Trade Show Swag: Something Actually Motorcycle-Useful
If you work in corporate America and have been to a trade show – you’ve probably come home with more stress balls and pens than you know what to do with. Well, looky-looky… finally some take home junk that’s useful: a small solar, USB battery.
Since I don’t have an auxiliary juice plug on the Bonnie, I’m hoping that if I need it, this little battery will do the trick. Realistically speaking, the most top-off charging I ever do is for my phone or maybe my Sena headset. I don’t need much.
I have yet to deplete my phone battery down to zero and charge it to 100%, so I’m not definitively sure how long that would take or how many full charges this battery would give my phone. I’m guessing one full charge. Looking around the web at similarly-sized batteries, they say about 2 hours from flat to full for an iPhone. All in all, this just seems like a nice little just in case that doesn’t take up any extra room.
I’ve been leaving the battery in my tankbag window. I’ve also secured a ring on the back of it and clipped it to my tailbag. That wouldn’t work out so well if it were raining but in the dry? Seems okay. Even partially blocked, it’s still picking up rays. The battery’s indicator lights say it is staying fully powered.
Best of all? It was free. If it doesn’t work out, I won’t feel bad about tossing it.
Between this and the super little LED flashlight, I’d say the trade show swags buyers are stepping up their game.
Do yourself a favor and have a 12v plug or USB charger installed on your bars, put your phone in a RAM mount and keep it plugged in all the time while your riding. On those long days in the saddle and you find yourself using navigation, taking pictures, phone calls and whatever else, keeping the phones on full all the time is worth it.
Plus, if you use apps like REVER, like I do, it’s constantly running and tracking your location. If your screen is off, your battery will last a long, long time. If you leave the screen on while using REVER, you can watch the battery power slowly go away throughout the course of an 8 hour day in the saddle, despite being plugged in.
Hang on to the Solar thing as a back up, but keeping it in your clear pocket on your tank bag is the smart location or yet, another RAM mount for the bars.
Let the Farkle-ing begin!
I’ve had a 12v on my Tiger for years. The only thing i’ve ever used it for is to charge my phone. I only use my phone for music/pics. I don’t log my rides with Rever because i have SPOT and use my GPS for nav. I agree that if i used my phone that way a wired conx would be best.
Cool. There’s lots of interesting gear out there. I’ve been shopping heavily this week for motorcycle and camping equipment and am surprised at what’s available.
You aren’t kidding. Camping gear is a huuuuuuge can o’ worms!
Nice to get something useful for a change. Several years ago, I had hosted a local conference and we gave out solar chargers. Nowhere near that nice.