Originally Posted by
AngryScientist
it would only be practical if you left it outside during the day, which isnt very practical for most people. i know when i park my bike outside @ work, i take the headlight and computer off of it, even in a very safe parking lot. i'm sure it adds unnecessary weight too. this gets an F in my book as well.
I'd be willing to bet that it would still charge sitting on your desk under the fluorescents; maybe not as quickly as as it would in sunlight, but probably well enough over a workday to be usable. I saw a solar-powered taillight that gave 4-hours runtime for a 2-hour charge time.
From Cateye's website:
http://www.cateye.com/en/product_detail/575
Functions:
400+ candlepower
Solar (Ni-MH) 2.5+ hours of runtime (Constant)
Solar (Ni-MH) 6+ hours of runtime (Flashing)
Alkaline (LR6 (AA)) 10+ hours of runtime (Constant)
Alkaline (LR6 (AA)) 30+ hours of runtime (Flashing)
It doesn't say what the recharge time is for the Ni-MH battery from the solar cell.