Portable phone chargers

[Dave2002]

Are portable phone chargers a waste of time and money? I've seen various gadgets, usually containing one or more lithium batteries, which can be charged up, and then used as power sources - for example for charging up mobile phones - usually at about 5V. Some can store more charge, and some can deliver a range of output voltages, so that some enthusiasts have recommended them (perhaps at 12V or 15V) for driving amplifiers or DACs.

I also recently read a review of photo cell chargers for phones, which was surprisingly positive. I think that these also worked by charging up a llithium battery, and then functioned in the same way as the mains or USB powerd ones. However, are all of these gadgets really just representative of solutions to problems which don't really exist?

[Anastasius]

.....
....However, are all of these gadgets really just representative of solutions to problems which don't really exist?

+1

[Bryn]

I also recently read a review of photo cell chargers for phones, which was surprisingly positive. I think that these also worked by charging up a llithium battery, and then functioned in the same way as the mains or USB powerd ones. However, are all of these gadgets really just representative of solutions to problems which don't really exist?

I have found small portable rechargers very useful. The smallest I have will only offer around half a full charge, but about the size of half a tube of Munchies. I also have a couple which give full charge to my Sony Xperia Z. They are approximately the size of a standard box of Swan Vesta matches. I did have a larger one with 2 USB outlets. That originally had capacity to charge around 3 times, but it failed withing a couple of months, refusing to take any charge whatever.

For holidays I have an emergency battery booster/air compressor for the car. It also has a standard 12V car dashboard type outlet.

[Dave2002]

Bryn

LIDL currently have some chargers for £9.99. According to the spec they contain a 3.7V 5200mah Lithium ion battery, which is interesting. Do they have a voltage converter (inverter) to produce the 5V 2.1A output?

Earlier - I think last year - they had what you call Munchie type chargers - http://www.lidl-service.com/static/9.../101433_EN.pdf but they had a 3.6V 2600 mah battery pack - perhaps not even Lithium type. Amazon also has Munchie types - see http://www.amazon.co.uk/UKOUTLET-Ext...attery+charger which are cheap - though the reviews are variable.

I have wondered what these might be used for. Are they really intended only for occasional use - emergency situations - for when a device, such as a mobile phone loses power, or can they be used frequently, and put through many charging cycles? Can they actually be used as a regular power source, or is that not recommended?

I thought I'd try one of the new LIDL ones, and it came 75% charged. There are flashing lights to indicate level, and it took under an hour to bring all the lights on solid. Maybe it will turn out to be useful for our newish smartphones, which seem to go flat very quickly, unlike our earlier and in many ways easier to use mobile phones.

Another possible use for devices like this (I'm not sure if the Silvercrest LIDL ones would do this) is to increase the effective charging rate for devices such as iPads. If we use our car charger point to charge up 1st Gen iPads it takes a long while to build up a full charge - usually a 100 mile journey or more. I suppose one of these battery packs could be charged up in advance, and might give a faster charge to a tablet.

I can think of another potential use in some areas. Mobile hot spots - such as this - http://www.amazon.co.uk/HUAWEI-E5330...s=mifi+hotspot are sometimes very useful, but tend to run down in about 2-3 hours. Perhaps they can be connected to these chargers to function as a power source, and thus obtain a much extended operating time. We discovered that in some parts of Scotland (for example) getting a 3G signal is very difficult, which means that connecting to networks with iPads or laptops is next to impossible, or may require sitting in the middle of a field - which is not fun if it rains. However, the range of the WiFi units may be sufficient that the MiFi gadgets can be put in a car parked nearby, where there is better 3G reception. OK - this is getting desperate - but actually it has had a significant effect on our lives, as it made some major activity possible last year, including a house purchase. Without that we would not have been able to communicate and receive the details we needed, and make necessary arrangements. When I mentioned this to someone in the 3 store in Inverness he said that on the west coast, round Gairloch, people actually hang those MiFi units in plastic bags out of house windows, as the only way to get a 3G signal.

Some battery packs cannot provide output while at the same time charging. The new LIDL one has this restriction. Some others may not have that constraint - though whether that's useful I don't know.

I am not sure whether under current rules it's allowed to carry lithium based battery packs in aircraft. I found this article from around 2008 - http://www.bobatkins.com/photography...trictions.html which indicates that they may be carried in carry on bags, but presumably not a complete back pack full of such batteries. There's also this - http://www.tsa.gov/traveler-informat...es-and-devices

I don't know of any advice from the UK or European air authorities.

Like you I also have one of those jump starters, as we had a car which would not always start easily. We have since scrapped that, and I'm not sure that we really need the battery pack any more.

