External power packs for T3?

[mkgordon]

Hi all.

Anyone had any experience with the various external power packs that might work with the Tungsten T3 (and as a fringe benefit, my other power consuming accessories - iPod 4G and Motorola V551? I seem to have missed my chance to get a Palm Power to Go Sled. I've been looking at two main groups of solutions:

1. Large batteries (Li-Ion or Li-Poly) with USB connections (Socket.com, APC, CompactImpact). Pros: Lots of power - from 10 watt-hours in the APC up to 22 in the Socket.com. Seem to work with any mobile device, including the T3, my iPod, my Motorola phone. Cons: Pricey, some a bit heavy. Li-Ion batteries lose capacity over time.

2. Conventional AA or AAA power packs with USB connector (Semsons, Gear4, APC. Not Boxwave - I've had two of their battery packs and they're badly designed with that wire from the battery holder to the USB port.) Pros: Cheap, and allow easily replaced batteries. Cons: Not as much power. Semsons says their product doesn't work with iPod or mobile phones - not clear why.)

3. Portable solar chargers. Pros: Free power, Cons: not so good when sun isn't shining. Not sure about pricing.

NOTE: I know it's possible to construct your own battery pack for just about anything. I don't want to. I'm not a tinkerer. I don't own a multitester, and I don't live anywhere near a Radio Shack.

Can anyone tell me anything about these options? Tell me about others I'm not mentioning? Recommend particular products?

I look forward to any replies.



Mike G.

[yorrick]

I can only suggest that you look for a second hand powersled. It still gives you 2.5 times the recharge of what the T3 holds and a form factor to hold quite nicely.
Otherwise, you are left with the options above ... or replacing the T3 battery with a higher capacity battery (about 40% more capacity)

[Romeol]

Yo, 40% more? I've still yet to find one that's more than 1100mAh. Could you point me to one? :)

[Clocker]

Power to go.

[mkgordon]

Thanks for the answers so far.


from my post on replacing the internal battery.

I just read your other post about external battery packs...maybe I won't try the BoxWave charger. :o

I've had two of the Boxwave battery packs, three of their MiniSyncs and one of the Sync cables they sell that is just a cable. When new, they work fine. But I find the quality of construction deploreable. These are meant to be mobile devices. But if you carry them around in a bag with your other gear, they just break. The battery charger has a USB port on a cable. That cable seems very vulnerable to invisible breakage. If I hold the cable "just so", I can get a charge. If I move it, the connection fails. Same for the cables. Most of the time, the syncing capacity fails, but you can still charge. Then the charging capability fails and you throw it out.

I think a good AA or AAA charger has the USB port built into the unit, like the Semsons or Gear4 models. If you're going to sell a product with a vulerable cable, you should sell a protective case.

I wish I could find a protective case for my Sync cables, both the yo-yo type and the long ones - prolonged exposure to my gear bag seems to do them in.


Mike

[T3_slider]

I have a USB sync-charge cable thingy from Belkin, and although I don't sync with it (Or really at all unless necessary), it seems to charge just fine (Although with an AC adapter and not a portable battery pack), although you really have to push the multiconnector in hard to get it to stay. I'm thinking of getting a Semsons charger with some high-capacity rechargeable AA batteries and using my Belkin cable (Although the cable is not as portable as the miniSync cable, I've heard that the miniSync cable has issues if you don't pull the wires out at the exact same time).

I'll let you know how it goes (But it might be a few weeks before I actually get one, so anyone else with the Semsons or the Gear4 models feel free to review them here).

[aliocha38]

Some ideas there (in french) :

http://forum.palmattitude.org/index.php?showtopic=37020

:rolleyes: