USB Battery Packs
#226
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Denver, CO
Programs: UA Silver, Bonvoy Gold, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 21,629
This is a long-shot, but I'm looking for the following battery pack...
Capacity not much of an issue, but I would like to avoid the large 10,000 mAh (or greater) bricks.
- Two output ports
- One QC 2.0 (or 3.0) output
- QC 2.0 (or 3.0) input
- Pass-through charging capability
- Can charge phones wirelessly via qi (this will be the difficult one)
Capacity not much of an issue, but I would like to avoid the large 10,000 mAh (or greater) bricks.
#227
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 3,414
This is a long-shot, but I'm looking for the following battery pack...
Capacity not much of an issue, but I would like to avoid the large 10,000 mAh (or greater) bricks.
- Two output ports
- One QC 2.0 (or 3.0) output
- QC 2.0 (or 3.0) input
- Pass-through charging capability
- Can charge phones wirelessly via qi (this will be the difficult one)
Capacity not much of an issue, but I would like to avoid the large 10,000 mAh (or greater) bricks.
You get a 20-40% loss on the wireless charging part, on top of the 30% voltage conversion loss
That saying, I want a pony too (your requirements are probably too niche, and two usb ports for a <10A is not that common)
You can probably find a device that meets all requirements except qi, and the jury-rig/ducttape a usb->qi charger(make sure it's not a micro USB qi receiver that is used to add qi charging to phones)
#228
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Bay Area
Programs: DL SM, UA MP.
Posts: 12,729
Anyone use battery packs for smaller devices?
In this case, I'm trying to recharge a pair of Beats X wireless headphones that just came out last month.
I have an Anker 2nd gen Astro E5 and if I try to just recharge the headphones by itself, it shuts off after like 10 seconds. I have to plug in my iPhone in the other USB port and then it will stay on and charge my iPhone and the Beats X headphones.
I tried it also with a cheaper battery pack and it's the same thing.
For comparison, I also have a pair of no-name brand wireless headphones and those charge fine from the battery packs. Seems like something about the Beats X which fools the battery packs into not detecting it plugged in.
Obvious difference is that the Beats X use Apple Lightning cables, not micro USB.
In this case, I'm trying to recharge a pair of Beats X wireless headphones that just came out last month.
I have an Anker 2nd gen Astro E5 and if I try to just recharge the headphones by itself, it shuts off after like 10 seconds. I have to plug in my iPhone in the other USB port and then it will stay on and charge my iPhone and the Beats X headphones.
I tried it also with a cheaper battery pack and it's the same thing.
For comparison, I also have a pair of no-name brand wireless headphones and those charge fine from the battery packs. Seems like something about the Beats X which fools the battery packs into not detecting it plugged in.
Obvious difference is that the Beats X use Apple Lightning cables, not micro USB.
#229
Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 246
I just tested with a Mophie Juice Pack from a few years ago, and it works fine.
But it seems like a good idea to test before traveling, and that's not something I would have thought of.
#230
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Bay Area
Programs: DL SM, UA MP.
Posts: 12,729
I think the battery packs have to get some feedback from the device to know when the battery in the device is fully charged, so that it would shut off.
So maybe the Beats X doesn't send that info. back whereas the Marsee headphones, with a much smaller battery pack, does and charges fine.
So maybe the Beats X doesn't send that info. back whereas the Marsee headphones, with a much smaller battery pack, does and charges fine.
#231
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Detroit; Formerly Dubai
Posts: 3,654
I think the battery packs have to get some feedback from the device to know when the battery in the device is fully charged, so that it would shut off.
So maybe the Beats X doesn't send that info. back whereas the Marsee headphones, with a much smaller battery pack, does and charges fine.
So maybe the Beats X doesn't send that info. back whereas the Marsee headphones, with a much smaller battery pack, does and charges fine.
#232
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: RDU
Posts: 5,294
#233
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Detroit; Formerly Dubai
Posts: 3,654
I am sure I couldn't fly Dubai to the US with one of those in carry-on luggage, but I expect that they might be barred on Frankfurt to the US. They have a practical problem banning every iPad and it would be hard to make an exploding iPad that really worked. It would be child's play to make an Ankar battery that could power its four LEDs and was otherwise made of explosives.
#235
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,786
#236
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 92
Heh, I get you are joking but I am sure that they have done a blanket restriction for electronics rather than having to get into arguments about whether something contains a lithium battery or not.
#237
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Bay Area
Programs: DL SM, UA MP.
Posts: 12,729
Have an Anker Astro with 16k mAh capacity.
It's about a couple of years old.
Like the size and weight for the capacity but now it's taking a long time to charge. It's been charging for about 12 hours and only up to 3 bars out of 4.
Seems like it takes longer to charge than it used to.
Do other packs with 15k or greater mAh capacity also take so long to fully charge?
It's about a couple of years old.
Like the size and weight for the capacity but now it's taking a long time to charge. It's been charging for about 12 hours and only up to 3 bars out of 4.
Seems like it takes longer to charge than it used to.
Do other packs with 15k or greater mAh capacity also take so long to fully charge?
#238
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: KSUX
Posts: 906
You may be running into the same issue I have with one of my battery packs. It can only charge at 1A (even off a 12W charger) which means to fully recharge it to its 10400mAh rating takes 10-12 hours. That's the big reason I asked for an Anker 13,000 mAh pack for Christmas. It can take a full 2A and charges in half the time of the other one. Since the older Romoss works fine and holds a 10+ Ah charge after two years I still use it but use the Anker first due to its ability to charge faster.
#239
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Atherton, CA
Programs: UA 1K, AA EXP; Owner, Green Bay Packers
Posts: 21,690
Have an Anker Astro with 16k mAh capacity.
It's about a couple of years old.
Like the size and weight for the capacity but now it's taking a long time to charge. It's been charging for about 12 hours and only up to 3 bars out of 4.
Seems like it takes longer to charge than it used to.
Do other packs with 15k or greater mAh capacity also take so long to fully charge?
It's about a couple of years old.
Like the size and weight for the capacity but now it's taking a long time to charge. It's been charging for about 12 hours and only up to 3 bars out of 4.
Seems like it takes longer to charge than it used to.
Do other packs with 15k or greater mAh capacity also take so long to fully charge?
#240
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: NYC
Programs: SPG Gold, Hyatt Plat, PC Plat, Hilton Gold
Posts: 612
Many phones use USB PD to charge now (Google Pixel, for example), and these packs can also be useful for laptops such as Macbooks and Dell XPS.