Charging a cell phone when your power is out?

    • Gold Top Dog

    Charging a cell phone when your power is out?

    Are you prepared to charge your cell phone when your power is out?  Do you have a regular phone that does not require an electrical plug to operate (runs off of the current from the phone line)?

    Disaster can cause power outages, but so can things like squirrels in an electrical box.

    Devices available give one or more of these options for charging a cell phone:

    • Wall Socket
    • Car Lighter
    • USB Port
    • Alkaline Battery
    • Solar Power
    • Hand Crank

    This site shows a number of the devices available.  I have never used the site nor can I guarantee that they have the best prices.  There are 9 items shown in boxes, but there are additional items (with prices)  below that.

    Be sure that the device you get has an adapter for your cell phone.  I have a combination crank radio/flashlight/charger, but no adapter for my cell phone. 

    • Gold Top Dog

    There's a company called Gomadic that has car chargers for every brand of cell phone as well as a whole host of other products. They have a slick thing called "tip exchange" where you can buy one cord that plugs into the cigarette lighter with interchangeable tips at the other end. I use the same cord to charge my cell phone, my Palm Pilot, and my Garmin navigation unit. You just pull off one tip, pop on another tip, and you're ready to go.

    I found them on amazon.com when I was looking for a car charger for my Garmin, but didn't get what they meant by tip exchange, (I'm thinking restaurant tips, lol!). So I went to their website, and lo and behold, I was able to order the other two tips so I can charge everything in the car. http://www.gomadic.com/cabletip.html