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Product Details
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Product Specifications
Product Information
BrandGoal0
Manufacturer Part Number12301
Sizing and Specifications
Item Weight1.1 Pounds
Height4 inches
Length15.50 inches
Width8.63 inches
Product Description
Ultra compact power. For the minimalist on the go, the Nomad 7M delivers an ultra-compact yet powerful solar panel that enables you to charge your handheld devices directly from its USB and 12 volt DC charging ports.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
152 of 155 people found the following review helpful
I have purchased, used and tested every lightweight solar charging device on the market that I could find. The Goal0 nomad 7 and Guide 10 set is the only one that works sufficiently that I can be completely off the grid with my backpacking devices and have no need for extra batteries. See below for solar panels tested. I have been testing portable solar panels for several years now, and the Goal 0 products are the best.
The Nomad 7 is the only solar panel that has the capability to charge an adequate battery pack, my headlamp AAA's, AND my smartphone/GPS all in the same day in full sunlight. It is the only panel that has reserve capacity to charge my devices in less than full sun (shady/cloudy). No other panel has the output of the Nomad 7. Its closest competitor is the Brunton panel. The Brunton weighs 20% more and is rated to output 30% less than the Nomad 7 (Brunton = 5 watts, Nomad 7 = 7 watts). In my testing the lower output was verified. The off-axis performance of the Nomad 7 is superior. It maintains full output to a greater angle of sun than any other panel I have tested. The Nomad 7 is the only panel, in my knowledge, that uses the more efficient mono-crystalline panels. It does seem to give it an edge in real-world usage. As far as flexibility, that characteristic has nothing to do with panel efficiency. Another of the well-thought out features of the Nomad 7 is the connection options. The Xpal SP-2000 and the Solio both rely on many different tips to connect to different devices. The Nomad 7 has three great options built in: 6.5 volt fast charge for the Guide 10 charger, 5 V USB connector, and a port that the included 12V female car lighter adapter plugs into. Every portable device has the option of an inexpensive car power adapter, and the Nomad 7 nicely offers that ability.
The Guide 10 charger works to its rated specifications, unlike most of the other solar devices I have used. It charges AA and AAA batteries. It charges them faster with the Nomad 7 than any other solar panel/charger combination that I have tested. The Goal 0 batteries that ship with the Guide 10 are the best of their type I have tested. They are low-discharge, like the Eneloops, but much better. The Eneloops are rated at 2000 mAh, but charge only to about 1900 mAh capacity. The Goal 0 are rated at 2000 mAh, but charge to 2200 mAh. The guide 10 has some very well thought out features, including the LED flashlight, the function switch and the built-in hanging loop. These touches all demonstrate that the designers are users, and thought well about how these devices would be used.
All is not perfect, though. The Guide 10 does have an overheating problem, but only in very strong sunlight and under certain conditions. This is a known issue that is being fixed as I write this. This brings me to one of my most important experiences; customer service. Goal 0 has the best customer service by far than any other of the solar panel manufacturers I have tested in this group. Immediate phone contact, responsiveness to questions and warranty service are far and away some of the best I have experienced.
Following is a list of the solar panels I have tested, and short comparison comments on each.
1. Powerfilm USB + AA: This one has a great form factor, is flexible and very durable, and is the lightest weight and most compact of all the solar chargers. Its fatal flaw is that it simply does not put out enough power to be practical in extended backpacking. It does not fully charge the AA batteries when it indicates a full charge, and is not nearly as flexible as the Nomad 7 for connection. The unit was replaced on warranty, but the replacement performed exactly the same. I tested a total of four of these, and all performed the same. Customer service was good, after spending weeks trying to get their attention, and this happened several times.
2. Solio Classic: This one has a nice form factor, but the unit simply does not charge its internal battery nor a connected device at all adequately. Just in case, I had it replaced on warranty and the replacement performed exactly the same.
3. Xpal Power SP-2000: Same as the Solio. Internal battery rated at 2000 mAh, only charges to about 1100-1300. Not enough power overall to be practical. Very good customer service.
