|
01/23/2021 08:16PM |
It is also a pretty high capacity power bank and I actually brought it to the BWCA one year to keep our devices and camera batteries charged. Hardly touched the capacity of it.
One brutal mid winter night I started my wife's car and my neighbor saw me doing it so asked if I would give his a shot. Had been sitting dead in his garage for days. Started right up and after two starts still had 90% charge left.
The only caveat i would say that as a powerbank I think it is good until dead but as a vehicle starter, i think after a few vehicle starts without a recharge and it gets down to 60-70% you may start to lose effectiveness. Charges quick. Love it.
Amazing car starter and powerbank
|
01/23/2021 09:20PM |
Heyfritty: "I’m wondering if anyone has used a weather radio with a hand crank for limited charging (phone). How effective is it? Let me know if this question is relevant or if I am hijacking this thread and I’ll start a new one.
Fritty "
While I have not done the math, I think you will find it’s the exact same issue as mentioned above about cost (in weight) of power generation vs power storage. So far I’ve found storage to be cheaper/lighter than generation for any short term trip - like 2-3 weeks or so.
Beyond the weight, I’d be curious to know how long it takes you to hand crank your wx radio to charge an iPhone 10?
|
01/23/2021 10:24PM |
Fritty
|
01/24/2021 08:02AM |
mschi772: "If you need a weather radio, just being a pocket radio like a Crane CC or Sangean DT400W. They're tiny, very effective, and batteries last a long time in them. No sense in conflating power storage and weather radios."
+1 You only use it a few minutes a day to check the weather and a fresh set of lithium batteries would last weeks.
|
01/23/2021 04:25PM |
|
01/26/2021 10:33AM |
1. The ability to charge-through. Some of them can't simultaneously charge up and charge your electronics. We've been in bunk houses the night before without enough outlets to plug everything in and were forced to choose between charging our electronics or charging our power bank.
2. One that can't be turned on accidentally. Many seem to have a LED light with a simple push button switch that can easily get turned on when shoved in a pack. The LED light doesn't have a big draw, but it drives me nuts to lose some of the charge to a light that has been on in you pack all night.
3. I'd consider water resistance for canoeing. This seems to up the cost, so maybe it isn't worth it, but some of the cheaper ones are pretty touchy with water. I lost my last one to liquids on a canoe trip. Despite travelling over millions of gallons of water, it made it all the way to my driveway on the trip home. When I threw it in my backpack, I also threw in a travel mug I thought was empty, but actually had 5-day old coffee dregs in it. It was only a little, but it fried the unit.
|
01/26/2021 11:50AM |
EddyTurn: "It is advised that power banks' efficiency is about 60%, i.e. 10,000 Mah bank will charge devices totaling approximately 6,000. In my experience in the woods this math is correct."
This is really interesting. I'm not sure I've ever pushed my battery hard enough to find out, but this is worth knowing. I just assumed if my bank was a 10.000, then I could USE all 10,000. I think I will do some testing on this.
Anyone else have this issue?
|
01/24/2021 12:00AM |
|
01/24/2021 05:36PM |
Fritty
|
01/24/2021 02:16PM |
This past year I had the following:
1. GoPro with 3 batteries
2. Point and shoot camera
3. Gimbal for stabilizing camera
4. InReach
5. GPS
6. My phone (only used to use a star map app)
Previous trips, I had the same, but without the gimbal. I have a 20100 Mah Anker, and would use it to recharge the batteries for the GoPro, the point and shoot, and the InReach. After a 7-9 day trip, I would just drop below the 50% mark. (the battery has four lights, so 2 lights = 50%) Last years trip was 13 days, so I ordered a solar panel to top off the battery pack when possible. It didn't arrive, but I did make it through the trip, barely, by using the gimbal battery as a way to recharge my other items. I use lithium AA batteries in my GPS, and keep it on and tracking while moving. They lasted about 3 days of travel before I would change them.
Here is the battery I bring
|
01/24/2021 03:38PM |
I’m sorry, I didn’t explain myself well. I want a way to charge my phone and thought a hand crank radio would be a good idea. I’ve seen hand-size radios that have a USB port for charging a phone. I was just wondering if I’d be cranking the thing endlessly just to charge my phone. I was looking to see if anyone had any experience with something like that. I’m going to have a weather radio anyhow."
