I'm looking for a "small and lightweight" auxiliary battery or charger that I can use when I have no access to an AC outlet to preserve the phone's battery charge. A small device that I can connect to the microUSB port of the Captivate with a short USB cable while I watch my movies. Preferably with a built-in rechargeable battery, but would consider a device that can take AA or AAA rechargeables. I know I can get a couple extra phone batteries with a charger for a few $$$ in eBay, but I want something I can take out of my briefcase and in a second connect it to the phone without the inconvenience of having to remove my Amzer Argyle case and the back cover of the phone. I'm afraid I'm going to stretch my phone case out shape by taking it off and putting it on, mess up (loosen) the locking mechanism of the back cover or will end up, somehow, bending the simulated carbon fiber back cover. Not to mention the fear of dumping my coffee on the internals of the phone while it sits with the back exposed on the food tray of a plane/train/bus or on whichever surface I happen to be having my coffee. The icing on the cake would be if this auxiliary power source could also serve as a phone stand.
Thanks in advance for your suggestions.
I ordered one of these - there are other variations; but this is 4000mAh (so almost 3 times our current battery), The USB port is a full 1A, and will also charge my camcorder battery. They do make one with 2 USB ports:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0029U2WTG/ref=oss_product
It was $25 when i ordered it last week - now it is more.
Tekkeon MP1550
I've been using this to charge several usb devices on the go. i had it for several years now. its better if you pair it with sanyo eneloops.
its $14.99 @ newegg $22.30 on amazon
Many thanks for your suggestions... but is there anything smaller? That Energizer XP4000 looks like an excellent option at $25, but at $50 it is a little too big an expensive.
Edit:
I just ran across the Duracell Powersource Mini.... Anyone using this with a Captivate? Also, does anyone have any details on the specs of the battery in this powerpack? I could not even find any details in the Duracell site.
Amazon
Duracell
I also found this one, but for $1.49 I don't know if it'll end up killing the phone. But it could be nice rechargeable AA batteries.
tamanaco said:
Many thanks for your suggestions... but is there anything smaller? That Energizer XP4000 looks like an excellent option at $25, but at $50 it is a little too big an expensive.
Edit:
I just ran across the Duracell Powersource Mini.... Anyone using this with a Captivate? Also, does anyone have any details on the specs of the battery in this powerpack? I could not even find any details in the Duracell site.
Amazon
Duracell
I also found this one, but for $1.49 I don't know if it'll end up killing the phone. But it could be nice rechargeable AA batteries.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I won't buy anything that I can't find tech specs on - so the Duracell unit could be 1000mAh or 3000mAh - for the price i would say it is around 1000. The 2 AA chargers have to up the 3V to 5V and so the best available power is about 1000 mAh (i base this on the altoids chargers specs using 2 2500mAh AA batteries).
If all you want is a 1000 mAh in a small form factor, Target sells one (the Energizer XP 1000) in the store for about $20 with a bunch of tips. Keep in mind that our batteries are 1500 mAh so you won't get a full charge.
alphadog00 said:
I won't buy anything that I can't find tech specs on - so the Duracell unit could be 1000mAh or 3000mAh - for the price i would say it is around 1000.
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The Duracell appears to be the exact same device as the Xantrex Technologies 852 2051 Xpower Mobile Mini. If this is the case, then it appears to be a 3000mAh device. I like this charger because it has a built-in mini USB connector and a separated regular USB which makes it very convenient. I wonder who the OEM is... Duracell or Xantrex?
I also came across the IOGEAR Gear Juice Mobile, but based on some of the users' reviews it appears to have have 2000mAh rechargeable battery.
I saw that one that looked like the Duracell but i could not be sure. Wherever you buy make sure you can return if it is not what you want.
It seems hard to find much that is 1500 mah or larger without getting to big.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
tamanaco said:
Many thanks for your suggestions... but is there anything smaller? That Energizer XP4000 looks like an excellent option at $25, but at $50 it is a little too big an expensive.
Edit:
I just ran across the Duracell Powersource Mini.... Anyone using this with a Captivate? Also, does anyone have any details on the specs of the battery in this powerpack? I could not even find any details in the Duracell site.
Amazon
Duracell
I also found this one, but for $1.49 I don't know if it'll end up killing the phone. But it could be nice rechargeable AA batteries.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have attached the Tech Specs for you!
Sorry for the crappy quality...the color original exceeded the upload size limit.
