Things that work well…. Power to the people….

Wapping

Wapping

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Number 248

The number of items that require power is now one of the curses (or joys) of the 21st century.

Bored with carrying the separate mains supply for my MacBook Air, with its ridiculously large charger and plug but also needing to charge my phone, camera, iPad or whatever, I looked for something better. I also wanted to address the common problem that most hotels at the cheaper end of the market (and many at the higher end, too) suffer from…. That the mains outlet is often nowhere near where you need it.

This simple and elegant solution addressed all these issues.

99a6bd8e6466bc8090538a34aebdef69.jpg


A. The Atom III by Anker

533f2691aab8bfd9a09cbfe8511a7352.png


B. A long mains lead, terminating in a simple Continental two pin plug. Most of my usage is abroad, so having a Continental lead makes sense.

C. A multi-head USB lead, such as:

f40fa931e7b3ec56470bf1a24f74c87e.png


D. Not shown in the picture, a long length Anker single head USB C to USB C lead and a similarly long USB to Apple charging tip, as found on a modern iPhone.

Job done and highly recommended.
 
Been using something similar for a number of years, also Anker as it happens but mine’s just got 5 USB ports

Only takes up one plug to charge phones and iPads when at home and also Sena headsets when away :thumb2
 
Excellent!

I too have used versions of this set-up over the years. This though is the best I have found lately, especially as USB C is in wide use, with its higher power requirements.

:thumb2

I have only once had a problem with any Anker product, that being a lead which didn’t work, straight out of the box. It was exchanged via Amazon without quibble by return. The company’s quality control and general design really is very good.
 
Nice one Richard! I wish I had seen this a few months ago. I bought something similar although sadly it's 1w shy of being able to charge my MacBook Pro *facepalm*. I might invest in what you've bought as it looks very neat!
 

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jump start packs with USB outlets provide a similar function plus provide the ability to charge items in the field, so to speak.

the other thing to remember, as I used in Scotland recently when leaving my phone charger at home, most TVs have a USB outlet nowadays. Not much current but adequate to charge most phones overnight
 
I have one of the earlier iterations of the Anker chargy device and it works very well. The multi-headed cable looks good, although my experience with such cables is not universally positive.
 
wessie said:
jump start packs with USB outlets provide a similar function plus provide the ability to charge items in the field, so to speak.

the other thing to remember, as I used in Scotland recently when leaving my phone charger at home, most TVs have a USB outlet nowadays. Not much current but adequate to charge most phones overnight
Click to expand...

Jump packs are good but bulky.

Very good tip about the USB out on TV’s, I’d not thought of that.
 
Wapping said:
Jump packs are good but bulky.

Very good tip about the USB out on TV’s, I’d not thought of that.
Click to expand...

but very handy when your 4 year old battery decides not to start your bike after refuelling with Tesco 99. I was back on the road in 5 mins as the battery on my XR is under the seat. My unit is smaller than a VHS tape, about the same length and depth but two thirds the width.
 
A small fault with the otherwise excellent device shown in post #1.

For some unknown reason it is very reluctant (ie. won’t) charge the Bluetooth system in my Shoei helmet. I guess that the device reads the communication unit as charged (when it isn’t) and then switches the power off? Or, possibly, the two are not USB compatible, for some bizarre reason? Using a standard USB charger, plugged into a wall socket, worked fine. All very odd.
 
Wapping said:
A small fault with the otherwise excellent device shown in post #1.

For some unknown reason it is very reluctant (ie. won’t) charge the Bluetooth system in my Shoei helmet. I guess that the device reads the communication unit as charged (when it isn’t) and then switches the power off? Or, possibly, the two are not USB compatible, for some bizarre reason? Using a standard USB charger, plugged into a wall socket, worked fine. All very odd.
Click to expand...


Same with mine for the Sena in my Schubert. I put it down to the draw being too low for the port to recognise there's something to charge. Maybe to avoid the pack being drained by something that has a very low constant draw once charged. As a test, I tried the same with an Apple Pencil and it too failed to charge.

As yours, mains charging is fine.
 
Mucky Helmet said:
Same with mine for the Sena in my Schubert. I put it down to the draw being too low for the port to recognise there's something to charge. Maybe to avoid the pack being drained by something that has a very low constant draw once charged. As a test, I tried the same with an Apple Pencil and it too failed to charge.

As yours, mains charging is fine.
Click to expand...

Thank you.

I left the unit charging overnight at home, using a mains powered USB and the blue (fully charged) light is glowing. Like you, I can only put it down to a very low current draw somehow screwing with the charging unit’s protection circuitry.
 
Been using this for a few years now ... works a treat.

i-NGjs7p9-L.jpg


Not much bigger than a mobile 'phone (smaller than some)
Charges via USB
Reputed to start a 3,500cc car (not tried) but will certainly jump start a motorcycle :thumb2

Great piece o'kit

:beerjug:
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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