Home Solar

6 solar-powered gadgets that are too convenient to ignore

ARTICLE – Electricity is something we often take for granted because using it is as easy as finding the nearest electrical outlet. But that approach isn’t always possible. In that case, these six gadgets let you tap into solar power from anywhere.

1. Damaanda Solar Book Light

This streamlined, solar-powered book light ensures you can keep enjoying the pleasure of the best page-turners wherever you are. It weighs less than 2 ounces, making the light an excellent choice for stashing into a backpack during your travels. The three LED bulbs offer both a low and high-brightness setting, giving you flexibility that increases your overall reading enjoyment.

During cloudy days, you can power up the book light with the included USB charger and cable. The wide width of the clip section makes it easy to attach the light to reading material of various thicknesses.

Buy: $14.99 on Amazon

2. GoSun Chill Solar Cooler

One of the potential hassles about conventional coolers is that things get messy when the bags of ice melt. Additionally, ice can take up too much room inside and leave less space for your food and beverages. But, this Indiegogo project will make you the star of the next beach trip or tailgate party. Solar power keeps your stuff cold without ice for up to 24 hours, and you can tweak a temperature setting feature.

Besides chilling your consumables, this cooler has USB ports to charge portable electronics. When you need to charge the cooler, do so in several ways, such as getting power from solar panels or plugging the gadget into a wall outlet.

Buy: $549.00 on Indiegogo INDEMAND

3. Alpine Bluetooth-Enabled Rock Speaker

The gadgets mentioned here have limited power-generation capabilities. So, if you’re trying to get power to host a community family day in your neighborhood, you’d need to invest in a more robust option, such as a commercial-grade generator. But, if you’re on a camping trip with family or friends and want to set the scene with music, look no further than this cool Alpine speaker.

It offers a Bluetooth range of 50 feet, plus has a weather-resistant body. Since the speaker gives up to 12 hours of use on a full charge, it’s the ideal choice for any of your festivities. The rock-inspired design fits right in with the natural environment, too.

Buy: $89.99 on Amazon

4. X-DRAGON Solar Charger 15000mAh Power Bank

Consider this product your must-have power bank for gadgets like smartphones and tablets. It charges popular smartphones like the iPhone X at least three times after a full charge, making it an ideal product for a weekend getaway. This power bank lets you feel free to take a break from your usual grind while staying connected to gadgets for safety or social reasons.

Rubber caps on the USB ports keep them protected from dust, dirt, and water. An integrated LED light with multiple operating modes also serves as a handy flashlight alternative.

Buy: $25.99 on Amazon

5. SolSource Sport Solar Camping Stove

Going off the grid doesn’t require going hungry when you invest in this camping stove. The stove is compact and easy to manage due to only weighing 10 pounds. Once you get to your destination, set it up in only 3-5 minutes. The stove comes with a backpack-style carrying bag, too. This gadget functions with high-performance parabolic reflector panels that heat the bottom of your cooking containers. It starts getting hot in minutes once you aim it at the sun.

Buy: $389.00 on SolSource

6. Vollebak Solar-Charged Jacket

A list of solar-powered items isn’t complete without a piece of apparel. The most outstanding characteristic of this jacket is that it glows in the dark. Plus, you can power it up with any light source — whether the sun or your car’s headlights — and enjoy a glow that lasts for 12 hours.

And, if you want to impress your friends at a party, start drawing on the highly reactive fabric by using a flashlight like a pen. You’ll see glowing lines wherever the light hits. This waterproof and breathable jacket does an excellent job of keeping you protected from harsh winds. It’s also a fabulous purchase for adventure hikers since the packable design rolls up to fit in one hand.

Buy: $445 from Vollebak

The Sun Is Nature’s Power Source

There’s no need for pesky electrical cords when you buy any of these six gadgets. Powering them up is as easy as going outside and giving them plenty of sun exposure. Whether you’re enjoying the Great Outdoors for a weekend or dealing with an unexpected power outage, these products can help.

Lead image via Dua Chuot

Filed in categories: Articles

Tagged:

6 solar-powered gadgets that are too convenient to ignore originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 11, 2019 at 12:00 pm.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.

Soliom Bird S60-Outdoor Wireless Solar Home Security Camera review

REVIEW – Peace of mind. What does that mean? It’s when you don’t have any worries, fears, or stresses. Having total peace of mind is almost impossible unless you’re a Shaolin monk, but you can work towards that goal by finding ways to remove worries, fears, and stresses. One way to do that might be keeping an eye on your home, property, pets, and more when you’re not physically with them. Home security cameras are a tool that can do that for you and today I’m going to tell you all about the Soliom Bird S60-Outdoor Wireless Solar Home Security Camera. Let’s see if this one is a worthy tool in your peace of mind toolbox.

What is it?

The Soliom wire-free solar security camera is a WiFi security camera that has a built-in battery that is recharged by the sun. Unlike other solar-powered security cameras that we’ve reviewed, this one doesn’t use a separate mountable solar panel. It has the panels attached the camera’s body.

