Suntactics sCharger-5 User manual

sCharger-5 User Manual V3.0
The sCharger-5. The most powerful USB solar charger in
its class. Hassle free and reliable.
Suntactics
sCharger-5
5 Watt USB Solar Charger

Table of Contents
Introduction..........................................................................................................................................................3
Getting Started .....................................................................................................................................................3
iPhone , iPod Touch Charging ...............................................................................................................................4
iPad, iPad mini Charging .......................................................................................................................................4
Samsung, Other Tablet Devices and High Power Readers ....................................................................................4
Android Phone Charging .......................................................................................................................................5
Charging other devices .........................................................................................................................................5
Auto-Retry ............................................................................................................................................................5
Other Info .............................................................................................................................................................6
Cleaning ............................................................................................................................................................6
Water Resistance ..............................................................................................................................................6
Charge Times ........................................................................................................................................................6
Website and Videos ..............................................................................................................................................6
Troubleshooting....................................................................................................................................................7
Troubleshooting iDevices and incompatible messages........................................................................................8
Specifications ........................................................................................................................................................8
Limited warranty...................................................................................................................................................9
2

Introduction
As you will soon find out, the sCharger-5 is a very unique high powered solar charger. It is capable of charging USB
rechargeable devices like cell phones directly from the sun. It does not use any internal batteries that can become
discharged. It will run a cell phone directly from the sun. It utilizes fairly complex circuitry that makes it very simple to
use. With proper use and care, the sCharger-5 will provide many years of service.
Most smart phones now come with their own USB connector cable so that they can communicate with personal
computers. This is the same cable that can be used to charge your device with the sCharger-5. We found that most of
the new phones now include a cable that has a mini or micro USB connector on one end and a standard “A” connector
on the other end. If you don’t have a cable, you should most likely be able to find your USB cable on the internet or at a
local store.
Getting Started
Simply unfold the sCharger-5 and place it in the sun with solar cells facing up. The solar cells are the black squares with
tiny lines on them. The little box on the back has a female USB connector and an LED indicator. The indicator should
light up when the solar panel sees light. It will light up even in the slightest sunlight. In order to get maximum power,
the panel should be in full sunlight. Simply plug your USB device into the USB socket on the back of the sCharger-5
using your device’s USB “A” type connector. Also note, as the sun moves, the solar panel could eventually get blocked
by an obstruction like a tree or a building etc. Try and strategically place it where there will be no obstructions.If you
are having problems, please see the troubleshooting section.
Insert USB cable
3

iPhone , iPod Touch Charging
These devices are fully supported. You will most likely be surprised how quickly your iDevice will charge with the
sCharger-5. Most of the time it is not even necessary to aim the panel at the sun. You can lay it on any flat surface and
it should work fine.
Instructions:
Place the sCharger-5 in full sunlight when being plugged into the iPhone
Do not try to charge in shade or behind glass
On hot days, keep your iPhone as cool as possible by wrapping in a towel. A USB extension cable may also
be used to get phone into the shade
Look for the lightning icon battery indicator
Try to be patient and let the sCharger-5 do its job
See a video at www.suntactics.com/videos
iPad, iPad mini Charging
Although the sCharger-5 is at its best with smaller USB devices, it is capable of charging iPads and iPad minis. The latest
iPads can take longer because their larger battery sizes. For absolute best results, charge on a clear cool day when the
sun is high in the sky. Like any solar panel, output power lowers as temperature rises. So charge times may vary.
Instructions:
Aim the sCharger-5 in the sun’s general direction.
Lower your screen brightness to 1/3 and turn auto brightness off
Press top button to put iPad into sleep mode
Set background image to a dark image (most important tip)
Keep iPad in shade on hot days
Use after market, heavy gage, charger cable for best results
See a video at www.suntactics.com/videos
Samsung, Other Tablet Devices and High Power Readers
USB type tablets and color eReaders can also be charged from the sCharger-5. Please follow the iPad instructions
for general charging instructions. Samsung and Nexus tablets require our P1000 charge adaptor for maximum
charge performance while they are turned on. Otherwise shutting them off helps speed up charging.
4

Android Phone Charging
When charging your Android phone, it is advised that you try and avoid shading the panel. Otherwise you may see a
message appear on your phone that indicates battery is fully charged when it is not. Cloudy days could also cause this
problem. When the sCharger-5 is shaded the Android can become confused. This is perfectly fine and the sCharger-5
will do a retry which will suppress the message once it is seeing sunshine. If you have other issues with charging, like
slow charging times, this could be an indication of a faulty battery in the phone.
Charging other devices
If you can get your USB device to charge from a PC USB port then it should solar charge from the sCharger-5. The
sCharger-5 can also charge USB backup batteries. USB batteries can be found on our website and other retailers. These
battery packs are inexpensive and many are less sensitive to heat than your phone. Plug the battery pack into the
sCharger-5 using a USB cable and leave it in the sun to charge. When charging is complete, you can either use it to
charge your device right away or store it for later use. Some of these batteries are specialized for certain brands of
phones or PDAs, some are general purpose. The sCharger-5 can also charge AAA/AA USB battery chargers also available
from many retailers.
Auto-Retry
The Auto-Retry port is one of the reasons the sCharger-5 works so well.The Auto-Retry will activate within 5
minutes of first being placed in the sun. Once activated there are a few good things that start happening to
further optimize charging. If a shadow appears like a slow cloud or even a person walking in front of the panel,
some USB devices will give up charging and show a warning message. They will often not restart when the sun is
again available. Charging from the Auto-Retry port takes care of interruptions by doing a charger reset
automatically. As long as the sCharger-5 sees sun, the USB device will continue to charge. Any messages that may
have been displayed on the device will eventually disappear when the Auto-Retry kicks in. Also, if the sun
becomes brighter because cloud haze disappears, the Auto-Retry will cause some more sophisticated USB
devices to kick into a bulk charging state. Some devices may make a signal sound when in auto mode, this is
normal and is a nice indicator that your phone is still charging and not to forget about it.
5