I take a weather radio with usb port for charging a phone. I have an older Galaxy s5, and I turn it to airplane mode so nothing is running - I use it for pictures, occasionally checking for messages. It does take a little bit to charge using the radio, but it's really not that bad, although it can be noisy. I don't think I'd want to charge several devices, but for the one it's ok.
|
01/28/2021 11:50AM |
butthead: "For what the info is worth, I have 2 Goal Zero Nomad 13 solar panels, daisy chained they will charge my 20000 mAH Anker power bank in about 10-12 hours. Or the Yeti 150 168 Wh (12 volt 10 amp) in 14 hours. The panels are about 10 years old the power banks a year. The Anker will charge my Android Galaxy J3 from 20% to 100% 6 times on a single charge.
butthead"
I did a test on a sunny day last summer to see how long it would take for my Goal Zero 7 to power my dead iPhone to full. I think it took about 3-4 hours or so, which seems a little slower but roughly in line with your experience. I wish I had written it down. My Goal Zero Nomad 7 (which I think is 7 watts) weighs 14 oz without the battery pack. I'm intrigued by the the model Plander mentions, which is twice the wattage and a little less weight, and cost less than mine. That's the difference between solar panels of now vs 10 years ago!
|
01/24/2021 04:52PM |
Heyfritty: "That is why I’m asking. I don’t know anything about storage vs. generation or the electricity calculations. I’m going to be taking solo trips, and figured I need a weather radio. So the weight of the radio would a given(I think). I was wondering if anyone had any experience with that type of radio.
Fritty "
I got curious about this so nerded-out on Google and Amazon. Here's a few things I found. First, a lot of current phones need about 3,000 mAh to charge. Each model varies, and bigger screens mean more mAh needed. Tablets will be more like 7-8,000.
I looked on Amazon for hand cranked weather radios. . There are a bunch, but I picked this one as the prices seem about the same, this one has a lot of reviews and is a best seller. This unit uses AAA batteries as back up and has a 2,000 mAh power bank. The first question/answer listed was asking about how much cranking it takes to power that 2,000 mAh bank.
"Question: Can you keep the 2000mah battery going indefinitely with cranking in case of a hurricane that knocks out power for weeks?
Answer: Seller wrote: "Continuously turn the Hand Crank at speed of 130-150 RMP/min to generate power. Unit will be fully charged in 4 hours. "
Think about that. That's more than 2 revs of the charger PER SECOND for FOUR HOURS....." and it goes on from there but you know where it is going.
This unit weighs about 11 oz with batteries. By comparison, my CC Pocket WX radio is smaller and just 4 ounces. An Anker 10,000 mAh costs about $18 and weights about weighs about 7.5 oz, so together they weigh about the same but have 5x the charge ready - just no ability to crank to recharge. Other Anker models have more mAh.
So in short, I think mschi772 is about right. Again, I have no direct experience - just going by the information in the reviews including some provided by the seller. Perhaps other models work better. And I'm not trying to dump on these radios. These are exactly what my sister's family needs. If they had a WX radio like mine they would be in serious trouble whenever the dark storm clouds showed up because any working AA or AAA batteries would have been long since pillaged to power a TV remote control.
If you should feel the need to generate electricity in the field, I'd suggest solar. It can be slow and has its drawbacks, but its effortless.
|
01/26/2021 03:29PM |
airmorse: "Have you thought of a solar power charger.
Something like This "
That looks interesting - have you used that unit? And your thoughts . . .
|
01/28/2021 06:57PM |
Jaywalker: "butthead: "For what the info is worth, I have 2 Goal Zero Nomad 13 solar panels, daisy chained they will charge my 20000 mAH Anker power bank in about 10-12 hours. Or the Yeti 150 168 Wh (12 volt 10 amp) in 14 hours. The panels are about 10 years old the power banks a year. The Anker will charge my Android Galaxy J3 from 20% to 100% 6 times on a single charge.
butthead"
I did a test on a sunny day last summer to see how long it would take for my Goal Zero 7 to power my dead iPhone to full. I think it took about 3-4 hours or so, which seems a little slower but roughly in line with your experience. I wish I had written it down. My Goal Zero Nomad 7 (which I think is 7 watts) weighs 14 oz without the battery pack. I'm intrigued by the the model Plander mentions, which is twice the wattage and a little less weight, and cost less than mine. That's the difference between solar panels of now vs 10 years ago!"
