Reviews
Average Customer Review: |
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Quality: |
3.4 |
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Durability: |
3.6 |
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Price: |
3.8 |
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Service: |
3.2 |
Customer Reviews:
Can't figure out how to use Nomad 7 to charge Lighthouse Lantern |
Quality: |
3.5 |
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Durability: |
5 |
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Price: |
4 |
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Service: |
4 |
| By Rob B |
Bought the Nomad 7 & Lighthouse Lantern at Costco in Feb 2012. I've previously bought the Escape 150 with Boulder 15 panel. Loved both of those, so buying the Nomad 7 and Lantern made sense. Took a couple of tries to find a Lantern that didn't have loose nuts, but finally found one and the product seems great. The instructions say to use the 12V car charger to use solar panels to charge the lantern, but I can't figure out what that means ... anyone out there (or at Goal Zero) that can give a little more detail on how to do that?
Staff Response
The Nomad 7 should have come with a 12V charging cord. If it did not please contact support@goalzero.com and we can get you one.
Doesn't Charge iPad 2 |
Quality: |
5 |
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Durability: |
4 |
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Price: |
3 |
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Service: |
3 |
| By Joe M. |
I purchased the Goal 0 Nomad 7 at Costco on, Jan 28, 2012, in Tucson, AZ. I like the product and have used it to charge my iPhone, and my Virgin Mobile MiFi but cannot get it to charge my iPad 2.
When I purchased the Nomad 7, the salesman was emphatic in telling me that the device would charge my iPad 2. I read in other reviews in this section that if you use the 12 volt accessory that comes with the Nomad 7, it will charge the iPad 2, then in the same review, the Staff Response was, "Our products currently do not charge the iPad reliably the above comment is something you can try. We are updating the USB in all products and will be providing cords for legacy products to charge these devices in the future."
I think that the Nomad 7 is a great product but DO NOT purchase it thinking it will reliably charge an iPad 2. A workaround is to purchase the Net 0 Guide 10 Plus Battery Pack also. You can charge the battery pack from the Nomad 7 and then the battery pack seems to charge the iPad 2 but required me to plug and replug it into the iPad three times because the iPad 2 kept posing a note saying that the "Attached Accessory is Not Compatible."
Staff Response
We admit that Apple products are extremely finicky when charging directly from the sun. If a cloud passes or shadow interrupt it doesn't like it. If you open up the panel and make sure it is in full sun, then plug in your iPad. This may avoid the error message. Please contact us if we can help further. support@goalzero.com
Conflicting Product Information |
Quality: |
2.5 |
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Durability: |
4.5 |
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Price: |
2 |
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Service: |
1.5 |
| By Adria L |
I purchased this product at a Costco Road show. The video that was being played portrait that the Nomad 7 would charge an iphone. The information on the website says that same thing as well as the Personnel that I spoke with.
Though many attempts in trying to make this work with my iphone, the frequent suggestion is to SPEND more money to purchase the Guide 10 Plus Battery pack.
Staff Response
Apple products are very touchy when charging directly from solar. Please contact support to troubleshoot with you.
good idea, terrible implementation |
Quality: |
0 |
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Durability: |
0.5 |
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Price: |
1.5 |
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Service: |
0.5 |
| By Mike D |
Just received "new" Goal 0 Guide 10 Adventure Kit (19007) - Quality is 0 from 100. It's so cheap made! Solar Panels have just huge scratches even under protection film. Fabric looks used for 100 years. All other materials also looks heavy used and cheap. Totally disappointed. How they can sell such junk. Want to know how to turn good idea to crank - buy this kit. They sent bs instead of good device and now i have also to pay for return.
Staff Response
We are so sorry for your experiences.
Will not charge Iphone |
Quality: |
0.5 |
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Durability: |
0.5 |
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Price: |
0.5 |
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Service: |
1 |
| By Kim A |
I'm not home when your chat people are around. I have sent e-mails and tried to call. Your product will not charge my Iphone and I was told directly that it would from your people! I want to know how you are going to fix the problem!
Staff Response
Apple products are hard to charge directly from solar. Open up the panel and face in full sun. Let it warm up for about 5 mins before plugging into your iPhone.
Disappointed Droid X |
Quality: |
3.5 |
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Durability: |
5 |
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Price: |
4.5 |
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Service: |
5 |
| By Todd Nye |
I bought this, as many have, through the Costco guy in preparation for an upcoming backcountry trip. The Rep also had experience using the panel way off the beaten path globally so it was nice, as an informed consumer, to be able to talk the technical details right out of the gate. I knew what I was looking for. I believe this panel, supported by other reviews, should charge my Droid X lickety quick however it will not.. Sitting in direct sun for 4 hours, plugging in after the panel has been "warm" for several minutes the charge level is no higher than when I plugged it in.. The phone indicates it is charging and I'm using the same cable that I use with the wall jack adapter. I have also tried the 12v cigarette adapter. Now to remove the ID10T factor. I pulled out my Fluke and tested the output.. It is in fact putting out 12+ volts at 5+ watts which leaves me with no logical explanation for the failure to charge.. When I go on the trip, the droid would be the only reason to carry the panel to stay in touch from the peaks of Western NC. I would appreciate any creative, constructive tips if anyone has had similar issues..
