Help me find a battery bank

[cbrunny]

Looking for a battery bank for my Note 4. Battery is 3220 mAh.

I'm looking for:
1. holds a charge for a long time
2. small, portable
3. durable
4. ideally light weight but not essential

This is for my saddlebag on my bike as I'm going to start using my phone as a gps to help navigate. the battery bank will be a backup and for use in case of emergency. the bank will not be used for any other purpose, so it will likely sit in the saddle bag a lot of the time.

Thanks!

 

[paperwastage]

Would you prefer a note 4 battery instead? Can just swap and get 100% immediately

Li-ion batteries slowly drain their charge - you need to top them up often (maybe once a month or so)

An alternative would be getting alkaline AA battery (those hold charge for a few years), and getting a AA -> usb charger

 

[Kartajan]

another alternative: http://www.amazon.com/PowerMate-Por...48&sr=8-5&keywords=bicycle+cell+phone+charger

 

[cbrunny]

Would you prefer a note 4 battery instead? Can just swap and get 100% immediately

Li-ion batteries slowly drain their charge - you need to top them up often (maybe once a month or so)

An alternative would be getting alkaline AA battery (those hold charge for a few years), and getting a AA -> usb charger

I thought about another note 4 battery but I think for the utility of having something that plugs usb it might make more sense to go that route.

I like the AA to USB idea. I'll look into that.

 

[monkey333]

Off topic for a moment, but my first cell phone had a optional battery (that snapped on like the regular one) that was powered by replaceable double a's.

Edit:
It ain't pretty.,but it would work..
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/insigni...&acampID=a11b4d1e1c9211e6b3ca2ea31030192d0INT

 

[cbrunny]

ha that's neat. i bet it got heavy with the AAs plugged in there.

So are they all pretty much the same then? I really dont know what to look for other than durability. And even then... seems like a cheap one can be replaced easily...?

 

[cbrunny]

Opted for this one: https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00Z9QVE4Q/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Anker 13000 mAh. Seems legit.

I decided a high capacity was important. I'm going to use my Note 4 as a wifi hotspot inside my saddlebag plugged into this charger constantly. It will wifi out to a sim-cardless-Nexus 4 that will be strapped to my handlebars. The NOte 4 has atrocious GPS, and since GPS is essentially why I'm using a phone on my bike in the first place (plus emergencies) it stands to reason to use a GPS that actually is good. The Nexus 4 will provide route guidance and turn by turn navigation. Should be neat.

 

[paperwastage]

ha that's neat. i bet it got heavy with the AAs plugged in there.

So are they all pretty much the same then? I really dont know what to look for other than durability. And even then... seems like a cheap one can be replaced easily...?

quick primer on external battery:

a lot of them contain 18650 commodity LiIon cells. These cells usually contains similar capacities (eg: 2600mAh per cell), so capacity is a function of the size/weight (5000mAh? need two cells, so size ~ 2 cells)

if someone advertises 10A but it's the size of a lipstick, it's wrong. some cells contain overcharging-protection-circuit integrated to cell, some put it outside, some (maybe the extremely cheap no-brand) don't even have these circuits which is bad

then, you can look at extra features (eg more ports, can output higher amperage across all ports- 2.4A is typically highest, QuickCharge compatible, LEDs/flashligh etc, can charge via 12V plug which means faster recharging), usually higher cost for these extra features

Opted for this one: https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00Z9QVE4Q/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Anker 13000 mAh. Seems legit.

I decided a high capacity was important. I'm going to use my Note 4 as a wifi hotspot inside my saddlebag plugged into this charger constantly. It will wifi out to a sim-cardless-Nexus 4 that will be strapped to my handlebars. The NOte 4 has atrocious GPS, and since GPS is essentially why I'm using a phone on my bike in the first place (plus emergencies) it stands to reason to use a GPS that actually is good. The Nexus 4 will provide route guidance and turn by turn navigation. Should be neat.

anker is legit (as you can tell by the reviews, and the design/charging circuit that they show you)

 

[sweenish]

Second that Anker is a great brand.

 

[sm625]

http://www.amazon.com/10400mAh-External-Battery-Charger-2-Port/dp/B012CN6Q7I

This thing is a monster. The batteries can be taken out and charged separately. The nice thing about this unit is that it takes the same batteries as my vapes. 4 of these hold an incredible amount of power. You cant always trust the ratings on these battery banks. But I know for a fact that four of the batteries I use in my vapes can definitely source 1 amp for 10 hours easy. You can get Efest Purple IMR 18650 35A 3000mAh for about $10 apiece. This is probably overkill but it really is a lot of power lol.

 

[monkey333]

If that nexus 4 is free and clear, why not sign it up for a free ringplus or freedompop account? Then you don't have to use your note 4 too.

Opted for this one: https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00Z9QVE4Q/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Anker 13000 mAh. Seems legit.

I decided a high capacity was important. I'm going to use my Note 4 as a wifi hotspot inside my saddlebag plugged into this charger constantly. It will wifi out to a sim-cardless-Nexus 4 that will be strapped to my handlebars. The NOte 4 has atrocious GPS, and since GPS is essentially why I'm using a phone on my bike in the first place (plus emergencies) it stands to reason to use a GPS that actually is good. The Nexus 4 will provide route guidance and turn by turn navigation. Should be neat.

 

[cbrunny]

If that nexus 4 is free and clear, why not sign it up for a free ringplus or freedompop account? Then you don't have to use your note 4 too.

quite honestly, i'm too cheap. I did consider something like this (I'm in Canada so those carriers don't apply to me unfortunately). Our carriers are greedy devils...as if that's not also true elsewhere lol.

 

[cbrunny]

http://www.amazon.com/10400mAh-External-Battery-Charger-2-Port/dp/B012CN6Q7I

This thing is a monster. The batteries can be taken out and charged separately. The nice thing about this unit is that it takes the same batteries as my vapes. 4 of these hold an incredible amount of power. You cant always trust the ratings on these battery banks. But I know for a fact that four of the batteries I use in my vapes can definitely source 1 amp for 10 hours easy. You can get Efest Purple IMR 18650 35A 3000mAh for about $10 apiece. This is probably overkill but it really is a lot of power lol.

woah that's cool. Those look like AA batteries but it's pretty obvious that they're some kind of proprietary battery, right? That's neat. Battery tech is coming a long way.

 

[sm625]

woah that's cool. Those look like AA batteries but it's pretty obvious that they're some kind of proprietary battery, right? That's neat. Battery tech is coming a long way.

It is not as common as AA or AAA but it is becoming more common by the day. They are used often in high power flashlights and laser pointers and they've pretty much taken over the vape market.

I'm still looking for an electric shaver that takes one of these batteries.

 

[nerp]

Opted for this one: https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00Z9QVE4Q/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Anker 13000 mAh. Seems legit.

I decided a high capacity was important. I'm going to use my Note 4 as a wifi hotspot inside my saddlebag plugged into this charger constantly. It will wifi out to a sim-cardless-Nexus 4 that will be strapped to my handlebars. The NOte 4 has atrocious GPS, and since GPS is essentially why I'm using a phone on my bike in the first place (plus emergencies) it stands to reason to use a GPS that actually is good. The Nexus 4 will provide route guidance and turn by turn navigation. Should be neat.

You chose wisely. Anker makes good stuff, they're an American company and they've quickly developed a strong reputation.

I have a one of those lipstick-sized Anker chargers and it has been a lifesaver for me and my wife on the road and during travel.