MasterN02 said:
I have attached the Tech Specs for you!
Sorry for the crappy quality...the color original exceeded the upload size limit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is good enough;
The good news is that Xantrex makes both and they are 3Ah. The only down side is that you are limited to .5A charge - same as USB. I picked the Energizer as it is capable of 1A output, although our phones only draw about 700 mA max.
Wait one other downside - miniUSB not microUSB so it won't fit our phones without an adapter. This must be an "old" product as the spec sheet says it fits "New Motorola phones such as RAZR and ROKR" neither are made any more.
Given that the Xantrex appears to be an old product I have continued to look around for an auxiliary power source. I found the Kensington K38056US which has a microUSB and a MiniUSB output connectors and uses a regular built-in USB connector to charge. So the element of convenience is very high given that it can also be charged with the Captivate charger. Only thing is that the battery is 1200 mAh, but it appears to have an output of up to 1000 mAh. Amazon has it for $30. The specs sheet says that it started shipping on 5/1/10 so this one is a "fairly" new device.
In terms of power I have not yet found anything that matches the Energizer XP4001 for its size, but it is a little heavier than the Kensington (5.4 onz vs. 4.0 ) and you also have to carry an additional AC adapter.
The search continues...
Splash Intense 5400mAh External Battery Pack
Anyone tried this for the Captivate? at 3.2 oz weight and dual charging it looks very portable!
Splash Intense 5400mAh External Battery Pack
kothrud123 said:
Anyone tried this for the Captivate? at 3.2 oz weight and dual charging it looks very portable!
Splash Intense 5400mAh External Battery Pack
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hey...sorry for irrelevant posting...but your name sounds familiar ..! are you from Pune?
btw Splash Intense 5400mAh should work with captivate, 5400mAh is lot of power, i guess it can recharge captivate at least 3 times considering its 1500mAh battery..
Well, I just received the Duracell Powersource Mini which I ordered from Amazon as it's on sale for $19.50 down from the MSRP of 59.99. The [URL="http://www.amazon.com/Xantrex-Technologies-852-0251-XPower-Mobile/dp/B000R9T3T8/ref=pd_sim_ol_4"]Xantrex Xpower Mobile Mini [/URL]which is the same device is still selling for $45.50.
I added a music CD to my order as the Powersource Mini is eligible for free shipping on orders of $25+. Given the Powersource has a Mini-USB male connector and a regular USB female port built-in, I also got a shorter 2.5ft USB to Micro-USB cable from ebay for $2.99 to use with the Powersource Mini. (Also with free shipping and it fits perfectly in the Captivate) This short USB to Micro-USB cable will be used to charge my Captivate and the built-in Mini-USB connector will be used to charge my MP3 player and Camera. The Powersource Mini comes with a USB AC charger and a USB Vehicle DC charger adapter which gives me added flexibility.
The only issues I have found, so far, is that the DC input port of the Powersource is proprietary, so you always need to carry the 4.5ft USB charging cable and "possibly" the AC adapter. The USB AC adapter that comes with the Powersource is just a little bit bigger than the USB AC adapter that comes with the Captivate. A very negligible size difference, but I'd be afraid of using the Powersource AC adapter on the Captivate for prolonged periods of time as it "might" damage the phone. In the description of the AC Adapter of the Powersource it says that it is a AC/DC "Switching" Adapter. This "might" mean that it's designed specifically for the Powersource to switch off when it's fully charged. Also the output specs of the Powersource adapter are 5.5 volts 800mA compared to the 5.0 volts 700mA of the AC adapter that comes with the Captivate. I'd be nice if I only had to carry one AC adapter. Any thoughts on these USB AC/DC adapters being interchangeable?
Edit: In a previous post it was said that this device might be old because it had a Mini-USB instead of Micro-USB connector. A sticker on the device says that it was manufactured on 09/26/2008... So it is a bit old, but not extremely so.
http://www.thinkgeek.com/computing/usb-gadgets/ceca/
Its only a 1500 mAh, but its pretty compact and it fits around your wrist.
Seems more convenient than a typical power source.
www . amazon . com/New-Trent-IMP1000-11000mAh-Blackberry/dp/B003ZBZ64Q/ref=pd_sxp_grid_i_0_2
thinking about purchasing this one, only thing is it looks a little bulky
epicguy said:
www . amazon . com/New-Trent-IMP1000-11000mAh-Blackberry/dp/B003ZBZ64Q/ref=pd_sxp_grid_i_0_2
thinking about purchasing this one, only thing is it looks a little bulky
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Did you ever buy this? I'm considering one for some travel and wondered how it worked out.
http://www.energizerpowerpacks.com/my/products/index.php#externalbatteries
I have both the XP2000 and XP8000 and both work very well.
