Portable power bank. Basic ways to charge a Power Bank. Model with solar panels Solar PowerBank
Each of us spends an incalculable amount of time with a smartphone or tablet, both for work and for the soul. Most of the time consumption occurs on the road somewhere, and from almost everywhere available Wi-Fi our life began to resemble a journey “from socket to socket” to recharge.
In this regard, we offer to buy portable accumulator, or external Power bank, an irreplaceable thing today and therefore presented in a wide range. Additional external battery Depending on the size, the power bank can easily fit into a pocket or bag to extend the life of your smartphone or tablet at the right time when you need to be in touch.
A portable charger is indispensable on the road
An additional power bank battery will always help out: on the subway, in a traffic jam, while walking, or while traveling. It's too long to list! The scope of application of the device is so wide that it will not be difficult for you to find a use for it and appreciate its qualities while walking the dog or lying on the beach. At the same time, you will not feel any discomfort, and you can always continue to use your smartphone, phone, tablet, while remaining connected to the portable charger at one end!
Power bank device
Each additional battery Power bank, which you can buy at Medgadgets, is “well cut and tightly sewn”! This means that you can treat it a little less carefully than you are used to treating things, throw it into your bag along with other contents and not worry about its integrity. Outwardly, they resemble elegant boxes different sizes. And, perhaps, the only thing we recommend: do not get portable batteries wet, do not swim with them in the bathroom, at sea, in the pool or for walks. long time under rain. Yes, this would hardly even occur to you!
Portable Power Bank - price
To portable Charger the price is formed based, firstly, on power. And, of course, the more powerful the external battery, the higher its price. At the same time, the prices for additional external chargers are not exorbitant, and the “average” option, which is enough for several phone charges, can be chosen within 1,000 or a little over 1,000. Each manufacturer offers interesting solutions by design, which also adds some pennies to the cost, and the Chinese “no name” can be picked up almost for free, but! Here you need to be very careful and well in the know, otherwise you risk buying defective goods, the use of which may damage your equipment.
External battery at Medgadgets
Each external battery in our store is sold with a warranty from the store and the manufacturer and most often these are gadgets famous brands, and both of these facts insure you in the rare event of a device malfunction. The catalog contains devices of different power and appearance, so choose convenient option External charging is quite easy. Has proven itself very positively Russian market Xiaomi brand, and therefore external charging of this Chinese manufacturer highly recommended!
Portable charger - use
No matter how easy the portable charger is to use, you need to add a few words about operation. Most often any extra charge Power bank is equipped with a button. And when you connect your gadget, this button must be pressed to activate your charger. The number of devices that can be charged simultaneously from one power bank is limited by USB ports. And, of course, since the perpetual motion machine has not yet been invented, the additional external charging itself also requires power!
What is Power Bank
As a summary, we would like to add that an external Power Bank is the best purchase for those who use it in work and life mobile gadgets. Which means: for almost everyone! With the help of portable external chargers, you can charge your phones repeatedly while on the road or for a walk, staying connected and online. Different power such portable batteries will provide different quantities“approaches”, while low-capacity external Power banks will charge themselves faster.
Each Power Bank that you can buy in our store is accompanied by a manufacturer’s and/or store’s warranty, which means you buy the product risk-free!
Greetings to all readers of my blog! We continue to disassemble portable batteries. Price good Power bank is significant enough to put up with quick loss performance. To extend the life of your device, you need to know how to charge a power bank correctly. We will talk about this today, and also analyze the situation when the Power bank does not charge: what to do, how to identify the cause and try to eliminate it yourself.
Charging the power bank correctly
To start new belief the bank needs to be pumped up. First of all, we charge the battery to 100% (according to the rule, you should receive a portable device with 70 - 80% charge). It is not possible to pre-discharge new modern batteries, as was previously recommended. Next, be sure to carry out 2 - 3 cycles of complete discharge and charging to 100%. Such manipulations will allow you to “boost” the maximum possible battery capacity.
