Thanks for the heads up.  I couldn't find anything with Google, but Chinese
products are typically repackaged with American sounding names for the U.S.
market.

We have a quasi-hardware store here called Harbor Freight - full of Chinese
made stuff at cheap prices.  Some of the products are called "Pittsburg __",
 "Chicago __", etc.  I succumbed to the temptation once or twice before
relearning the lesson that it doesn't pay to buy junk no matter how cheap.

//Jack

On 12 Nov 2003, at 21:03, Andrew Grebneff wrote:

> I'm not knocking Australia, but there's a Chinese-made (where else?)
> Australian solar battery charger you should NOT buy.
>
> It's marketed in Australia as the Projecta Australia PTY Green
> Charger. Supposedly it puts out 100mA in full sun, to keep a car
> battery topped-up.
>
> I bought one... my Hiace's battery was low. Connected charger and
> left it atop the dash. The battery went FLAT. Dead dead dead. Had the
> unit checked... it put out a whopping 5mA.
>
> Exchanged it.
>
> Installed it. Battery recovered enough to operate the central
> locking. Just. Had it checked. In bright sunligh it put out
> considerably more juice then the previous... this time 6mA (20%
> better).
>
> The electronics technician at work was the one who checked them; I
> asked if it would be possible to rectify one of these and he said
> that the problem will be rubbish-quality solar panels.
>
> Two out of two a total dud. What's the bet if I exchanged it again
> the result would be the same? I'm not even going to try. I'll get a
> refund, buy a solar panel, some diodes, fittings and make my own.
>
> I've e-mailed Projecta about it, but don't expect any action; I doubt
> the retailer will care either.
>
> This same unit may well be sold under a different name in USA. Anyone
> who wants to see what it looks like, I can send a scan of the box,
> which has a photo of one (minus the" Green Chgarger" logo printed on
> the local ones).
> --
> Andrew Grebneff
> Dunedin, New Zealand
> 64 (3) 473-8863
> <andrew.grebneff@stonebow.otago.ac.nz>
> Fossil preparator
> Seashell, Macintosh & VW/Toyota van nut