Socket Communication's Mobile Power Pack $25 Rebate

[Ed Hansberry]

<a href="http://www.socketcom.com/product/AC4009-614.asp">http://www.socketcom.com/product/AC4009-614.asp</a><br /><br />I just received my Socket Communication's Mobile Power Pack to keep my devices charged when traveling without having to worry about staying still long enough near a wall outlet. I can eat wherever I want in the airport and sit where it is comfortable without having to hope it happens to be near a plug. I can charge devices while on the plane, in a car, etc. Then, at some point during my trip, I just need to make sure I charge the Mobile Power Pack overnight. For smaller trips, I can probably wait until I get home to fool with that.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/hansberry/2005/20051121-socketpowerpack.jpg" /><br /><br />Note that right now Socket is running a $25 rebate that expires December 31, 2005, so if you are in the US or Canada and have had one of these on your wishlist, go ahead and pick it up. Note that you should be careful buying this on Amazon. The model number on Socket's site is AC4009-614 and that is what the rebate is for. Amazon is showing <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000309YMM/103-3798681-5529450?v=glance&n=172282&n=507846&s=electronics&v=glance">AC4009-541</a> at their site, which is either an older model or simply a missprinted part number.

[Stik]

Amazon is showing AC4009-541 (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000309YMM/103-3798681-5529450?v=glance&n=172282&n=507846&s=electronics&v=glance) at their site, which is either an older model or simply a missprinted part number.

I do believe thats the older MPP listed at Amazon. If one orders from there, ( Amazon ) what you won't get ( I don't think ) is...

*1 iPod Mini Charging Cable
*1 6 Volt Booster (Charges most Nokia Phones and other 6 volt devices)
*1 Palm Charging Cable for the Treo 650, T5 and LifeDrive Mobile Manager
*1 USB Retractable Charging Cable

These extra accessories come w/ the ' upgraded ' MPP package.

Those that bought the early ( pre-June 05 ) MPP units can still get the extra accessories for almost free ( shipping/handling fee) ) by registering your product w/ Socket and sending in the Upgrade Order Form. One can find that here...

http://www.socketcom.com/product/AC4009-614.asp?View=Upgrade

PS!!

Note that you should be careful buying this on
Amazon.

Thanks for that cautionary note Ed! I'd be more than a little upset buying this from Amazon only to find that I had to jump more hoops ( registration/shipping handling fees/time expended )to keep my Lifedrive MoMo 0X powered-up and on the go! 8) :mrgreen:

[rob_ocelot]

$149 before rebate? :jawdrop:


In retrospect, a 5400 mAh hi-capacity battery for the Toshiba e800/830 costs about the same price, so this isn't terribly out of line with the going prices for such batteries.

This is still a lot of money to lay down for a Li-Ion battery that will be toast within 18-24 months. I use a voltage regulated USB AA charger from Semsons and I get an extra 9 hours out of 4 2600 mAh NiMH batteries -- Total cost about $25, including batteries. The adaptors for the iPod, PSP, etc. are nice but I can't think of an instance where I'd need to use my PPC for longer than a few hours, or my iPod for longer than 12 hours. A long plane trip, maybe -- but for a 17+ hour plane ride I'd rather bring a laptop or I'd get hand cramps. For me, that kind of power capacity is severe overkill but I'm sure there are some super power users who will wring every last mAh out of it.

Any HPC owners remember the custom cases you could buy for the HP Jornada 680/720 that were lined with Li-polymer batteries? Those things had a continuous run time of 14 *days* -- I'd love to see such a product for a Pocket PC: a metal or leather case lined with flexible batteries.

[Lex]

I made my own PPC charger/power supply years ago with plans probably still posted on some website for under $50. It's based on 4 AA NiMH batteries and a few supplies from any Radio Shack. It would be cheaper if you already have the batteries and charger.

[Nurhisham Hussein]

Here are some cheaper alternatives:

http://www.batteryspace.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&amp;Category=521

[Sven Johannsen]

Here are some cheaper alternatives:

http://www.batteryspace.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&amp;Category=521

When you look for cheaper alternatives, you need to make sure they do what you want. Relatively few items on that page deliver the 5-5.5 volts that the PPC, or other devices that can be charged from USB ports need. The few that do seem to be multi-voltage units, which are great, but make darn sure you have the voltage set right before you plug it in and walk away. Also pay attention to the capacity. I didn't do an exhaustive check, but glancing at it the best one for PPC use has less than half the capacity of the Socket unit.

I have one of the Socket units and love it. I agree that it seems expensive, but if you actually put together an equivalent unit, compact, 7200mAH, usefull accessories, well engineered and constructed, I think it is worth what you pay for it.

