How to Choose Emergency Mobile Phone Chargers
Portable Solar, Hand Crank, AA Battery, USB and 12 Volt Car Boosters
Aug 13, 2009
Cell phones are a must in modern life. Having a discharged phone can be inconvenient, or even downright dangerous if an emergency arises. Chargers or boosters mean never running out of power.
AA Battery-Powered Chargers
These are the most convenient and portable. Unfortunately, they can be underpowered. They are best for occasional emergency use, for a few minutes of urgent talk-time, not to fully recharge the phone on a daily basis.
Some chargers run on one or two AA batteries. Two-AA chargers are available from major battery brands (Duracell, Energizer).
Advantages
- Small and light.
- Disposable lithium AA batteries have a shelf life of 10 years and can serve as a reliable emergency power source.
Disadvantages
- Limited power if alkaline batteries are used. Expensive disposable lithium AA batteries will give better performance.
- Can be too weak to charge some phones. Switching the phone off before charging might help.
- The cost of disposable AA batteries will add up, if used daily.
- Some chargers will not work with lower voltage rechargeable NiMH AA batteries.
- Some single-AA chargers are too narrow for rechargeable batteries to fit.
Chargers that use custom internal lithium-ion batteries are usually more powerful. They need to be charged from the electrical mains before use.
Advantage
- Powerful. Possible to full recharge a phone.
Disadvantages
- Expensive.
- Needs to be recharged. Not possible to continuously replenish power by buying new disposable batteries.
- Not suitable for standby emergency use, packed in a bag for a few years. Batteries will self-discharge after a few months.
12 Volt Car Lighter Cell Phone Chargers
Cars have electrical power to spare. 12 volt adapters that plug into the car's cigarette lighter socket, make a lot of sense for drivers. They can make it a habit to plug their phone in whenever they are in the car, and having a fully charged battery when they reach their destination.
The main concern is having a cable that is long enough for the phone to be placed in a convenient location.
USB Cell Phone Chargers
Like car chargers, these are just adapters with no power supply. They need to be plugged into a computer's USB port for power. Some notebook computers will charge even in standby or sleep mode.
Advantages
- Cheap and light.
- Especially useful for people who carry computers with them.
- Notebook and laptop computers are used by people in many public places. In an emergency, it is possible to ask strangers to charge a phone for a few minutes.
Disadvantage
- Not fully independent. Needs a computer.
Solar and Hand Crank Chargers
Solar chargers are usually general purpose AA battery solar chargers with a cell phone or USB charger port.
Hand crank chargers for cell phones are usually emergency LED hand crank flashlights or radios, with a cell phone charger port.
The Best Cell Phone Charger
Many chargers are "universal", being able to charge phones from different manufacturers. The main problem with chargers is getting the right connection tip for the phone. This should be tested in the shop before purchase.
Mobile phone chargers are light and cheap with many costing only a few dollars. For something as useful and potentially life-saving as a mobile phone, it makes sense to keep a few different chargers handy:
- A 12 volt charger in the car.
- A USB charger next to the office PC.
- An AA charger in the purse, briefcase or backpack.
- A solar or hand-crank charger in the emergency survival bag.
Getting into the habit of charging the cell phone a few times a day, whenever there is an opportunity, will help to ward off the flat battery blues. Keeping the phone in the purse/briefcase/backpack when charging, makes it almost impossible to accidentally leave the phone behind.
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