If I could do it over I would get the 21 watt Anker solar charger,
$20 more. It puts out up to 3 A (DC 5 V). Weight 14.5 oz.
|
01/26/2021 07:47PM |
airmorse: "Have you thought of a solar power charger.
Something like This "
Yes, he has one of this design and has not had very good results. It could be a quality issue as his was rather inexpensive.
|
01/26/2021 07:49PM |
Chuckles: "Three things I'd look for in these power banks are:
1. The ability to charge-through. Some of them can't simultaneously charge up and charge your electronics. We've been in bunk houses the night before without enough outlets to plug everything in and were forced to choose between charging our electronics or charging our power bank.
2. One that can't be turned on accidentally. Many seem to have a LED light with a simple push button switch that can easily get turned on when shoved in a pack. The LED light doesn't have a big draw, but it drives me nuts to lose some of the charge to a light that has been on in you pack all night.
3. I'd consider water resistance for canoeing. This seems to up the cost, so maybe it isn't worth it, but some of the cheaper ones are pretty touchy with water. I lost my last one to liquids on a canoe trip. Despite travelling over millions of gallons of water, it made it all the way to my driveway on the trip home. When I threw it in my backpack, I also threw in a travel mug I thought was empty, but actually had 5-day old coffee dregs in it. It was only a little, but it fried the unit. "
Chuckles, you bring up some good points. Thanks for sharing.
|
01/26/2021 07:55AM |
Something like This
|
01/24/2021 08:49AM |
boonie: "mschi772: "If you need a weather radio, just being a pocket radio like a Crane CC or Sangean DT400W. They're tiny, very effective, and batteries last a long time in them. No sense in conflating power storage and weather radios."
+1 You only use it a few minutes a day to check the weather and a fresh set of lithium batteries would last weeks."
I’m sorry, I didn’t explain myself well. I want a way to charge my phone and thought a hand crank radio would be a good idea. I’ve seen hand-size radios that have a USB port for charging a phone. I was just wondering if I’d be cranking the thing endlessly just to charge my phone. I was looking to see if anyone had any experience with something like that. I’m going to have a weather radio anyhow.
|
01/25/2021 01:43PM |
|
01/26/2021 08:28PM |
OldTripper: "airmorse: "Have you thought of a solar power charger.
Something like This "
Yes, he has one of this design and has not had very good results. It could be a quality issue as his was rather inexpensive."
On Amazon, the fifth bullet point for this product says:
“ Solar Charger: Solar power bank can recharge through by the outlet or the sunlight. It normally takes solar charging feature as an emergency purpose, rather than the main power source. The small panel size, large capacity and uncontrollable sunlight intensity, it is difficult to produce high intensity power from the sunlight resource.It is recommended to use a charger above 5V2A to charge the power bank in daily life”
So what this is saying, in very poor grammar, is that you should not depend on the solar charger to charge the 32,000power bank. The entire product description says nothing I can find about how many watts this solar panel creates, or how long it takes to charge the device using sun power.
I also find it very interesting that there are 9 questions asked, and exactly 9 questions answered - all on December 14, 2020! All on exactly the same day!?! It is not unheard of for certain companies to create Amazon personalities to buy then review and comment on their own products.
In my opinion based on what information is available on Amazon, this looks like Chinese designed, made, and marketed. How many of you have even heard of TOMETC (that’s the brand). If you want to store power, look o one of the several companies that do a good job making them. If you want to generate solar power look for a company that shows some expertise in that.
|
01/27/2021 11:20AM |
Jaywalker: "OldTripper: "airmorse: "Have you thought of a solar power charger.
Something like This "
Yes, he has one of this design and has not had very good results. It could be a quality issue as his was rather inexpensive."
On Amazon, the fifth bullet point for this product says:
“ Solar Charger: Solar power bank can recharge through by the outlet or the sunlight. It normally takes solar charging feature as an emergency purpose, rather than the main power source. The small panel size, large capacity and uncontrollable sunlight intensity, it is difficult to produce high intensity power from the sunlight resource.It is recommended to use a charger above 5V2A to charge the power bank in daily life”
"
Yes, the solar power aspect of this and most other chargers is a gimmick. Someone will probably do the actual math, but I'd guess your trip would have to be 3 months long before the cost/weight benefit of bringing a solar panel big enough to make a difference paid off.
|
01/27/2021 11:36AM |
|
01/27/2021 12:16PM |
Thought this was a very good review of large capacity power banks. Rather long, but covers 4 of the major brands and mentions a typical item from the overseas market. YouTube review
|
01/24/2021 10:58AM |
Heyfritty: I’m sorry, I didn’t explain myself well. I want a way to charge my phone and thought a hand crank radio would be a good idea. I’ve seen hand-size radios that have a USB port for charging a phone. I was just wondering if I’d be cranking the thing endlessly just to charge my phone. I was looking to see if anyone had any experience with something like that. I’m going to have a weather radio anyhow."
