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February 3, 2020March 16, 2020 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

Reolink Argus PT Review – A Solar powered Pan-Tilt Security Camera

Last year, I reviewed Reolink Argus Eco solar powered security camera, and I’m still using it to date. It’s working fairly well, although sometimes motion detection will not be triggered, or triggered too slowly so it’s not impossible to miss important footage. The PIR function can be tweaked so maybe it’s just a question of finding the right settings for a given location. Nevertheless, the company has now launched a new model called Reolinkg Argus PT that is very similar to the Argus Ego but with PT (Pan, Tilt) function, and I received a sample for review. Since both models are so similar, I recommend reading Argus Eco review first, as I’ll focus on the differences. Reolink Argus PT Unboxing I received two packages like las time: the camera itself, and Reolink solar panel. The camera comes with a WiFi antenna, a wall-mounting set, a USB cable, and some documentation. […]

December 19, 2019 by Stephen Vicinanza - 2 Comments

JBL Reflect Eternal are Self-Charging, Solar-Powered Headphones (Crowdfunding)

JBL REFLECT Eternal Self-Charging Headphones A simple solution to the constant problem of having to charge wireless earbuds is to make it so they never need a charge, at all. That means do not use an AC adapter or USB charger, and instead, use solar power. The JBL REFLECT Eternal headphones are solar-powered and never need charging. JBL an Iconic Brand The iconic audio company has been moving inexorably into the 21st century with Bluetooth enabled wireless speakers, headphones and other up-to-date tech-enabled audio equipment. How Solar is Used to Power the JBL REFLECT Eternal headphones The headphones can turn artificial and natural light into energy through the Exeger Powerfoyle process. The company states “more light, more playtime” which is true in its basic aspects. Self-Charging Issue The self-charging portion of the process of charging for the JBL REFLECT Eternal can be slow, and sometimes not power up the headphones […]

September 11, 2019September 11, 2019 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

SKA100 Power Bank Supports 220/110V AC, 12V, and USB PD 3.0 / QC Outputs

Power banks are normally comprised of a battery that you can charge from the mains, and then delivers power over USB when you connect it to your smartphone, tablet or camera while on the go. Some devices like laptops, TVs, or fans are usually powered directly by the mains, or a power brick connected to the mains, and if you’d like to charge your devices on the go, you could do so with a portable AC power station. Those are often fairly bulky, but recently I’ve seen Arun showcase an AC 100 watt portable power station at IFA 2019 that looks fairly compact. It’s not available yet through, and there are few technical details. There are however several such power banks on Aliexpress including Sungzu SKA100 power bank that offers DC outputs and one 220V/110V AC output delivering up to 100 watts. SKA100 power bank specifications: Input Voltage Range – […]

August 7, 2019August 7, 2019 by Stephen Vicinanza - 12 Comments

MakerPower Solar Power Supply/Charger for IoT & Embedded Systems Supports Lead-acid Batteries (Crowdfunding)

Danjuliodesigns llc. A boutique embedded systems design firm run by engineer and inventor Dan Julio has set up crowdfunding for the makerPower Solar power supply/charger for intelligent power supply just about anywhere and in any climate. A comprehensive device structured to IoT and embedded systems, where sometimes a remote camera or other device needs power all the time. The power source is a solar panel which can charge a standard lead-acid battery (USA availability only) We reported on a solar input board PiJuice battery HAT and although there are other solar input devices on the market, such as the PiJuice, for use with SBC’s such as Raspberry Pi, the makerPower Solar functions at a higher level, incorporating intelligent power control and functioning. The board can be source powered by solar panel through a standard lead-acid battery, rather than a Li-Po or Li-Ion. The inventor felt a source should carry as […]

June 16, 2019June 16, 2019 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 17 Comments

Reolink Argus Eco Review – A Sub-$100 Solar Powered Security Camera

Reolink Argus Eco IP Camera Wall Mounted

I’ve been thinking about installing one or more IP camera in my home for a while, and for ease of installation and considering I’m renting, my preference was to go with one of those battery IP cameras similar to Amazon (Immedia) Blink IP camera or Eufy EverCam security camera that last six months to one year on a single charge. But earlier this year I came across Reolink Argus 2 battery powered security camera that looks like good value at $100, and also came with an optional solar panel so you don’t have to ever charge the camera. The company latter contacted me to know whether I’d be willing to try out their latest Reolink Argus Eco camera with similar features but an even lower $89.99 price tag. I got my sample a few weeks ago, and I had time to install it, and play around with the camera during […]

November 6, 2018November 8, 2018 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 117 Comments

Giveaway Week – CHOETECH 24W Foldable Solar Charger

The second item for this giveaway week won’t really be a maker product, although you could probably integrate it in your solar powered project, but it should be useful mostly for hiking or other outdoor activities: CHOETECH 24W foldable solar charger. That’s a battery-less foldable system with four solar panels delivering up to 24 watts that can be used to charge your phone or tablet through up to two USB ports. I found it to be easy to fit to my backpack, be rainproof, and I could charge my phone at about 5 Watts (5V/1A) under decent sunlight, so it’s mostly doing the job you’d expect it to do. To enter the draw simply leave a comment below. Other rules are as follows: Only one entry per contest. I will filter out entries with the same IP and/or email address. Contests are open for 48 hours starting at 10am (Bangkok […]

August 24, 2018August 24, 2018 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments

CHOETECH 24W Foldable Solar Charger Review

Foldable Solar Charger Charging Smartphone

A short while ago, I wrote about a tri-panel waterproof solar power bank that delivers up to 4 Watts and comes with 10,000 mAh capacity. I’ve now received a sample of a somewhat similar product, except CHOETECH told me it can deliver up to 24 Watts, which should be more suitable for charging devices like smartphone daily. CHOETECH 24W Solar Charger Unboxing The gadget is supposed to be fitted on larger backpacks as we’ll see below, but it comes in a relatively small package. The thing just looks like some purse or wallet out of the box. Once it’s unfolded we’ll see four solar panel, six hoops around the design, and some pouch / pocket on the right. The “junction box” includes a micro USB to USB cable, some silica gel, and four metal hoops to hook around some of the 6 fabric hoops The text on the photo above […]

June 25, 2018June 25, 2018 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments

Tri-Panel Waterproof Solar Power Bank Sells for $25

A few years ago, I purchased a power bank with a solar panel, but it only came with a 1.5W panel, and I found it took around 10 to 20 days to charge the 8,000 / 10,000 mAh battery in sunny Thailand, allowing me to charge the phone 4 times. So the rate of charge was not quite enough for self-sufficiency, and while I placed the power bank on a roof outdoors, it was not ideal since it was not waterproof, and I forgot to remove it sometimes when it rained, but it still survived for over two years… Solar power bank are mostly useful if you go outdoors in places without electricity for a few days, or if you have a project that would benefit from being powered that way. Depending on your requirements, a faster rate of charge and waterproofness may be useful features to have and that’s […]