A portable power brick with a built in solar panel recently came into my life. I selected it off a menu of options received as a part of a corporate “kudos” program. After some of the recent challenges with the power grid where I live, it seemed like a generally useful thing to have. As soon as my brick arrived, it was immediately obvious that the device was small enough to hang from the handle of my racquet bag. It packs enough juice to power any electronic device that can connect to a USB port.
I am still in the “engineer gets new toy” honeymoon phase with this power bank, but I absolutely love it. It enables me to charge my phone and/or Apple Watch when I am playing a match. Additionally it can provide perpetual power to my GoPro camera or my phone when I am using SwingVision video recording for match analysis.
The backside of this device has an LED panel flashlight. This turns out to be the feature that I actually use the most. The optimal location for my racquet bag in the back of my car also completely blocks the only light source in the cargo bay. I have started using the LED flashlight when stowing my equipment in the dark. It is way brighter than the built in automotive bulb.
This power bank does not have to be confined to the racquet bag. It is also useful for business travel. The only caveat is that per current TSA regulations, it cannot be stowed in checked luggage.
For me, the tennis bag is the ideal location for a solar powered device. Since my racquet bag spends a lot of time in the sun, it will always be perpetually charged. I probably never would have thought to seek out one of these for myself. However, now that I have one there is likely to be one of these devices hanging from my bag for a very long time.
 | Solar Power Bank |
