improve things in it