Now - to see how long it actually takes to charge up my Sony phone.

[Bryn]

The 'Munchies' type I have is square in cross section and has a 5.3v output and max drain of 1A:



The 'Swan Vesta' type (available for £7.99 each via amazon.co.uk, ASIN: B0087BM4L2) has a nominal 5V output and a 4Ah capacity.

I have had the 'Munchies' type for a couple of years and they are still going well, The 'Swan Vesta' type are a more recent purchase and are my preferred option.

[Dave2002]

OK - things the LIDL charger will do:

1. Charge my Sony phone up to 100% from around 60% in maybe an hour. Doesn't seem to have put any significant drain on the power supply unit yet. All the lights still on with no further charge.

2. It will power up a small USB reading light which I bought recently for around £2 (Dunelm, I think). This might be useful for reading the meters, something which I have found difficult in recent years.

Things it won't or can't be expected to do:

1. It can't reasonaby be expected to charge up almost all iPads, as they have much larger capacity batteries. For details see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPad The iPad 3rd generation are the ones which seem to have the largest battery capacity requirement at present. Some other tablets may be less demanding.

2. It won't charge up some small items, such as watches - e.g. Sony Smartwatch - presumably doesn't recognise the device - probably doesn't have enough current drain to trigger any action.

So, referring back to msg 2 - +0.5

Some people may find them useful, some people may find they don't do what they want, and some may decide that they clearly can't be of any use.

For some smartphones they could be useful. For larger, more demanding gadgets, if this kind of thing is to be of use, then really larger capacity and more expensive, and heavier ones are the way to go. In desperate times it might be possible to boost an iPad to keep it functional, or use a couple of these chargers sequentlally, or use a larger one ab initio. Some of the larger ones claim to be able to deliver 3 amps, and have a significantly larger capacity.

It might be possible to drive some audio devices - such as this FiiO DAC - http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B...rch_detailpage - and that might arguably provide some benefits, such as isolation from mains and interference.

There are a number of people who think that battery power is the way to go for some better quality audio, though often large battery packs are needed. I have not tested the pack I have with any audio devices, so don't know if the results would be good, or not. Probably would work with a DAC, providing the power pack decided to feed it, but larger packs would be needed for power amps I think.

Other factors - looking at the specs for some of these, an expected number of charging cycles around 500 is suggested, so the gadgets would probably last about 2 years - give or take. Some of the units reviewed in various places have failed quickly - a definite down side. On the other hand, if a £10 item such as the current ones on offer fails in 2 years, and is used fairly regularly, that probably only represents 1 or 2 pence per day, and if that's useful then not a big deal.

Keep the receipt for the first year at least!

[Dave2002]

I have now tried the USB charger with several different devices. Some work, some don't. Possibly the ones that don't work might do with better matched connecting wires.

So far success has been with:

Smartphones - Nokia and Sony models.
iPod Classic
iPod Touch
a Philips GoGear MP3 player
1st gen. iPad - though as mentioned earlier there is insufficient stored charge to drive it up to capacity, but it does drive it sufficiently into functionality to be useful.

A Kindle would not charge, though perhaps that was because it was very run down - I may try it again.

A few other devices haven't worked so far - I'm still working on them. Just because the battery powered charger doesn't work with some devices doesn't necessarily mean that it doesn't work, though if the main reason for having it is for that device, then it's not fit for purpose. In my tests so far I have found enough devices for which it does work to be fairly sure it works, and it may be useful to me for some of them.

I also observed something else today - a person I was with trying to find mains sockets to plug a phone charger into in between meeetings on someone else's premises. This seemed to be potentially important for communication with kids, who had somehow managed to ensure that my companion's phone was not charged up, yet wanted to be in touch. One of these battery powered chargers, if itself charged up, would have eliminated that problem.

One thing which is fairly important - a sort of square peg round hole thing - is to know the different forms of USB connectors, and this page is useful for that - http://www.cablestogo.com/learning/connector-guides/usb

There are a few very small USB connectors which look superficially similar, but aren't, and it's no use trying to force them.

[Dave2002]

Another device tested - and failed - but not for the same reason.

A FiiO D3 DAC - works - providing the correct output (Optical/Coax) switch is set on the DAC, and sounds very good for about 10-15 seconds. Then a series of dropouts occurs roughly every 15 seconds, so the power pack is (sadly) useless for this purpose. Other power packs which don't do this may be worth investigating - if there are any!