Thanks in advance..
Staff Response
Please contact us for further help.
Will not charge iPhone 4 |
Quality: |
1 |
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Durability: |
0 |
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Price: |
1.5 |
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Service: |
0 |
| By Brent Duncan |
The Nomad 7m will not charge iPhone 4. iPhone. The USB port allows you to connect the Nomad 7m to the iPhone 4; but, when you point the Nomad 7m toward the sun, the iPhone immediately presents the following message:
"Charging is not supported with this accessory."
This means that Goal Zero has zero value for me.
Staff Response
Apple products are hard to charge directly from solar. Please contact us for troubleshooting tips.
Disappointed; will not charge iPhone 4 |
Quality: |
0 |
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Durability: |
0 |
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Price: |
0 |
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Service: |
0 |
| By Tim Anderson |
I just purchased this unit at the West Plano Costco; I was assured it would charge the iPhone, it even says so on the box. It won't. I get a message that charging is not supported with this device. Even if the phone is in sleep mode I get the message. Reading other reviews it appears that it is just luck of the draw, whether you get a charger that will actually work with the most common brand of smart phone or whether you get an interesting paperweight.
I am going to try to get a refund. I expected better.
Staff Response
There are some tips in charging the iphone. We would love to help you. Contact us.
worked on my Iphone just fine |
Quality: |
3 |
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Durability: |
2.5 |
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Price: |
2.5 |
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Service: |
3 |
| By mark v |
Ok so I bought the GoalZero Nomad 7 because I had a gift certificate to REI..I have every other piece of hiking bakpacking gear known to man so I went on a whim..
I lve this thing , all I have used it for is to charge my Iphone and t really worked flawlessly . I let it warm up first then hooked up the Iphone, instantly saw the charging icon on the screen adn it charged up in about 2 hours.. Awesome, I will buy more goalzero products in the future for sure and I will spread the good word about this product..
thanks,
mark
Staff Response
Thanks for the feedback.
Save your Money |
Quality: |
1 |
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Durability: |
1.5 |
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Price: |
2.5 |
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Service: |
0.5 |
| By Tom T |
Save your money. I recently went on an extended trip to the Colorado Flattops and decided to take my smart phone loaded with GPS software with topo's. The GPS software was the best part of this choice the Nomand 7 the worst choice. The only item that it seemed to fully charge was an IPOD nano. Anything else using the USB charging port was a JOKE. I have a 3,500 mah 3.7V battery on the smart phone. I thought I would be smart and hung the solar panels from my backpack while heading west and let it charge as I walked. Great thought poor execution. It seem to charge at first as long as the sun was directly on the panel. However, it seemed that if the sun wasn't directly on the panel it discharged the phone, or maybe the phone was using more power then the panels could supplement. This was by no means a scientific experiment however after using it for 4 days the results were less then stellar. On one such day with nothing but brilliant sunlight and 4.5 hours on the panels it would not fully charge the battery. And I made certain the panel tracked the sun to get the full source. This product is not ready for prime time when it comes to utilizing a USB solar charger using the sun. It was returned!
Staff Response
Sorry to hear your dissatisfaction. Thanks for your feedback.
Save your Money |
Quality: |
2 |
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Durability: |
2.5 |
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Price: |
3.5 |
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Service: |
1 |
| By Tom T |
I recently purchased this product for a backpacking trip on the Colorado Flattops. I have a smart phone with a 3500 mah 3.7 V battery that I want to use for GPS tracking. I figured that I could hang this thing from the back of my pack and as I was walking west it would charge my phone. It worked as long as the sun was hitting it directly. However, if the sun didn't hit the panel directly it appeared that it discharged my phone battery. While charging in a stationary position it would never fully charge any battery using the USB port except an Ipod nano. At one time it was hooked up to the USB port for over 4.5 hours. Otherwise it was a complete waste of money. I was afraid that I was going to break it and constantly watched where it was. It was returned. Love the theory but solar is not ready for prime time.
Staff Response
We really recommend using the Nomad 7 to charge up the Guide 10 power pack and using the Guide 10 to charge up your devices.