I can't link but I bought a "Satechi icel 5200mAh" batter extender off amazon. It will charge my phone 3+ times before I need to recharge it. I use it to travel. Works great with all my portable devices as long as they use a USB charger. If I could take pictures I would show the size against a phone. I've put them both in a jacket pocket before without worry
tamanaco said:
I'm looking for a "small and lightweight" auxiliary battery or charger that I can use when I have no access to an AC outlet to preserve the phone's battery charge. A small device that I can connect to the microUSB port of the Captivate with a short USB cable while I watch my movies. Preferably with a built-in rechargeable battery, but would consider a device that can take AA or AAA rechargeables. I know I can get a couple extra phone batteries with a charger for a few $$$ in eBay, but I want something I can take out of my briefcase and in a second connect it to the phone without the inconvenience of having to remove my Amzer Argyle case and the back cover of the phone. I'm afraid I'm going to stretch my phone case out shape by taking it off and putting it on, mess up (loosen) the locking mechanism of the back cover or will end up, somehow, bending the simulated carbon fiber back cover. Not to mention the fear of dumping my coffee on the internals of the phone while it sits with the back exposed on the food tray of a plane/train/bus or on whichever surface I happen to be having my coffee. The icing on the cake would be if this auxiliary power source could also serve as a phone stand.
Thanks in advance for your suggestions.
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Click to collapse
I have a portable charger with capacity of 1900mAh. Its lightweight Its output is 4.5 to 5.5v 800mA Max. Though the charge time is around 2 to 4 hours, it would be rite for your need and purpose. I am not sure of Thinkgeek, but if you can check gadget store Chinabuye, there are more ranges of power charging, you can check and choose the better one, I ordered it from them at reasonable rate.
tamanaco said:
Well, I just received the Duracell Powersource Mini which I ordered from Amazon as it's on sale for $19.50 down from the MSRP of 59.99. The [URL="http://www.amazon.com/Xantrex-Technologies-852-0251-XPower-Mobile/dp/B000R9T3T8/ref=pd_sim_ol_4"]Xantrex Xpower Mobile Mini [/URL]which is the same device is still selling for $45.50.
I added a music CD to my order as the Powersource Mini is eligible for free shipping on orders of $25+. Given the Powersource has a Mini-USB male connector and a regular USB female port built-in, I also got a shorter 2.5ft USB to Micro-USB cable from ebay for $2.99 to use with the Powersource Mini. (Also with free shipping and it fits perfectly in the Captivate) This short USB to Micro-USB cable will be used to charge my Captivate and the built-in Mini-USB connector will be used to charge my MP3 player and Camera. The Powersource Mini comes with a USB AC charger and a USB Vehicle DC charger adapter which gives me added flexibility.
The only issues I have found, so far, is that the DC input port of the Powersource is proprietary, so you always need to carry the 4.5ft USB charging cable and "possibly" the AC adapter. The USB AC adapter that comes with the Powersource is just a little bit bigger than the USB AC adapter that comes with the Captivate. A very negligible size difference, but I'd be afraid of using the Powersource AC adapter on the Captivate for prolonged periods of time as it "might" damage the phone. In the description of the AC Adapter of the Powersource it says that it is a AC/DC "Switching" Adapter. This "might" mean that it's designed specifically for the Powersource to switch off when it's fully charged. Also the output specs of the Powersource adapter are 5.5 volts 800mA compared to the 5.0 volts 700mA of the AC adapter that comes with the Captivate. I'd be nice if I only had to carry one AC adapter. Any thoughts on these USB AC/DC adapters being interchangeable?
Edit: In a previous post it was said that this device might be old because it had a Mini-USB instead of Micro-USB connector. A sticker on the device says that it was manufactured on 09/26/2008... So it is a bit old, but not extremely so.
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I got one of these from xs cargo for $10, at 3000 mAh it can charge the phone completely and still have some juice left. The non-usb charging port is annoying, but i've been thinking about modding it.
Sent from my SGH-I897 using XDA App
Does anyone know - is a 1 amp (1000ma) car charger the recommendation on the mt4g? Where's the best/cheapest place to buy one? It seems like most of the time, amps are specified in product details.
