There is another product by Solar Focus is the SolarDuo Purse. I was debating between the Mio and Duo and finally I set on the SolarMio. Looking at the specification for both product below.
Mio Duo
Solar Power 2.52W 1.68W
Solar Output 6V, 420 mA 4V, 129mA
Output Voltage 5V / 6V 5V / 6V
Power Bank 3.7V 900mA (3.3W) 1.2V, 2300mA AA Ni-MH battery x 2 (5.52W)
Weight w/ power bank 250g 190g
It is clear that the SolarMio is a better Solar product as it will charged faster however its power bank is rather low in rating if you do you math (P=VI). I had ordered an additional power bank 3.7V, 1800mA which has a rating of 6.6W for just additional NTD250.
So now let us get started on the SolarMio....
Original packaging
package comes with 10 tips, car and 110/220V wall charger and 2 charging cable
each Solar cell should have an output 2V 140mA
power bank and storage compartment
the power bank is able to charge my Sanyo eneloop batteries which will be handy for my other gadgets
Gadgets in full charging speed
the SolarMio does not have any external wires, the power bank is connected to the solar cell by means of connecting buttons which I think is a brilliant idea.
power bank have both USB and DC output
the DC-in is charge either by car or wall charger.
the on /off switch I find it is unnecessary. Makers says when you are charging your gadget, set the switch to "ON" otherwise set it to "OFF" to prevent unnecessary power bank drainage...DOH
Moreover the switch is so tiny and you need to use your nails to move it.
you are able to charge 2 devices at the same time
overall weight with power bank and connecting cables
I found the original elastic cord position is it not to my liking so I made some modification by just running the cord at the lower end and tied with a knot on each end so that the panel can be opened nicely. On the top I added to nylon ring for hanging purposes.
Ready to GO!!
SolarMio would be my first choice, if the maker did not provide an option for power bank upgrade I would reconsider my choice again. Overall the Mio has a greater Solar power output which is crucial to charging our devices. They used Li-Polymer battery which far better than the other two. The only things I did not like about it is the fabric they used which is PVC or some rubber material. It doesn't seems durable but I might be wrong. I would prefer they had nylon material just like what is on the SolarDuo. The other thing is the power bank compartment. The zipper seems like a "cheapo" material, zipping and unzipping is not always smooth. I would rather the had the compartment at least water resistance.
Solio Classic would be my second choice. Among the three, Solio has the lowest Solar power output at 0.93W. Given the option to recharge the power bank and charging other devices at the same time gave Solio an upper hand over the SolarDuo. Overall Solio classic is the lightest and smallest but you would have to sacrifice it's durabilty and longer recharging hours on Li-Ion Battery.
SolarDuo uses Ni-MH rechargeable AA battery. The plus piont for this system is that you can charge as many rechargeable battery as you want but then again, to charge 2nos batteries on a good day would take around 4.5hrs. and is probably good enough to use for your torch for one night. I like the nylon fabric the used on the Solar Duo which is more durable compare to SolarMio. According to some customers review from REI, I did not like about the SolarDuo is that it is not able to solar recharge and charge other devices at the same time. Solar devices should not design in such manner that you would have to wait for your battery to be fully charge before you can use it.
So overall I would have to sacrifice the weight and size of the SolarMio over performance. I need a device that can provide juice faster and SolarMio is currently the one that can do that.
UPDATE
Photo of the battery pack, just use a penknife and you should be able to open it up.
great blog keep up the good work
ReplyDeleteYou said you bought a larger battery for your solarmio, was that an aftermarket battery or its that from the solar focus company?
ReplyDeleteKess, I bought the larger battery however you can open up easily the battery and upgrade the battery.
ReplyDeleteHi guys, that sounds very interesting. I also want to upgrade the battery, maybe even to exchangable AA batteries if possible.
ReplyDeleteCan anyone advise me on this?
SCX, where did you buy this bigger battery?
changeing to AA battery will not fit the original casing. I bought extra battery pack when purchasing the SolarMio however the are no longer in production. I have checked both battery packs and they are the same except for the battery. In my opinion you can remove the battery and replace with a higher capacity. I will post some photos.
ReplyDelete