[pct-l] USB device charging

Thu Mar 18 08:08:19 CDT 2010

Fully charges an ipod twice, has two usb female ports.  When in town you can
charge 2 devices and the internal battery at once.  You can carry an
optional extra batter if you are using a lot of power.  Carried it 2000
miles, works great and you can't beat the price.
http://www.amazon.com/Music-Power-0900-72-Rechargeable-Extended/dp/B000QFNK6K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1268917528&sr=8-1

On Thu, Mar 18, 2010 at 7:29 AM, Thomas Jamrog <balrog at midcoast.com> wrote:

> Thanks for the tip on the shorter cable, I just ordered one.  I have had
> good results with my iPod Touch (just like the iPhone in most ways but
> without the monthly phone charges)  using  the Solio classic solar charger,
> which also serves as a storage battery when charged up via the wall plug.  I
> get two charges of the iPod Touch with it.  You can also use the sun to
> recharge the unit if you hike in those conditions.  The numbers are :
>  1650Amh, 5-6V , 800 mA output range,  4.8 watts. There is also a special
> adapter you need to buy from Solio that mates between the Ipod Touch or
> iPhone and the plug coming out of the Solio unit.
> Uncle Tom
>
>
>
> Read all about it right now ( hotlinked)  at  www.trailjournals.com .
>
> On Mar 17, 2010, at 3:08 PM, Bill Burge wrote:
>
> >
> > I didn't write the following for PCT hiking, but it might prove useful:
> >
> > I started with a short cable because it seemed silly to carry a long
> > cable with me all the time.  Because of the case I use, "cableless"
> > options (built-in connector) are not an option.  Also, many of those
> > are rigid or have a case for the phone.  I like my case and making my
> > phone 2-3 inches longer makes the connector in the phone the break
> > point if it flexes!
> >
> > ProCable Shortz  in 7cm (2.5") or 20cm (7.5"), a few different places
> > carry them, this is an example:
> > http://www.radtech.us/Products/CablesiPod.aspx#ProCableShortz
> >
> > I have the 7cm, and a retractable USB extension (that I bought at
> > Fry's).  I bought the short cable from Radtech, but other places carry
> > them.  They are a good company with great support.
> >
> > For batteries, that's more complicated.  Many battery suppliers don't
> > publish the capacity of their battery packs and some that do (Lenmar)
> > overstate them drastically.  Many wish to say crap like "recharge your
> > device 3-4 times" - WHICH device?  My old iPod, my BlackBerry, my
> > iPhone 3Gs?  Others are even worse with "adds 27 hours of talk time!"
> > WTF does that mean?  "My iPod Touch has 0 hours so far, so now it has
> > 27?"
> >
> > So I deal in "mAh".  That says, if you're not into battery juice,
> > "this battery will put out the stated voltage (in this case, USB spec,
> > which is 5-5.5V) at so many milliamps for one hour or 1 milliamp for
> > so many hours and anywhere in between. So, an iPhone 3Gs battery is
> > 3.7V and 1220mhA.  Simplistically, we'll call that 4514VmAh as the
> > capacity of the battery.  In a perfect world, you'd need a charger
> > battery that put out that much energy to fill it back up, but you will
> > actually need more.  There is loss and power used to drive the
> > circuitry to charge the battery and change the voltage inside the
> > battery pack from what ever it is to 5V for USB output.  Since USB
> > output is 5V, a battery pack of 903mAh is one charge of the iPhone
> > 3Gs.  Let's round to 1000mAh of USB power for a full charge.
> >
> > The other item to be on the lookout for is the rated output power in
> > milliamps (mA) or amps (A).  USB port output for running attached
> > devices is about 500mA at 5V (so 2500VmAh).  If a device like the
> > iPhone 3Gs needs 4514VmAh to fully charge, then at 5V and 500mA, it
> > will need about 1.8 hours to charge - about 2 hours with loss, etc.
> > Some chargers are offering 1000mA (also called 1A, or high output)
> > charging ports for devices that can use the extra juice.  I believe
> > that older iPods (and maybe the original iPhones) are limited to
> > drawing 500-ish mA from the port.  The iPhone 3Gs will do a "fast
> > charge" if it detects a "high output" port.
> >
> > I have a Lenmar battery pack that claims to be 750mAh, it makes about
> > 30% charge of the iPhone.
> > http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3184995  nowhere
> > NEAR 750mAh, but I got a couple at Fry's on sale for less than $10.
> > Very small and can carry in my pocket with my short cable for an
> > emergency.  (No high output port, I can use the iPhone faster than it
> > can charge it; in some situations.)
> >
> > I bought this one for Helen as a bigger battery.
