jzax

On 6/12/2017 at 16:01, kendg said:

I've been having a problem with using a cell phone powerpack with my Star Adventurer.

I've tried 3 different ones with no real success. The capcity of the packs are 6000, 12000 and 26800 mAH so there is lots of power.

I can connect them to the S.A. and they power it but after a short time they stop powering it. If I connect a wireless cell phone charger to the pack to draw a bit of power then it powers the S.A. just fine.

Any suggestions as to what sort of small low power USB device I can connect to the powerpack to keep the S.A. powered? Or something else to use instead of a powerpack?

 

Thanks

I also had this problem when trying to power my Star Adventurer with my nice 22 Ah Ravpower USB powerpack. Apparently, the mount draws little power and the powerpack shuts down after a while, thinking "there is nothing to charge"... Looks like most modern powerpacks have this threshold minimum current to stay alive... Obviously, a fast solution is to connect more things at the same time (a USB lamp, etc.)

Apparently, there are some powerbanks around that have the option of "always on" (such as the Voltaic), but I discovered that the Amateur Radio Shop Sotabeams UK sells a little cheap adjustable "pass-through" device that cures the problem.

I bought it and it works beautifully

https://www.sotabeams.co.uk/usb-battery-pack-keep-alive-load/

Clear Skies!