Product: Letscom 30,000mAh Solar Power Bank with Integrated Cables
Model: SPD-MDY-635DX
Condition: New
Stay powered on the go with the Letscom 30mAh Solar Power Bank.
This compact, slim, and lightweight power bank is perfect for travel or emergencies, featuring a robust 30,000mAh Li-Polymer battery for multiple recharges.
Designed for convenience, it includes four USB ports, three Type-C ports, and integrated charging cables (USB-A, MicroUSB, USB-C, and Lightning Port), allowing simultaneous charging of various devices.
LED Light on the back glows Red, White or Blue and LCD panel on the front displays battery life remainingThe smooth ABS and plastic casing fits comfortably in your hand, while safety features protect against over-charging, over-discharging, and short circuits.
With a built in carry handle and solar charging capability, it’s ready for any adventure.
@shahnm The Sun will exhaust its hydrogen fuel, expand into a red giant, and eventually collapse into a dense white dwarf before these fully fucking charge.
@shahnm given the apparent size, I’m estimating 4x6 inches, it is probably 5 watts max on a great sunny day. So 20ish hours of full sun to charge from zero. That’s probably three full sunny days.
@shahnm Good solar panels do about 1/8 of a watt per square inch, so find the area of the panel and the WH of the power bank, and do the math. 30,000mAH at 3.6 volts is 108 WH. 8.5" L x 4.8" W is 40.8 square inches, but it looks like the panel covers maybe 2/3 of it at best, so 27.2 sq in or 3.4 watts, which is pretty good for this sort of device.
108WH/3.4W is around 32 hours. Let’s say 2.5 days in the summer or a week in the winter. That’s with good sunlight and the panel tilted towards the sun (adjust every few hours). If you just set it up stationary at your campsite tilted slightly south, and the weather stays good, it would still soak up enough power to let you keep your phone powered, even a 1x daily full charge, or maybe two phones with moderate phone use.
That said, this no-name power bank is suspicious in terms of capacity and also of the solar panels, and the price is super low. If it comes anywhere near meeting its specs you’ve done great. I’m resisting.
You might look at the solar panels on radioditty.com for an alternative. They have a 4W one and a 30W one that are both probably better bets than this.
@shahnm That solar panel is maybe 1-2W. A 30,000mAH battery w/ 3.6V nominal is ~100Whr. So you’d need 100 hours of sunlight. Maybe you get 3-5 hours of full direct sunlight a day, so say a month!
TL;DR the solar panel about covers the self discharge of what was probably a really mediocre battery when new, probably pretty shitty after sitting in a warehouse dead for a year
@shahnm Added: 4.8" x 8.5" is enormous for a power bank. Also 2.7" thickness is nuts. I think that is the dimensions of the box that it comes in. If it’s a more reasonable size I’d divide the solar power by 2, so double the full charge time.
Added: yes, HSN says 195 hours of sunlight to charge from 0. Do not want.
30Ah claimed capacity. A solar panel that can maybe deliver 100mA in full sun. Even taking the probable voltage difference into account, I’m going to guess in excess of four days, probably closer to 10, to produce a full charge from 10%. If it charges faster, then I’d expect the claimed capacity of the pack to be overstated. Either way, ignore the solar woo and focus on the rest - and take note of the fact that there’s a pointless tech inclusion for marketing purposes.
Also, anybody besides me notice what else is missing from the specs? Nothing about output rates, PD support, etc. Two of the USB-A sockets have orange tongues that imply PD support, but without explicit specs, I’m not betting that it’s more than token. If they had something to brag about, they would.
Specs
Product: Letscom 30,000mAh Solar Power Bank with Integrated Cables
Model: SPD-MDY-635DX
Condition: New
What’s Included?
Warranty
90 days
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Feb 23 - Thursday, Feb 26
Anyone have any sense how long it would take to solar charge this?
@shahnm The Sun will exhaust its hydrogen fuel, expand into a red giant, and eventually collapse into a dense white dwarf before these fully fucking charge.
@shahnm I got them last time they were offered. I left one outside for two days of sun and two days of overcast. It doesn’t seem to charge over 75%
@shahnm given the apparent size, I’m estimating 4x6 inches, it is probably 5 watts max on a great sunny day. So 20ish hours of full sun to charge from zero. That’s probably three full sunny days.
Edit: looks like I am an order of magnitude too optimistic
@shahnm Good solar panels do about 1/8 of a watt per square inch, so find the area of the panel and the WH of the power bank, and do the math. 30,000mAH at 3.6 volts is 108 WH. 8.5" L x 4.8" W is 40.8 square inches, but it looks like the panel covers maybe 2/3 of it at best, so 27.2 sq in or 3.4 watts, which is pretty good for this sort of device.
108WH/3.4W is around 32 hours. Let’s say 2.5 days in the summer or a week in the winter. That’s with good sunlight and the panel tilted towards the sun (adjust every few hours). If you just set it up stationary at your campsite tilted slightly south, and the weather stays good, it would still soak up enough power to let you keep your phone powered, even a 1x daily full charge, or maybe two phones with moderate phone use.
That said, this no-name power bank is suspicious in terms of capacity and also of the solar panels, and the price is super low. If it comes anywhere near meeting its specs you’ve done great. I’m resisting.
You might look at the solar panels on radioditty.com for an alternative. They have a 4W one and a 30W one that are both probably better bets than this.
@Pavlov So you’re saying there’s a chance…
@shahnm That solar panel is maybe 1-2W. A 30,000mAH battery w/ 3.6V nominal is ~100Whr. So you’d need 100 hours of sunlight. Maybe you get 3-5 hours of full direct sunlight a day, so say a month!
TL;DR the solar panel about covers the self discharge of what was probably a really mediocre battery when new, probably pretty shitty after sitting in a warehouse dead for a year
@shahnm Added: 4.8" x 8.5" is enormous for a power bank. Also 2.7" thickness is nuts. I think that is the dimensions of the box that it comes in. If it’s a more reasonable size I’d divide the solar power by 2, so double the full charge time.
Added: yes, HSN says 195 hours of sunlight to charge from 0. Do not want.
I’d get this and charge in 30 hours or so: https://www.radioddity.com/products/raddy-sp4
But use a normal powerbank instead of this crap.
Solar schmolar. I live in Oregon. I can use these about 4 months out of the year. Huzzah! Meh
@tweezak Maybe six charges in four months, if the weather is really cooperative.
The HSN website lists 195 sunlit hours to charge… Leave it outside for over two weeks to charge once… The lithium battery, in the hot sun.
@japraptor I’d guessed a bit less below, but yeah, that sounds right if the pack’s capacity is accurately represented.
Same price on HSN with code WELCOME2026, but with a 3.3 rating I… wouldn’t. Maybe for like $5 since I could at least scavenger some parts.
30Ah claimed capacity. A solar panel that can maybe deliver 100mA in full sun. Even taking the probable voltage difference into account, I’m going to guess in excess of four days, probably closer to 10, to produce a full charge from 10%. If it charges faster, then I’d expect the claimed capacity of the pack to be overstated. Either way, ignore the solar woo and focus on the rest - and take note of the fact that there’s a pointless tech inclusion for marketing purposes.
Also, anybody besides me notice what else is missing from the specs? Nothing about output rates, PD support, etc. Two of the USB-A sockets have orange tongues that imply PD support, but without explicit specs, I’m not betting that it’s more than token. If they had something to brag about, they would.