4. Brunton Explorer: A good panel, but not enough overall power. Weighs 20% more than the Nomad 7, output is 30% less.
The Nomad 7 is the only solar panel that has the capability to charge an adequate battery pack, my headlamp AAA's, AND my smartphone/GPS all in the same day in full sunlight. It is the only panel that has reserve capacity to charge my devices in less than full sun (shady/cloudy). No other panel has the output of the Nomad 7. Its closest competitor is the Brunton panel. The Brunton weighs 20% more and is rated to output 30% less than the Nomad 7 (Brunton = 5 watts, Nomad 7 = 7 watts). In my testing the lower output was verified. The off-axis performance of the Nomad 7 is superior. It maintains full output to a greater angle of sun than any other panel I have tested. The Nomad 7 is the only panel, in my knowledge, that uses the more efficient mono-crystalline panels. It does seem to give it an edge in real-world usage. As far as flexibility, that characteristic has nothing to do with panel efficiency. Another of the well-thought out features of the Nomad 7 is the connection options. The Xpal SP-2000 and the Solio both rely on many different tips to connect to different devices. The Nomad 7 has three great options built in: 6.5 volt fast charge for the Guide 10 charger, 5 V USB connector, and a port that the included 12V female car lighter adapter plugs into. Every portable device has the option of an inexpensive car power adapter, and the Nomad 7 nicely offers that ability.
The Guide 10 charger works to its rated specifications, unlike most of the other solar devices I have used. It charges AA and AAA batteries. It charges them faster with the Nomad 7 than any other solar panel/charger combination that I have tested. The Goal 0 batteries that ship with the Guide 10 are the best of their type I have tested. They are low-discharge, like the Eneloops, but much better. The Eneloops are rated at 2000 mAh, but charge only to about 1900 mAh capacity. The Goal 0 are rated at 2000 mAh, but charge to 2200 mAh. The guide 10 has some very well thought out features, including the LED flashlight, the function switch and the built-in hanging loop. These touches all demonstrate that the designers are users, and thought well about how these devices would be used.
All is not perfect, though. The Guide 10 does have an overheating problem, but only in very strong sunlight and under certain conditions. This is a known issue that is being fixed as I write this. This brings me to one of my most important experiences; customer service. Goal 0 has the best customer service by far than any other of the solar panel manufacturers I have tested in this group. Immediate phone contact, responsiveness to questions and warranty service are far and away some of the best I have experienced.
Following is a list of the solar panels I have tested, and short comparison comments on each.
1. Powerfilm USB + AA: This one has a great form factor, is flexible and very durable, and is the lightest weight and most compact of all the solar chargers. Its fatal flaw is that it simply does not put out enough power to be practical in extended backpacking. It does not fully charge the AA batteries when it indicates a full charge, and is not nearly as flexible as the Nomad 7 for connection. The unit was replaced on warranty, but the replacement performed exactly the same. I tested a total of four of these, and all performed the same. Customer service was good, after spending weeks trying to get their attention, and this happened several times.
2. Solio Classic: This one has a nice form factor, but the unit simply does not charge its internal battery nor a connected device at all adequately. Just in case, I had it replaced on warranty and the replacement performed exactly the same.
3. Xpal Power SP-2000: Same as the Solio. Internal battery rated at 2000 mAh, only charges to about 1100-1300. Not enough power overall to be practical. Very good customer service.
4. Brunton Explorer: A good panel, but not enough overall power. Weighs 20% more than the Nomad 7, output is 30% less.
49 of 52 people found the following review helpful
Since there isn't a lot of detailed info out there about this product, I'll give the obligatory novel-length review.
I actually purchased this on sale for $60 elsewhere, which was quite the steal (it's gone up in price since). I received it yesterday evening, so have had it less than 24 hours and just tried it today about an hour ago on my lunch break. Got it primarily for use with my iPhone 3Gs when camping and hiking this summer. Frankly, I didn't think it would work out of the box for my iPhone because Goal Zero states on their website that the Nomad 7m may or may not work directly with the iPhone and it's best to just buy a battery pack and charge from there. Their documentation also states you should let the panels warm up in the sun a bit before trying to charge anything.
I decided to try worst case scenario and plugged my iPhone in directly right away and stuck the Nomad in my car's front window on a very cloudy, rainy day in Seattle. Nothing happened. No charging, no messages from the phone. Let it sit with my iPhone plugged in for about 15-20 minutes and still nothing, so I unplugged the phone and let the panels continue to warm up in the car window. About 10-15 minutes later, the lower, darker clouds blew away and it was still quite cloudy but noticeably brighter, so I plugged the phone back in and got an error message that the phone didn't support charging from this device (which made me happy because at least SOMETHING was happening). I tried a few more times, got the same message, then decided to let it stay plugged in while I drove back to work. And, LO! About a minute later, I heard that blessed "buzz buzz" the iPhone gives off when it's been plugged into a charger.