Next important recommendation, how to properly charge a power bank - always “fill” the “energy storage” 100% and do not immediately disconnect from the network for “trickle” charging. It is carried out at low current strength, after the 100% indicator on the case lights up. The beginning and end of this process can be monitored using a USB tester. When a value of 0.1 - 0.05 A appears on its display instead of 1 - 1.5 A, then “drip” charging has begun. The battery will be charged to maximum if you wait until it resets.
You should not allow your portable battery to constantly discharge completely. It must be connected to the power supply when the critical threshold of 20% is reached. In this case, there are two ways to charge the device: from a stationary electrical outlet 220 V via network adapter and from a computer via a USB cable. The first method is the fastest and most preferable. At the same time, there is the concept of battery calibration, which implies it complete discharge. To prevent various malfunctions, such calibration should be carried out once every 3 months.
The battery charge level is displayed on LED indicator(the more lights are on, the higher the charge), or on the display (shows exact figure in percentages). It is recommended to always allow the power bank to “feed” completely. Short-term recharging is harmful to a lithium-ion battery, despite manufacturers' assurances that there is no memory effect. It’s unfortunate, but such an effect exists, and such irresponsible handling of the device will lead to the inability to charge it 100% in the future.
Another frequently asked question buyers - how long does it take to charge an external battery? There is no universal answer for all models, since the time depends on energy intensity, availability additional function fast charging, current strength in the network (more precisely, from the value that your adapter produces). If we talk about 5 or 10 thousand units for smartphones, then they require an average of 12 hours of recharge. High quality models with a capacity of 20,000 mAh for laptops are equipped with a fast charging function and require, surprisingly, only 3 - 4 hours. More detailed and exact information regarding the purchased device you will, of course, find in the user manual or operating instructions.
What to do if the portable battery does not charge?
When we connect the power bank to the source electric current, the indicator immediately lights up and flashes until the process is completed. At the same time, there is no need to constantly wake up at night in order to promptly disconnect the charging gadget from the network. Most models have overcharge protection and automatically turn off when the battery is completely full.
But what to do if the real situation does not develop according to the manufacturer’s scenario? Why did an external battery that had been in service for months suddenly stop charging? The most common reason, according to experts service centers- broken wires in the port socket. As a result, you insert the cable into the connector, but no current flows. There is one way to fix such a malfunction - solder the contacts.
If the device (especially one ordered via the Internet) does not even turn on upon first inspection, then most likely it is completely discharged, so you first need to charge it.
Many users encounter this problem when the power bank takes too long to charge (for example, 10 hours with a capacity of less than 5 mAh).
You need to look for the problem in the following:
- low-quality network adapter that produces low current output (less than 1 A);
- thin cable losing large percentage current;
- controller malfunction;
- the contacts in the connector move away (current flows in and then stops flowing);
- poor-quality assembly (when it’s easier to throw it away and not suffer).
You can try to eliminate some causes yourself (take another adapter with a good cable, disassemble and solder broken contacts), but without certain basic knowledge it is better to contact a specialist.
Very often, a cheap power bank from a dubious manufacturer not only charges slowly, but also discharges disproportionately quickly. There can be two options here: either the battery capacity is outrageously lower than declared (and instead of the expected 12,000 you actually have about 6,000 mAh), or one or more parallel-connected batteries inside the case turned out to be poorly sealed and simply came off (as a result coming noticeable loss containers).
A power bank should ensure our comfort and mobility (this is its essence), but for this we must take care of it and not forget about the operating rules: store for a long time with a charge level of about 50 - 80%, avoid prolonged hypothermia, do not leave in room with high humidity. Before proceeding with any troubleshooting, all risks should be assessed (especially when working with Chinese fakes). I hope I helped you understand the issues of charging a power bank in order to avoid its premature failure. Subscribe to blog updates - share interesting information with friends in in social networks and get to know the technology around us better.
What to do if the power bank does not charge your phone?
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Thank you for your attention! See you again on my blog. Sincerely, Rostislav Kuzmin.
Your smartphone is dead and there is no power outlet nearby? The situation is frequent - modern smartphones They shrink quickly if you use them to their fullest. This is where a portable charger comes in! But how to do right choice so as not to be left without communication and entertainment? Let me show you what I chose and what problems I encountered in the end.
According to tradition, first a little theory.
Nowadays the most popular power source is a lithium battery. They are everywhere - in phones, cameras, laptops... Even in disposable ones electronic cigarettes There is a rechargeable lithium battery.
The most common format for lithium is 18650 (18*650 mm). Such “banks” are used in most laptop batteries.
Well, since laptops are one of the most popular products in the world, manufacturers are striving to improve this particular type of battery.
Which makes 18650 ideal for use in flashlights, e-cigarettes and portable chargers.
Lithium batteries have their drawbacks - they do not like to be discharged too much and deteriorate when charged uncontrolled. That’s why you won’t find “naked” ones in regular stores. lithium batteries, they are built into devices or sold together with a charge/discharge controller. But no one is stopping you from finding a used laptop battery and removing the batteries from it. Their condition may be far from ideal, but they are a freebie.
It would seem, what does this have to do with laptop batteries, if portable chargers are sold ready-made and often non-separable? It’s enough to type the cherished words in the search - and here they are, full of bright colors:
Let's think about it. The average buyer, of course, will never disassemble the charger and never think about replacing the batteries. Therefore, the manufacturer can put anything in there - from low-quality Chinese batteries to the same used laptops. But even if they are in the power bank quality batteries, they don’t last forever - a couple of years and they’re in the trash. Therefore, the ability to replace the power source is simply necessary, otherwise the device may turn out to be “disposable”. Try to find a replacement battery like this:
I’m used to buying everything from China, and I recommend it to you too - you won’t find normal things here at a reasonable price. More than two years have passed since my review, during which time I ordered dozens Chinese goods, visited many sites. There have been cases of fraud, and there have been very long delivery times. I liked it the most fast delivery and many options free shipping. There I bought several chargers I liked.
All of them can be replaced with a battery and, importantly, are supplied “empty”, that is, the batteries are purchased separately.
Familiar to all flashlight lovers, the ML-102 is very easy to use. Just insert the battery and... that's it. There are no buttons or charge level indicators. I connected the phone via USB - the charge started, connected via microUSB to the PC - the battery itself began charging. Stated current limit - 1.2A
The blue LED shows the current current consumption via USB. The brighter, the more power-hungry device is connected.
Red changes to green when battery is fully charged
The internals are as simple as the charger itself:
We connect the consumer to 1A and see that charging works fine:
When the battery is discharged, the charger tries to supply the requested current until the last moment, then goes out:
My conclusion: best charger by 1*18650. It is extremely simple and therefore convenient. Due to the independence of the charging and conversion circuits, you can simultaneously charge it and connect something to it. But if you have a completely discharged smartphone, you won’t be able to “squeeze the last juice” out of the charger - it won’t be able to deliver the required current and will pass out.
The downside is that it is not designed for protected batteries. They simply don’t fit in there, although some manage to push them into it by modifying the design with a knife and a file. There is no charge level indicator. It is constantly on and in standby mode (the blue diode is barely noticeable, but lights up).
This charger is already larger; it fits three batteries. Some versions also have a built-in flashlight (it shines really well). There is a button and a charge indicator. When in use, the indicator blinks red/green/yellow alternately; when charging the internal batteries, it blinks first red, then orange, then green, depending on the charge level. The declared current is 1A
Everything inside is not very good - the LED has no cooling, some parts are not soldered. The photo shows details from versions with and without a flashlight:
On this moment, I don’t have such a charger on my hands, so you won’t see the tests.
From the conclusion - I didn't really like it. Although this device has three batteries, all three channels are independent! This is good in terms of the fact that the batteries will not influence each other, but the bad thing is that energy is taken from only one of them at a time. If none is able to supply the requested current, the device turns off. Batteries connected in parallel could “jointly” produce the required current.
What I like is that it’s convenient to change batteries. I took the cover off, changed the battery and I was done. It is made really conveniently, there are special recesses for removal. There is a lot of space, protected batteries can also be placed, the springs are soft and inserted without difficulty.
Also, when used, the indicator simply blinks. It is impossible to find out the charge level without disconnecting the device being charged. Power supply stops immediately after disconnecting the cable, there is no delay. And there is no way to turn off charging during operation.