Hiking in the Canadian Rockies with Nomad 7 |
Quality: |
4 |
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Durability: |
3 |
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Price: |
3.5 |
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Service: |
4 |
| By Len V. |
I purchased the Guide 10 Adventure Kit for a week of hiking in the Canadian Rockies. My goal was to use the system to keep my phone charged for use as a GPS and camera. Unfortunately I left the battery pack at home so this review applies to the Nomad 7 panel only.
Equipment: Nomad 7 panel and HTC Incredible Droid smartphone using GPS and camera functions. The battery was 15 months old so not in the best condition but I’ve always properly charged it.
Use: Each day the panel was connected to my phone with a GPS tracking app (MyTracks) running and hung from my pack (~4-6 hours split between below and above treeline). At the end of the day, I hung it on my tent facing the sun to charge it some more (~ 1-2 hours of direct light).
Conditions: 1 cloudy/rainy day, 1 partly sunny day, 3 partly cloudy days, and 1 sunny day. Ambient temperature during use was 68˚ F to 78˚ F.
Results: Phone was fully charged on two different days and never fully discharged; but a couple times the charged dropped just below 20% and I skipped some photo opportunities in order to conserve the battery. The GPS function ran well on 3 of 6 days. On the other 3 days it did not, but this is likely a problem with the phone rebooting whenever the charging stopped when walking under trees or when cloud cover was too dense. Charging did not always work even in full sun unless I used the OEM micro-USB cable. Use of aftermarket micro-USB cables (two different brands) was problematic. I believe this is a problem with the phone, not the solar panel. Overall I’m very pleased with the Nomad 7.
Next Steps: On my next trip I plan on connecting the Nomad 7 to the Goal 10 battery pack using the Solar Supercharge cable, and connecting the Goal 10 battery pack to my phone with the OEM micro-USB cable. Hopefully the battery pack will provide constant power to the phone even if it itself is being intermittently charged while I walk under trees or if clouds occasionally reduce sun exposure; and hopefully that will stop my phone from rebooting when that happens.
Overall: I would recommend the Nomad 7 to my friends. It kept my phone charged. Durability appears good. It's sturdy but the glass/plastic over the panels is easily scratched. (My wife went to get something out of my pack. When she did, she rolled my pack over onto the front and the panels got scratched.) Price: It’s pricey, but worth it for the functionality I got and expect to get in the future. Service was good, as they sent me a replacement Goal 10 a after I notified them I had purchased a version 1 unit. (But it took 4 weeks to arrive. I'm guessing they had a backlog of replacement requests to fulfill.) I’ll do a separate review of the Goal 10 after I’ve had a chance to play with it.
Suggestion: Add additional openings in the pocket to make it easier to connect cables to phones/iPods/etc. in the pocket. I never quite found a way to connect my phone in the pocket without putting some stress on the micro-USB connection.
Staff Response
Thanks for the detail analysis. We love to hear from our customers and their experience. It is the only way we can be better.
Nomad 7 and an IPhone 4 |
Quality: |
5 |
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Durability: |
5 |
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Price: |
5 |
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Service: |
5 |
| By Brian Lenihan |
I have use the nomad 7 with my iPhone on dayhikes. I use a continuous gps mapping program to record every aspect of my hike. The nomad 7 needs direct sunlight to charge the iPhone while in operation, but as long as as you keep it plugged in it will provide a charge. You will know when it is charging, the phone will chirp at you. The panels take 15mins to warm up before they can produce a full charge. The longest I have used the gps was for 6.5hrs continuously. I still had 30% battery life on the iPhone. I then put the phone on sleep while at camp and it was fully charged before sunset. I also bought the escape 150 with an led light for the camp site. Great products.
Staff Response
Thanks for your feedback and sharing your real world experience.
won't charge iPod |
Quality: |
0 |
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Durability: |
0 |
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Price: |
0 |
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Service: |
0 |
| By Sandra Healy |
I understand you're having problems getting this to work with Apple products, but you DO say on the website that the Guide 10 and Nomad 7 will charge iPods. They won't charge mine. I'm happy that I can charge batteries, but my main purpose was to charge the iPod. I was thinking of getting a bigger solar panel and battery pack, but will wait until I hear something definitive about charging Apple products.
Staff Response
Apple products are constantly giving us support issues. Our products do work with them. They just require some odd troubleshooting tips. Contact support@goalzero.com for suggestions.
Apple Problems |
Quality: |
1.5 |
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Durability: |
4 |
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Price: |
5 |
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Service: |
3.5 |
| By Brian Hays |
I know this has been said by your support team but I really wish it worked better with iphones. I set it in bright 80 degree sun and it didn't charge it positively at all, but did keep it from losing anymore. Disappointing.
Staff Response
Apple products are super picky. Our product development team are working furiously to improve the ease of using your GOAL ZERO gear and Apple products.
