External Battery Pack Option

[dc5]

Has anyone tried the Intocircuit Power Castle Series PC26000 26000 mHa battery pack for their Surface Pro?

MCT Inc. is packaging this battery with a compatible power connector for our tablets. Although this is a separate unit & would have to be carried/packed along with the tablet as such, it still looks very nice for extending power on trips.


Microsoft Surface External Battery & Car Adapter Charger


btw, I'm really enjoying my Surface Pro.

 

[Russ]

Has anyone tried the Intocircuit Power Castle Series PC26000 26000 mHa battery pack for their Surface Pro?

dc5 --

I have not tried MikeGyver's product, although it looks like a good one. A couple of people here (Bertopl and BjornB) have done homegrown variations of it, and, as of tonight, you can add me to that list. I started off with a leftover battery from a laptop, but it's still on my bench. Along the way, I decided to get this 18000 maH battery from Energizer. My original objective was to provide my Ladyfriend with enough battery to get her Surface Pro across the ocean to China. This will almost do it, but only if she takes time out for a nap:

I bought a car charger unit on eBay, just to get the Surface adapter, then found a compatible plug in my collection of unloved AC adapters. A little wire-stripping and soldering later, I have a plug-in connector from the battery to the Surface Pro (or RT). This should add 4 to 5 hours to her usage time, depending on what she is doing.

I didn't see MikeGyver's product until after I had already ordered the parts for this unit. Next, I have to invent a really clever connector for the leftover laptop battery.

Film at eleven, or maybe later.

Regards,
Russ

 

[dc5]

Thanks Russ and nice job on your work! There are a lot of creative and helpful folks on this forum which is a great community.

Regards,
DC5

 

[tonyz3]

Russ, now that you finished the batt- nice job by the way, You can really focus on a sand and stain for that table in the pix. :wink:

 

[Russ]

There are a lot of creative and helpful folks on this forum which is a great community.

DC5 --

Yeah, it's a great place. I've been helped and schooled more than a few times.

An interesting observation about the battery and the Pro. I have my Pro on the "Never/Never" setting when plugged in. The desktop battery icon read "Plugged in, but not charging." So, the Pro knew it had external power and was using that source, rather than its own battery. I left it on last night, and, when I got up this morning, the external battery was completely discharged and the Pro had gone into hibernation. Once there was no current coming in from the battery, the Pro decided it was "not plugged in" and followed that power scheme.

The battery weighs 1.1 lbs and the cord is negligible, so it's not too much burden for the extra hours of usage she gets on the flight. The AC unit is cumbersome, as they usually are, but I will buy an extra charger, so she can have one here and one in her Shanghai condo. That way, she can have a fully charged battery for the flight both ways, and not have to lug the charger around. Sounds like "coals to Newcastle," huh? The unit is made in China, so I buy it here and send it back to China? Hmmm? Might need to re-think that.

Take care,
Russ

 

[Russ]

Russ, now that you finished the batt- nice job by the way, You can really focus on a sand and stain for that table in the pix. :wink:

Thanks, Tony.

That table may be older than you. It still does what a table is supposed to do -- it just ain't pretty anymore, as that picture makes glaringly obvious. I use that table every day, but must admit to being a little surprised at how awful it looks in the picture. As a bachelor, I am more than perfectly capable of ignoring it's looks, as long as it does what it is supposed to do. It's even funnier when you consider that I am a very competent woodworker, and could do the job easily.

I was going to tell her about the battery, and send her the picture. That's a bad plan. I think I'll take a new picture on the workbench in my shop.

Take care,
Russ

 

[Wayne Orwig]

Microsoft Surface External Battery & Car Adapter Charger
btw, I'm really enjoying my Surface Pro.

I bought a cheap car adapter for my Pro, mainly for the Surface power connector. Just for grins, I tried it. It IS voltage regulated, but not CURRENT protected. It looks identical to the one in that photo. It is only good for 2 amps, at which point it blows the fuse. So I of course tried a larger fuse. :LOL: At which point the case started to melt. :shocked:

I suspect the car adapter shown is ONLY good for the RT.

At least I go a cable. Now to find a battery pack.

 

[Russ]

I suspect the car adapter shown is ONLY good for the RT.

Wayne --

I would think not, since it specifically says "Surface Pro" in two places, and it's a US source.

I also checked the voltage on the cheapie unit that I bought. I hooked it up to a 14V transformer I just happen to have, and the output was 12V. That was mostly for curiosity, though, since I cut the cable off and used it for my battery connector. However, the car charger was clearly labeled "Surface RT" on the package.

Regards,
Russ

 

[dc5]

Yup, we shall soon see. I ordered the car charger this morning, primarily for the connector. :wink:

 

[dc5]

Bad news. I received the "Surface Pro" car charger today. I plugged it into my car's 12v socket and connected to the Pro. The Pro started charging but after 5-10 seconds, the charger melted and blew its fuse. Not sure if the charger was defective or is truly only compatible with the RT.

 

[ArnoldC]

Bad news. I received the "Surface Pro" car charger today. I plugged it into my car's 12v socket and connected to the Pro. The Pro started charging but after 5-10 seconds, the charger melted and blew its fuse. Not sure if the charger was defective or is truly only compatible with the RT.

How much current is it certified to provide? The Surface Pro might have drawn more, but intelligent circuits normally won't allow such destruction. My Alpine HU can charge my HTC One V, but not my Sony Xperia V and HTC Windows Phones 8S. It can provide only 500mA. Similarly, a China-made USB charger won't charge my Sony Xperia V, but can trickle charge my HTC One V and HTC Windows Phone 8S.

I'd say the charger is not rated right, hence your experience.

 

[dc5]

No certification is listed on the charger. The blown fuse is a "F3/L250V". Unfortunately, this particular charger is most likely only capable of supporting the "RT".

Also, the website now lists this charger as "Microsoft Surface RT Car adapter" instead of the "Pro". Probably a good move so that future buyers are not disappointed. However, the magnetic cable is nice and is a separate detachable cable from the car charger unit. It would be good to have for an external battery pack.

I received quick response from the seller and great support. We all know "accessories" for the Pro are slow to come to market.