However, hello. One boy always dreamed of an external battery (now a “power bank”). The boy needs this to spend wonderful days and nights on Russian Railways trains with a charged phone, because there are no sockets in Soviet-made cars. After Xiaomi review MI Power Bank 10400 I decided to buy myself the same miracle. Here I will look at the power bank from a slightly different angle and try to answer the questions that arose after reading the first review.

By tradition, about delivery. The parcel flew by Singapore Post to Moscow, after a short break in the capital (even the power bank visited Moscow, but I did not), it flew to our regional capital and arrived by train to me. The parcel traveled for 27 days. Not bad for delivery to the Far East. Although, if it weren’t for customs, then everything would be simpler, because only a river separates China from the Far East :)
I was very worried that the parcel would go through pain and insults (Russian Post), so I asked the seller to pack it better. He reassured me and said that he would do everything. In general, the seller is a pleasure to deal with. But still, he didn’t hear my prayers and took pity on the bubbles (you won’t be able to pop a lot of balloons when you’re depressed). Thank heavens, the parcel arrived completely intact.


Yes, yes, she is not entirely whole. The paper “candy wrapper” slid a little and became wrinkled. But we didn’t buy all this because of the candy wrapper (or?!).


Packaging and appearance power banks create the feeling of something expensive and high quality. In fact, everything is inexpensive and very high quality.


The ribs are covered with films on both sides - the company! Admit it, you also like to remove films from new products.


The kit includes the power bank itself, a short microUSB cord that can be used to charge the power bank and to charge the gadget, and instructions ... one’s itching to plug one wire into different connectors of one bank - a perpetual motion machine! but we kids are smart and won’t do this... The power bank is much smaller in real life than it appears in the photo. It even fits in my small palm. Aluminum body. I just want to pick it up and twist and turn it. ...or go outside and defiantly carry it in your hands with your head held high, and you can even leave your smartphone at home...
What is interesting: my copy does not have the MI engraving on the lace and the inscription on the front of the “wrapper”. Apparently, this was only sculpted in the first batches. Because it showed that I have the original.

Another film covering the holes... hmm... thrill

And under the film this is:


There is only one button to view the bank charge. After poking at it, the LEDs blink for a while, indicating the charge.

And at the back this:


Chinese letters, Latin letters, beautiful Arabic numbers.
From all this you can understand that:
Power bank capacity: 10400 mAh
Model: NDY-02-AD
Input current: 5V/2A
Output current: 5.1V/2.1A
Manufacturer: Electronic Technology LTD, Jiangsu

Some interesting tidbits from the manufacturer’s website:
- Temperature control: The thermostat ensures that the batteries operate at a safe temperature
- Input current limiting: OVP circuit protects batteries from overvoltage
- Output current limiting: The power bank actively monitors to ensure the voltage is stable and safe
- Auto shutdown: If there is a short circuit, the device will automatically shut down to prevent further damage
- If the power bank is accidentally plugged into the network, it will stop automatically to prevent damage to your devices.
- Charge to the limit: The charger will help you maximize the use of your devices' battery without overcharging it.
- Reboot: If some external influence caused the power bank to turn off, press the power button to resume charging
- Device detection: the power bank will automatically start charging when a device is connected
- PTC protection: If the charger overheats and the output voltage is high, PTC can control the voltage flow and protect the voltaic cells.

Well, now to his main task.
Samsung Galaxy S3 (2100 mAh battery) is charging, charging with a cable from the bank kit, charging quickly, taking its maximum 1A. From 3% it was possible to charge it fully 4 times and the fifth time to 13% when turned on. The power bank itself produces 2A, but you can charge gadgets with both 0.5A and 1A, because the device takes as many amperes as it needs, nothing should burn out.


Tablet market retiree, or simply Samsung Galaxy Tab The P1000 is also charged from the original (for a tablet) cable. I won’t check the number of cycles on it, because... You can use simple calculations to calculate the approximate number of cycles compared to the phone.

The Samsung WB150F camera (yes, I love Samsung) is charging.


