Maker Faire 09: GoBe Solar Charger
Photos by Jaymi Heimbuch
Wandering through the Maker Fair expo, I came across this solar charger I hadn't heard of before. It's called GoBe, and looks like a great portable way to charge up some hefty devices, possibly even your laptop. It comes in two parts - a brief case-sized fold-out solar panel that can be propped up at different angles, and a lantern-sized battery pack. The solar panel has a max of 13 watts, which means you'll get back-up power to a laptop after a day's worth of charging, but can't really run a laptop off of it. However, it's great for charging up the GoBe hub so you have spare power for a wide range of other devices.
And that's exactly what it's advertised for. Its main target is people using products by Provo Craft - which means mini printers, hot glue guns and other tools of the DIYer. Of course, a hard core Maker would just whip up their own solar charger.
It's not terribly impressive, but definitely handy and one to have on the radar when hunting for solar power options.
More on Solar ChargersMake Your Own Solar Cell Phone Charger7 Portable Solar Laptop Chargers Worth ConsideringPocket SolarMore from Maker Faire 09Maker Faire 09: Dying Yarn with Solar PowerMaker Faire 09: Turning Book Scraps into SwagMaker Faire 09: Cool Solar and Electric BikesMaker Faire 09: GoBe Solar ChargerMaker Faire 09: Green Stuff I Wanted to Buy at Maker ShedMaker Faire 09: SCRAP Puts Junk Back Into Craftster Consumer StreamMaker Faire 09: Books Are Not DeadMaker Faire 09: Greywater Systems Make A Great HackMaker Faire 09: No Shortage of DIY Garden HelpMaker Faire 09: Resurrecting Fabric Giftwrap with FuroshikiMaker Faire 09: The iFixit Global Repair CommunityMaker Faire 09: ISKME Teaches Kids to Design Sustainability SolutionsMaker Faire 09: The Bigger Picture of Remaking a Sustainable America