[Dave2002]

I noticed another battery pack with a solar panel in LIDL recently - rated at 2200 mAh. It turns out to be slightly useful, as it will actually charge up some devices with very low energy requirements which may not charge with a larger unit. There are similar types of battery chargers available on Amazon, but the reviews suggest that the solar panel is almost useless. This is certainly the case with the LIDL 2200 mAh model. It will charge up to 25% in sunlight, but it seems next to impossible to get it above that. It will charge up fully via a USB mains driven power source. The maximum output at 5 volts is 1 amp, and it will cut out if a device attempts to take more than that current. Also, its ability to deliver charge is limited, and if it's not fully charged then it may be incapable of charging/running an external device. Generally most people would not find the solar panel option very useful, and it would be better to have a device without that capability, but with a much higher storage capacity. Most are more cost effective too.

There are actually a few situations in which these chargers do have a use. Newer phones (smartphones) do tend to run down very quickly, particularly if all the bells and whistles are turned on, so these battery packs can be useful on the move if the user has forgotten to charge up the phone before going out. I suppose the solar panel unit could be useful if mains power is not available - though the charge stored from sunlight is very limited, but might enable a few phone calls to be made. For travellers there are situations where these may help if the only available USB mains chargers are voltage specific - though in fact many are universal up to 250V.

I have discovered that these battery based chargers can work well with a cheap USB LED light for taking meter readings in a cupboard where otherwise I cannot see well enough to do take a reading. My LED light is something like this - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Daffodil-ULT...flexible+light - though was about £2 from Dunelm.

Users who require to top up the charge on more than one device simultaneously (e.g 2 mobile phones) could find that some of the multiple USB output units with significantly larger storage capacity serve their purposes better, though these come at higher prices. Something like this - http://www.amazon.co.uk/RAVPower-160...ds=RAV+charger though this is just one example of a higher capacity unit. However, the prices of all these gadgets does seem to be dropping quite rapidly year on year.

[teamsaint]

Can anybody recommend a decent charger compatible with an iphone 5s, at a sensible price, maybe £10?

thanks.

[Beef Oven!]

Can anybody recommend a decent charger compatible with an iphone 5s, at a sensible price, maybe £10?

thanks.

A £500 phone, and you want a portable charger for £10? Are you sure you should've gone for such phone in the first place, if you're apparent willingness to part with your money is such that it is?

[MrGongGong]

Can anybody recommend a decent charger compatible with an iphone 5s, at a sensible price, maybe £10?

thanks.

Here you go (you might need some adaptor leads but you should get a few hours out of it )

[Beef Oven!]

Here you go (you might need some adaptor leads but you should get a few hours out of it )

Great price, too!

[Dave2002]

Can anybody recommend a decent charger compatible with an iphone 5s, at a sensible price, maybe £10?

thanks.

Actually I thought the charger mentioned in msg 9 was supposed to be good - http://www.amazon.co.uk/RAVPower-160...ds=RAV+charger but I think when I last looked it was £16 or so, while now it's "on offer' at £23.99!

This page may give some clues - http://www.techradar.com/news/portab...mend-1178873/2 though note that since that was from last year prices have generally dropped a lot since then. Also that page is aimed at the US market, but some of the products are the same or similar. That's how I found that RAV unit above.

Search for "portable phone chargers review" or similar word combination and see what comes up. There are several comparative reviews out there.

I agree with MrGG that if you want a really good one you may have to pay more than £10, but perhaps not too much more nowadays.

What you want may depend on your needs. The LIDL 5200maH model might come round again, and should do an iPhone, as it charged my iPad over 40% Avoid low capacity ones - they won't work with anything really demanding. Other factors are size and weight, and of course cost and value for money.

The solar ones are probably really just not worth bothering with - which is a pity - but they just don't work well enough.

Some chargers don't do very well at charging attached devices unless they are fully charged themselves, which might render them next to useless for some people.

A charger with two outputs, such as the RAV could be good - though of course the larger capacity ones also tend to be larger and heavier. The two output models typically have one 1 amp output and one at 2.1 amp - both 5V, though that RAV unit has 2.1 and 2.4 amp outputs - which is good if you you want to charge up two fairly hefty devices. It also has a light, so doubles up as a torch. Other factors - charging up time, and charge time for the connected devices. You should find a number of similar chargers but at different prices at the bottom of that RAV Amazon page.

If you need to charge up the charger rapidly your choices reduce - depends how organised you are. If you charge the chargers up overnight, then there's not a problem, but if you forget to charge your phone and if you also forget to charge your charger then .....

[teamsaint]

A £500 phone, and you want a portable charger for £10? Are you sure you should've gone for such phone in the first place, if you're apparent willingness to part with your money is such that it is?

Didn't cost me a penny.
Don't even have to pay tax on the P11D value.



( oh, and I only want the charger for about 2 days) .

And thanks to Dave 20002 for the considered post .