Global Solar - SUNLINQ 12W
- Details
- Written by JT McAvoy
When on any operation particularly extended operations weight can be a huge issue. Too often (especially for medics and communications members) our packs are additionally weighted down by additional equipment. Unfortunately this is a necessary evil, certain items that are necessary for our mission on the team. Without these things we would not be able to function to the best of our ability for the team. More often than not these items require batteries and usually a lot of them. This adds pounds to our pack that can become an issue in certain situations. The usual solution to this problem is rechargeable batteries. This is good in theory but in the field where are you going to plug in a charger? Thanks to new technology this is now becoming less of an issue before.
Global Solar is on the forefront of helping solve this problem. They do this by using new technology to make smaller, lighter, more durable, and much more powerful solar panels than ever before. I wish that I could explain in depth how this new technology works, unfortunately I cannot. I do recommend taking a look at their site where they have in depth explanations, and diagrams on how they work. They also have a section that has a downloadable catalog in PDF format that lists all of their available products, accessories, and who to contact about purchasing them.
On our request Global Solar was nice enough to send us one of the smaller 12watt panels. Our goal was to see how tough and durable that this panel was under real world conditions as well as what it would and would not charge. We all know what the manual says but I am not content with that. I have to know exactly what something is capable of and where its limits are. I found that Global Solar panels are extremely tough and is actually one of the few products that can do everything that the manufacture claims that it will.
Allow me to give you a brief rundown of the testing and torture that I subjected this panel to. The day it arrived the first thing that struck me was the size. This fairly decent size panel that could produce 12watts of power compacted down small enough that I could fit it in a BDU pocket. It also collapsed down with great ease which is a great plus in my book. Global Solar also sent me a slew of attachments and adapters to play with as well. Once again I could fit all of these in a bag and could drop them in a pocket on a standard set of BDUs. I then began my two phases of testing.
The first phase was based on the question of what exactly will my panel charge. Under relatively controlled conditions (in a back yard) I began this test. I found that this panel would charge most anything that you could need on an extended op. I was able to charge a GPS (2 different types), a battery charger, my cell phone, DVD camcorder, it would trickle charge my Jeep battery, and even my rechargeable dive computer. It charged all of these things and in a relative short time. The only disappointment I had was the fact that it would not charge my computer. However Global Solar does make panels that will not only charge it but also run it as well. Once I found this out my disappointment was then limited to the fact that I did not have one. So with Global Solar’s 12watt panel there are few necessary items that it will not charge.
The second phase of testing was a tad more brutal. Now that I know what the panel will charge what conditions will it charge under? My initial guess based off the durable construction was probably just about any conditions. I decided to take this panel with me on an “expedition” we shall say. It preformed under all real world condtions that we subjected it too. We were operating in temperatures ranging from 50 degrees F in the day and average of 15 degrees F at night. There was rain, hail, and winds gusting up to 45mph at times. Attachment points built into the panel allowed me to place it on a pack while hiking and still charge or power whatever I needed it to. At one point it was pinned down and attached to a top of a vehicle. During this time it rained tremendously, we had winds again of 45mph gusts and it tore the panel off of the top of the vehicle. During the course of things, while laying on the ground it got stepped on multiple times and smashed into the mud. It also got blown a little father onto some gravel where it was then subsequently run over (on accident) by a vehicle. Once I returned to realize this I just knew the panel would not work. Much to my surprise I picked it up wiped it off and it then began to work again when exposed to sunlight. The only damage noted to the panel was a few indentations from the gravel being smashed into it. Over time though it did return to somewhat normal and the indentions are hardly noticeable. So the panel not only survived but came through with flying colors.
I have to admit that when I first saw this product that I was skeptical. I figured that I would either destroy it in no time flat or it would not perform to my expectations. Global Solar's panel preformed above and beyond what I expected and impressed not only me but those around me as well. This product has lightened the weight on my pack and saved me space usually taken up by batteries. It has also enabled us to do more with certain technologies that we could not utilize before in the field, which in turn has helped our mission effectiveness. Global Solar’s panel is now an indispensable item on our team and a few others that saw its performance. My hat is truly off to Global Solar for making a superior product. For more information on their panels I recommend checking out their site on the internet, you will not be disappointed.