Also for three batteries, but not triangular, but flat. Instead of a three-color indicator, there are four blue LEDs. But there are already two here USB port, at 1A and 2.1A. When in use, the current charge level is displayed every 5 seconds. When charging, the charge level is also visible.
Everything is held on by screws and is inconvenient to disassemble. And it’s also difficult to assemble, the springs try to push the plug out:
It also copes with 1A consumption (it also supports 2.1 A, but I haven’t found anything that consumes that much):
And it turns off in the same way if you connect a power-hungry device when the charge level is low:
and then immediately disconnects
The result is a good charger for 3*18650, maybe one of the best. Fully metal case. The button is recessed so that it is not pressed accidentally. All batteries are placed in parallel, thereby increasing operating efficiency. Can issue higher current, therefore, has two USB ports, one of which is 2.1 A. The indicators work both when in use and when charging from the mains.
Of the minuses, it also cannot be turned off with a button, the button is only for turning it on. It turns off itself after 10 seconds of inactivity. I have already mentioned the impossibility of quickly changing batteries and not very convenient assembly with screws.
Also for 1 battery, like ML-102. Has a button, 5 indicators, supports a “special” mode for iPhone. Adapters included for various phones and a flashlight. There are no specifications for the current output.
Alas, I couldn’t take it apart, so we won’t see the insides. The plastic is molded very tightly.
Under the same conditions, charging was only able to produce 0.66A V normal mode and 0.87 in the special one (which is for the iPhone):
The special mode turns on only for a couple of minutes, so don’t be fooled by high values
Interestingly, it can also work with a very discharged battery (possibly causing a drop in voltage):
This is observed only in a “special” mode, but for emergency cases will do!
To sum it up: it was assembled conscientiously, it has been working for two years. Standard cable was Bad quality, soldered a new one. Charging is leisurely, but more efficient - it will work until the end, limiting the output current. The only one we review that can be turned off with a button during operation!
The downside is that there is only one USB connector. Charging from the network occurs through it. So without a special cable (USB - USB), you won’t be able to charge it yourself.
What conclusion can be drawn from the options considered? There are no universal things. To each his own. It’s more convenient for me to throw a 1*18650 power bank and several batteries into my backpack. Some people find Ruinovo more convenient - tighten it with screws and forget about it until you have to change the batteries. In general, I told you everything possible problems When choosing a portable charger, make no mistake.
But I missed one point. Batteries! Shouldn't we take them out of laptops? After all, you need high-quality ones so that such charging will last for a long time. And the Chinese are trying to slip in a cheap one under the guise of a normal battery:
First of all, remember - there are no 18650 batteries with a capacity greater than 3400 mAh. And even those are achieved only in non-standard operating modes (which are not available in standard power banks). Standard capacity is 2200 mAh, for higher quality ones - 2600 mAh
Still, not worth taking Chinese brands(UltraFire, TrustFire, FandyFire... ***Fire) - there is no way to understand where the original is and where the fake is, you can run into batteries with a capacity of 1000 mAh and even 250 mAh instead of the indicated 2600. (see photo above)
If you still want to save money, pay attention to the captions about the actual battery capacity on the website:
If the actual capacity is less than 2200 mAh, it’s better not to take it. It's not worth it.
Interested in other things? Write in the comments! Perhaps I will choose your topic for review next time.
Hi all. Today we’ll talk about a fairly well-known device. The twenty-first century is the century of information technology. Portable devices that constantly lack power. Especially smartphones based on the Android operating system are very power hungry. The browser alone uses about 80% of the smartphone's battery capacity. And, as you know, the Internet is used very often now. It’s even better to say - constantly! Check the weather, the dollar exchange rate, respond to messages on social networks, check your kidney, order pizza for work, order a taxi, book a hotel room - this is far from full list the purpose of a smartphone as an intermediary between the user and the Internet. In such cases, you can’t go far from the outlet. And if there is no access to an outlet...
In general, where there is a problem, a solution to the problem is born, and in in this case it was proposed to assemble a portable charger, also known as an external battery, also known as a powerbank.
Kind portable charger to replenish your smartphone's battery.
What is Power Bank?
