@Adrian The batteries were delayed, so Ryo's shipping the replacement batteries separately. He'll probably give an update soon on that subject :)
The DC port bezel was a snug fit in my case, but I didn't have to file/sand it at all.

Received the kit and assembled it yesterday afternoon, together with my 11 year old. He was even more pleased than me with the result! Had to slightly file the DC port bezel, but otherwise we had no problems. We tested it under an ordinary lamp (as it gets dark outside very early here in Norway during winter), and it worked great. Set up the two solar panels in a window post, to see if it would charge, although today is a cloudy day with no direct sunlight. And the LED indicators show stable and good charging!

Thanks for all your hard work and frequent updates, Ryo! It's been a true pleasure backing this project.

Received and assembled my kit with almost zero problems! Followed the instructions to the letter, and got my kit up and running in no time. I did have a tiny problem with my kit which was with the DC port bezel was cut a few milimeters too small for the ports to go into, but nothing a few seconds of filing couldn't fix! Thanks a lot for an awesome kit!!! I am missing a replacement battery... but if the battery lives for as long as mentioned, I probably won't need it!

Great product...! I dig the materials you used....
Quick question, I am having a hard time fastening down the circuit boards securely. It seems the screws are too short...? Possibly the solider connections on the back of the boards are too fat...? Thus preventing the reach for the screws,..? I carefully filed away some of the solider but the plug connector seem a bit loose for my taste. Any suggestion....?

Thanks for all the hard work...

Got my kit and assembled today. Took about an hour and works great. Thanks for an awesome product.

you can put of shipping my kit till after the holidays since i will away for most of it.

I am in no hurry to get my solar kit. If it's less stressful for you put me near the bottom of list.
Good luck with your project!

Hey Ryo
I haven't heard any mention of the solar hacker editions. Considering they don't require any laser cutting, have they already been sent out? I live in Canada so I can understand the order taking some time to clear customs if that's the reason I haven't received it.

My iPad 2 will charge from the USB port with the jumper in place. Not sure which port charges faster as I haven't had a chance to time it yet. I was able to charge a fully discharged battery to full with solar only (2 panels) in about 2 1/8 days.

I did have a question/observation: it appears I can have a device charging while the unit is plugged in via the AC adapter. It does not appear to work the same way when battery is charging via solar (iPad doesn't see a charge) Not sure if this is by design or not.

I second the comment on the quality/durability of the backing boards. Very easy to get the panels oriented exactly the way you need. Plenty of options and well thought out.

Overall, I'm very pleased with the kit, and all the thought and effort that went into making it!

Thanks Ryo.

I received my beta pack a few days ago. The packaging was well thought out and everything fit perfectly. I did dry run assembly before gluing. There was a problem with one of side pieces where the holes were not fully lasered. I was able to cut out the holes but it slowed me down. The rest of the assembly went together great.
I wasn't able to try out the solar panels but the battery charged fine using the AC charger. I'm really happy that I can charge both the iPhone and the iPad. Many chargers will charge the iPhone but very few will charge the iPad.
I love the project, the communication, the device and the availability of replacement parts. Keep up the good work. I'm a BootstrapSolar brand backer! :)

Update: SUCCESS!!!
Used the epoxy approach, though the parts went together so precisely that I think the Krazy Glue approach would have been fine. Very nice job, Ryo, on designing just the right amount of tolerance and getting everything to line up perfectly. The whole process took under an hour and I was taking my time (enjoying the process).

While I can't test the two solar panels because its night time here, I hooked up the AC adapter to make sure the charging circuit worked and then I hooked up an iDevice to make sure it would charge off the output side. No problems. It worked exactly as expected the first time.

I do have to admit that I am VERY glad I was paranoid enough to add the backing boards for the solar panels. While I know Ryo demonstrated the sturdiness of the solar panels, there is something reassuring about the THICK bamboo boards that mount to the panels PLUS they have a lot of strapping/mounting options cut around the edges, the kickstand allows various angles against the sun, and the nice etching on the back is a nice touch.

Overall, I am VERY pleased with every aspect of this project from the funding campaign, updates, acceptance of requests/feedback, transparency regarding fund usage and timelines (the spreadsheets, for those who kept up with them like myself), the packaging, and (of course) the final delivered product.

Well done, Ryo! I look forward to whatever you come up with next. Thank you!

Hey Ryo,

Got my kit earlier today. Just finished assembling! Thanks for your quick responses throughout this project. You have my support in your future endeavors.

Best of luck!
Yong-Soo

Thanks Ryo and Dan. I will go pick some up tomorrow so I can assemble this weekend. I appreciate the advice.

