Freeloader Solar Charger
Freeloader Solar Charger
Find out more about the Freeloader solar charger for mobile phones, iPods, PDAs, and GPS
solar | shopping | general
There are now many
solar chargers on the market which can be used to provide power on the move for mobile phones, iPods, PDAs, GPS units, and other electronic devices. The
Freeloader is the best selling
solar charger in the UK, and also one of the cheapest commercially available units.
NEW The new
Freeloader Pro is now also available. Click here for more information on the
Freeloader Pro.
Freeloader Solar Charger
Pictured above, the
Freeloader Solar Charger weighs in at just 185g and is just 12.3 x 6.2 x 1.7cm. A small crystalline
PV solar panel is used to charge an onboard
lithium ion battery. The Freeloader has a strong aluminium body.
The power stored in the battery can be used to recharge a wide-range of hand held devices via one of the twelve supplied
adapters. These include Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, and Sony Ericsson mobile phone, USB, mini-USB, and 4mm straight jack adapters. Other adapters for less common phones, Game Boys etc, are available for around £5 each.
The lithium ion (Li-ion) battery fitted into the Freeloader will hold charge for up to
three months. The average lifetime of the battery is two years with replacements available for just over £10.
In full sunlight, the
5.5V, 120 mA solar panel can fully charge the
3.7V, 1000 mAh battery in around 5-6 hours. Alternatively, the battery can be charged directly using the included USB cable (connected to a computer) in just three hours.
Freeloader User Manual
The
Freeloader User Manual (PDF) can be downloaded here. It is also supplied in printed form with the Freeloader.
NEW Freeloader Globetrotter
The
Freeloader is now available in a
Globetrotter pack (pictured above) which includes a 1.5 Watt crystalline PV solar panel called the
Supercharger. The Supercharger is 210mm x 159mm x 6mm, weighs in at 200g, and will charge the batteries from flat in just
4 hours of direct sunshine. It's main advantage is that it is fully
weather resistant and fitted with a couple of velcro straps so it can be fixed to a rucksack or bicycle panniers. In this way, the Freeloader can be charged throughout the day without having to get it out of your bag.
Buy a Freeloader Solar Charger
If you would like to
buy a Freeloader Solar Charger for
£24.95, click here.
Alternatively, click here to
buy a Freeloader Globetrotter for
£49.95.
NEW The Freeloader Solar Charger can now be used to charge two AA or AAA
rechargeable batteries using the new
Freeloader AA/AAA Battery Charger.
Alternatives to the Freeloader
If you require a larger
battery capacity and more powerful
solar panel consider instead the
PowerMonkey Explorer (3.6V 2,200mAh battery, 5V 200mA solar panel) or the
Solio Solar Charger (3.6V 1,600mAh battery, 6V 165mA solar panel) both of which are available in the UK for around
£50.
Alternatively you can make your own
solar battery charger very easily.
Article Last Modified: 12:01, 25th Jun 2009Comment on this Article
If you have any comments on this article, please email them to
neil@reuk.co.uk.
Recommended Related Articles
People who read this article also enjoyed the following articles:
Freeloader ProIntroduction to the new Freeloader Pro - the ultimate professional solar charger
Article Last Modified: 16:56, 9th Jul 2009solar | shopping | generalSolar iPod ChargerFind out how to make a solar powered charger for your iPod
Article Last Modified: 11:00, 20th Jul 2007solar | generalSolar Charge ControllerFind out more about Solar Charge Controllers
Article Last Modified: 11:12, 29th Oct 2009solar | electronics | electric circuitSolar Battery Charger With LM317TFind out how to make a current controlled solar battery charger using an LM317T
Article Last Modified: 09:34, 30th Mar 2007solar | education | electric circuitBasic 4 AA Solar Battery Charger PlansMake a simple solar charger for 4 AA rechargeable batteries
Article Last Modified: 09:43, 30th Jul 2007solar | educationPowerMonkey ExplorerFind out more about the Power Monkey Explorer - a solar powered universal mobile phone charger
Article Last Modified: 10:26, 31st Mar 2009solar | shoppingSolar Battery ChargingMake a solar charger for NiCd and NiMH rechargeable AA, AAA etc batteries
Article Last Modified: 09:43, 30th Jul 2007solar | educationVoltage Doubler for Solar Battery ChargerBoost the voltage of a solar panel to power higher voltage devices or charge batteries
Article Last Modified: 13:15, 16th May 2007solar | electronics | educationUK Biodiesel Processor EquipmentFind a supplier of Biodiesel equipment in the UK
Article Last Modified: 16:22, 6th Apr 2010biomass | transportFreeloader Battery ChargerFind out more about the Freeloader USB AA and AAA Battery Charger
Article Last Modified: 10:26, 31st Mar 2009storage | shopping | general