So what? It seems to me that it will charge anything that can be charged and has a USB cable. This is also stated in the instructions.
It will be possible to fully charge the vacation kit once on the road: camera (mine 1030 mAh), tablet (mine 4000 mAh) and phone (mine 2100 mAh). There will still be enough left.
When charging, white LEDs flash, which indicate the charge of the bank (and which are very difficult to photograph). Flashes quickly: every three seconds.

My power bank itself is charged from a Vertex charger with a current of 2.1A, which was purchased specifically for the bank offline for 500 rubles. You can, of course, charge from phone and tablet chargers, but I wanted fast charging (although I later learned that the batteries would last less this way). A full charge from 2.1A takes about 5 hours (plus or minus half an hour). When charging, like telephone “divisions,” the LEDs light up, indicating that one part is already charged, and the next one blinks, indicating that charging is still in progress. When fully charged, all LEDs light up. The power bank is pleasantly warm when charging.


I translated the sign from the instructions on the charging status of the power bank itself. G - lights up, M - flashes, N - doesn't light up.


With the power bank discharging when charging a gadget, the story in terms of percentage is approximately the same.

Brief summary of the review:
Pros:
- Design. Looks expensive and high quality.
- Capacity
- Versatility
- Compactness
- Good packaging, you can carry a power bank with you.
- No fake mAhs (well, it’s a company)

Minuses:
- Not identified

This power bank deserves to be named not Xiaomi MI, but Xiaomi mi-mi-mi. He is the most power bank of all power banks, I think. Only craftsmen with golden hands can do better manually from the case and batteries, but my hands are far from being made of this precious metal... and not even gold-plated...
A very useful thing in its essence for those who often ride trains, travel or relax in nature. I'm very pleased with the purchase.

Where else can you buy even cheaper.

And at the present stage it is used everywhere. Of course, it also needs charging regularly. If you purchase power bank how to charge its correct and what is the charging method better - this will always be important to know.

How can you charge a power bank using different methods?

Currently in production a large number of similar portable devices. To understand how to charge correctly power bank of this or that model, you need to carefully read the . Please note that different models charging with certain features and nuances.

The most popular method is charge power bank just from the network. In order to connect power bank to the network, it is possible to use telephone chargers. Considering that the average time during which the device will be fully charged is 4-5 hours, it is better to leave it online at night and turn it off in the morning.

Sometimes novice users ask, Which The best charging method is network or using USB -cord from the computer? Any direct connection to the network will help “power” your device much faster than USB -port. Although practice shows that for many, connecting a power to a computer is much faster and easier. To charge the power bank from a PC, you just need to connect the supplied cord to the computer.

As for the popular question about whether it is possible charge the device in the sun - You should not make such mistakes if your power is not equipped solar battery. Such devices can be found on sale, but they are not cheap and are much less common than standard models.

If you have a device such as a “cigarette lighter” in your car, it is possible to directly power your power. In this case, charging occurs when the car starts moving. By the way, there is another method that for some reason is still not very actively used.

You can quickly recharge the power bank from the mobile phone itself - models with the ability to use them as an external battery device have already appeared on sale.

Determining whether the power bank is charged

How to understand that the power bank is charged? Finding out the charging percentage when using standard power supplies is easy thanks to the divisions or numbers that show the quantitative percentage of charge. When power bank fully charged, the indicator light begins to blink, or the number 100 appears on the display (depending on the device model). On simple external batteries everything is much simpler due to the fact that there are only two indicator lights.

When the power bank is fully charged, the system will automatically disconnect it from the mains power.

Power bank charging time

How long does it take to charge a power bank? The average time is 4-5 hours. Although there are already models on sale that require a minimum time of 3.5 hours to fully charge. For example, power bank xiaomi pro capacity of 10,000 mAh (we'll talk about it below). It used to be thought that more capacity Believe me, the slower it charges. But now new production technologies make it possible to minimize this disadvantage.

It is recommended to always charge the power to 100%, completely. When this indicator has already been reached, you should not rush to disconnect the device from the network. You need to hold it for about an hour more so that it receives the necessary drip charging using low currents. It is this that contributes to the long-term preservation and maintenance of the maximum level of power bank capacity. By the way, there is a special application on the Internet designed to track the drip charging process. It is suitable for both Android-based smartphones and Apple.

