Pocket Power Offers AC and USB Charging for Mobile Devices

[Paul Martin]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/navigate.do?dest=145' target='_blank'>http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/na...ate.do?dest=145</a><br /><br /></div>"Compact and lightweight, the Pocket Power is a portable, rechargeable battery pack that provides power on the go for today's busy lifestyle. With 20 watts to power/recharge AC and USB devices, you never have to worry about being slowed down to power up from a wall outlet again. Pocket Power powers/recharges personal electronics simultaneously. It features:<br />• 120V AC and USB charging port<br />• Rechargeable Ni-MH battery using AC adapter<br />• Battery status LED lets you know the condition of the battery<br />• Provides up to 6 hours of extended runtime (runtime varies depending on type of device)"<br /><br /><img src="http://graphics.samsclub.com/images/products/0088591100180_LG.jpg" /><br /><br />Since <b>Pocket Power</b> includes both AC and USB charging, you shouldn't have to keep up with various adapter tips to fit your devices. It costs about $50 and is exclusive to Sam's Club so if you don't have a membership, either find someone who does or get a one-day pass, which requires a small surcharge on purchases. So far, I've just tried to stock an extra battery for my camera and Pocket PC when I'll be away from AC power, but the ability to charge anything would be very handy! Do you often find yourself running low on battery life for your mobile devices and if so, would it be worth the $50 to you?

[beq]

That looks good, but I wonder why the USB 5VDC output is limited to 350mA according to that specs page? I was expecting at least 500mA or even 1A or 2A?

[Nurhisham Hussein]

Yeah, the 350mA struck me as a little low too - maybe a limitation of the battery they're using? On what's up with using an NiMH battery in the first place?

[Paul Martin]

Good question. I know Dell users have had a problem with USB cables for charging because they weren't providing enough mA. Maybe it's an unfortunate trend.

[Gerard]

For anyone modestly proficient in the basics of electricity, making an external charger is rather simple. I like NiMH 'AA' batteries ia a 4-pack, but 4 'C' or 'D' cells last a lot longer - fine if you need the away-from-AC time and don't mind the weight. I used a 4x'D' pack with my old Casio EG-800, once for almost a week. Used the PPC for still and video capture (with the Casio CF camera) a lot, as it was a family reunion, and I did all my image editing in the tent each evening with Pocket Artist, then dumped all to my Accurite external hard drive. Charged that from the same battery pack. The batteries were regular disposables for that setup. Probably gave more than 20 hours of use for the power-hungry Casio, plus 5 hours or so extra for the hard drive, as my kid watched a few movies in the car.

A pre-fab solution like this is slick, where home made solutions are likely to lack polish, but I prefer being able to make exactly the configuration I want for a given setup. Right now of course I need no such things... as my Mugen 5800mAH battery gives ridiculous battery life. Still, 5 NiMH 'AA' cells in a tube is on my project list, to power my 40GB external USB drive.

[ctmagnus]

Looking at the video for the battery, it looks rather hefty. I'm thinking "Classic iPaq" size.

I have a four-AA charger from PPCTechs that, while longer than this device, appears considerably smaller overall.