External Battery Pack Option

[Russ]

Russ do you recommend going with the the PC26000 for the extra $30 or will the Anker suffice.

Tony --

That depends on your expected needs; the difference is just usage time. I got the 26000mAH for my Ladyfriend to use in her travels to and from China. Atlanta to Shanghai (with a stopover in Tokyo) is 18 hours of actual flight time. Even with time out for dinner and a nap, that still leaves a lot of time to run the batteries down. Before her last trip, I loaded up a couple of USB3 sticks with Chinese movies for her to watch along her travels. Unfortunately, I didn't have the battery then. Her next trip is to Dubai, and she will be taking the battery along on it.

Regards,
Russ

 

[Wayne Orwig]

I bought a cheap ($12) 12 volt Surface adapter. As expected, it really was only good for the Surface RT, and it blew the fuse when on the Pro. So I cut off the cable, which was my real goal.
I go the IntoCircuit 26,000 battery pack. I put the correct coaxial DC plug on the end of the Surface cable that I salvaged. You can get them at any Radio Shack. Triple check the polarity. No room for errors there.
the IntoCircuit system requires an 18volt charger. It comes with a 120V brick. But I want to charge it from the 12V DC on my motorcycle when camping. So I bought a small up converter board in Ebay for about $3. I added connectors to that, to plug it into the motorcycle and the battery pack. So now, while riding down the road, the battery pack is charging, and if the Surface is plugged into all that, the Surface is charging.

I wonder if I can make it more complicated. :cool2:

 

[tonyz3]

As a woodworker, you may find it interesting: Jewelry Box

Great job on the Box. It is beautiful. Enjoyed the pix of your property and your shop layout.

Also what are your thoughts on post #35.

 

[Russ]

Also what are your thoughts on post #35.

Tony & Wayne --

Wayne and I were pursuing this project at about the same time, so I followed his posts closely, along with those of a couple of other guys (dc5 & bjornb).

We both bought the cheap car charger on eBay, just to get the cable and adapter. Wayne took the time to melt his first. I skipped that step, and just cut the cable. I found the battery connector in my collection of unloved stuff, but, as Wayne said, they are available at Radio Shack. It's pretty obvious that Wayne & I both like tinkering with Elex stuff, but if you don't, the $29.95 cable at MikeGyver is a perfect solution.

re: "Triple check the polarity." -- Amen and absolutely!! For anyone doing a homegrown version, that is paramount. An olde woodworker's homily is "Measure twice, cut once." Add one more measurement for this project.

re: "charge it from the 12V DC on my motorcycle" -- The up-converter board is a clever solution. Not being as space conscious, I have a little Radio Shack 175W Inverter that I take in my car when I need it.

re: "I wonder if I can make it more complicated." -- Well, yeah. You could have added some blinking lights.

Take care,
Russ

 

[tonyz3]

#35
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yikes. :crazy: #35 what are your thoughts on the two battery options... BTW i ordered the MacG tip today THX but curious about the 2 batts above

 

[Wayne Orwig]

I found the battery connector in my collection of unloved stuff, but, as Wayne said, they are available at Radio Shack. It's pretty obvious that Wayne & I both like tinkering with Elex stuff, but if you don't, the $29.95 cable at MikeGyver is a perfect solution.

Yep, when I got the battery pack, I assumed i would need to make a trip to the Shack or such. I looked around for a few minutes in my junk pile, and found the perfect one. So i'm not sure which size it is.

re: "charge it from the 12V DC on my motorcycle" -- The up-converter board is a clever solution. Not being as space conscious, I have a little Radio Shack 175W Inverter that I take in my car when I need it.

re: "I wonder if I can make it more complicated." -- Well, yeah. You could have added some blinking lights.

Yes, the inverters have two problems for me. One, Many of them refuse to run or restart if they sense a low voltage. I assume this is to protect the car battery. My system runs at a pretty marginal voltage normally. So the inverters just don't work reliably. And of course there is the physical size.

Blinking lights. I'll need to look into that.......

 

[Wayne Orwig]

#35
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yikes. :crazy: #35 what are your thoughts on the two battery options... BTW i ordered the MacG tip today THX but curious about the 2 batts above

The Anker 20000 is rated at 12 volt, 4 amps, out. That is perfect. Just a little less capacity than the 26000.

 

[Russ]

what are your thoughts on the two battery options...

Tony --

I thought I responded to that: "That depends on your expected needs; the difference is just usage time."

The extra $30 buys you about 30% more usage time, probably an hour+ depending on type of usage. If you think that extra hour might be important, spend the $30 and get the bigger battery. There is no functional difference between the two.

Something to think about, however: I don't know if the Anker battery uses the same output connector as the Intocircuit. I know the connector from MikeGyver works in the Intocircuit battery, because that is the battery he uses.

Regards,
Russ

 

[malberttoo]

Russ, thanks for the great info!!

I went with the 26,000 Power Castle from Amazon ($113 + $9 shipping), and got the cable from MikeGyver, currently back-ordered a couple weeks. The cable was worth the price though, of not having to do any work to get a working cable.

 

[Russ]

I went with the 26,000 Power Castle from Amazon . . .the cable from MikeGyver

Michael --

That is a good combination, and essentially what I have for my Ladyfriend, except that my cable is home-made.

Please do something about that slide switch. As I posted earlier in this thread, that is just trouble waiting to happen. There are several ways to deal with it, depending on whether or how often you might have need for voltage other than 12V. My plan is to semi-permanently disable the switch on her battery. She is a smart Lady, but long travel and a 12-hour jet lag can mess up the mind. I will cut a small piece of wood or plastic that will fit inside the recess, then glue it in place to keep the switch from moving. I will then put a piece of tape over the switch, so that any act to free it must be deliberate. That'll work.

Regards,
Russ

 

[Wayne Orwig]

I put a bit of hot melt glue in mine. It will pop right out in the future it needed.

 

[malberttoo]

I put a bit of hot melt glue in mine. It will pop right out in the future it needed.

...was planning to do the same.