FAQ's

1. How does solar power work?
2. What exactly does the Surge do? How does it work?
3. What are the four (4) LEDs for?
4. How can I charge my iPhone 3G or 3G S ?
5. The lines on my solar panel are unevenly spaced. Is it defective?
6. Can you give me an idea about how long I need to keep the Surge in the sun to be able to continue using my iPhone 3G or 3G S ?
7. Can I use the Surge with my first generation iPhone?
8. Can I sync with iTunes without removing my iPhone 3G or 3G S from the case?
9. Is it easy to remove the iPhone 3G or 3G S from the Surge?
10. The solar panel on my Surge is becoming scratched. Is this normal?
11. What makes the Surge a smart solar charging device?

1. How does solar power work?
Solar energy is a well tested power source that is already being used around the world for numerous commercial, industrial, government and domestic applications. It is powering water pumps in African villages, weather stations in the Antarctic and satellites in space!

It works by transforming the energy from the sun into a reusable form of electricity, a process known as Photovoltaic (or PV for short). Your solar panel acts as a collecting tray, helping you catch the sun’s rays. The bigger the panel, the more energy you can collect. The energy collected is stored for your future use in a battery.

Sometimes you collect more energy than you actually need so with larger panels a voltage regulator should be fitted to control the flow of energy and prevent battery damage.

Clean and green, solar power is a renewable, sustainable and non-polluting source of energy. It is easy to see the appeal of solar power for domestic use. Low maintenance and long lasting, it is a highly cost-effective and reliable energy supply.

The Surge features an internal battery which your iPhone draws on when needed. The integrated solar panel will charge the internal battery, provided sufficient light is available. For times when adequate light is not available or when you just need a quicker charge, the USB port offers a fallback option.

2. What exactly does the Surge do? How does it work?
The Surge uses a solar panel to collect sunlight, which it turns into electricity. If your iPhone is not fully charged, it transfers the charge to your iPhone. When your iPhone is fully charged (or when it is not inserted), the Surge transfers the charge to its internal battery. The charge from this reserve battery will transfer to your iPhone's battery as necessary.

3. What are the four (4) LEDs for?
The built-in LED lights let you know whether you have sufficient light source for solar charging and approximately how much charge level remains in your charger. Please note that percentages indicated below are approximate and that fewer LED lights will light up when the iPhone 3G/3G S is inserted into the charger.
The first button will light up RED anytime the charger is exposed to sufficient light and is solar charging your SURGE.

By pressing the button next to the LED lights, you may get the following light combinations:

• Indicates that your SURGE is charging by Sunlight or USB cable

• Indicates that your SURGE is empty and light source is too dim or not available. USB charging is recommended.

• Charge level is about 25% and light source is too dim or not available. USB charging is recommended.

• Charge level is about 50% and light source is too dim or not available.

• Charge level is about 75% and the light source is too dim or not available.

• The SURGE is fully charged. Please note: You will only see this light combination when the iPhone is not inserted in the SURGE. When you insert your iPhone into the fully charged SURGE, only three bars will light up as the SURGE gives power back to your iPhone.
To see the charge on your iPhone battery, refer to your iPhone.

4. How can I charge my iPhone 3G or 3G S ?
You can charge your iPhone 3G or 3G S by allowing the sun to do the work or you can use the included USB cord to hook the Surge up to your computer. You never need to remove your iPhone from the case to charge it!

5. The lines on my solar panel are unevenly spaced. Is it defective?
No, your solar panel is not defective, nor is it less efficient. Unevenly spaced lines on the solar panel are a common occurrence and don’t affect efficiency in any way.

6. Can you give me an idea about how long I need to keep the Surge in the sun to be able to continue using my iPhone 3G or 3G S ?
Certainly! Check out our Solar Planner to get an estimate of how long you would need to keep your Surge in sunlight to keep it charged over a number of days. This doesn't take into account charging via USB.

7. Can I use the Surge with my first generation iPhone?
No, the Surge is designed for the size, contour, and hardware of the iPhone 3G and 3G S.

8. Can I sync with iTunes without removing my iPhone 3G or 3G S from the case?
Absolutely!

9. Is it easy to remove the iPhone 3G or 3G S from the Surge?
Simple! Place your thumbs (please refer to the illustrations to the left) on the lower section of your iPhone and gently push forward to remove it from the Solar Charger case.

10. The solar panel on my Surge is becoming scratched. Is this normal?
Yes, scratches will accrue over time but won't affect solar charging functions. We recommend that if you need to dust off your solar panel, that you use a soft, dry cotton cloth.

11. What makes the Surge a smart solar charging device?
Our smart solar charger automatically charges your iPhone whenever it needs “juice” and there is sufficient power reserved in our charger. You do not need to think about it, and there are no switches to worry about: just insert your iPod touch, and our charger will know when to start and stop charging to maximize running of your iPod touch. Our smart solar charger has also a built-in thermal sensor, which will stop charging to prevent your iPhone and your charger from overheating. Of course, use your common sense and don’t leave your iPod touch on a dashboard in extremely hot weather as this could damage your iPhone and even the charger, although our charger withstands higher temperatures than the iPhone.