Power Monkey eXplorer Solar Charger
December 3, 2010
I actually let a dude review this! He’s my next door neighbor and is kind of a superman – a cop, a lieutenant at the fire department, a hardcore snowmobiler, outdoor photographer, and generally all around good kinda guy. I’m not so gadgety so I cunningly gave him the Power Monkey to figure out so that I didn’t have to read the instructions. So here’s the result, with my traditional smartass commentary to tie it all together. By the way, I did not make him test the pink unit pictured above, mainly because that’s not the one that PowerMonkey sent. -Ed.
INTRO
The Power Monkey eXplorer Solar Charger is a portable device designed to charge electronic devices while you are on the go. Within the kit contents there is a small solar panel that is designed to recharge the Power Monkey’s internal lithium battery cell. The kit also comes with an AC and USB adapter to recharge the battery when the sun is not shining. The kit retails for over $100.
OPENING THE BOX
Upon opening the kit I observed a lot of extra accessories. [When I opened the box I observed a giant tangle of stuff, which inspired me to give the unit to someone else to review. I guess a giant tangle of stuff is also known as "accessories." -Ed.] Besides getting the battery cell and solar panel there is also a AC and USB adapter. The kit includes various attachment tips for all types of cell phones and electronic devices even a tip for an iPod. There are 3 international outlet adapters, a small storage pouch and a relatively compact zipper case that holds everything.
The solar panel is a thin rubberized unit that is hinged in the middle. The battery unit is also rubber coated and has covers for the input and output jacks to prevent damage. On the side of the battery unit there is a LCD display showing the amount of battery life along with small bars indicating charging and discharging battery life. Both the solar panel and battery unit appear to be well built and able to handle outdoor abuse.
PERFORMANCE
When I first received this kit the battery life was about 25%. I quickly found the attachment for my cell phone and topped off my cell phone charge. I drained the 25% in about an hour.
When the Power Monkey is drained, a 3 bar icon inside a battery symbol on the LCD display begins flashing. This indicates the battery cell is empty and ready for recharge. I attached the solar panel to the battery unit and placed on the dash of my vehicle. [Cop car! -Ed.] The solar panel has a green LED light that indicated the panel is receiving light. The battery pack began to flash indicating the battery unit was charging. The solar panel received full sun from through the front window in my [kick-ass police cruiser] for about two hours and fifteen minutes and received a full charge; I was amazed with how quick the unit charged. [He came over and said it was "awesome!" I had just watched the movie "The Book of Eli" and started to get a little upset that I'd given the unit to someone else. I mean, what if the world ended, the ozone layer burned away, and I needed a charge for my iPod? I had to get this thing back. -Ed.]
After receiving a full charge I attached the full battery unit to my iPod using the iPod attachment tip. The solar panel was also still connected. I found that the battery unit would not discharge power while still connected the solar panel. [I probably never would have checked that. This is why I let other people do the gadgets. -Ed.] I disconnected the solar panel and my iPod was up and running. With a fully charged battery unit I played my iPod non stop for about five hours and 30 minutes.
The battery unit was now empty. I detached the iPod and reattached the solar panel. I placed both items in the front window of my home which receives full light. I found there was no sun shining. [He lives in the Northwest so this is pretty normal. -Ed.] After about 5 hours I checked the battery unit and found there was no charge. I left items in the window over night and the entire next day and found that with no sunlight shining into the solar panel no charge was received, I was extremely unhappy with this outcome. [He came back over and said "it sucks!" -Ed.]
CHARGING THE UNIT
I read through the owners manual and found that the unit should take about three hours and thirty minutes to charge a completely drained battery pack using the AC adapter and about six hours using the USB cable. I did not use the USB cable. I did however use the AC adapter and found that the unit took just under 5 hours to fully charge. When charging under full sun the unit charged in just over two hours through my vehicle window.
Using a full charge I was able to charge my Motorola Droid cell phone in a about two hours. The battery unit still had three of seven bars indicating I could probably charge my cell phone again before recharging the battery unit.
The solar panel can also be used alone to charge electronic devices. I would not recommend this due to the slow charge time and needing ample sunlight to even get a full charge with the battery unit attached. The solar panel could be used in emergency situations. I have found that solar panels have a life span from five to twenty years and lithium batteries usually only last one to two years. [I think that he has "found" this because he's really an android, powered by lithium batteries and solar panels. How else would he know? -Ed.] The result to this would be the Power Monkey leading to less waste.
CONCLUSION
The Power Monkey eXplorer Solar Charger is a rugged, simple and compact unit. Once charged a long battery life, versatile charging and array of attachment tips make this a well rounded unit though spending over $100 dollars really makes this a high dollar item.