A few more questions:
1) if not using the solar panels, does it matter which jack I plug the AC adapter into?
2) what is the real difference between the iDevices and USB 2 ports on the output side? I haven't decided whether to use the "dedicated charging" jumper since I don't know if there is a real advantage to leaving things in "stock" form.
3) if I DO use the jumper, does it matter which ONE of the ports I use for any particular device that needs to be juiced?

I'm sure these questions will come up and,probably will make it into the eventual wiki online...the Flickr assembly pics and captions are a great start, btw.

Thanks everyone.

Just got my kit yesterday, very excited, ready to get started building an enclosure(got one that didn't come with a container). Everything was well packed, no package damage(thank you shipping) and if anything did happen to the container, it was well-protected. Not excessive, however, in materials used. I once got a video card from ATI that was insanely packaged. I wonder how much that jacked up the price of the part, itself.

In any case, really excited to get my kit and I don't really have anything negative to say, so far. In the spirit of constructive criticism, I'll do my best to figure out what might be done to improve the kit to provide useful feedback. But for now, you have a happy customer. ^_^

I agree; a clear five minute epoxy is probably a safe bet. Not having thought of that, I just used Gorilla Super Glue (which I think is very similar to Krazy Glue) and didn't have any problems. However, it is quick to set, so if you go the super glue route, be sure to do a "dry run" for each part (especially fitting the plug covers) before actually applying the glue.

Beta kit came in today! Everything looks great and the packaging is well-conceived.

To those who have already assembled their kits (or Ryo), is there a recommended or ideal glue for assembly? I know the Flickr pictures show Krazy Glue and somewhere else mentioned "any wood glue," but I am looking for the ideal choice that will provide a solid, long-term bond while not seeping into the bamboo or staining it should I have excess that needs to be wiped off.

I would appreciate any tips so I can assemble in the next day or so. Thanks!

First full charge on the N900 today, clocking in at around 132 minutes. This is a few minutes less than it usually takes to charge from a USB port on a PC, but still about 15 minutes longer than it takes with the fast (AC-powered) charger. It's still overcast here, so I've yet to see the full-charge indicator light up on the Chi-qoo pack.

Looks like a similar idea conceptually here... http://www.scientificsonline.com/rev-xeplus-super-charger.html

Though nowhere near the specs of the components of Ryo's kit (or the hackability/flexibility). A lot of the ins and outs are the same and the enclosure seems to be sustainable as well. Just thought I'd share.

I also received my kit today and fairly quickly assembled it. I would also say that the packing is great. I experienced the same thing as the previous commenter, the charging circuit is a tight fit in the bag.
I've connected my iPhone for a few minutes and it looked to be charging just fine.
Finally, this is definitely the best run Kickstarter project I've supported. The frequent informative and interesting updates were great. The product seems to be well made and exactly as promised.

Lightly toasted bamboo, anyone?

It seems I'll have the privilege of being the first supporter to post after receiving a kit from the beta round. As fate would have it, the knock came this morning on a day which I'm expecting to be mostly overcast and raining. This, however, has not deterred me from assembling the kit! Read on for my notes thus far...

The Packaging: Excellent! The box is no larger than it needed to be, but neither have we skimped on anything which could reduce the likelihood of damage during transit. My only complaint is that I had a bit of trouble removing the charger board (that's the larger one) from the small anti-static bag. If recipients of later shipments encounter this, please be forewarned that there are two leads attached to the charger board which would very much like to avoid the scissors treatment.

The Kit: Perfect! Okay, it hasn't made it around the block yet, but everything looks great! The one tip I'd like to pass on is that there really might be contact paper on one of the flat sides of each of the six pieces which comprise the side walls. The smoke from the laser cutting process turns the paper brown, so it can be hard to tell. If you see a side which does not have visible wood grain, there is probably contact paper which can be peeled from that side before gluing.

The Results: So far, so good. The assembly took me about ten minutes, and things seem to be working. The battery pack arrived somewhat charged, so I was able to plug in my Nokia N900 to the i-devices port and confirm that it was able to pull a charge. The charging board has two small indicator lights which flash intermittently when the panel is exposed to a lamp or sunlight. So, as far as I can tell, everything's working just fine. My plan now is to wear down the battery on my N900 so that I can perform a full charge from the solar kit.

Other thoughts: A jumper is included to upgrade [AT YOUR OWN RISK] the USB 2 port (which currently does not supply enough power to trigger charging on my N900) to a dedicated charging port for faster charging. Once I've done a full charge from the iDevices port and without the jumper, I'll do another round with the jumper to find out how much faster I'm able to charge.