My drive back to work was only about 5-6 minutes long and I'd say the charger was only directed toward the sun (still quite overcast) about 2-3 minutes, but the battery went up 1%, so I'm calling that a win. Every time the panels go out of the direct sun, it's the equivalent of unplugging your wall or USB charger, so I'm thinking that investing in the Guide 10 battery pack to harness power is a good idea if you can stand the extra weight. The battery pack itself is the size of an iPhone and the Nomad 7m is just a bit smaller than an iPad and a little over a 1 lb. in weight, so a backpacker might have a hard time justifying carrying around all of this gear.
One commenter asked if the cells were bendable and the answer is no. There's a slight amount of give so that it's not what I would call fragile, but the panels are, presumably, breakable. The case it comes in is sturdy, so I would think you'd have to be pretty rough with it to break anything. Like other reviewers have noted, the case it comes in is well made and there's lots of little hooks to attach it to whatever. Plus, it comes with a small, light caribiner which is handy.
I obviously haven't had this long enough or tried this in enough conditions to give an accurate star rating, but I'm giving it a tentative 4 because I'm pleasantly surprised that it worked directly with my iPhone in such crappy weather conditions, but wondering if the "warm up" time is a first time issue or a consistent issue. Having to wait almost an hour before it starts charging would be kind of a bummer. I may update my review after I know more. Going to try this with an iPhone 4 as well and will include an update if the experience with that is any different.
UPDATE:
Originally gave this 4 stars, just bumped to 5. Finally got a relatively sunny day yesterday and it charged my older generation iPod in 1 hour. Successfully charged an iPhone 3Gs AND an iPhone 4. Note: You have to take the bumper off, or the connection isn't good enough for the iPhone 4 to even recognize the device. It still took warm up time (about 20-30 minutes), but that was with cloud cover coming in and out on a cool day in Seattle. It's incredibly efficient when the sun is beating right down on it. Love this thing. Going to order the Guide 10 battery pack next.
I actually purchased this on sale for $60 elsewhere, which was quite the steal (it's gone up in price since). I received it yesterday evening, so have had it less than 24 hours and just tried it today about an hour ago on my lunch break. Got it primarily for use with my iPhone 3Gs when camping and hiking this summer. Frankly, I didn't think it would work out of the box for my iPhone because Goal Zero states on their website that the Nomad 7m may or may not work directly with the iPhone and it's best to just buy a battery pack and charge from there. Their documentation also states you should let the panels warm up in the sun a bit before trying to charge anything.
I decided to try worst case scenario and plugged my iPhone in directly right away and stuck the Nomad in my car's front window on a very cloudy, rainy day in Seattle. Nothing happened. No charging, no messages from the phone. Let it sit with my iPhone plugged in for about 15-20 minutes and still nothing, so I unplugged the phone and let the panels continue to warm up in the car window. About 10-15 minutes later, the lower, darker clouds blew away and it was still quite cloudy but noticeably brighter, so I plugged the phone back in and got an error message that the phone didn't support charging from this device (which made me happy because at least SOMETHING was happening). I tried a few more times, got the same message, then decided to let it stay plugged in while I drove back to work. And, LO! About a minute later, I heard that blessed "buzz buzz" the iPhone gives off when it's been plugged into a charger.
My drive back to work was only about 5-6 minutes long and I'd say the charger was only directed toward the sun (still quite overcast) about 2-3 minutes, but the battery went up 1%, so I'm calling that a win. Every time the panels go out of the direct sun, it's the equivalent of unplugging your wall or USB charger, so I'm thinking that investing in the Guide 10 battery pack to harness power is a good idea if you can stand the extra weight. The battery pack itself is the size of an iPhone and the Nomad 7m is just a bit smaller than an iPad and a little over a 1 lb. in weight, so a backpacker might have a hard time justifying carrying around all of this gear.
One commenter asked if the cells were bendable and the answer is no. There's a slight amount of give so that it's not what I would call fragile, but the panels are, presumably, breakable. The case it comes in is sturdy, so I would think you'd have to be pretty rough with it to break anything. Like other reviewers have noted, the case it comes in is well made and there's lots of little hooks to attach it to whatever. Plus, it comes with a small, light caribiner which is handy.
