Hand Crank Generator High Power Charger for Outdoor Mobile Phone Computer Charging 30W / 0-28V with USB Plug (Green Generator + DC Regulator)

Lets get the elephant out of the room, yes it is EXTREMELY pricy, but what do you get outta it? First off, it weights more than you'd expect from it's pictures until you realize that most of the unit is actually made of metal, NOT plastic like most of the cheaper hand cranks out there. While this does make it heavy, it also means you don't have to worry about it breaking due to it damn near being a literal brick of metal.Second, be sure to check which device I'm actually reviewing in this particular review as some companies selling on Amazon have multiple products or product variations on the same page. If for some reason the category isn't specified on mine, I'm reviewing the Green version with DC converter (the black brick with a knob on it).Quick note, theres actually a difference between the colours. The black one isn't water proof/resistant but the green one is. So if the green one is slightly more expensive, that's why.With that out of the way, continuing on!What the DC converter does is actually allow you to precisely decide what voltage you want to charge a device with. Be sure you pick the correct one or you can damage electronics and other devices misusing this device! To check what kind of input a device needs, it is usually in their manual and for certain power banks, sometimes ON the power bank itself. As an example on how this works without damaging anything, on my power bank(s), they accept a input voltage of 5 Volts (5V). So, I turn the knob on the DC converter brick until it reaches the 5 volts mark. Then plug the converter into the handcrank, plug the USB female connecter on the DC converter onto a USB cord, then plug the other end of the USB cord (in my case, Micro USB) into the power bank input charging port.You're ready to start cranking!As other reviewers mentioned, one feature that puts this hand crank on a entire different level is its adaptive resistance. Physics crash course, "Work" is essentially the energy needed for hand crank generators to work. Work is equal to "Force" times (X or *) "Distance". The more of one, the more work can be done, in other words, more energy to work with.I mention this so it is easier to understand why this hand crank is exceptionally stellar! Because, if you rotate it slowly (less "Distance" per second, or rotations per second (RPM)), it increases the resistance needed to rotate it, meaning you still generate that 5V I need to power my power bank regardless of how fast or slow I'm rotating it since this hand crank adapts based on that speed!Conversely, you can spin it really fast and it will decrease its resistance. This is all done so you don't break anything even if you're going crazy (or going really slow) with the rotating. But again, this is only if you set up your DC converter correctly! If its on the right DC setting, you should be safe to crank as fast or slow as you want!This is extremely nice because unlike other hand cranks, you can just calmly crank rather slowly and still consistently generate electricity to work with without your target of choice turning on and off all the time from the hand crank being inconsistent.I should also mention that the handle of the hand crank has three adjustable positions. The smallest being it completely collapsed, a middle length option, and all the way out. Note that you really have to deliberately go out of your way to get that middle option with the amount of force it takes to actually extend the handle.The handle itself also has three positions. Folded in, folded out, and straight on. Its a little odd that there's a straight on option given how hand cranks work, but the option is there for somebody out there who likes that option.The hand crank also has an adjustable strap to either strap it to a (small) tree and what not to make cranking easier, or strapping it to your hand for a better grip. I have a K-Tor as a back up hand crank generator and the problem with that one (well besides being rather low specs in comparison to this) is that it got really difficult to hold on to it when cranking. This hand crank on the other hand, due to the pretty useful strap, makes it infinitely easier to hold on to the hand crank while going at it. It seems like something that wouldn't be a outstanding feature, but it is. Trust me on this, you're gonna want to strap it to your hand to make your life much easier!The DC converter itself splits off into four different types of plugs:A Mini USB plug (Mini, NOT Micro!),2 Phi (Φ) 5.5 plugs,and female USB 2.0 plug.The DC converters other plug on the other side is what connects to the hand crank.This kit also comes with Alligator Clips should you want to charge other kinds of batteries/electronics as well.Two pairs of them in fact. One as a Φ 5.5 plug, and the second pair has a Φ12 Aviation socket which plugs into the hand crank.Now for some specs:Rated power is 30 W (Watts)Output Voltage is 0 to 28 V (Volts)Output Current is o to 3 A (Amps)Weight is 480g (grams)and the Dimensions (in mm) is 106 X 64 X 39Mine also came with instruction manuals for both the DC converter, and the hand crank generator itself. They're coloured and are pretty useful. I recommend keeping them somewhere safe for future reference.All in all, besides being heavy, what you get for that heft (both literally and price wise) is a really useful hand crank that is extremely powerful and easier to use than most of its competition, in addition to feeling like that it can actually handle being used. Seriously, some of these other hand cranks feel like a twig that can break with use. Kind of defeats the point don't it? So if you're in the market for a hand crank generator, I recommend saving up for this one rather than being annoyed with the cheaper, but overall inferior alternatives.PS: While this won't apply to most of them, most pocket sized battery banks for phones, and the phones themselves are generally rated for 5V. So if you're too lazy to look things up and want to charge a phone power bank or the phone itself, switch the DC converter to 5V and get to it.PSS: Just like other hand crank generators, expect it to make quite a bit of noise while cranking away! Its a bit more quiet if you use it slowly with the higher resistance mode (which is automatic based on how fast/slow you're going at it). So if you don't want a super high pitched winey noise that hand cranks are notorious for, cranking it slowly might help!

First - reminder to self... NEVER buy a product when it's the last one in stock on Amazon. I turns out they jacked-up the price by $20. I feel stupid for falling into this trap.The product is built very well. I really bought it more for exercise than anything else. For that, It's making my arms stronger. Each day it seems I can pump it harder and/or longer. I really like the idea of getting a benefit from my exercise - not just the exercise itself. I like the idea that I can power my portable electronics by human power - not just pure sun energy (which I've been doing now for that past 2 years).I have been attempting to charge my Lithium Ion chargers with the hand-crank charger. I'm notice that a mild cranking even for a few hours doesn't do much of anything. I'm ramping up my cranking power to see if that will improve the charge rate. Time will tell - I've only been doing this for 1 week.Again - very well built - the best I've seen. I'm hoping for a decent charge benefit with improved cranking. I'll update my review as I learn more from this device.

I tested this thing with a USB multimeter between the device output and several device charging cables.A few important things to note here:1) WILL NOT WORK WITH iDevices. Apple is very picky with what input power goes into their devices. If you need to charge your iPhone, you will need to buy a power bank, charge the power bank and then charge your phone with the power bank.2) The output current will depend heavily on your device. My Samsung galaxy s9+ for example allows up to 0.28 Amps from this generator while my Pixel 3a only allows 0.04-0.1 Amps (very slow charging). My power bank on the other hand allows up to 1.0 Amps of current.3) Cranking faster does not necessarily mean faster charging. If you suddenly feel less resistance when you try to crank the arm faster, it means the output power is getting throttled and no more current past some maximum is being outputted. Again this has to do with your device's permitted input current from a non-standard charger.One thing I wish could have been different is having an output jack instead of a fixed cable that splits into four other cables. A cable fixed to the regulator could break one day and it won't be say to replace.