[Nurhisham Hussein]

Actually Sven, I did check and I'm well aware of the voltage as well as amperage requirements - my Loox needs a minimum 800ma-1A current for charging, with best results around 2A, so I've had to be careful about shopping for external power sources. The best one on this site is this:

http://www.batteryspace.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&amp;ProdID=919

At 5V, the capacity matches the Socket's, but at a much lower price. It also gives out 2A, which fits my requirements.

Here's another alternative:

http://www.eastgear.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=29_94&amp;products_id=441

The capacity is lower than either the batteryspace.com pack or the Socket, despite the blurb - if my poor mathematics are correct, at 5V and max 1.5A, the capacity is around 4.34mAH.

The only thing that's stopping me getting one of these is that I'm not at all sure about the quality of the cells.

[Sven Johannsen]

Actually Sven, I did check and I'm well aware of the voltage as well as amperage requirements - my Loox needs a minimum 800ma-1A current for charging, with best results around 2A, so I've had to be careful about shopping for external power sources. The best one on this site is this.

The comment wasn't specifically directed at you. I'm sure you've done your homework. Not everyone is as savvy though, so some caution is advised. There are some that would believe if the connector fits it must be OK. On the one you linked, which looks pretty good on paper, there's the possibility of setting the voltage wrong and even reversing the polarity on the tips. For some, the foolproof approach may be worth a little extra expense.

[whyPocketPC]

$149 before rebate? :jawdrop:


Rob (and all),

While that may seem like a bit of change...

http://www.pricegrabber.com/search_getprod.php?masterid=9346064&amp;search=AC4009-614

...it is nothing like what you would really pay with a bit of digging. 8) The manufacturer MSRP is something that I try to NEVER pay for anything. As a 100K flier on United, I use mine nearly every week charging my Dell Axim and HP iPAQ Pocket PC devices and Jabra FreeSpeak Headset; not to mention it makes for better movie viewing while in flight.

They are worth the money even before considering that many mobile phone extended batteries are $79 to $99 each and the Socket Mobile Power Pack has a 1-year warranty. :mrgreen:

Cheers.

[tj21]

I've been using one of these for awhile now:

http://www.semsons.com/pocpowban.html

It holds 4 AA batteries (included) and provides a USB output as well as an integrated charger. It's a little larger than I'd like but for roughly $25 it's hard to go wrong.

[Underwater Mike]

I've been using one of these for awhile now:

http://www.semsons.com/pocpowban.html

It holds 4 AA batteries (included) and provides a USB output as well as an integrated charger. It's a little larger than I'd like but for roughly $25 it's hard to go wrong.

THAT is cool! A bit large for my taste, but very functional. I think I need one. :wink:

[Nurhisham Hussein]

I'm fairly sure that wouldn't charge my Loox or most other VGA PPCs - unless the actual discharge is higher than the 300ma stated in the link.

[tj21]

I'm fairly sure that wouldn't charge my Loox or most other VGA PPCs - unless the actual discharge is higher than the 300ma stated in the link.

I'd be surprised if it was a problem charging your Loox. I use it regularly with my Zen vision and it charges just fine even while in use. Not sure about power consumption but the vision is a vga display and a 30gb hard drive. It also charges the K-Jam just fine.

[Nurhisham Hussein]

Actually, even USB charging is iffy for the Loox720 - partly a cable problem (99% of the retractable cables will not work, only some of the non-retractables will), and partly because USB only delivers 500ma. I can get my Loox to charge off USB with a non-retractable cable, but only if the Loox is off.

Sorry if I implied it's the VGA screen, it's just that most of the VGA PPCs have fairly high current requirements. I have another external LIon battery that's made for the PSP - it'll charge the PSP as well as my iPaq 2210, but not my Loox.

[Stik]

Actually, even USB charging is iffy for the Loox720 - I have another external LIon battery that's made for the PSP - it'll charge the PSP as well as my iPaq 2210, but not my Loox.

Ahh, the beauty of a charger that does it all! :)

No muss, no fuss, no soldering, no need to learn how to build a voltage regulator with current limiting, no frying out a $300-$600 device when someone suggests you can use these as cheaper charging alternatives w/out qualifying which would actually work :devilboy:

Here are some cheaper alternatives:

http://www.batteryspace.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&amp;Category=521

No tinker toys! Diverse product power users only need one product in their carrying case for a smooth, seamless operation... priceless! 0X :mrgreen:

http://www.socketcom.com/pdf/CompatibilityMobilePowerPack.pdf

[Nurhisham Hussein]

No muss, no fuss, no soldering, no need to learn how to build a voltage regulator with current limiting, no frying out a $300-$600 device when someone suggests you can use these as cheaper charging alternatives w/out qualifying which would actually work :devilboy:

Didn't have to do any of that - it did work, just not with my Loox. Besides, it was such an interesting device, I couldn't resist:

http://shop.brando.com.hk/solarchargerforpspnds.php


No tinker toys! Diverse product power users only need one product in their carrying case for a smooth, seamless operation... priceless! 0X :mrgreen:

http://www.socketcom.com/pdf/CompatibilityMobilePowerPack.pdf

For some reason my Loox is not on the compatibility list :devilboy:


Edit: and this is probably why (from Socket's product spec page):

For short circuits, or loads that cause a current drain in excess of 2 amps, the battery protection mechanism will respond and disconnect the units' output.