Also, I assume if you charge off of your laptop usb port, that it'll be charging at 1 amp as well?
netter123 said:
Does anyone know - is a 1 amp (1000ma) car charger the recommendation on the mt4g? Where's the best/cheapest place to buy one? It seems like most of the time, amps are specified in product details.
Also, I assume if you charge off of your laptop usb port, that it'll be charging at 1 amp as well?
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Belkin makes a micro usb charger that's 5v 1a. I think I paid 20 bucks for mine. It works well and is TINY. You can use it to charge anything that uses a usb cable.
http://www.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Product_Id=489423
IGo Makes a great line of chargers. I have their car and home chargers. They work great and if you get a different phone all you have to do is get a new tip. This way you don't have to contantly buy new chargers.
How about $1? Yes, $1.16...
http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10826&cs_id=1082602&p_id=6766&seq=1&format=2
I have like 5 of these, they work great. Just plug any USB cable in to it and you're set.
if your looking for cheap just hit ebay... you can get the generic's for like a buck with free shipping
i wont touch car chargers with a 10 foot stick... the electirical whine from the alternator distroys Li-Ion batteries...
i use usb to computer or to one of those "emergency battery chargers" just another Li-Ion batt, if you plug the emergency charger into the car, and the phone into the emergency charger the battery in the emergency charger will take the hit....
similar to a couple hundered dollar UPS i have on my server racks
ESKIMOn00b said:
i wont touch car chargers with a 10 foot stick... the electirical whine from the alternator distroys Li-Ion batteries...
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Click to collapse
This is a new one for me. Can you back that statement up with proof? (not being rude - just curious)
FYI: A good all-purpose micro usb charger is the Motorola P513 ~$10.00 with S&H on Amazon
Sent from my HTC Glacier using XDA App
i can poke around on the interwebs... but mostly thats from years of experience with phones, years selling phones, and chargers (RadioShack).
you can prevent all damage by charging the phone while the car (alternator) off, or by using a power inverter, or with the extra LIon batt solution i mentioned above...
NEVER plug the phone (directly) into the car, and then crank the motor, the (electrical) whine is at its worst as the alternator comes up to speed...
at the same time, this is what i tell all my customers:
"cell phones are convenience items, if its not convenient to do, then dont do it"
most people will find the tradeoff of having the phone charged "now" vs diminished batt capacity an easy choice to make... but not all people are like "us"
it surprises me that HTC endorses the use of car chargers with car docks...
but those 1$ chargers on ebay are the worst, most are non-regulated, and could dump 12V into the phone at the smallest problem. 12V will absolutely torch your phone...
you will do what you like... just food for thought
Anker sent me their 5 port USB charger to try out and I have to say I love it.
There are a ton of great reviews on Amazon so I'll just get to a couple of points not already mentioned.
First off, while there are "5 ports designed to charge the iPad (2 x 2.1A), iPhone (1A), Samsung Tab (1.3A), and Android devices (1A) at full speed", these ports are interchangeable. I tend to use the ipad ports to charge my Samsung galaxy tab 3 8.0 and Galaxy Note 2, use the Samsung tab port to charge my ipod touch and the Android port to charge my Bose bluetooth headset. I find this combo produces the quickest charge for all my devices. In fact, this one charger charges all four devices slightly faster than if I use the original chargers that came with the devices.
I have several retractable usb cords I just keep plugged into the charger and when I need a charge I just pull out the appropriate cable and am good to go. WAY less clutter on my desk vs using all the original chargers and it only occupies one outlet in my power strip - this is a HUGE plus!
The only gripe I have is I wish it came with some sort of stand or base to put it on to prevent it from tipping. I do tend to knock it over but I just don't want to lay it on it's side, looks good standing upright and takes up less desk space.
I am a pretty big fan of Anker products, I've bought many of their batteries and a couple of their 2 port wall chargers. All have performed wonderfully.
Here's a link to a how-to I did using one of their batteries to charge my Asus TF700 (this is the only way to remotely charge the Asus TF700 that I'm aware of)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HJJPYXS
I received one of these as a 'for review' unit but there were no under the table deals involving a positive review in exchange.
This charger's distinguishing characteristic is that it comes with two 5V/2A ports and another two 5V/1A charging ports for a total of four. Unlike most USB chargers that try to be all things to all people and provide one 'Apple-optimized' and one 'non-Apple' port or one 1A and one 2A charging ports, therefore making them into 'single port' chargers most of the time, you can actually use all four ports to charge perhaps two phones and two tablets at the same time and this is a good thing.