Nomad 7 |
Quality: |
4 |
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Durability: |
4 |
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Price: |
4 |
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Service: |
5 |
| By gtwace |
High quality monocrystalline cells that works in low light makes the Nomad 7 an efficient portable solar charger for USB devices that takes 500ma input. USB devices that requires more than 500ma input would require an external battery that stores and convert to >500ma output to avoid charging problems. I use the Nomad 7 to charge my Eneloop mobile booster before using it to charge my iphone or galaxy tab. The 12V port is almost useless due to the low amp output, useful only for chaining to the higher power solar panels I guess
The Nomad 7 is optimise for the Guide 10, sadly, the Guide 10 USB does not support 1A output like the mobile booster. Hope newer version will support 1A output for newer USB devices.
Staff Response
Changes are a comin' with the USB. Keep on the lookout for later this year! Thanks for your comments.
NOMAD 7M |
Quality: |
4 |
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Durability: |
4 |
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Price: |
3.5 |
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Service: |
3.5 |
| By Rusty wilder |
I have a nomad 7m about 4 months now have used it to charge my phone, trickle charge my car battery,recharge
my port A Wattz power pac with an inverter. the portAwattz came with a double male 12v plug with that and the female 12v plug I got with the solar panel. the solar panel slides around on the dash and you don't always get sun. I taped the solar panel to my tool box an ran the cord thru the back window,get more sun.
THANKS KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK
Staff Response
You are very creative with all your uses. We would love to hear more about how you trickled charged your car battery with this panel. This panel is not typically powerful enough to accomplish that task.
Nomad 7 & Guide 10 |
Quality: |
5 |
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Durability: |
5 |
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Price: |
5 |
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Service: |
5 |
| By Victor D |
Just got back from a trip to Yosemite, we were in the backcountry and got lost because of the snow conditions and not being about to see the trail. So with the use of my gps and my Nomad 7 keeping it charged during the day and my Guide 10 charging my GPS as the sun went behind the mountains, we were able to find our way out of the valley and back to camp. I was sold after that and will always pack in my Nomad 7 and Guide 10. Also on the trail, people kept asking me what I had attached to my backpack, I said, Goal Zero, check them out on the web. Thanks!!!!
Staff Response
So glad you made it back unharmed. We love hearing this feedback. Actual real life experiences where we came in handy.
About Ipad Charging |
Quality: |
4.5 |
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Durability: |
5 |
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Price: |
5 |
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Service: |
5 |
| By Glenn Adams |
Great device for my families plethera of electronic Gadgets it is now the first thing on our checklist before a outing.
about the iPad2: In the iPad 2 Starter Guide it is stated that the when plugged in with the included 10-watt USB power adapter (included with the iPad) the iPad can charge awake or asleep, On high-powered USB port such as the ones on the most recent Macs to charge but will take longer according to Apple. On Macs and PC's without high-powered USB ports, the iPad will charge only when it's in sleep mode; when awake, it will display a "Not charging" message in the status bar at the top of the screen. So there is no wonder that the Nomad 7 had a had time with the iPad 2 (Btw it works great with iPhone 4)
I was a little sad when I first tried to charge my ipad with my nomad 7, but after reading it just makes sence so I plan on buying a one of the Sherpa 50 Power Pack's and a Nomad 13.5 Solar Panel. I hope that puts out enough umph. ;) btw I did have luck with the iPad charging ever so slowely with the panel under my windshield in direct sunlight but only a few percent in 10 minutes while the iPad was in sleep mode.
Hats off to the Goal Zero Team on some wonderful devices.
Staff Response
We have had a devil of a time getting Apple products to play nicely. We are continuing to improve and smooth out all of the Apple charging quirks. Thanks for the patience.
awesome |
Quality: |
5 |
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Durability: |
4 |
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Price: |
5 |
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Service: |
5 |
| By Tim Walker |
I picked up a Goal0 7 watt panel from an REI used item sale at a 90% discount and am pleased to say that it works flawlessly. I picked this up for backpacking use (my wife is a Trailhead ranger for Sequoia Kings Canyon National park. She will be the primary user of the panel. So far I have charged my Droid incredible, Droid Transformer Tablet (for watching movies in the backcountry) and a regular samsung phone. Takes about 2 hours each phone and about 4.5 hours to charge an almost dead transformer with its 24.4 Wh battery charged over USB. I did find that in low light conditions turning off the smart phone will allow it to charge where if you leave it on it will turn on and off and cycle as if it had too low of a charge. Easy fix is find better sun or turn it off to charge... Love the Panels love the product! Awesome Company as far as I can tell!
Staff Response
Thanks so much for the review. You are so accurate in all of your findings.
Just what I needed |
Quality: |
4.5 |
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Durability: |
5 |
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Price: |
4.5 |
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Service: |
5 |
| By Lou T. |
I’m a cop and an adventurer so I find myself outside quite a bit. Your device functioned above my expectations and as such has me seriously considering your Escape 150 Explorer Kit for extended operations. I’ve also shared your product with my team mates who now want one for their go box. Congratulations on a quality product and your humanitarian work with Tifie, the world could use more companies like yours.
Staff Response
We are humbled at your accolades. We appreciate all you do!
Disspointed |
Quality: |
1.5 |
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Durability: |
2.5 |
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Price: |
5 |
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Service: |
1.5 |
| By Jeff Marshall |
I bought the Nomad 7 specifically to work with my iPAD outside. The rep at COSTCO where I bought it said it would work with the iPAD.
The first time I tried to charge the iPAD, my iPAD would go into a dark screen with the Apple logo and stay that way until I disconnected the Nomad 7. The second time I tried, it never charged. The iPAD displayed the message "Not charing".
I sent a message about it over the week end and have not received a response. Granted, it's only been 2 days and one of those was Sunday, so I can't truly say how responsive the support staff is.
At this point, I am doubly dissapointed, because I bought one for one of sons as well to use with college.
Staff Response
We apologize for this experience. Apple products are so tricky to get to charge via solar. We are currently updating the USB in all products and will provide cords for legacy products to charge these devices. Our support team is available Mon-Fri 8am - 5pm MST.
WOW!!!!! |
Quality: |
4.5 |
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Durability: |
5 |
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Price: |
5 |
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Service: |
5 |
| By Eric Vance |
This product is amazing!! I would give it total of 5 stars if the solar panel wouldn't get so hot on the actual panel. I bought the Nomad 7 at Costco's special event on Goal Zero products. Ipod touch still gets hot behind the panel. I might make a pouch for my ipod out of thermal foam wrapped in white duct tape. Over-all it is great laying down flat in the grass my battery went up 10 percent in 5 minutes. It charges my iPod touch faster then the AC USB wall wart. The solar panel puts out lots of power. Must buy for any Emergency kit, electronics lover, renewable energy lovers, or all of the above! Great buy best solar panel out there.
Staff Response
We appreciate the feedback. Thanks!
My results after testing |
Quality: |
2 |
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Durability: |
3.5 |
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Price: |
2.5 |
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Service: |
0.5 |
| By Jake Zeppa |
After over a month of testing (bench, and real world testing), I've learned quite a bit about the characteristics of this panel. I initially purchased the Nomad 7M solar panel to supply power for long excursions backpacking into the backcountry. I often have to carry piles of spare batteries, and a smaller PowerFilm thin film solar charger. I had hopes that this panel could replace the need for both of these, but unfortunately it fell short.
Quality:
Initially I had a few problems with Goal Zero's use of strips of mono-crystalline, instead of one piece wafer. I'm not exactly sure why they chose this route, but it does lead to extra space that could have been chopped out to save weight, and reduce pack size (important backpacking practices).
The real issue here is it's performance, and this is where the Nomad 7M did the worst. First off, I'm not sure how Goal Zero tests their gear prior to it leaving the factory, but I was never able to reach 7 watts of power output. Under my testing, with the best possible conditions, this panel produced 5 watts of power. Coming in 2 watts short may not sound like a lot, but this panel fell short by 29% of rated. The bay area currently has a solar radiance of just over 900w/m^2, and that may explain a 10% drop in output, but the panel still comes up shy by almost 20%, including for radiance. Unfortunately, I'm currently testing the Nomad 13.5M, and it's output is just over half of rated, leading me to believe this isn't an isolated case. And, as with all mono-crystalline panels, they are very sensitive to how they are aimed (must always be pointing at the sun for max output). If there are clouds in the sky, power production drops to almost nothing as well.
As far as usable outputs, the Nomad 7M gives you 3. First, is the 6.5v output which is directly fed by the solar panels. The 7M also comes with a USB output, which works great, as long as the box that houses the USB plug doesn't get too hot. When using the USB port, you need to fold the flap back out of direct light to use it. Otherwise, it's a very useful port which came in quite handy when I had to charge 2 phones at once (other port on Guide 10). The last is the 12v port, and by far the worst on the device. Under load testing, I found that the 12v port was limited to 2.5w (at 12v, that's roughly 0.2 amps of current). Everything short of a cell phone charger failed to power up. I tested the 12v output with an older iPod, and though it attempted to charge the device, the "noise" generated from bumping up the voltage from 6v made the iPod useless. If Goal Zero was smart, the output of the panel should have been 12v. At least then you would have had about 0.5 amps to work with (while also allowing this device to charge a Sherpa 50).
Durability:
Overall, this product feels well built (could hold up to some serious abuse). But I will say that the pocket design could use some work. When you pack this product up (especially with the Guide 10 pack), everything gets pushed into the panels. Even though the product feels solid, sometimes stuff gets stuffed into backpacks, and this could lead to damage down the road. If only they put the pocket onto the opposite side, I think these problems would be eliminated (while also shielding the ports from the sun).