Hardly useful to me if it cuts out under load.

[Stik]

For some reason my Loox is not on the compatibility list :devilboy:


Edit: and this is probably why (from Socket's product spec page):

For short circuits, or loads that cause a current drain in excess of 2 amps, the battery protection mechanism will respond and disconnect the units' output.

Hardly useful to me if it cuts out under load.

Whoa! This is the first time I've ever seen someone spin a safety feature that would keep ones device from frying into a negative! :lol:

I'd also like to add a sentence or 2 to your ' quote. '

" For short circuits, or loads that cause a current drain in excess of 2 amps, the battery protection mechanism will respond and disconnect the units' output. To reset the Mobile Power Pack, you simply switch it from ON to OFF and back to ON. In the OFF state, all power is removed from the output. In the ON state, the power will restore all circuits to a connected status. "

FWIW, I've read of a user that powered their iPAQ 4700 ( which isin't on the MPP compatibility chart, and sports a 1800 mAh battery compared to the Loox 720 1640 mAh Battery ) at 15% battery strength, which at 88% strength the MPP battery protection mechanism did respond and disconnected the units' output.

While an 88% charge wasn't perfect, it still beats the pants off a device that would go dead, and most likely ( for me ) at a most inopportune time. :|

Anyhoo, it was delightful discussing this w/ you, :mrgreen: and I'll leave a few MPP reviews if anyone cares to do a little weekend reading to show the diversity of this charger device.

Dell Axim X50v

http://www.pocketnow.com/index.php?a=portal_detail&amp;t=reviews&amp;id=585

Mr. Gadget Australia's O2 XDA II

http://www.mrgadget.com.au/2005/06/socket-mobile-power-pack-must-for-road.html

saturn's ( Get-in-Gear ) Fuji S3000 digital camera, Jens of Sweden Mp3 player, LG 3200 phone and a Socket Bluetooth GPS receiver

http://www.pc-base.net/modules.php?op=modload&amp;name=Reviews&amp;file=index&amp;req=showcontent&amp;id=11&amp;page=4&amp;POSTNUKESID=32b22f5f561c2485fdc09d3e13a25a8c


I'd be remiss to not add a Loox ( although I'm almost certain not a Loox 720 ) review, now wouldn't I? :wink:

http://www.clieuk.co.uk/socket.shtml

[Nurhisham Hussein]

I'd also like to add a sentence or 2 to your ' quote. '

Yes I read that bit, but to my mind it's not relevant - if I'm continuously drawing more than 2A, than it's just going to keep cutting out, which makes it less than useful.

While an 88% charge wasn't perfect, it still beats the pants off a device that would go dead

That means it's not doing what I want it to do - to fully charge my device. For the investment I'd be putting into it I'd expect better performance. I can get the same results from 4 AA batteries - where's the value?

I'd be remiss to not add a Loox ( although I'm almost certain not a Loox 720 ) review, now wouldn't I? Wink

http://www.clieuk.co.uk/socket.shtml

:lol: This I conceed, point to you Stik :lol:

I happen to know Neil, we're both regulars at the firstloox.org forums. That is a Loox720 he's using. If he says it works, then it'll work :wink:

But I still don't think the Socket is worth the price, at least not for me (since I don't qualify for the rebate, it's not available in my part of the world, and shipping here adds at least another $25).

Question though - has anybody managed to get an external USB (2.5" notebook) drive to run on this thing?

[Stik]

I happen to know Neil, we're both regulars at the firstloox.org forums. That is a Loox720 he's using. If he says it works, then it'll work :wink:

Thanks for that confirmation hishamh, but darn ya, w/ all the research you've made me do :way to go: on the Loox 720, you've created a problem for me!

You see, I was going to get myself an Axim X51v for Christmas :x-mas: , but now after really looking closely at the 720 ... 8)

Yeeshhh! :mrgreen:

But I still don't think the Socket is worth the price, at least not for me (since I don't qualify for the rebate, it's not available in my part of the world, and shipping here adds at least another $25).

Thanks for clarifying. I do understand thats its not for everyone :wink: