this post was submitted on 19 Jul 2023
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Technology

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USB battery bank recommendations? (beehaw.org)
submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by bermuda@beehaw.org to c/technology@beehaw.org
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In need of a rechargeable battery bank I can keep in my car and use to charge my phone. My car is a little older and has one of those cigarette lighter things. Only problem is it doesn't charge the phone, it just keeps it from dying, which is inconvenient for my current setup. Looking for good ones for the price, and hopefully ones that won't explode or anything like that.

edit: It's complicated to explain but with the position of the only spot I can put my phone holder due to a myriad of issues with my car, the wire would have to go over the steering wheel or over my lap or on the dash and with each one of those options it comes with its own problems that make me uncomfortable. With the way my job is, I need to constantly get back in and out of my car so I'd like if the wire weren't in the way. I figure if I have a battery bank in the door pocket or something, I can just unplug the wire and stuff it back into the door.

while I appreciate people trying to help, this is also why i dislike asking tech questions on the internet. :/ Only two people actually answered the question

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[–] Powderhorn@beehaw.org 7 points 1 year ago

Have you looked into getting a different adapter? If what plugs into your cigarette lighter for 12VDC spits out 5V at 2.4A, you're only looking at 12W of charging ability. Modern phones can easily eat more than than operationally.

A quick Amazon search pulls up this for $12. It can charge via USB-PD (type C) at 36W or QC 3.0 at 18W — but your phone model may or may not be compatible. Some research will be required on your part.

Since the phone is maintaining charge as opposed to draining completely, the wiring to the socket sounds like it's fine; it's the adapter that's your point of "failure" from the details provided.

[–] MangoPenguin@lemmy.blahaj.zone 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (3 children)

Why not get a better charger? They're cheap and you won't have a battery sitting in a hot car which wears them out really quickly.

[–] Mr_Grumpy@lemmy.fmhy.ml 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

I second this. A more powerful 12V socket adapter is far better than a battery pack.
Like this.

[–] MangoPenguin@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I would get one new enough to have QC and PD support, since most devices use one of those protocols for charging. Those really old ones that only supply 2.4A @ 5V usually can't keep up with a modern phone.

Random one I clicked on

[–] admin@beehaw.org 2 points 1 year ago

Yeah, I'd recommend that they take their vehicle to a mechanic that can fix or replace the cigarette lighter thingy.

[–] bermuda@beehaw.org 1 points 1 year ago

position of the charger in the center console doesn't work for where my phone fits best.

[–] hassanmckusick@lemmy.discothe.quest 6 points 1 year ago

Everybody is right that the car plug should put out enough power to charge your phone and it's probably just a shitty 1A adapter. Look into that first. But to answer the question Anker is a solid brand.

[–] zhou@lemmy.ca 5 points 1 year ago

Personally I've had good luck with Anker products -- they are reviewed to have robust protection circuitry and semi-frequently go on sale so they're not super expensive.

[–] dark_stang@beehaw.org 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

I've seen people plug heated blankets into those ports. It's definitely capable of fast charging your phone but I'm guessing the adapter is busted (or just real old). You should be able to pick up a fast charger (20-40w) for $20-30 and not have to worry about charging a battery at home.

[–] bermuda@beehaw.org 1 points 1 year ago

long story short, with the position of the only spot where I can put my phone holder without it falling off (trust me i've tried a dozen other spots), the charger would be either on my lap or over the steering wheel and i'm not super comfortable with that.

[–] shortwavesurfer@monero.town 4 points 1 year ago

Something is wrong then. You should be able to pull 36 watts (12 volts x 3 amps) no problem. A phone slow charge is at 5 watts so i assume the charger you have is not working well. Try to find one thats 5 volts 2 amps which would put out 10 watts to the phone.

[–] medgremlin@lemmy.sdf.org 1 points 1 year ago

This is the one I have and my only problems with it are that it's a little too big to fit into a smaller purse or something, and it's a little heavy. I can charge my phone and small tablet to full close to 20 times before it needs to be recharged, and it holds its charge just about perfectly between uses.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09H4GLZXT/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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