Price:
Compared to similar products, Goal Zero is doing quite well here. I still feel the price point is quite high, especially when solar panels cost around $3 a watt on a larger scale. If this panel were able to produce the full 7 watts, you're still looking at a $14 per watt cost. If they could get it to around $6 per usable watt, Goal Zero would have a killer product.
Service:
Unfortunately my dealings with Goal Zero's customer service have been poor ones. Initially my inquires prior to purchase were quickly responded to by Stephanie Super, of Goal Zero. It's a shame much of the information provided was false (read later on when I review the Guide 10), which only became apparent after testing. I then on a few instances attempted to get Goal Zero's input on my results, to only be ignored.
When I did finally receive a response, I got David Bullock, who stated "Although not always easy to push the maximum wattage out of the Nomad 7, it is possible.". I was also informed by him to point the panel at the sun, and in direct light. I own a host of panels, have a degree in electronics, and am currently studying to be a physicist. I completely understand the relationship between maximum photons hitting a perpendicular surface. When I responded back to Davids email to clear things up, I never heard back from the company (and that was sent 5/10/11).
Overall, I think Goal Zero's products are promising. So far, the Sherpa 50 I purchased is working spectacularly (currently powering the laptop writing this review). Hopefully they take these reviews seriously, and continue to make their products better. For now, the Nomad 7M is going back to REI, because in it's current form, it does not fit my needs, and is far to limiting.
Staff Response
We appreciate your careful review of our products. At Goal Zero, we strive to produce products that exceed expectations. We take all feedback, both positive and negative, and incorporate it into our work. Let me address a few specific points from your review.
Customer service. First of all, we apologize for the email that hasn’t received a response yet. We seriously care about our customers and the experiences that they have. We field all customer inquiries directly from our Utah-based offices, so you’re getting direct from the source responses. Because we’re a very new company and growing very quickly, we have lots of new customer service agents. They’re doing a great job of getting up to speed with the very technical nature of this stuff, but it does take a little time to become proficient. Our engineering staff is also actively involved in servicing customer requests, so keep the emails coming.
Solar panel performance. We use grade A mono-crystalline solar cells. Our panels are marketing with the rating of the raw wafer that goes into them. There will be some additional loss due to the water-proof plastic lamination layer over the panel in our Nomad series foldable panels. The Boulder series glass panels will not have this loss.
Cutting the solar wafer. Mono-crystalline wafers only produce 0.5V. In order to reach higher voltages, the wafer must be cut into pieces and assembled in series on a panel. Separated pieces also have the accidental advantage of being more durable, which is especially important in a portable panel situations. We cut and assemble the wafers in-house.
Nomad 7. If you observed 5 Watts from the USB port, then this means the panel was producing 6.5 Watts total. We use a linear regulator to ensure a clean and powerful 5.0V out of the USB. Unlike our larger Nomad panels, which are 18V, the Nomad 7 is 6.5V. This decision was purposely made to make this panel a stronger at USB. The 12V port is produced by a step-up regulator, and is intended for smaller devices like satellite phones.
Nomad 13. If ever you feel your panel is underperforming, contact us and we’ll work through it with you.
At Goal Zero, we are passionate about making great experiences. Feel free to contact us directly any time.
Surprisingly powerful and durable! |
Quality: |
5 |
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Durability: |
5 |
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Price: |
5 |
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Service: |
5 |
| By A Salazar |
I recently purchased a nomad 7 and guide 10 power pack. I have been doing research on several different solar chargers for a few months and wasn’t sure what I wanted to get. I needed something that I could use to keep my cell phone and other devices charged when camping or working around the ranch on the weekends. I found these on sale so I decided to get one and try it out. I have to admit I was skeptical about how well a small solar charger would work. When I got home I pulled everything out and decided to try and charge the power pack. It was mid day with sporadic cloud cover so it wasn’t ideal conditions but I wanted to try it out anyway. I only had about three hours before I had to go into work so I assumed that I would maybe get half charge on the power pack if I was lucky. I placed it on the car in the drive way to warm up and decided to go and get a small rope to secure it so it wouldn’t slide off. I got about 10 Ft into the garage and turned to see a gust of wind from out of know where launch it off the car. It landed about 20 ft away. My first thought was CRAP!! I just got it and already broke it! I went over, picked it up and didn’t see any damage. Just a little bit of dirt on the cover. I tied it down and started charging the power pack. To my surprise the power pack fully charged in just over two hours while I was moving stuff around in the garage! Even though it wasn’t in direct sun light the whole time because of clouds passing over head. Not bad! The New Mexico sun was beating down fairly hard while there were no clouds in the way. I removed the power pack and plugged in my black berry directly to the solar panel and it started charging without any error messages. I didn’t have time to charge the phone so I will have to try that later on to see how long it would take to charge via the solar panel alone on a good day. So far I am very impressed! I have a friend in the Air Force stationed in northern Japan. They are having problems with power outages every so often since the big earthquake and she has to try to conserve power on her I-phone in case of emergencies. She will be coming home next month to visit for a week so I am going to show this system to her. If she likes it I will get one for her as part of her B-Day present next month. That way she can have backup power in case she doesn’t have access to power while she is traveling around giving medical care to people in emergency shelters.