PROS:
• Rugged Design
• Compact
• Adapter tips for several types of electronic items
• Solar panel that can be used for charging or independent
• Many charging options
CONS:
• Will not charge without sunlight [This seemed obvious to me, but my tester seemed disgruntled about it. It's a solar charger, after all, not a cloud powered device. But you CAN get sunburned through cloud cover so maybe I don't know what I'm talking about. -Ed.]
• Cost
• Long charging time with AC adapter
• Short cord from solar panel to battery unit
[Due to my irrational fear of a post-apocalyptic dystopian reality coming to pass, I asked to "borrow" the unit back to take it to the sunny part of the country. So what happened to Eli in that movie would never happen to me - I don't have to stop in some sketchy bandit town to charge my iPod now. Yesssss! -Ed.]
Wenger Standard Issue Ladies’ Watch
October 9, 2009
I admit, I was not a watch wearer before testing watches for Geargals. Now, thanks to a parade of PR samples, I have to wear a watch or I end up looking at my naked wrist as if it has something to tell me. Most of the watches I get to review are the techy kind, the size of soft drink cans with so many features I’m left cross-eyed. All of my watch reviews start with some disclaimer about how non-techy I am, so I was stoked to open the Wenger package to find this dainty little tells-time-only beauty. This time I can review ALL of the features, I thought to myself. Naturally, I haven’t figured out how to change the date on the watch yet (okay, so I haven’t even tried), so in my world it’s the 24th today.
Wenger stuff pretty much oozes quality, so it’s not surprising that the Standard Issue is a sleek, sexy, time-tellin’ machine with some serious impact resistance. I ran over it with my car, shot it with a .22, and gave it to my dog as a chew toy, and it still came out telling time like crazy. Okay, so we all know I didn’t do any of those things, but the watch is built for military use (Swiss Army – hello) and I’ve no doubt that it can take abuse. Maybe not being run over by a car, but I bet if it really did get sent through my dog’s digestive tract, it would come out ticking.
I have found myself wearing this watch a lot, mostly because it’s comfortable, unobtrusive, and gorgeous. I do like my beauty simple, and here is the epitome of simple watch beauty. No gaudy numbers on the face, no sparkly things, nothing to detract from its simple elegance. I don’t think I ever would have purposefully chosen a white-banded watch, but I have to say it really goes with everything and is very flattering, especially with my golden Alaskan tan. No, really! I got this tan in Alaska, really, I did. We had an epically hot summer and I actually got a real Alaskan tan. And I swear I will keep it, no matter the cost in airline tickets to Mexico, because I have this fabulously beautiful white watch to tell the time AND complement my tan.
SkeeterVac
September 12, 2009
A number of OR peeps heard me going on about my new SkeeterVac, the device that sucked up all of my savings and purports to do the same to mosquitos and other biting bugs. I guess it technically isn’t outdoor “gear” but I am outdoors writing this post with the help of my SkeeterVac and it’s my web site so I’ll post irrelevant topics if I want to. But I really don’t think this little beauty is irrelevant – hear me out.
This year I couldn’t use my backyard. At all. I don’t have an epic backyard or anything; just a modest little suburban grass patch, but it was completely overrun by mosquitoes. There was no way to go outside without lighting 40 citronella torches and covering oneself with DEET, and the bugs were still bad. In desperation I dropped almost $500 on the SkeeterVac, grabbing the last one in town and going on blind faith that there is no way a company could stay in business charging that much for something that doesn’t work. And now I’m wondering if that wasn’t the best $500 I’ve ever spent. I got my backyard back! I could weed the garden, hang out on the deck, and play with my dog without being sucked dry by the bloodthirsty hordes of mosquitoes. The difference was noticeable right away – incredible.
The SkeeterVac works by attracting female mosquitoes – the ones that bite – and either catching them on sticky paper or sucking them into the trap, which is basically a little net that holds the bugs until they dehydrate and die. It runs on propane and emits carbon dioxide, just like a human, which is what attracts the bugs. There is also a lure that evidently works on some species of mosquito, but the salesman told me that the Alaska species responded just to the carbon dioxide so not to worry about it, and it seems to be working just fine with just the propane. The SkeeterVac is designed to run 24/7 and is meant to capture the breeding bugs before they can produce thousands of eggs. For this reason it’s best to get the trap out early and leave it running all summer. Mine got in place late, but it still has made a difference. I don’t even have to wear bug repellent in the yard anymore – haven’t had a mosquito bite in the backyard all summer. I can see from inspecting the trap that it’s made a difference in bug population. It used to catch dozens of mosquitoes and now it hardly catches any, because there aren’t any to catch anymore; it’s already got them all.
