moondog

The seller wouldn't have a good rating if he sold unlabeled power packs.

CrazyInteg

You should be fine, but just keep in mind that GPS doesn't work so well when you're underground.

WFBtheV

While the output voltage of the power bank is 5V (per USB spec, nothing to do with the actual energy capacity of the battery), the battery cells inside are Li-Ion cells (although the description says LiPo, but that would seem scary), which should have a nominal voltage of 3.7V. So it's under 100Wh.

The question would be how it's actually labeled and how smart the security guys are. I have a similar size power bank I've taken through Chinese airport security many times, but the Wh capacity is labeled, not just mAh.

joer1212

I know, but I'll only avail myself of the GPS when I'm navigating the streets.

Thanks for that info and very good points. Hopefully, security will be too lazy to press the issue and will just let my battery pass. The only question is whether such restrictions exist in other countries, including the United States. I will have to look into that.

Loren Pechtel

I can't imagine that a printed map of a place like Shanghai is of much value. The city is simply too big, how do you reasonably locate yourself on the map? While I have never attempted to use a detailed map of Shanghai I have used Google Maps on lesser cities. It's not a good experience but it gets the job done, something I wouldn't expect to accomplish with paper.

Yes, things can happen to electronics--but things can also happen to paper. Personally, I have found wide view maps to have value in planning what order to see things in and to see if there are interesting things along my route--neither of which requires high detail. (Note that the first part of this is handled reasonably well by TripAdvisor. Add your objectives to a trip and display it.) So long as I have the address I'm staying at tucked away I'm perfectly fine with heading out with only an electronic map. (In the wilderness I carry a paper map, also, but that's part of my emergency gear, I do not expect to ever use it. To date the only time the map has left my pack was to show somebody the lay of the land.)

trueblu

I was loathe to mention anything, since the OP is...particular.

I can say from the dozens of times I've passed through PEK with a battery pack, over 90% of the time, the security folks check the Wh rating of the battery ...I can't comment on whether they are up for some quick arithmetic if it's not labelled, since mine are...If the OP can speak Chinese (I suspect not) they may be able to explain it away, otherwise would recommend buying something with a clear <100 Wh label.

tb

Loren Pechtel

Far better than paper. Mine's not going to die on me, I always have a power bank with me if I'm using anything but my car to get around.

I can't recall being in a Chinese subway station without finding many route maps on big boards. All you need is to know what station you are going to and you would need that for a paper map, also.

You need a VPN.

One thing to check: Make sure the capacity is printed on it. There have been reports of problems with unmarked units not being allowed to fly in China. (Probably a strict rule--not marked as below the 100Wh limit = banned, avoid any disputes that one was obviously below 100Wh.)

Yup, I've made that mistake also. The battery normally was in my laptop bag but I had transferred it to a daypack. I failed to transfer it back and put the daypack in a suitcase, they caught it.

Under good conditions GPS has a stated accuracy of 10 meters and in my experience that's pessimistic--it usually can place me closer than that. (Note that your elevation fix is usually less accurate than this, but that is very unlikely to be of concern to you.) However, a big city is not good conditions--all those tall buildings reflect the signal. That will mess with the accuracy of your fix (an intermediate result in locating you is to figure out exactly how far away each satellite it sees is. However, if the signal is bouncing off a building the satellite appears farther away than it really is) and in extreme conditions it can play havoc with it. (A few weeks ago I was between two sheer rock walls, maybe 500' apart and hundreds of feet high. My GPS showed me going back and forth between them while I was really sitting down eating.)

Doesn't work for me. Perhaps it's the other way around--maybe he got his before they put that restriction in and it's not stopping him from updating it.

Yeah, but it's actually just under the limit. What's going on is the labels are deceptive--they are stating the capacity of the battery, not what it can actually deliver. The battery is 3.7 volts, not 5 volts.

Didn't see that--you're right. Multiple places on that page say it's LiPo. Send that garbage back! One should not be casually using LiPo batteries, period. I can't find anything about whether LiPo is allowed on a plane at all, everything I can find discusses the limits for Li-Ion. Nobody should be making LiPo power banks.

I was wondering why it was lighter than other batteries of it's size, now I know why.

Lithium batteries are not something to cheap out on. Good brands only.

moondog

Wow, I had no idea about this distinction. Thanks for bringing it to our attention:
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...just-different

Back to the main topic, you mentioned maps inside subway stations, and I recalled that I often seek these out when in new places in order to identify the best exit to use. This drill can suck up a few minutes, but is often easier than pulling up station maps from my phone, and I'm sure that the OP would appreciate the larger scale maps next to the station maps that show the exits in the context of the local area. Regardless of how you identify and find optimal exits, it's worth the effort, particularly in large stations that may have 20+ exits.

joer1212

Too late at this point. It already shipped, and I'm leaving pretty soon. If this battery can last my whole trip, and make it through airport security in all the countries I'm visiting, I'll be happy and consider it money well spent.

moondog

Can't you buy a new one at a physical store, and send back the one you ordered?

tauphi

I tried it on my Pixel and it worked for Shanghai. But you have to zoom in far enough for it to let you download the map.

joer1212

Physical stores have little selection where I live.
Anyway, the battery arrived today, and it's clearly labeled as having "91.7Wh", so I'm good.

chunky649

I started my travelling hobby with paper maps and a red pen as well... and still collect tourist maps from odd places.. Many people have already given you a lot of reasons and assurances that phone based maps are better and reliable... I agree with them 100% based on 10+ years of using one travelling to twice as many countries as you. I admit that China may be the most unreliable place for phone internet access and google map access.

If you haven't left already... I have a suggestion that helps me greatly in my travels:

1. Print out the name and address of the places you want to visit in Chinese (local language). So, if/when you get lost, and the tall buildings are obscuring your compass and the position of the sun and stars, you can ask someone nearby (easy in Shanghai and Taipei!) to point you there. You don't need to speak any Chinese. In fact, based on reading this thread, I think it is better if you keep your mouth shut and point to the destination and give your best dumb look. ;-)

I've had 100% success in this method in at least 20 foreign countries... In some specially memorable occasions, the person I asked drove me there (Gent), Subway worker drove me around to find my particular IBIS hotel in a suburb of Paris I don't have the address to, In Nagoya, the bus driver parked his bus, grabbed my hand and walked me a block to point me in the direction of Nagoya castle (it was 7am on a Saturday. no other riders). The only place I had less than pleasant response was actually in my birth place - Hong Kong, where people swore at me and call me stupid/crazy for trying to walk 15-20 minutes to a place, or sometimes just randomly point in a direction.

chunky649

Please do report back on your success/problems after you get back! I'm personally curious as to how you like the blue skies in Taipei... :-)

jsn55

I have no interest in going out sightseeing with my nose in my phone. Paper maps are MUCH better for a traveller, all the way around. You scope out your "route", put the map in your pocket, and pull it back out when you're totally lost. If you're headed for a specific building, you can use a highlighter or write down the directions ON A PIECE OF PAPER ahead of time, so you can just walk right over there. It's sad that ViaMichelin has disappeared ... I'll have a look at the site tomorrow; I need maps of Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong. As for Google, I sometimes search for a map and directions just so I can laugh at them. "Go here, turn there, stop". They're absolutely USELESS. I wonder if there's a business opportunity here for someone ... selling maps of specifics that we pick out on a website ... say the 25 blocks in all directions from our hotel. I'd be delighted to pay to obtain a map like that.