EnerPlex Kickr IV Solar Charger With Accessories: Review From Prepperology Posted 12.09.2015 12:55:00 by Team EnerPlex
I always enjoy reviewing solar products simply because it’s amazing how they work – in this case it’s a portable solar charger made by EnerPlex. I recently discovered their company onFacebook and was pleasantly surprised at their gear and product line. Much like their competitors, they offer a full range of solar panel products from panels to power storage devices. Luckily I had the chance to review three of their products, the
EnerPlex Kickr IV Solar Charger, the Jumpr Stack 9 and the Jumpr Quad. Let’s start with the EnerPlex Kickr IV Solar Charger – the first thing I noticed was how light the panels are! If you’re packing tons of gear into a bug out bag, as a prepper you know you want to keep the weight down. I’ve owned a few other portable solar chargers and they are double the weight of this one. This panel is a 6.5 watt panel and outputs using a standard USB port at 1.2 Amps and under standard conditions can charge portable 5v devices as quickly as a wall outlet. Below are some further specs on the unit: Unfolded: 774mm(30.5″)/185mm(7.3″)/2mm(0.08) Folded: 225mm(8.8″)/185mm(7.3″)/2mm(0.08″) Power: 6.5 Watts Unregulated/6.0 Watt, 5 Volt System Regulated Solar Cell Type: CIGS Output: 1.2 Amps (USB Port) Warranty: 1 Year I wish it had a 12v output but I can live without it. With it being so light, it’s worth the addition to my 72 hour bag. It also comes with several elastic bands to help keep the panels folded shut or can be used to mount it in a prime spot for charging.
The Jumpr Stack 9 is a very cool product. Most of these portable solar chargers are being equipped these days with slimline lithium polymer batteries or being sold as an accessory which are capable of charging your phone or other 5v devices 3-4 times depending on their capacity. Usually they are outfitted with a standard micro-USB inputs for charging directly from the solar charger, in this case the EnerPlex Kickr IV and an output USB port for charging your devices when the sun isn’t out. It also comes with a handy and super bright LED! Another cool addition is that there are built-in phone connectors, micro-USB and lightning connector outputs coming off the side of the device. They can be pulled out to charge and then pushed back in when you’re finished – that feature alone will allow you to charge up to three devices at once. TheJumpr Stack 9 is a 9400 mAh battery so it will charge your phones, tablets, cameras easily and quickly – just like a wall outlet. Another cool feature is the ability to “stack” (hence the name) the batteries if you buy more than one, using the magnetic stack and charge functionality built into the device. You’ll see several pins along the bottom of the battery where they stack together, so you can absorb all the power from the sun throughout the day, which will allow you to charge larger power hungry devices. Below are additional specs: Product Dimensions: 130mm(5.12″)/68mm(2.68″)/20mm(0.8″) Battery Capacity: 9,400 mAh Battery Type: Lithium-Polymer Recharge By: 0.4-2A Micro USB or Stack, Charge, & Chain Port Input: Micro-USB
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Output: USB Port/Tethered Micro-USB/Tethered Lightning Power Output: 1A/2.4A Warranty: 1 Year
The Jumpr Quad serves the same basic purpose that the Jumpr Stack 9 does, however it charges AA and AAA batteries instead of the one solid lithium polymer battery. This is highly useful for communication devices such as walkie talkie radios, flashlights and other small electronic devices that don’t have built-in batteries. The Jumpr Quad comes with four AA nickel rechargeable batteries. The device has a super bright LED along with the typical micro-USB input and USB output. It does require you to charge the batteries in pairs but doesn’t make you charge all four at the same time. The bottom of the charging unit has metal connectors inset for AAA batteries, so no additional accessory is required to fit them. Below are some additional specs on the Jumpr Quad: Product Dimensions: 104mm(4.1″)/47mm/(1.9″)/27mm(1.1″) Battery Capacity: 1,000-2,300 mAh (AA-AAA Batteries), 4,0009,200 with all 4 batteries and Quad powerbank Battery Type: NI-MH
Recharge By: Micro-USB Input: 5V/1A Output: USB Port Power Output: 1 Amp Warranty: 1 Year
I really loved EnerPlex’s version of portable solar equipment. It’s really durable and rugged which makes it perfect for preppers and outdoorsman alike. If you’re interested in learning more or would like to purchase EnerPlex gear, visit their website – http://goenerplex.com or check out their gear on Amazon.com. Be sure to check out my video review below and subscribe on YouTube to get future product review notifications. View the accompanying video and original article at: http://prepperology.net/enerplex-kickr-iv-solar-charger-with-accessories/