I can tell when the SkeeterVac is out of gas the second I walk outside because I can feel the difference in the bug population. Even if the trap isn’t catching bugs it’s attracting them, so positioning the trap as far as possible from my house helps keep the bugs away from the house. The sticky paper is a little gross to change and the propane tank needs to be filled every three weeks or so, but it’s a small price to pay for being able to brave the big bad backyard again. All that DEET could not have been good for me, and now I don’t need it until I leave the safety of my own property. So if you find yourself with a spare $500, rest assured that the SkeeterVac is a sound investment in your sanity and blood supply.
Highgear Enduro Axio Altimeter Watch
June 30, 2009
It’s no secret I am not a tech whiz, but it is a mystery how I end up reviewing all the tech stuff that comes our way. I rarely wear a watch and tend to just flat out not care about things like my heart rate, the altitude, how long it took me to do something, or, oh yeah – the time. I don’t have an odometer on my bike, I have never timed a hike or climb, and my answer to “how high is this mountain” is usually “who cares?” I’m just not one of those tech-addicted, number-obsessed people. I am not going to tell you a mountain is not a mountain because it’s only X meters away from some other mountain, or run home to mark on a map the latest choss pile I climbed, or bang out a long dramatic blog post about how far I ran that day. I mean, it’s all just so randomly inane and fussy.
Numbers just don’t matter to me. So it’s pretty funny that Enduro’s latest offering has really won me over. I was so stoked with this gadget’s cute look, ease of use, cool altimeter, and well-fitting wristband that I actually checked the time before and after my ride, AND monitored the altitude the whole time! I have to admit it’s kind of fun to see whether the pressure is dropping, and just how high you’ve climbed. It’s rare for a tech watch to actually fit a small-boned wrist, and the Axio fits great, with room to spare for those tiny, tiny people. The watch face is a reasonable size; not one of those gigantic watch faces the size of a frisbee. You can wear this watch and still look cute; it’s classy enough to make the transition to social use. Now, admit it, you know it looks ridiculous when people wear enormous dive watches out to dinner or to the movies. It’s like a billboard, “Look at me! I’m outdoorsy!” If you really need to advertise your hobbies, you probably want a more in-your-face style of watch. This one is streamlined, pretty, and subtle.
The device seems very intuitive; I could figure stuff out without the instructions. This is a big deal, everyone. I usually can’t figure out how to manipulate the controls and then give up after a few minutes, and end up wearing a beer can-sized watch with the wrong time and with a billion wasted functions. This one, I got, though. I got the time figured out and was able to find the altimeter with just a few button pushes. Now that I’ve read the directions, I’m more confused than I was before, so I recommend going with the “intuition” method. There are a ton of functions – I was keen to see that there’s even a little weather forecast icon! Too bad it didn’t have a ‘thunderstorm’ picture, because that’s what I got stuck out in, but it did warn me clouds were coming. It also has a compass, which is pretty neat, although that requires calibrating which is too much work for me. There’s also a data function for those who want to track their total altitude, and many, many alarms, including a hydration alarm for people who can’t figure out if they’re thirsty. OK folks, I draw the line there. I like playing with the functions on this watch, but if you really need your watch to tell you to drink, you must put down the technology and back away slowly.
So I’ll never use the hydration alarm, but this watch has converted me into a watch-wearer. I love the look and the fit, and the ease of access to all the functions. If only all electronics were this easy and attractive!
Tech40 Accelerator Pulse Watch
April 22, 2009
Everyone thinks that being a Geargal means you’re an expert on anything and everything that has anything remotely to do with gear. I’m not going to argue with that assumption. Just kidding – there’s some gear that I know, and some gear I don’t know. I’m not particularly techy nor am I particularly interested in becoming more techy, but since tech is novel for me, I was really excited about trying Tech40′s watch with heart rate monitor function. I don’t even so much have an odometer on my bike, so I’ve no idea what my heart rate is, can be, or should be, and I figured this cool gadget would help me learn more about how to manage my heart rate.
Sadly, I could not get the heart rate function working for the LONGEST time. My assumption that my lack of tech savvy was to blame kept me fooling around with the device way longer than I should have. Finally I mentioned my troubles to the Tech4o folks, who advised me to replace the battery in the heart rate strap (duh), and once I did I had no problem syncing everything up. Sheeeeeesh. When in doubt, ask.
