“How do I connect my laptop (or device) to the Power Dock”? The Power Dock comes with two female DC recepticles. You are in charge of obtaining a male DC adapter (car charger) for your device to plug into this. You can do this by either contacting the manufacturer of your device (cell phone, laptop, camera, etc) and purchasing one through them, or trying a place like your local Radio Shack.
NOTE: If you purchase the power boost option (the additional 15 watt PV module) it will take up one of the female adapters while charging.
“How much can I run off the power Dock”? The Power Dock has a 9.2Ah battery. The average laptop uses between 50-100 watts depending on what’s its being used for. That translates to about 5 – 7 Amps. Therefore, in ballpark terms, the Power Dock can power an average laptop for just over an hour or so. Keep in mind that word processing will most likely use less energy than watching DVD’s with sound.
“How long does the Power Dock take to charge up”? The Power Dock comes standard with a 15 watt PV panel. This means that it has the potential to put about 1.25 Amps back into the battery every hour. Using that logic, it would take about 7 hours of direct sunlight to fully recharge the Power Dock. However, there is also the Power Boost option (basically just an additional 15 watt solar panel). This would theoretically cut any charging time in half. So 30 watts of PV puts about 2.5 Amps back into the battery. Therefore, it will take 3 – 4 hours of direct sunlight to fully charge the Power Dock.
“What if I use my computer while I’m charging the Power Dock in the sun”? Yes. The same basic principles and math apply.
