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Date:         Wed, 12 Nov 2003 10:14:50 -0800
Reply-To:     Jack <john.cook58@VERIZON.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Jack <john.cook58@VERIZON.NET>
Subject:      Re: Solar charger NOT to buy
Comments: To: Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
In-Reply-To:  <a06002000bbd7960cc9ec@[218.101.117.128]>
Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII

Thanks for the heads up. I couldn't find anything with Google, but Chinese products are typically repackaged with American sounding names for the U.S. market.

We have a quasi-hardware store here called Harbor Freight - full of Chinese made stuff at cheap prices. Some of the products are called "Pittsburg __", "Chicago __", etc. I succumbed to the temptation once or twice before relearning the lesson that it doesn't pay to buy junk no matter how cheap.

//Jack

On 12 Nov 2003, at 21:03, Andrew Grebneff wrote:

> I'm not knocking Australia, but there's a Chinese-made (where else?) > Australian solar battery charger you should NOT buy. > > It's marketed in Australia as the Projecta Australia PTY Green > Charger. Supposedly it puts out 100mA in full sun, to keep a car > battery topped-up. > > I bought one... my Hiace's battery was low. Connected charger and > left it atop the dash. The battery went FLAT. Dead dead dead. Had the > unit checked... it put out a whopping 5mA. > > Exchanged it. > > Installed it. Battery recovered enough to operate the central > locking. Just. Had it checked. In bright sunligh it put out > considerably more juice then the previous... this time 6mA (20% > better). > > The electronics technician at work was the one who checked them; I > asked if it would be possible to rectify one of these and he said > that the problem will be rubbish-quality solar panels. > > Two out of two a total dud. What's the bet if I exchanged it again > the result would be the same? I'm not even going to try. I'll get a > refund, buy a solar panel, some diodes, fittings and make my own. > > I've e-mailed Projecta about it, but don't expect any action; I doubt > the retailer will care either. > > This same unit may well be sold under a different name in USA. Anyone > who wants to see what it looks like, I can send a scan of the box, > which has a photo of one (minus the" Green Chgarger" logo printed on > the local ones). > -- > Andrew Grebneff > Dunedin, New Zealand > 64 (3) 473-8863 > <andrew.grebneff@stonebow.otago.ac.nz> > Fossil preparator > Seashell, Macintosh & VW/Toyota van nut


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