A solar iPod Charger is an easy way to take advantage of solar power.
It’s also one of the great examples of how portable solar power has come a long way in the past few years.
Thin film solar panels and high efficiency solar cells have allowed solar panels to get smaller and lighter.
This means that now you can easily carry around enough solar power to keep your iPod, cell phone, or even your laptop fully charged.
I’m not sure about you, but when my iPod gets down to the ‘red zone’ on the battery meter, I start to get a little nervous.
I start wondering if I’m going to run out of juice before I finish listening to the latest podcast on alternative history or solar power news.
Or what if I’m on a trip and I run out of pod power while I’m relaxing to my favorite Radiohead album? (Kid A, if you must know).
That just won’t do.
It’s a good thing I can avoid these unfortunate situations with the simple solution offered by a solar iPod charger.
These chargers are similar to the solar chargers used for cell phones and batteries but they have the proper attachments for charging your iPod.
Most of the chargers have built in batteries that can store a charge so you can use it anytime like a back-up battery pack. Others just feature solar panels and can only power up your device while the sun is shining.
Let’s take a look at some of the options you have if you decide to power your Apple iPod with the power of the sun:
Solio
Solio chargers are high quality and they are also very nicely designed. They are great for charging pretty much any kind of iPod or cell phone as long as you have the proper attachment.
Solio provides you with one free attachment when you order your solar charger, so if you are going to be charging your iPod be sure to get the ‘female USB connector tip’ and you’ll be set.
The main Solio line-up consists of the following four chargers:
- Classic
- Rocsta
- Mono
- Mag
All of these Solio chargers have a built-in lithium ion battery to store your power so you can keep your iPod charged even if the sun isn’t shining.
iSol Plus
The iSol Plus can be charged up using the solar panel or the USB port on your computer.
The charging time for the iSol Plus’ 3.7 volt lithium battery is listed at 10-20 hours from the solar panel and 2-4 hours from the USB cable.
The SolarMonkey
This wonderfully named charger is in the ‘Made for iPod’ program and can be directly connected to your Apple device.
The SolarMonkey doesn’t hold a charge but you can buy it with the SolarNut which holds a charge and regulates the supply of power to your iPod even on a cloudy day.
Well, those are a few solar iPod charger ideas that will keep your battery meter out of the ‘red zone’ and make sure you’re never without the music and podcasts you love.