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Bought a 'solar powered' phone charger that was a total scam
I saw this thing online for $35, a little fold-out panel that promised to charge a phone with just sunlight. It looked perfect for camping trips, so I grabbed one. Took it out on a clear day in the park, left it in direct sun for over four hours. The phone battery went up maybe 2%. The panel itself got hot enough to fry an egg. I opened it up later and the actual solar cell inside was the size of a postage stamp. Felt like a complete waste of money and materials. It's just cheap junk that'll end up in a landfill. Has anyone found a small solar charger that actually works like it says?
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lily5114mo ago
Agree with @reese_hill on this one, you can't expect professional-grade solar for pocket change. That $35 panel probably has a tiny cell and cheap wiring, so yeah, it'll heat up more than it converts power. Solar tech is still pricey per watt, so any charger under a few hundred bucks is going to be more of a trickle charger than a fast refill. If you want something that actually works for camping, you gotta spend closer to $100 for a legit folding panel with real efficiency ratings. Otherwise you're just buying a toy that turns sunlight into warm disappointment.
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reese_hill6mo ago
Come on, you expected a miracle for $35? That's basically toy money for solar tech. What did you think was in there, a full-size panel? It got hot because it was working, that's just physics. Maybe manage your expectations next time.
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perez.christopher6mo ago
Yeah, that whole thing just shows how we're all trained now to expect way too much for way too little. It's like every ad promises magic for pocket change, and then we're surprised when it's just a cheap piece of plastic. You see it with everything from those phone chargers that die in a week to kitchen gadgets that break on first use. Makes you wonder why we keep falling for it.
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