Translated into Russian, Power Bank is an energy bank. That is, an array of batteries assembled in one housing. There are several spellings of this word: Powerbank and Power Bank, as well as external battery for smartphone/tablet, mobile battery And autonomous charger.
To put it simply, a Power Bank is a socket in your pocket.
What is a Power Bank for?
Frame external charger has a universal output (USB) and an input (most often microUSB). This means that the Power Bank can power everything that is connected via USB, from smartphones, tablets, navigators and players, to set-top boxes and walkie-talkies.
There is a huge Power selection Banks of different companies, capacities, designs, sizes, reliability. How to choose what you need?
How to choose a Power Bank?
Just like before buying anything, first ask yourself: “ Why do I need a Power Bank?».
If you are going to long journey and the socket “does not shine” for you for several days, then you should take a closer look at capacious batteries from 15.000mAh to 20.000mAh, such as . In addition to capacity, PINENG has a huge number of advantages, which you can read more about.
Or perhaps you’ve been wandering around the city all day, showing presentations from your tablet, you have a million calls and don’t have any time to sit in a cafe recharging your gadget. Then elegant or . You know, these two Power Banks are not a shame to put next to the iPhone since they both have the same stylish design.
But it’s not only power that you should pay attention to. Also, an important difference external batteries is the quantity USB outputs. Agree, there is a difference - either you charge one smartphone, or you charge both a smartphone and a tablet. Moreover, each of the gadgets is imbued with the energy of the strength that is recommended for it. All PINENGs presented in our store have this opportunity.
It’s also worth paying attention to the presence of a LED flashlight; this nice bonus can be very useful to you. This is not just a flashlight, but a flashlight powerful batteries, which means it will shine for a long time.
If you have any questions -! We will be glad!
And even if you don’t understand anything about milliamps and so on, you can simply tell us about your tasks for Power Bank, and we will help you with your choice!
Select a power bank or USB tester in the catalog
The Power Bank is a portable charger compatible with all currently popular gadgets that have a USB connector - smartphones, players, tablets. Essentially it is renewable removable battery, which is connected using a wire if necessary. The device replenishes its internal reserve through a cable connected to a laptop, computer or network adapter.
When deciding to buy a Power Bank battery, you should pay attention to a number of characteristics that will help you choose suitable model. First of all, this is the capacity of the device, that is, an indicator of how much charge it can hold and how many connection cycles it is designed for. This can be a device for both quick one-time and repeated energy replenishment. External Power Banks use traditional lithium-ion batteries or relatively recently developed lithium-polymer batteries. The latter have a larger capacity and smaller size, but their price is higher.
Depending on how many devices you plan to use with Power Bank charging, you can choose a model with one, two or more USB ports. A combination of several ports is more convenient, as it allows you to simultaneously charge your smartphone and tablet. At the same time, you don’t have to worry that any of the devices will not receive enough energy. Battery controllers regulate the voltage and current at each output. In the assortment of chargers PowerBank devices different manufacturers There are also models with additional options.
The remaining reserve can be indicated by a light indicator. The display, in addition to displaying the battery level, can show the exact percentage, the charging process for each connector, and the air temperature. Some external Power Bank batteries are equipped with a bright flashlight.
We constantly monitor the level of service and product quality. We will be grateful if you leave a review about the purchased product in the Power bank section.
A power bank is a device used to charge gadgets when there is no power supply. Their connection occurs via a wire connected through the built-in USB port. However, in order to give charge to other devices, the Power Bank itself must first be charged.
Basic ways to charge Power Bank
About to purchase this device, you should ask how to charge this specific model and how to use it correctly. Despite the ease of operation, any model may have some differences and nuances. In order for the device to last a long time, you need to learn how to properly charge the Power Bank portable charger by looking at the instructions.
From a 220V outlet
The main question that interests buyers is whether it is possible to charge a power bank using electricity, because this charging method is the most convenient and familiar. To do this, you will need to purchase a network adapter - you need to buy it separately, included in the package Power Bank he doesn't come in.