In summary, I'd like to echo a sentiment which a few other supporters have already shared. The dedication to a speedy turnaround, the focus on delivering a quality product, and the ongoing and concise updates have made this project an absolute pleasure to support. Now, in possession of the kit, I can confirm the operation to be as well thought-through as I'd expected it to be. I have an extra screw of each length. The fasteners for the backing board are of the perfect length to prevent overtightening. Assembly is quick, and the kit JUST WORKS with no soldering or testing required.

Thank you, Ryo & the BootstrapSolar team, for a great kit and an enviable first Kickstarter experience!

Thanks for the update explaining the delay. I'd be happy to accept your offer of having my name and home town lasered on.

Seconding James' comment: we appreciate the updates and want you make this a successful venture. Glad to hear that your employer is flexible and that you'll have more time to balance things.

Regarding schedule, I wanted to tell you about another Kickstarter that I supported: lock picks from OpenLocksport. He's _many_ months behind on shipping. His community is understanding because he keeps us updated about what's going on and where the problems are. So, if you miss you schedule by a few weeks, and explain to us what's happening, I think you'll find the community is understanding. So, don't kill yourself; we want your business to succeed. I am very much looking forward to my kit!

I was wondering how hard it could be to add a 12volt dc charger/ usb charger to this package... maybe next hack i can try it. That would make running off cars a lot easier... but im sure a lot more to design and regulate.

Congrats... Nice work, can't wait to put my kit together.

Ryo, I sent you a message!

I love the idea of the backer board.
It would be great to find some way to use the power pack as the kickstand, though. That way, #1, you won't lose any pieces, and #2, if the power pack is behind the panel, it's guaranteed to be in the shade.

Screw the "stick" to the long side of the power pack so that the stick is free to swivel. Include a stopper that lets it swing from 0 to a little past 90 degrees so that the weight of the panel locks it in place.

Make the stick shorter, and put slots on both the short and long edge of the backing board to accommodate various angles.

Funded at the $115 level. This is cool stuff!

Echoing another backer, I would like a way to easily swap out the battery for a spare one at some point. Either that, or a way to daisy-chain on additional 'battery-only' power packs. Anderson power poles may be good for that. They're very durable.

Thanks again for giving us a durable, affordable solar option!

Definitely like where the development of the panel is going. I was worried I was going to have to "kid glove" these things because of fragility. I'm even more excited I backed this project some time ago now that I see the extra effort being put into making this a solid product with thoughtful usability and longevity features.

I'm not so worried about losing the "stick," but I suppose you could always leverage the holes in the stick and backer board and a bit of string or fishing line to keep the two tethered yet still usable.

The notched stick is a cool idea, but I'll probably lose it. It would be really nice if it attached nicely to the backing board, preferably flat.

Any thoughts about a small shelf or notch on the solar panel stand for an iPhone?

Somebody took the last $90 reward as I was checking out... So I'm currently pledging $90 for no reward, and while I believe in this project I'm not able to be quite that generous today. Is my only option to up my pledge to $115?

Since I really like this project and I have a blog about technology and ecology, I wrote an article about it http://blog.sylvainkalache.com/ (in french).

Cheers!

Also, will we be able to know when the battery has been fully charged from the solar panels? Likewise, when the battery is empty and needs charging?

Ryo,

This is a great project. Just wanted to clarify that the battery will be able to be charged through two 5W solar panels at once? Also, it would be great if you could look into the reverse charging.

Thanks,
Yong-Soo

Ryo - this is really a wonderful idea and I am happy to contribute just for the enjoyment of seeing what you are doing! I like your blog and enjoyed reading about your life journey. Wishing you much success and continued happiness.

Hi Ryo,

A common issue i find with some chargers is when the main battery becomes empty it becomes a drain on charging device in question, rather then just stop charging. Meaning if you were to charge overnight without adequate battery supply, instead of waking up to a somewhat charged device you actually get two completely drained batteries.

You reckon you could test for that?

Hello Ryo,

I have been following this project, and your success with your property, for sometime on your Laptop and a Rifle web page. You, Sir, are doing some good works. I do have the Joos Orange unit as others have mentioned here. Certainly an effective tool, but I was intrigued enough by your proposal that I became a supporter. I am hoping that you will consider a scaled-up version that has perhaps as much as 15 to 20 times the battery capacity. Should you consider something along those lines, I am your man. An additional thought might be to use a robust connector for battery connections, or to daisy chain additional solar panels, or perhaps additional units. Just some thoughts, I am truly not trying to highjack your project.

In any case, I wish you, and your project, nothing but success.

Ryo. I find your idea a breath of fresh air. I also wonder if the same sort of kit concept could be made for a series of self-reliance products that people could use for every day, or emergency, situations. I'll brainstorm now that you've inspired me. Glad I could be a part of your startup...