So far I have to say well done Goal 0!
Staff Response
Thanks for your feedback. We are glad that the wind didn't do any damage - we try and beat the heck out of them so you don't have to worry.
Good til the last drop! |
Quality: |
5 |
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Durability: |
5 |
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Price: |
5 |
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Service: |
5 |
| By Skaggen |
I used the Nomad 7 this last weekend on a short overnight camp and I must say that It functioned wonderfully. It kept a charge even until the wee hours of dusk and then the guide 10 took over, pretty awesome.
Staff Response
Love it. That is exactly what we were hoping people would enjoy. Power by the sun in the day and the Guide 10 at night.
The best power for your buck! |
Quality: |
5 |
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Durability: |
5 |
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Price: |
5 |
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Service: |
5 |
| By Jeff Voigt |
As the equipment testing manager at the American Alpine Institute, I am always on the lookout for the newest and best gear out there. I have been using the Nomad 7 since the 2010 Outdoor Retailer Show, and I have to say that it really is the perfect solution for charging small electronics in the backcountry. I recently picked up a Guide 10 and a new Nomad 7 (with the 6.5 volt output for the Guide 10) and so far I love the combination of the two. The Nomad has charged the Guide 10 from dead to fully charged in under 2 hours (even on partly cloudy days!) every time I have recharged the Guide 10.
The Guide 10 is a perfect light-weight insurance policy against ending up with a dead headlamp, GPS, FRS radio or cell phone on a trip in the backcountry. With the Guide 10 fully charged, I can take my smart phone from 25% to full and my USB rechargeable headlamp from 50% to full, before the available power runs out. The ability to pull the AA and AAA batteries out of the Guide 10 and use them in a device that can't be charged via USB makes the Guide 10 all-the-more valuable!
The best part about all of Goal0’s products is that they are actually affordable! You can literally purchase two Goal0 solar panels for the same cost as you would pay for one comparable panel from the leading competitor!
Staff Response
Amen Brotha! Thanks for the review!
What a great little unit |
Quality: |
5 |
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Durability: |
5 |
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Price: |
5 |
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Service: |
5 |
| By Andrew |
Just bought the Nomad 7 and guide 10 and I must say they are a great addition to my outdoor gear. Pretty cool I don't have to worry about a dead phone or electronic gear in the field now. Based out of my home state too, which is also cool.
Staff Response
Thanks for your review. Gives you the freedom you deserve.
Drains power pack when not collecting solar |
Quality: |
2.5 |
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Durability: |
3.5 |
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Price: |
4.5 |
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Service: |
0 |
| By CS |
I bought this with the battery pack combo from REI. I also have a PowerFilm charger. Upfront disclaimer: I am invested in Eneloop rechargable batteries, which is not what this product came with, but I am not going to buy some other brand of rechargeables as they are all crap compared to Eneloops. Anyway, I had the PowerFilm right next to this charger in my window, and even in low light (rainy days) the PowerFilm charges a couple AAs in a day or two. Yet this product seems to drain the battery pack when no power is being collected (yes I had the switch in the off position, not on or flashlight). There's even an audible whine from the unit when nothing is plugged in. Because of the overnight discharge of the batteries, it could not charge the 4 AAs in a solid week of rainy weather, whereas my other charger charged 6AAs. Same week, side-by-side. For my uses I am primarily storing energy in the Eneloops and not powering devices directly (I know this is less efficient, but it's what I need). Im sure this delivers greater power than the PowerFilm product, but that doesn't help when the pack drains overnight. I returned this product. The price is right and the company seems good from what I can see on this website, but I am disappointed in the performance of the power pack, which made the product unusable for my purposes. I did like how light-weight and flexible the device is and the panel seemed like it would last a while. The 4AA(A) pack needs to be entirely re-engineered though, in my opinion.
Staff Response
Sounds like you may have received a unit with a defect. There should be no noise if nothing is discharging from the Guide 10. It is entirely possible that there was a short of some kind which prevented the proper function of this device. We would absolutely get a good unit into the your hands if you wanted.
