Slaying dragons. Ensnaring a unicorn. Finding the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. Keeping cell phones and gadgets charged. All are noble and mythic quests that constantly seem just out of reach.
Never fear. I've got you covered. Whether it be in the uber-clever form of an Altoids tin or this coffee cup, you can make your own solar charger for USB gadgets that shorts the circuits of solar chargers you can buy in retail stores...and at pennies on the dollar.
Gadget Gangster, the author of the "Mr. Buzz" Instructable says,
Mr. Buzz is a solar powered USB charger in a cup! The lightweight and flexible PowerFilm solar panel charges up the 2400mA battery pack so you can recharge your USB device even without the sun.
What's so cool about Mr. Buzz?
- Uses flexible solar panels that are extremely light, unbreakable and can be mounted on nearly anything.
- Rechargeable batteries in the cup let you charge / power your device even if the sun isn't out.
- Total power storage of around 2,500 mA, more than enough for a full iPhone recharge, or multiple recharges for smaller devices, like a shuffle.
- Has a USB 'Type A' jack, the same jack that's on your computer, so you can connect to any USB device.
The standard USB port (the kind you find on your computer) means that you don't need special conversion tips. Just plug the charging cable of most any device into Mr. Buzz and off you go...and you'll be so much cooler with your coffee cup solar charger than the hipsters toting their Starbucks cups.
...oh wait, let me sit mine down before I say that.
Pick up the materials yourself or buy the kit from Gadget Gangster.
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