Brunton Sustain & Brunton Impel Quirks

It's been over a year since Brunton introduced the Sustain & Impel batteries. These are the ones that replaced their popular Solo 7.5 & Solo 15 batteries. Since their release, these batteries have been incredibly popular, and extremely versatile. Brunton has again done a fine job of designing a no-nonsense product that works.
That being said, I have a few user notes to share...

The Input Side
Brunton includes both a 12V DC car plug and a 120v AC wall adaptor for the Sustain & Impel batteries. This means you can charge the battery packs at home and away (in your car). When it comes to charging the batteries from a solar panel, you have two options: 1. connect directly to Brunton panels using the multi-connect cable provided with Brunton solar panels. 2. Use the 12V CLA car plug to connect to the 12V CLA output socket of any other brand of panel. Herein lies the rub.
For some reason yet to be solved, the 12V CLA input plug that Brunton includes with the Sustain & Impel, does not play nice with solar panels. I have tried using this connector with both PowerFIlm & Global Solar SunLinq panels to no avail. There must be something in the plug adaptor that is causing a voltage drop, because using a similar connector purchased from Radio Shack / The Source (Canada) worked perfectly.
So, if you are having trouble charging your Brunton Sustain or Brunton Impel from DC sources, I encourage you to try a different CLA plug before blaming the battery.
Here are links to the Radio Shack / Source cables I have used with good success...
Heavy-Duty 8' Cable
Coiled 12V Cable

or in the USA...
12V Cable

If the cable doesn't come with adaptor tips, make sure you get the size "M" barrel tip connector to fit the Sustain & Impel.

The Output Side...
The Sustain & Impel have a built-in USB port. It is a universal one, which means all manner of iPods, iPhones, Blackberries, and other small USB-charged devices will be happy with it.
When it comes to iPad and other 2.1A high-power USB devices, they will 'power' from the built-in USB port, but they will not 'charge'. To 'charge' your iPad from the Brunton Sustain or Impel, you need to get a 2.1A car adaptor & plug it into the 12V socket on the battery.

The Sustain & Impel batteries also have a voltage switch to control the output cable. 12V, 16V, & 19V are provided, which covers most laptops, netbooks, and supports all kinds of 12V car adaptors for things like cell phones, camera chargers, GPS units, and battery chargers.

Cameras: You will need a DC charger for your camera. The Sustain & Impel do not support AC power, or AC power inverters, so your home wall camera charger will not work.

Laptops: The Sustain & Impel come with a variety of standard barrel connectors that fit 90% of laptop models. Set the Sustain/Impel output voltage to either 16V or 19V depending on the needs of your computer (your computer's AC adaptor will show you what voltage to use).
If you find that your laptop or netbook is not supported, look for a car adaptor for your computer, and plug it into the Sustain/Impel using the 12V mode.

Apple MacBooks: This is where Brunton really got it right. Because you can set the Sustain/Impel voltage to 16V or 19V, it is possible to use the Apple MagSafe Airline adaptor to connect the battery to your computer. No need to shell out $150 for a custom DC adaptor!

That's all I have to say about these batteries at the moment. Brunton built them for the outdoors, with a ruggedized shell, and minimum size & weight. No wonder they seem to be everyone's first choice.
I will post more notes if/when they arise.
Cheers!