Yeah, you'd be cranking forever.
|
10/16/2022 03:31AM |
I would rather get 'n power bank and some portable solar charger panels here with a USB port (20w or so) separately, that way you can replace the power bank when it goes bad in the future.
|
01/27/2021 03:25PM |
butthead
|
01/25/2021 09:10PM |
I can see I have some homework to do before I make a decision.
Thanks again.
|
01/25/2021 09:46PM |
|
01/22/2021 10:02PM |
My friend is in the process of buying a solar charging panel and a battery pack (mainly to charge our cameras and I think he is going to bring his phone) totaling ~$150 and I'm guessing it's going to weigh in at about the same weight.
I am wondering if one of these jump starting units wouldn't be a better choice.
They are going to weigh about the same as the panel and battery pack.
This particular one will cost less that the solar charger/power pack.
They stay charged for months.
He also has a fish finder and we have camped on a lake (ice fishing) for up to 3 days and when the fish finder battery goes dead we have no way of charging it. With one of the these jump starters we could charge the battery up again.
Plus, I own an ATV and could take it on trips to use for its intended use should my battery die.
Has anyone used one of these before?
Do you think it would be a good choice to take to the BW instead of the solar charger/battery pack?
Any pro's or con's that you can think of?
I'm looking forward to your comments as I know there are folks out there who will have some knowledge and experience in this area.
Thanks!
|
01/22/2021 10:47PM |
Anker Power Bank
I carry 2 if we will have additional electronics or be gone a long time.
|
01/23/2021 12:07AM |
|
01/23/2021 07:07AM |
Unless you are filming, I would not think it necessary to pack along though. An Anker 20,000 mAh power bank will power all my devices plus a fan for a week in the woods.
|
01/23/2021 07:49AM |
You're being dazzled by that power pack's ability to put out high voltages and amperages needed to jump a motor which only takes a moment without understanding the math. That thing says it is rated at 73 watt hours. Different devices charge at different voltages, but at 5 volts (typical charging voltage of most devices), it only has 14k mAh which which is only 2/3 what my little Anker bank has and almost the same as my tiny littler Aukey bank. It isn't the right tool for the job as you have no need for all that voltage/amperage on a canoe trip where you're just charging some devices, so carrying that capability would be wastefully heavy. Now, if you really do think you'll have to recharge a 12v battery at some point, ok, but note that it only has 6000 mAh at 12 volts.
Bottom line is that it'll work fine, but it's not really much different or special compared to any other banks for the purpose of charging devices on a canoe trip, and banks more focused on that task without worrying about have 2000 peak amps to jump a truck will cost and weigh less for the same or more capacity.
|
01/23/2021 09:31AM |
|
01/23/2021 11:06AM |
MagicPaddler: "
+ 1 and I would like to emphasize it is mAh at the desired voltage that counts. "
+2. Mschi772 said it well, and this is just what I did with my devices last summer when I got an InReach Mini and want to be more knowledgable about how much charge I needed for any given trip (before I just guessed). It was usually easiest to find out how many mAh each device uses by googling it. I made a list of how many mAh it took to charge each device, planned how many times to charge each, and looked at how many my Anker can hold. No problem. BTW, I have a Goal Zero solar panel but stopped brining it on most canoe trips because the Anker is smaller and holds enough for up to about 10-12 days use for me. If I were going for 14 days or more, I'd likely bring the solar panel.
That car jumper looks cool, but seems like a bit of overkill for most canoe trips. I may have to get one for my car just in case though!
Oh, and not sure what type of battery or fish finder is using, but I've had good luck with my little Striker 4 by converting to 8 lithium batteries as MagicPaddler has detailed in other posts.
|
01/23/2021 12:09PM |
One thing OldTripper does bring up is a fish finder battery. Unknown voltage demand but USB powerbanks may be no help there, limited to 5 volts. The Gooloo can charge at higher volts apparently. May be just what he needs.
butthead
|
01/23/2021 04:30PM |
Fritty