I have to admit that once I got the heart rate function working, I promptly lost interest in tracking my heart rate and stoppped using that function (again: I am not techy), but at least I know it works and for any of my readers who are really into counting their heart beats: you can count heartbeats any which way with this gadget. Max, average, resting, etc. etc. So if you’re into that, you can strap in and start gathering data about your speed, distance, heart rate, exertion, and your deepest emotions while you work out, and then run home and download all of it into a spreadsheet to chortle over. Last summer a runner here in Alaska got charged by a bear and he was all sorts of tickled about how his heart rate monitor recorded the adrenaline spike in the form of a new max heart rate. Seriously, it was in the paper and everything. You have to be a real tech nerd to make news with your new max heart rate. Anyway, so if you want to know what your heart rate is after being charged by a bear, the Accelerator Pulse can help out.
Other functions include a stopwatch, and, well, a clock. There’s also something called a chronograph that evidently is good for 50 laps, a lap timer, an alarm, a split time clock, and some other geeky stuff. There are so many buttons to press that you will never get bored. I admit that it’s probably a little too stuffed full of features for the non-tech set, but for you runners and racers this gadget has you covered. Since this is a women’s blog, I do have to mention that the heart rate strap might be a bit inconvenient for ladies whose cups spilleth over, so to speak. I wonder if the heart rate monitor would even work if one’s anatomy dictates that the strap can’t go around the upper rib cage. But that’s a design issue not limited to this particular heart rate monitor, I’ll wager. I was also a little surprised at the size of the wrist strap; I’m about average in bone and I had to cinch the watch down to the very last notch to keep it from fitting like a bangle; I looked a few times to make sure I didn’t have a men’s version by mistake. Smaller women might not be able to tighten the strap enough.
Just writing this review has re-sparked my heart rate curiosity again, so maybe I’ll give the tech life a try again now that it’s bike season. Let’s hope no bears are involved…
SteriPEN Journey LCD Water Treatment System
January 14, 2009
Get the SteriPEN at REI.com for only $99.95. Click here!
It’s that time of year again – when I get to brag about my tropical vacations under the guise of “product testing”. Hey, it’s not all ice and snow all the time, folks. Last week a few of the Geargals packed up and flew off to Mexico for some sun and surf and stomach cramps. Just kidding. I’ve never actually had a problem with the water in Mexico but a few of the gals were concerned about it (sissies) so we brought along the Steri-PEN Journey LCD water purifier. Um, actually, I got that wrong. Dear IRS, we went on a business trip specifically and solely for product testing purposes. Here are all our receipts including the ones for our completely necessary first class upgrades. And please keep reading for the results of this ardous work trip.
We used the SteriPEN to treat all of our water, and reasoned that if no one got sick, we could consider the SteriPEN a success. No one got sick, so there you have it. Best of all, though, the SteriPEN is super easy to use, convenient, and light. It’s much more pleasant than iodine tablets, faster than boiling, safer than just taking your chances, and lighter than hauling all of your own water. What’s not to like? Basically you press the button once to treat one liter of water, and twice to treat a half liter. If you want to treat more water, just use more than one cycle of the SteriPEN. After pressing the button, put the bulb end of the SteriPEN into water, and wait until the LCD screen displays a little happy face to tell you the water is safe. There is also a countdown timer for impatient people who haven’t yet gotten the hang of zen. My SteriPEN sample kit even came with an official SteriPEN Nalgene bottle and a coarse filter for those truly appalling water sources. On this trip we didn’t need that, but it is pretty neat. You can fill your Nalgene directly from your water source just by filling it through the filter. Then the SteriPEN screws into the bottle for a watertight seal while you’re treating the water. Very gadgety. I can’t wait to take this on a camping trip and feel smug while my companions grimace their way through their iodine water or spend forty minutes bringing a liter of water to a boil. The SteriPEN made it through airport security with no problems and dutifully survived ten days of heavy use in Mexico, treating enough water for four people. Evidently the battery is good for 10,000 cycles so this trip probably didn’t even make a dent in the battery life.
Easily squicked-out types might want to skip this next part, but the way the SteriPEN works is by rendering bacteria sterile rather than killing it. So the bacteria are actually still in the water, but they can’t reproduce and therefore can’t harm you or make you sick. I will admit that usually I don’t ever treat my water, mostly because I’m lazy, and have thus far been extremely fortunate to have never been sick and therefore have never been properly motivated to treat my water. Now that I have the SteriPEN, though, I will definitely conform to outdoor safety standards and treat all of my water with this simple, lightweight device. Who knows what future gut-wrenching unpleasantness I’ve been saved from? Plus I get to look cool and techy while other people fumble around with stoves and filters, and you all know how much I like that.
