A few years ago when Hurricane Sandy tore through New York City, I was one of the folks who listened to the initial reports from officials, and based on previous hurricane forecasts, felt that the supplies I usually kept at home would be enough for the possible few hours of power outages I expected. Much to my surprise, and to the surprise of most New Yorkers, the devastation to the power grid was much worse, and the few hours of blackout turned into 14 days.
As a techie, I had a couple of small USB power packs fully charged and at the ready, but by the second day, they were fully depleted with no way of recharging them in the house. I then started charging my phones in my truck, but it was low on fuel, and I watched the fuel gauge drop lower as my phones got a relatively minimal amount of charge.
Determined to never be in that situation again, I have kept an eye out for better charging solutions. Just today, I was online and I looked at the Poweradd ChargerCenter, Compact 185Wh/50000mAh Portable Generator, Power Source (DC 5V/12V/19V) with AC Power Inverter (115V/100W). This power source is good for outdoor power when camping and hiking, etc, but I am more interested in it for my indoor needs during the next power outage or storm. With its 50000mAh battery and its 110 volt inverter, it can keep power going to all of my mobile devices, and even a small refrigerator (up to 100 watts). However, I figure that if I restrict it to charging and powering my mobile devices, I should get days of power from it. While I would obviously test this product before committing to it as my “go to” backup source, its specifications certainly look very promising.
If you would like to read more about the Poweradd ChargerCenter, Compact 185Wh/50000mAh Portable Generator, Power Source (DC 5V/12V/19V) with AC Power Inverter (115V/100W, or you would like to purchase one, head over to Amazon and check it out. It sells for $149.99.
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This seems like a pretty useful device. I just have ine beef with it.
It’s not a damn GENERATOR!
It’s just another battery. Granted it’s well thought out but calling is a generator is misleading at best.
Hi Rick,
I completely agree with you. It is definitely not a generator, but likely very useful for charging multiple small devices. I have numerous small USB battery packs lying around, and yet I can never seem to find one that is fully charged when I really need to. So maybe one device like this will work ?
While for camping, the portability of this might make sense, for the home you should consider an uninterruptible power supply (UPS). For a similar price, you can get 10 times the watt hours and it can also serve as a surge protector. I have two from APC (which also has a battery replacement program) and I’ve.been very happy.
Hi Hildy J,
I have at least 6 high output UPS’ that are always on in my home. However, they are no good for any portability, since they are very heavy due to the multiple internal batteries, and also because a couple of them are rack mounted. And then there is the cost.
When I came across this device, it seemed to be a good solution to be able to move around the house with and charge my cell phones, smart watches, etc.
If I ever manage to get my hands in one to test, I will be sure to post a review.
A small folding solar panel, like those sold for camping, should be able to charge USB battery packs or power an iPad.
I have a 7 Watt panel that I use on backpacking trips (and as emergency power at home), and it is able to keep my phone well charged if sunlight is available. It doesn’t work well on cloudy days.