Since the external battery is designed for smartphones, it is logical to use a telephone charger for charging from the network. Given that the standard charging time for an external battery with a capacity of 4000 mah - 5000 mah is 4-5 hours, it is most convenient to plug it into the network at night. Charging from the network is much faster than via a USB port.
From computer via USB
The simplest option that makes it convenient for every user to charge a Power Bank is a computer. To do this, you just need to connect it to a working device using a cable via a USB connector. Charging occurs during its operation unnoticed by the owner.
From the energy of the sun
Many users are interested in whether it is possible to charge a power bank in the sun. This is the most economical and inexpensive way - you just need to place the device in the sun. However, it is only suitable for those external batteries that have a solar panel.
From car cigarette lighter and other devices
Users are interested in the question of whether it is possible to charge from an outlet in the car. Car enthusiasts who have a cigarette lighter in their car can charge the Power Bank while the car is moving. Another way to charge is from mobile phone. Mobile gadgets have appeared on the market that also serve as an external battery.
How do you know if the external battery is charged?
How do you know if the power bank is charged? Standard device has 4 divisions indicating the amount of charge - 25%, 50%, 75%, 100%. The last indicator blinks when the battery is fully charged. However, the simplest budget models may have one or two indicators. When fully charged, the system will turn off the device automatically - there is no need to monitor the charge.
How long does it take to charge a Power Bank?
The time directly depends on two factors: battery capacity and charging method. The standard 5000 mAh capacity when connected to the network will require 5 hours to be fully saturated. If the capacity is twice as large, the time required for charging will also increase. Other methods are much longer, find out how long you need to charge a power bank from a computer or car cigarette lighter only possible through experience. The solar-powered device takes the longest to take energy out of thin air.
Features of charging Power Bank
The device must be charged until it is fully, 100% charged. However, when this indicator is reached, you should not rush to turn it off - experts recommend leaving it on for about another hour. At this time, “drip charging” occurs with a weak current, allowing you to maintain maximum capacity batteries for as long as possible.
You can track drip charging if you install an application specially created for this purpose - for Android and Apple.
Fully charge after purchase
There are different opinions on how best to charge a power bank after purchase. Some users argue that this moment does not matter. Manufacturers recommend that the purchased external charger, regardless of its charge level when purchased, be charged to 100%. It is important not to ignore drip charging.
Several charge/discharge cycles at the beginning of operation
When purchasing a Power Bank, you need to “boost” the battery - completely discharge and charge the battery. The same technique can be used if there is a faster than usual discharge.
3 or 4 full cycles of discharging and charging will rewrite the battery statistics.
Always charge your external battery to 100%
Users and manufacturers unanimously claim that modern Li-Ion batteries are devoid of the previous disadvantage - the memory effect. However, experience shows that this effect still exists, although less pronounced than with other types of batteries. Therefore, charging an external battery can be interrupted only in the most extreme cases, and in other cases, wait until the charge is fully 100% and withstand the trickle charging period.
Why can't you completely discharge the battery?
However, it is not recommended to constantly completely discharge the device to zero - this will shorten the battery life.
You need to charge the battery when the charge level drops to 10-20% charge.
Depending on the model, this can be recognized by the indicators, seen on the screen, or determined by eye by the LED indication.
Sometimes it needs to be discharged
If you do not use the battery for a long time, then...
If you do not plan to use the external charger for a long time, it should be left to “rest” half charged. Fully charged and discharge will negatively affect the service life.
Use original chargers
What kind of charger should I use to charge the Power Bank - any or a special one? It is extremely important to use original chargers for this device!
If this is not possible, it is important to choose those that match the characteristics of the Power Bank. Buying cheap accessories can result in expensive gadget repairs.
Avoid overheating the device
It cannot be charged under direct sun rays(except for models with a solar battery). You also need to make sure that it does not lie on the battery or running gadgets, or near a heating radiator.
In order for the Power Bank to serve for a long time, it is important to ensure that it does not overheat.
Conclusion
It is important not to use Power Bank in the cold - low temperatures significantly reduce battery capacity. Subject to all operating rules, the external charger can serve its owner long term, for example, such famous manufacturers like Xiaomi, Yoobao, Pineng provide a guarantee of 500 cycles, which equates to 7-8 years of active use.
