Time for a new power bank

[Shox Dr]

I’ve been using an Anker astro5 power bank for the last 3yrs, fantastic bit of kit. But I’ve killed it, To be fair I’ve charged everything throught it for the last 3.5yrs so I cant grumble.

Looking at their powercore 26800mAh jobbie at 44quid, twin charging has got me very interested as the Astro could take 12hrs to charge.

What’s everyone else using?

 

[rtbcomp]

I've got a Tecknet iEP1000 (10,000 mAh). Dual outputs, one USB charging port. Some of their models will charge whilst under load, but not this one. Automatic switch-off and so on, been fine for me over the last 2 years.

 

[Shox Dr]

I’ve just checked the old one and it’s a 2nd Gen Astro E7 @ 25,600mAh, so a 10k is never going to cut it

 

[MrFluffy]

Thought about one of the newish USB jump packs ? Don't laugh but I was extremely skeptical but got a suoku branded one cheap from amazon and I've had the leads so hot they go soft using on unacceptable vehicles. Its no bigger really than a normal bulk bank and it gets used like that by my kids in between jumping the JCB and lawn tractor etc.
It can't sustain a heavy load for long but most things here fire quick if you spin them fast enough.
I have been positive I've killed it on at least 4 occasions with abuse but it keeps coming back to life.

 

[Windy Miller]

I just had to Google this - I'd never heard of a power bank!

 

[Shox Dr]

Thought about one of the newish USB jump packs ? Don't laugh but I was extremely skeptical but got a suoku branded one cheap from amazon and I've had the leads so hot they go soft using on unacceptable vehicles. Its no bigger really than a normal bulk bank and it gets used like that by my kids in between jumping the JCB and lawn tractor etc.
It can't sustain a heavy load for long but most things here fire quick if you spin them fast enough.
I have been positive I've killed it on at least 4 occasions with abuse but it keeps coming back to life.

I have looked at those and have needed one since looking, but not suitable as they dont have fast charge in or out.

One of the reasons I like them is, since a sw u/g my ipad pro will only charge via their 240v plug which takes forever.
But will fast charge via the Anker

 

[knighty]

you have to take the amp hour ratings with a massive big pinch of salt

not only do most of them outright lie about the capacity of their cells, they add the ah rating of all the cells together and ignore the voltage

(so 1cell is 3.7v 2ah, 2 in series is 7.4v 2ah... but they advertise it as 4ah)


pick a decent brand and then look at the size of it... capacities of decent li ion cells are all about the same, so you can pretty much measure their ah capacity by their size/volume

power banks are pretty much a small circuit and then the rest is all li ion cells (they're normally pouches, so look a bit like a big phone battery in bag instead of a plastic case)

 

[Screwdriver]

I was just thinking exactly the same thing.

Then I realised I misread the thread title

I'll get me coat...

 

[normspanners]

why not get a car jump pack, will charge things but also start the car ? they are down to reasonable money now. not much bigger than a power bank but masses more capacity.

 

[Robotstar5]

Mrs Robo uses one of the Anker brand packs every day, took her a couple of years to kill it so bought another which is still going fine.

 

[knighty]

why not get a car jump pack, will charge things but also start the car ? they are down to reasonable money now. not much bigger than a power bank but masses more capacity.

problem is, with power banks, size pretty much = capacity

if two are the same size, and one advertise much later capacity than the other, then the 'bigger' one is lying

 

[normspanners]

problem is, with power banks, size pretty much = capacity

Dont understand that btw,
if it will start a car I'm sure it will charge a phone a few times, mine used too before someone left it on a running car, and it objected.

 

[knighty]

Dont understand that btw,
if it will start a car I'm sure it will charge a phone a few times, mine used too before someone left it on a running car, and it objected.

they're built to supply massive amps for few seconds, but total capacity pretty much boils down to size

so a car jump pack and a phone charging power bank of the same size will supply about the same amount of phone charges


I don't mean to be so negative in this thread... just if two similar sized power banks have massively different ratings you can be pretty sure the one with the higher rating is faking it