Reviewed: Anker Power Port Solar 21W Solar Panel + Fenix RC09 LED Flashlight
Related: Apple, Apple iOS, Apple iPhone and iPad, flashlight, iOS, solar, USB
See my solar and battery power charging wish list at B&H Photo.
Anker products are not carried by B&H Photo, but are available on Amazon: Anker solar @AMAZON, Anker battery @AMAZON.
See also Gear for the Mountains.
I previously reviewed the GOAL ZERO solar products following by the Anker PowerPort Solar Lite, Anker PowerCore 20100+ USB-C and Fenix RC11 flashlight.
I’ve now updated my review of the 15W Anker PowerPort Solar Lite to include its 3-panel sibling, the 21W Anker PowerPort Solar.
Anker Solar Panels: 15W PowerPort Solar Lite, 21W PowerPort Solar
The interest of mine threading through all this is in off-the-grid power for multi-day excursions, for electronics such as the Sony A7R II, a rechargeable flashlight, or an iPhone (for panoramas in the field), etc. Some GPS units are also USB-rechargeable.
But some things suck, like Canon and Nikon, which require AC power to charge (no I’m not just going to put a $10 charger that applies a volt-amperage to two leads on the battery).
I’ve also done some real-world solar charging test, summarized here, see the review for details:
| 15W PowerPort Solar Lite | 21W PowerPort Solar | Comments | |
|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone 5s | 20% to 100% in just over 2 hours | ||
| iPhone 6s Plus discharged to self shut-off. 11 Wh |
0% to 70% @ 65 minutes 0% to 97% @ 110 minutes 0% to 98% @ 120 minutes 0% to 100% @ 127 minutes or less |
theoretical best = 62 minutes @ 5V / 2.1A (not verified as possible) | |
| Charge Sony A7R II battery in-camera 7.3 Wh, totally drained |
2 hours 11:00 - 13:00 |
just as fast as powered USB | |
| Fenix RC11 flashlight 2600 mAH / 9.36 Wh battery |
4 hours 11:00 - 15:00 |
just as fast as powered USB | |
| Fenix RC09 flashlight two (2) X 700 mAh / 2.59 Wh, consecutively |
3.5 hours 9:00 - 12:30 |
Flashlight accepts at most 1.5 amps | |
| Fenix 3500 mAH / 9.36 Wh battery in Fenix charger | 5 hours 12:00 - 5:00 |
Nearly as fast as USB. Charger limited to 1.5 amps |
|
| Anker PowerCore 20100+ 74 Wh battery + Fenix 3500 mAH / 12.6 Wh battery in RC11 flashlight |
15 hours ~= 11 hours full sun day 1: 08:00 - 13:00 battery done day 1: 08:00 - 20:00 PowerCore @ 70% done day 2: 09:00 - 12:00 PowerCore @ 1005 |
day 1 8:00 AM foggy overcast, sunny by 9 AM TOTAL of 86.6 Wh |
Rechargeable LED lighting
The Fenix RC09 and RC09 are amazingly bright yet can run for days on lower settings. Thus appropriate for backpacking or off-the-grid use, since they can be recharged using a small solar panel and the lighting can run for days if needed, without recharging.
Fenix RC11 Palm-Size USB-rechargeable LED Flashlight
Fenix RC09 Tiny but Powerful USB-Rechargeable LED Flashlight