FYI: Sounds like you are vested in the Eneloop but our batteries are identical to Eneloop in terms of performance that any regular person would notice. In fact, the 2300 mAh Goal Zero cells outperform the 2000 mAh Eneloops that I have, although newer Eneloops are 2300 mAh as well. Our NiMH cell manufacturer has as many patents on their low self-discharge technology as Sanyo Eneloop, and strives to match or exceed their performance in every way. The only unfortunate thing is that our cells are labeled as only 2000 mAh. This is slated to change in new orders.
Contact us for return support@goalzero.com
False Advertising |
Quality: |
4 |
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Durability: |
3 |
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Price: |
5 |
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Service: |
1 |
| By Russell |
I bought my Nomad 7 at Costco just yesterday (April 5th). The representative assured me that it would charge my iPad. I pointed out that the iPad comes with a 2.1A charger and it appeared that the Nomad 7M puts out only .5A. He again assured me that it would definitely charge it.
It doesn't.
Too bad. It seems like a very nice product for what it is. I have to give it excellent ratings for quality and price - durability looks good, but I've only had it a day. But service - please don't lie to us to sell it.
Staff Response
Sorry you are feeling this way but it will charge your iPad you just have to do this...plug in the included 12V car adapter then add sunshine! We are so sorry this wasn't explained to you. UPDATE 6/30/11: Our products currently do not charge the iPad reliably the above comment is something you can try. We are updating the USB in all products and will be providing cords for legacy products to charge these devices in the future.
Warning |
Quality: |
5 |
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Durability: |
5 |
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Price: |
5 |
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Service: |
5 |
| By D Nielsen |
This is my first solar panel ever and I have been surprised by how much more effective they are than my days studying them in college. I have to warn you, this smallest panel while top of the line and very effecient seems like the first of many more I hope to get to power my growing electrical needs as I start adding HAM radios to my hunting/camping excursions as well as visits to countries with less reliable power grids. My plan is already including a couple of the larger panels on the non-stove roof side of my ISQ wall tent.
Staff Response
So glad you are enjoying your gear.
Love the Nomad 7 |
Quality: |
5 |
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Durability: |
5 |
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Price: |
5 |
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Service: |
5 |
| By Kurt Bean |
I have a couple of these and they are great. They really do charge, better than small solar panels I have purchased from other companies. I like how small and portable these units are. Very light and compact, perfect for backpacking. I just purchased a couple of Goal0 Guide 10's to go with my Nomad 7's. Should be a perfect fit. Thanks Goal0.
Staff Response
Nomad 7 and Guide 10 together - unstoppable! Thanks for your comments.
Great Quality |
Quality: |
5 |
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Durability: |
5 |
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Price: |
5 |
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Service: |
5 |
| By Tharnden |
I purchased the Nomad Solar 7M after months of researching. I am not one to buy something spur of the moment, and I took my time looking at all the different solar chargers. Goal 0 was created by an individual with similar needs as most people and he designed his products with those needs in mind. Before I found Goal 0, I bought a Powerfilm 6 panel AA charger for about the same price and it only charged batteries, nothing else. I was surprised when I received the Powerfilm product because it was MUCH smaller than I expected. The problem with Powerfilm is that you have to buy other accessories in order to make it work for you. For example, you have to purchase the 12v adapter separate with Powerfilm where it is included with Goal 0. Also, the only way you can charge a USB with Powerfilm is with the presence of 4 AA batteries. That was one of the biggest selling points with Goal 0 because it didn’t require the use of AA batteries to charge a USB device. The only downfall I could potentially see is that Goal 0 is not flexible like Powerfilm. However, it is only 6x9 when folded and can easily fit in a cargo pocket or backpack pocket so this is not a concern for me. I prefer rigidness, practicality, and durability over flexibility. I can’t wait for the Goal 0 battery charger Guide 10 to come out in March. I will definitely add that to my collection.
Staff Response
So glad you are happy with your purchase. You will love the Guide 10.
Awesome Product |
Quality: |
5 |
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Durability: |
5 |
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Price: |
5 |
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Service: |
5 |
| By Ralph |
It charges my Droid X from 25% to full in less than 2 hours. A must have for campers and hunters.
Staff Response
Awesome. Thanks for sharing.
Best New Solar Company |
Quality: |
5 |
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Durability: |
5 |
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Price: |
5 |
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Service: |
5 |
| By Caleb R. Lummer |
This is bar none the best portable solar charger I've come across. It charges basically anything smaller than an iPad. I've charged countless toys in little amounts of time during hikes in / or fly fishing. Amazing piece of technology. Secondly, their customer service is polite, know their products, and respond quickly to emails / phone calls. This company and their gear couldn't be more highly recommended. It's the best I've found.
Staff Response
Glad you are having such a positive experience. We think it is pretty amazing as well!
Merchant response: Glad it kept you all charged up!