For your money you get the charger body that comes with a status light and non-foldable prongs that plug into standard AC outlets. You supply the USB cables. The 2A outputs are better suited for the larger devices such as tablets but I found that it charged our phones as well. It even charged our HP Chromebook 11 which is happiest when it gets 3A but accepts anything from 1A up to 3A.
I can't think of no 'negatives' for as long as you are not looking for something 'small' or 'portable' in which case you should be looking elsewhere.
The price is so cheap!
This was sent to me for review. A very professional correspondence with amzdeal who have clearly created a great product and want to let the world know about it. There was no pressure to write a positive review.
Firstly, I should say that I would have given the product 5 starts were it not for the arrangement of the charger. The charger could be certainly be smaller. As it is, it sticks out from the wall by a few inches which means that it won't fit behind a nightstand. If the prongs were on the side of the device, the charger could sit more flush with the wall. As it happens, I don't have a nightstand and I normally leave my phone and tablet charging, beside my bed, on the floor. With this style of charger, I can actually rest my phone on top of the charger instead of the floor!
The charger has 2x2A and 2x1A USB output. This allows me to charge my tablet and both mine and my wife's phone, all from the same wall socket. I actually put my phone into a 2A output and it chargers just fine, at double the speed.
The led light indicates when the charger has power, i.e. my bedroom switch for the nightstands is on. It is a very useful feature.
I have been using it daily for 2 weeks now and am confident of its quality build.
In summary, a very good product but not for use behind nightstands.
This is a review of Inateck's 36W 5-port USB Desktop Charger. http://www.inateck.com/inateck-uc5001-5-port-usb-family-sized-desktop-charger/
This is my first time with an Inateck product and my initial impression is Quality.
I received their new 5 port Smart USB charger and have spent about 1 1/2 weeks testing it and putting it through its paces. More on performance later. For now... Initial impressions:
The product arrived in a clean, easy to open, minimalist package. Under the outer sleeve is an unassuming, cardboard box, with a slide in type closure and bent/molded cardboard for packing.
The outer sleeve contains all the usual information:
The Packing:
Included:
My initial impression was both good and bad. The bad however, was quickly assuaged. The unit is relatively small, no doubt due to the transformer being in an external power supply. That was my initial "bad' feeling; the charger comes with a laptop style power supply:
At first I thought "UNGH! A laptop charger?!" but shortly I realized the genius of it. By not incorporating the transformer/converter in the unit itself, nor in the plug, give you a smaller more svelte desktop component and the plug fits in a crowded outlet and doesn't fall out due to its own weight.
The outside of the unit is plastic and includes an on/off button and a single blue LED. The LED lets you know the charger is on. This is a nifty light that lets you know it's powered, but really only would only be useful if you plugged your device in and it didn't charge. The charger has 3 1A charging ports and 2 2.1A ports. This configuration suggest it was designed more for Apple than Android since apple iPhones/iPods use 1A and iPads use 2.1... BUT they work well with android also. My phone (Nexus 4) uses 1.5 maximum amps for charging and charges in both the 1A and 2A ports, slower and faster respectively. Most android tablets are also 2.1 amp so the 2 higher ports work for them also.
I have charged my devices a few times and can say that this little beauty works as advertised. I have charged 5 items at once and it didn't even get hot! I charged my: iPod 4th gen, iPod 5th gen, Nexus 4 phone, Nexus 7 tablet and my Jaybird X Bluetooth headphones all at the same time and since my phone was on a 2.1A port all items charged within their normal charging limits.
One of the best features of this charger is that it doesn't have designated ports for certain items.. I can charge anything in any port (as long as the amperage agrees ) So I don't need to fuss over what goes where.
All in all the only complaint I have is a small one: I wish they'd used rubber feet on the bottom of the unit to prevent it sliding around, but since I can pick up a set of small rubber buttons for a buck at my home store, it's really not a big issue. I can definitively say that this Inateck 36W 5-port USB Desktop Charger is ONE of the BEST chargers I've ever used. I keep mine on my nightstand, and I can keep 5 devices charged and not need to unplug my alarm clock! :laugh:
They are on sale at Amazon right now also!
Questions & Comments are welcome, as always!
Reserved.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk
Ordered one, definitely a great choice for lots of charging ports at such price.