Here is another renewable energy portable battery charger for your personal music and communication devices. (Specifications are after the jump.)
The HYmini captures mechanical energy created by wind, and you can mount it to your bike handlebars. It is a "supplemental" wind generator with 1 W max capacity. You can also attached miniSolar cells to it, (0.7 W max capacity, 140mAh max output, 5V max output). Stringing up to 4 miniSolar cells to the device predictably increases the battery charging capabilities. The HYmini has a lithium-ion battery (1200mAh) that is not replaceable. Output is 250mAh to ~850mAh. You can charge the battery in the device via the wind, up to 40 mph, then it turns off. Or you can use USB, a household wall outlet, or a miniSolar cell to charge it. However, it takes 4 hours to charge it via the wall outlet, and according to the site, you can't full charge the device via the wind.
What? You can't fully charge the wind charger via the wind? Isn't this a bit counterintuitive for someone spending $49.99 for a wind-powered battery charger?
In that cycling allows you to generate mechanical energy, and provides you access with solar energy, you could design a faster-charging, stronger portable battery charger if you could couple mechanical energy from wind and bike vibration with electrical energy created by solar cells. (Just a thought for you gifted children living in the snowy states and looking for a good cycling project this winter.)
(Note: If you are not technically minded, but like the idea of using available energy to power your portable devices, don't buy anything, just keep reading about different devices. It is just like learning about gas mileage and TV flat screen resolution. The more you read, the more the numbers will start to make sense. Then, type into google your questions like "what does mAh mean" and you will get a pretty good idea of how the features and benefits of different charging devices are measured. Also, you will learn a ton about the electrical devices and batteries you use in your everyday life.)
According to the HYmini site, 20 minutes of wind capture at 19mph should let you run your iPod for 30 minutes and your cellphone for 4 minutes. The HYmini has a red in-the-process-of-charging light, and a green light indicates the device is charged. It is designed so you can't overcharge it.
My suggestion: Go to the site, hymini.com and read everything before even thinking about buying the device. I don't get the feeling it is really robust. But maybe someone has one, and they can write a post?
Gearheads, go to the FAQ page if you want to see any of the technical information, and click around for a while. Once you go to the store, you can't really read about product details. The Misc. tab that appears on the bottom of a section in the FAQ has the technical info.
(Be forewarned, the Flash site is slick and a pain in the neck. I am sure someone worked hard designing and implementing it, but is is really annoying to navigate. The FAQ Back links me to the store, or I have to go through the introduction again (and again). You have to drill down for lots of the actually useful info. Suggestion to the web design and content person(s): Make it really easy to read about the details. Turn off the constant scrolling. Put the technical and practical use information for all of your products in the same place with a clear link on the bottom nav bar on the homepage. Thanks.
keetsa
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