I obviously haven't had this long enough or tried this in enough conditions to give an accurate star rating, but I'm giving it a tentative 4 because I'm pleasantly surprised that it worked directly with my iPhone in such crappy weather conditions, but wondering if the "warm up" time is a first time issue or a consistent issue. Having to wait almost an hour before it starts charging would be kind of a bummer. I may update my review after I know more. Going to try this with an iPhone 4 as well and will include an update if the experience with that is any different.
UPDATE:
Originally gave this 4 stars, just bumped to 5. Finally got a relatively sunny day yesterday and it charged my older generation iPod in 1 hour. Successfully charged an iPhone 3Gs AND an iPhone 4. Note: You have to take the bumper off, or the connection isn't good enough for the iPhone 4 to even recognize the device. It still took warm up time (about 20-30 minutes), but that was with cloud cover coming in and out on a cool day in Seattle. It's incredibly efficient when the sun is beating right down on it. Love this thing. Going to order the Guide 10 battery pack next.
39 of 42 people found the following review helpful
I bought a Nomad 7 last year. Love it. It makes great power in all conditions.
I liked it so much I decided to pick up a second one to keep in the car. I went through two of them. The first wouldn't make power in full sun (obviously something wrong). The replacement for it, would charge my cell phone (via 12V cigarette lighter adapter) in direct full sun, but not in full sun sitting on my dashboard (something my original Nomad 7 has no problem with). Apparently the glass is reducing the light enough that it cannot get the power high enough to charge.
Needless to say, both were returned and I guess I am not going to get a second one. The first one is great, but the power output of the subsequent ones has been all over the map. A better job of QC needs to be done before the panels ship out to make sure they perform consistently.
I liked it so much I decided to pick up a second one to keep in the car. I went through two of them. The first wouldn't make power in full sun (obviously something wrong). The replacement for it, would charge my cell phone (via 12V cigarette lighter adapter) in direct full sun, but not in full sun sitting on my dashboard (something my original Nomad 7 has no problem with). Apparently the glass is reducing the light enough that it cannot get the power high enough to charge.
Needless to say, both were returned and I guess I am not going to get a second one. The first one is great, but the power output of the subsequent ones has been all over the map. A better job of QC needs to be done before the panels ship out to make sure they perform consistently.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
This is not 7 watts, it is only 3 watts
USB Port 5V, 0.5A max (2.5W), linear regulated
12V Port 13-15V, 0.2A max (3W), boost regulated
Solar Port (for Guide 10) 6-6.5V, 1.0A max (6W), not regulated
12V Port 13-15V, 0.2A max (3W), boost regulated
Solar Port (for Guide 10) 6-6.5V, 1.0A max (6W), not regulated
Published 1 month ago by Y. Li
Great!
I used this product all summer long, and it worked fast and is very powerful. I have a very small solar charger as well, and it never charged my phone, iPod, etc as fast as the... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Brit
Not sufficient enough power
First let me say I really wanted this product to work. I had purchased this along with the Sanyo NEW 1500 eneloop 2-AA Ni-MH Pre-Charged Rechargeable Batteries with USB Chargerto... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Armed Taco
Great product worth getting
I just used it on a 12 day cycle tour and had it strapped on to the trailer charging the phone. It worked well, keeping it at 100%. Read more
Published 4 months ago by netchicken
goal zero in Nicaragua
I recently purchased this for a trip to Nicaragua for a mission in central Nicaragua. I used it to recharge my Galaxy S phone to use several apps for medical care. Read more
Published 5 months ago by MissionDoc
Discharged my Garmin
I got it yesterday from Costco and today it's going back to the store. I plug the device in plain sunshine on the top of my RV and connected the Garmin nuvi 3450 through the 12V... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Koko
Expensive iPod charger.
Purchased this item at Costco a few weeks ago. Charges my iPods just fine and an old Kindle too, but will not charge any of the cellphones we have. Read more
Published 5 months ago by C Michael
Goal0 7M
I was berry disappointed with it when I try it ,and found out that it can not charge my iPhone, it can only charge iPod.
Published 6 months ago by Roberto Lobeira
DOES NOT WORK WITH IPHONE 4
Tried to charge iphone, from other reviews I was under the impression that it did. Now I feel I am forced to get the battery pack charger to make this solution work for my phone. Read more
Published 7 months ago by ANdy
Find another
Product will not charge some products no matter what they say. I have been trying to contact them and they refuse to even answer back. Do yourself a favor and find another product.
Published 7 months ago by Outdoors
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