TimothyH

On a lark here....

Does anyone charge a Polar GPS with an Anker PowerCore II 20000 or PowerCore Lite 20000 battery?

If not Polar then any GPS?

The FAQ for the PowerCore II says it isn't compatible with some GPS devices and hence my question.

pdlamb

That's left me scratching my head. If the Anker is supposed to provide USB power, and a GPS is supposed to be rechargeable through the USB, what's the incompatibility?

The only problem I can think of is the old Garmin 500 (IIRC), which needed its own special cable to be able to run while plugged in. I don't know that anybody has managed to replicate that stupid idea since.

TimothyH

Anker says that some of their batteries are not compatible with devices which use less than 50 mA input and mention blutetooth headsets and "some GPS devices."

I pulled the cover off the Polar GPS but could not find an input value listed. The documentation says only that it is a 900 mAH battery but nothing about input amperage. I might give them a call.

I'd like to give the PowerCore Speed 20000 a shot.

https://www.anker.com/products/varia...raded/A1278011

It's way more than I'll need to charge a phone and GPS on a two night bikepacking trip.


-Tim-

noglider 

Not a GPS, but yes, I had a bluetooth headset whose charging load was too light for my external battery.

TimothyH

OK, so we proved that there can be incompatible devices.

The whole point is to charge my GPS while in the woods. I will have to contact Polar.

Thanks Tom.


-Tim-

mibike

The problem is not drawing enough current to keep the power bank on. You can find power banks that won’t turn off at low current draw but they are not common most will work like the Anker. I would try it and see if the Polar uses enough power to keep it on. If not and you would like to charge something else say your phone plug it in one port and the Polar in another port. The phone or whatever would then keep the Anker on and the Polar will charge. Even if you have two devices with too low current draw to keep the power bank on plugging them in at the same time may be enough current draw to keep it on

DrIsotope

I have an Anker Powercore 20100, PowerCore 10000, Powercore 5000, Astro E1, and a Powercore+ Mini. Every single one of them has been used to charge multiple GPS devices, and has done so without issue. I don't know what GPS unit would draw less that 50mAh. The charge rate on my Karoo is 1.5A.

Be aware that the 20100 is ridiculously large, about the size of six 18650 cells in 3x2 configuration, plus length for the electronics and USB ports. For bike use, I opted for an Aduro Power Bank 10000, which much smaller than the Anker 20100 (as it should be, half the capacity and all) but still has two ports. An Anker for the bike, the Powercore 13000 is probably the sweet spot. Roughly the same footprint as the old 10000, but 2 ports. I had the Anker 13000 in my saved-for-later for a long while, but got the Aduro on a Groupon buy for $16.

Edit: you can pick up a USB ammeter, plug it in between your normal charger and the Polar, and find out exactly what it draws. That why I bought mine.

mibike

Some wrist watch type GPS units have very low current draw. Any hand held should be higher current draw. All the Polar GPS units I’ve seen are wrist units but there might be others.

Good idea on the USB amp meter they are cheap and are handy to have.

unterhausen

when my edge 800 is fully charged, it doesn't draw enough to keep my Zendure usb charger running. It's annoying to get a battery low notice when the thing has been plugged in all day.

mibike

That’s the way a power bank is designed to work. If it stays on it will run down even without charging anything. When whatever it is charging is fully charged it will detect the low current draw and shut itself off. Try waiting until the battery on your 800 runs down some and then turn the power bank on.

unterhausen

I have 5 lipstick chargers that don't do that and I am pretty sure my anker power bank doesn't work that way, or at least I haven't gotten a low power warning using it. Maybe it wastes a little bit of energy and the circuitry has to be less efficient or more complicated.

angerdan

You can put an USB meter between powerbank and GPS. This will increase the overall current to an high enough level to activate powerbanks.
candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?440476-USB-powerbank-WITHOUT-auto-off

Good ideas don't stay lonely for long

Seattle Forrest

I've used Anker's lipstick battery pack to recharge my GPS watch in camp on backpacking trips.

If you can't find an answer, what is the return policy like?

TimothyH

I needed the battery for other things apart from cycling and so purchased it.

It charges the GPS fine. Fast too!

I'm really impressed with Anker products.


-Tim-

noglider 

Yeah me too. It sounds like a name of company making cheap products, but they all work well, according to many people. It's the only brand battery I buy nowadays. Their chargers are good, too.