What’s in the box?

  • Soliom Bird S60-Outdoor Wireless Solar Home Security Camera
  • Camera mount
  • Mounting hardware
  • Screwdriver
  • Replacement port cover
  • Reset pin
  • micro USB charging cable
  • Security window sticker
  • User manual

Hardware specs

Camera – 1080p full HD 160°
30-65ft(10-20m) night vision distance
Motion detection technology integrated (PIR & RADAR)
Two-way audio
Communication – WiFi 2.4GHz
Operating temperature – between -4℉ to 140℉(-20°C～+60°C)
IP66 weatherproof
Battery – 4000mah rechargeable via USB or the sun

Design and features

This security camera has a unique design with a removable solar panel that gives the camera a bird or airplane-like vibe. The camera is between the solar panels and has a 1080p lens, status LED, light sensor, and a motion sensor below the lens.

The bottom of the camera has a threaded socket for the included mounting bracket. Also on the bottom is a micro USB connector to charge the internal battery, a micro SD card slot to record motion events, and a reset switch, all of which are protected by a flexible rubber cover that is designed to keep out moisture from the weather. You can also see a button near the front of the camera. This is a power button.

Soliom mobile app

Setting up and connecting the camera to your wireless network is pretty easy. The first step is to make sure you have fully charged the internal battery by using the included micro USB cable. Then you just have to install the Soliom app on your Android or iOS device and follow the steps.

At one point the app uses sound waves to connect to the camera. It’s a strange way to set up a security camera and I had to try it several times before I was successful, but it did work.

Launching the app will show a thumbnail view (not a real-time view) of the connected cameras. Clicking the thumbnail will go into the live view for that camera.




In the live view mode, you’ll see a real-time view from the camera along with the WiFi signal strength status, battery status, and how many people are connected to the camera at that time.

Below the real-time view window is a timeline with red bars. The bars represent events that were detected by the built-in motion sensor. You can scroll through the timeline and watch the recorded clips which are either saved to the cloud or a micro SD card (not included) inserted into the camera.

Scrolling through the timeline is a little tricky. Sometimes I would scroll to an event only to have the software snap back to the current time/live view. Other times it would try to load the event clip only to time out. And other times it would work as expected.


Another way to watch the live view is to use the built-in cruise feature which will pan across the view. This is kind of cool the first couple times you use it, but it does this digitally and as a result, the resolution isn’t as good and part of the image is cropped.



Clicking the gear icon will take you into the camera settings where you can customize various features.


There are two ways to be notified when the camera detects motion. You can have the app “call” you as shown above on the left, or you can receive a traditional notification alert on your home screen. With either method, tapping the answer or notification message will take you to the app but it will not show you a clip of the motion that actually caused the alert. It’s up to you to watch the events by scrolling through the timeline.

I noticed that I wouldn’t receive a notification every time motion was detected which was worrisome if this was your only security camera. I also noticed that when a notification did come through that clicking the notification, connecting to the camera, and trying to watch the detected event would often take too long to be useful.

What I like

  • Solar powered
  • Removable solar panels for optional indoor/power tethered use
  • No monthly subscriptions

What needs to be improved

  • Speed connecting to camera from app can be too slow and will sometimes time out
  • Record all footage to micro SD card instead of just the motion clips
  • Need to add detection zones and scheduled recording times
  • Notifications aren’t consistent and aren’t pushed for each motion detection event

Final thoughts

The ability to set up a security camera outdoors without having to worry about wiring and power are good reasons to consider this camera. But the little issues like slow connections, inconsistent notifications, and difficulty watching motion clips, keep me from recommending it. I think this camera could be good, but as it stands now, it needs some improvements.

Price: $149.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Soliom.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: ,

Soliom Bird S60-Outdoor Wireless Solar Home Security Camera review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 12, 2019 at 11:00 am.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.

Add solar lighting to your house gutters with this set from Falove

NEWS – Most DIY solar landscape lighting seems to be the sort installed in the ground to light a pathway or to wash a wall or a plant in lights.  These Falove solar-powered lights can be attached to your house’s gutters to light up an area where you could never plant them in the ground – like the front of a garage, as seen in the above image.

Each light contains a 2V, 100mA solar panel that charges the included rechargeable AA battery.  The light sensor automatically turns the light on at twilight to illuminate the area with bright white light produced by the three LEDs.  The fixtures are about 3 inches by 5 inches in diameter.  They are water-resistant, heatproof, and weatherproof.

As mentioned, they can be installed on your gutters, but they also work on walls, sheds, fences, or most any flat surface.  They are easily installed and require no wiring.  A set of six Falove Outdoor Solar Gutter LED Lights is $27.99 or a set of eight is $35.99 at Amazon.

Filed in categories: News

Tagged: ,

Add solar lighting to your house gutters with this set from Falove originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 24, 2018 at 10:00 am.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.

MIOU Solar Motion Sensor Light Review

It never fails.  I always seem to forget to take out the trash until after the sun has set.  It also figures that the place where my trashcans are located is a very dark side of our house.  Most of the time I just stumble around hoping to get to the proper trash can (we have 3 – each for a different kind of trash).   Lucky for me I just got the opportunity to review the MIOU Solar Motion Sensor lights.

What is it?

The MIOU Solar Motion Sensor Light is a solar powered light that has 30 LED bulbs inside.  It has a built in Lithium-Ion battery that converts solar energy to power and stores it for use at nighttime.    No external wiring is necessary, you just need to make sure the solar panel on the top of the light has several hours of direct sun access.

Hardware Specs

  • It is IP64 waterproof certified.  I personally tested this by accidentally leaving the unit on the ground where I was initially charging it right where my sprinkler system could easily give it a good shower.
  • It has an automatic motion sensing function that will turn the light on when it senses people or animals coming within 10-26 feet of the light with a 120 degree lighting angle.
  • It has 30 LED bulbs.
  • Internal Lithium-Ion battery that stores energy from solar power.

What’s in the box?

The box itself was a rather plain cardboard box.  Inside the box and very tightly packed there was the following:

  • 2 solar powered lights
  • 2 packages of mounting hardware.  The mounting device for the light, 2 wood screws and two anchors for mounting the light in sheet rock.
  • 1 user manual

Design and features

The first thing I had to do before I could use the lights was to give it an initial charge.  There is an on/off button on the bottom of the light that I pressed on to make sure it would light up properly.  Once I confirmed the light was working I then had to place it outside in direct sun for an initial 8 hours.  I did this for both lights and actually spread it out across 2 different days.  While the lights were getting their initial charge, I installed the mounting hardware.   The above picture shows you how simple it is.  Simply have the arrow facing up (although I will admit the light will mount in either direction).  When installing in wood I did drill a small pilot hole first.  That made the install much easier.

Once the lights were charged, I simply slid the back of the light which had two matching grooves onto the mounting hardware.  You should note that you do want the screws screwed all of the way in or it will interfere with mounting the light.   The picture above shows the light mounted above my trash can area.  I purposely tilted it so that it would better illuminate the area and catch the sun’s rays.

I mounted the second light right above my storage shed door.  That area is also rather dark and I figured the light would make it much easier to find the keyhole when trying to open the shed.   Both pictures above will show you the location of that mount.

I left the switch on the bottom of both units in the ‘on’ position.  When it is ‘on’ the unit will go into standby with a light glow like the picture above.  It was much darker than what the picture shows, but my camera is trying to do me a favor by adjusting for the light.

When I approached the gate, the light saw the movement and activated the brighter LEDs.  You can see how well the entire trash can area is lit up.  I am really happy with how it is lit.

The next two pictures show the lights in the low standby position in the first picture and on bright in the second picture.  Once again you can really tell a difference.

What I like

It was super easy to install.  Having a cordless drill certainly made the job even that much easier.  It is pretty hard to mess up the installation of the mount and the light.  They give you all of the necessary hardware.   I also like that it came with 2 lights.  I had no problem thinking of additional places I would install future lights.

What needs to be improved

The only suggestion I would give is to have an option for the lights to come in white instead of black.  In south Texas, the lights will get extremely hot during the day.  Only time will tell how well the plastic will hold up to the heat.  I had replaced an older solar light in my trash can area and it had been white.  I will be sure to try and give an update on how well they have held up after our predicted super hot Texas summer.

Price: $24.99
Where to buy:  Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by MIOU.

The post MIOU Solar Motion Sensor Light Review appeared first on The Gadgeteer.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: ,

MIOU Solar Motion Sensor Light Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 24, 2018 at 10:00 am.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.

Set up your yard with some solar-powered speakers from Monster

The Monster Solara is a solar-powered indoor/outdoor Bluetooth speaker.  When used outdoors, the solar panel will keep your speaker charged.  When used (or stored) indoors, the speaker charges with AC power.  The Solara is IPX weather resistance-rated to resist light water exposure, like an occasional splash from the pool.

360° LED panels light up the area or serve as mood lighting, with several colors to choose from.  You can set the light’s timer to turn it off automatically to preserve your charge.  The Solara connects via Bluetooth to your music source to produce omni-directional sound.  Using Monster’s EZ-Play Technology, you can sync the Solara with up to seven other compatible Monster speakers to fill your area with music.  Connections are stable with speakers up to 100 feet apart.  There’s a Monster Zone Control mobile app (Android and iOS) to change the speaker’s settings from your phone.

Monster’s Solara solar-powered speaker is $199.00 at Amazon.

The post Set up your yard with some solar-powered speakers from Monster appeared first on The Gadgeteer.

Filed in categories: News

Tagged: ,

Set up your yard with some solar-powered speakers from Monster originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 22, 2018 at 9:00 am.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.