Other Info
Cleaning
Try and keep your sCharger-5 clean. If you find dust on the panels, you can simply wipe them off using a soft cloth with
a non abrasive spray cleaner or just clean water.
Water Resistance
The sCharger-5 is water resistant. If it falls in water, take it out of the water and gently shake the water out of the USB
box with USB port hole facing down. If condensation collects in the USB box, you can also blow out the water then let it
dry completely by leaning the sCharger-5 so that the USB port is facing up. You could also use a hair dryer too but do
not heat the box up too much. It could melt at 170 degrees or so.
Charge Times
Device
Time
iPad 1,2
5-10 hours
iPad 3, 4
11-15 hours
iPad Mini
4-6 hours
iPhone 3, 3G, 4, 4S,5
1.5-3 hours
Android, HTC, Samsung
3-4 hours stock battery
Gopro camera
1.5-3 hours
Other USB camera
Depends on battery size
USB battery 1500-2500mA
1.5 – 3 hours
USB battery 5000mA
2.5 – 5 hours
AA/AAA Cells 2500=3000mA
2-3 hours
Website and Videos
Informational videos www.suntactics.com/videos
Support, manual updates and FAQs www.suntactics.com/support
6

Troubleshooting
Note that some of the troubleshooting items are not sCharger-5 specific problems. Some of these problems can happen
regardless of what charger you are using.
The sCharger-5 does not charge at full capacity through glass especially UV filtered glass. Glass blocks a large portion
of the sun’s rays, so charging through glass (such as on the dash of a car or energy efficiency windows) may not work
very well.
Keep the device to be charged cool (in the shade) if possible. Heat will shorten the life of your batteries and may cause
some devices to shut down or stop charging because of overheating..
Trouble
Possible Cause
Solution
Device starts charging then stops
USB Device is overheating
Move device to be charged to a
cooler place (in the shade)
Device won’t charge at all
Charging through glass.
Solar panel upside down.
Move the solar panels into direct
sunlight with solar cells facing up.
iPhone incompatibility message or
triangle warning
Panel has been shaded or
was connected while in
the shade then moved
into the sun.
While in full sunlight, plug the
iPhone into the sCharger-5 or just let
alone and sCharger-5 will commence
within 5 minutes or so and message
will go away.
iPhone will not charge at all from
AC charger or sCharger-5 charger
unknown
Sync with iTunes or upgrade
firmware.
iPhone battery completely dead
and will not reboot while solar
charging.
Happens when you do not
charge the phone.
It may take a while for the iPhone to
come back on when solar charging.
Eventually it should reboot and
come alive.
iPhone, iPad charge indicator
showing “plug” icon instead of
lightning bolt icon
iPhone, iPad is over
heating
Cool down then retry.
My tablet or phone does not show
charge indicator.
Cable converter may be
required. (Available on
Suntactics website)
Put the device in sleep or turn off
and you should get a charge. You
may also use a P1000 adaptor cable
if you want to use while charging.
Some model phones seem to
discharge.
Low light conditions and
solar charger continued
cycling causes phone
screen to come on.
The sCharger-5 must be in sunshine
to work properly. If you suspect
constant low light conditions, turn
your brightness down or turn
phone(some models)completely off
to help minimize discharge when
solar charger cycles. Or unplug solar
charger and try when sun is out.
7

Troubleshooting iDevices and incompatible messages
If the iDevice (iPhone, iPad, etc) shows an incompatibility message, it basically translates to it needing more
power. These messages will not, in any way, harm your iPhone. It is an indication the sCharger-5 is not
outputting the full energy needed to activate the iDevices’s internal charger. Make sure the sCharger-5 is in the
sun. After you plug your iDevice into the sCharger-5 and you see the charge icon activate then you are charging.
If not, then unplug the phone and plug it back in while the sCharger-5 is in the sun then let the sCharger-5 do its
job. For battery status verification, take a note of the percentage charged(*see note below) then come back in
ten minutes and verify how much it increased.
*Go to Settings->General->Usage then turn Battery Percentage “ON”. If this option is unavailable, then your
iPhone needs an IOS update.
Specifications
Connector Type
USB Type “A”
Output Voltage (USB)
5.0V
Output Current (USB)
0.8A – 1.2A (800-1200mA)
Output Power
5-6 watts
Temperature
Tested to 160F/ 71C
Indicator
Bright LED
Dimensions (open)
6-1/8” x 11.5” / 15.5 x 29.2 cm
Dimensions (closed)
6-1/8” x 5-3/4” / 15.5 x 14.6 cm
Weight
8-8.5 oz / 200-240 g
Weather and corrosion resistant
8

Limited warranty
Warranty covers malfunction or defects that may appear in the solar panel or circuitry of the sCharger-5. Not covered is
any observable abuse. Abuse is in the form of damage that may have occurred from mishandling the product. Charges
may incur if any damage is found.
Warranty period is 1 year from the date of purchase and is non transferable. This is described as transferring ownership
of the sCharger-5 to another person.
Warranty includes repair or replacement of the product if it meets the criteria as explained. Shipping will be paid by the
customer.
For warranty service, please email [email protected]. Leave your name, phone number, serial number and the
nature of the problem and we will respond promptly.
www.suntactics.com
9