> > http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3912660   It
> > claims 2100mAh and should be able to charge the iPhone 3Gs twice!  Not
> > so, once and some change.  I bought it at Fry's and didn't get such a
> > good deal.  Both of the Lenmars came with Apple cables, don't use
> > them, they won't work with the iPhone or some later model iPods.
> > Apple changed the spec of their cables...  (Again, no high output port.)
> >
> > My current favorite battery is making me frustrated.  It's the
> > Duracell "Instant USB Charger".
> > http://www.duracell.com/en-US/product/instant-usb-charger.jspx  I
> > bought it at WalMart for $20, on a whim, and it's turned out to be my
> > "pocket favorite".  It's very flat, so it's good for the pocket.  At
> > $20, it was a bargain!  It advertises 1120mAh and DOES do a "flat to
> > full" charge of my iPhone 3Gs.  Ever since, when I see them - they are
> > $30 - not as much of a bargain.  Some of the things I DO like about
> > it, it comes with a very short (portable) power/recharge USB cable AND
> > is has an actual ON/OFF switch.  Most of these types of devices do
> > NOT, and as such are always powering the power conversion circuit and
> > slowly draining.  Very slowly, but draining just the same.  Also, it
> > seems that it does put out more than the minimum for a faster charge.
> > This one is so small and flat that I might consider hiking with more
> > than one and call it "done", but then I start getting cheap...
> >
> > Then there's BIG juice.  This would be for something like the bus ride
> > to camp and back.  Usually, I'd be in a car with a 12V->USB adapter.
> > I wasn't on the charter to Joshua Tree so I don't know if there was
> > any power on the bus for devices, so do have that. But I go looking
> > and I did order something.  I can't vouch for it's performance yet.
> >
> > I considered looking for the larger Duracell.  The Powerhouse Charger:
> > http://www.duracell.com/en-US/product/powerhouse-usb-charger.jspx  but
> > at 2000mAh, it would be two charges at best and was not that
> > compelling, unless I could find it deeply discounted.  I could not.
> >
> > I considered something VERY expensive, but with other uses for after
> > Snow Camp, and of very high quality:
> >
> http://www.hypershop.com/HyperMac-External-MacBook-Battery-100Wh-p/mbp-100.htm
> >  but just couldn't bring myself to cough up the bucks (still, it
> > would charge the iPhone over 50 times! ;-) Definitely a 1A, high
> > output, power port.  I could power my laptop on some car/plane trips
> > and power my iPhone as well.
> >
> > The same company has a device meant more for iPhone/iPod use, and I
> > considered it as well:
> > http://www.hypershop.com/product-p/hm36-black.htm still pricey for
> > 3600mAh (about 3.5 full charges) but very good quality and probaby IS
> > 3600mAh!  Definitely has a 1A, high output power port. (May still get
> > something from these guys, if I get a bonus at work or something!)
> >
> > What I ended up ordering was:
> >
> http://www.imaxpower.com/IMP500-3G-3Gs-iPhone-iTouch-external-battery-p/imp500.htm
> > I liked that it came with a "wall wart" charger that I use for it or
> > for my iPhone or iPod Touch.  I doubt that the cable will work for
> > either.  I purchased it through Amazon, last night, and it shipped
> > this morning.  I'll let you know how it does when I get it.  The
> > online reviews have said 4+ full recharges of iPhones and a charge
> > rate that implies a high output port and a 3rd party doc "confirms"
> > it.  I verified with the vendor that the capacity is 5000mAh at 5V, so 4
> > full charges should be expected with some power left over.  At 130g,
> > this might be "trailable" at about 1oz per iPhone charge.
> > Reviews:  http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=565215 and
> >
> > I was going to get http://www.imaxpower.com/product-p/imp880.htm to
> > share (with GF), but then what happens to is after the trip is over?
> > This device probably has a high output port, but now I'm not so sure...
> >
> > BillB
> >
> >
> >
> > On Mar 17, 2010, at 11:17 AM, Jim Keener ( J J ) wrote:
> >
> >> Greetings,
> >>
> >> I received this charger yesterday and tested it today on a fully
> >> discharged iPhone 3GS. It charged up to 82% of the iPhone's battery
> >> capacity and ran out of juice. Bad charger.
> >>
> >> Walk well,
> >> Jim Keener ( J J )
> >> _________________
> >>
> >> jj at ridgetrailhiker.com
> >>
> >> http://postholer.com/jj
> >> http://ridgetrailhiker.com
> >> http://olderhealthier.com
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
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