Do I need to charge a new power bank?

There are many different opinions on this matter. Some say that this is not of fundamental importance. However Manufacturers recommend charging a new power bank completely , taking into account the time allotted for “drip” nutrition chargeable low current devices.

Many online sources say that the power banks, which are now supplied with all models of power banks, do not have a “memory effect”. But practice shows that this is not always the case. If you look at it objectively, lithium batteries still have a “memory effect”. But it is less pronounced than with older batteries. Therefore, you should run the new power through several charge-discharge cycles immediately after purchase.

Do not completely and deeply discharge the power bank. : Li-ion batteries are very sensitive to this. Make sure that your device is not discharged more than 10-20%.

A full charge-discharge cycle can be carried out no more than once every two to three months. This will help adjust the operation of the power bank so that the capacity of its batteries is maintained at an optimal level.

Which charger is right for you?

Both manufacturers and experts unanimously agree that for this you should always use only charger, which fits the power, matching its technical characteristics. You should not skimp on chargers and purchase temptingly cheap models that can cause the power bank to fail.

Why is the power bank not charging?

If the power bank is not charging and has stopped working, the reason may be that it is equipped with a controller that is not of very high quality. There can be two options here: either the device simply “blinks” but does not work, or the power bank does not turn on - that’s all. What to do in this case and is it possible to fix the power?

If the device stops charging at all and cannot charge even if it is plugged in longer than usual, this means that the controller simply “does not see” the remaining charge level and does not start the battery “to start”. For such a controller, the energy inside the battery simply does not exist.

Therefore, for the future: never discharge “budget” Chinese devices to zero, but make sure that they have at least a minimum amount of charge left. The controller cannot detect the remaining energy level in the battery, so the power bank cannot turn on and function fully.

In this case, there is no point in keeping it on charge for a long time: the controller will still not start it without an additional stimulus. This is the most common reason why the power bank does not charge. This problem can be solved in a simple way: you need to remove the discharged battery from the device and briefly connect the power wires to the contacts. It is necessary for the battery to be charged “directly” a little. This energy is quite enough to “launch” it. And do not be afraid that this method will render the battery unusable. Practice shows that many power sources that were charged in this way did not fail and even began to work better.

If you don’t have suitable wires at hand, but have an unnecessary electronic lighter, you can borrow the wires from it after tinning them. Then the power body is carefully disassembled with a knife, and the battery itself is removed. You don’t have to touch the board; handle it as carefully as possible so as not to damage it. Connect the wires to the contacts, and the power source can be a new AA battery, to which the wires are actually connected.

Keep the power bank battery on such an impromptu charge for thirty minutes. After this, the controller should “see” the charge of the battery. When this happens, proceed to charge the device as usual. You can put the case back together using simple superglue.

Power bank model from Xiaomi: breakthrough in charging time

Not long ago, a new power bank from the famous Chinese company Xiaomi was released, which can be charged in no more than 3.5 hours. At the same time, its declared capacity is 10,000 mAh. This device has a universal cable with which you can properly charge not only the X itself. iaomi power bank pro, but also any other gadget suitable for it. This power supply supports fast charging function, or fast charge 2nd generation. He not only fast charges the gadget connected to it, but also charges itself. This is how the entire power bank is charged in 3.5 hours.

A universal cable with which you can charge the power bank itself, has the ability to connect to type C- port, network or computer. If you need to charge any device that has a Type C port, insert this port into USB power bank - and charge it. In case you need to charge a device with micro USB-output, but there is no cable from it, just remove the large attachment and get micro USB-adapter. When purchasing such a power supply, we purchase a universal cable with an adapter, as well as an automatic voltage selection function.

Progress does not stand still. There are Xiaomi power banks with much larger capacities.

Thus, if you have a power bank, how to charge it is correct and how much time is needed for this becomes quite clear, and the appearance on the market of new, more “advanced” models can significantly reduce the actual charging time - if the device has significant indicators of actual capacity. In order to carry out the charging process correctly, do not forget to use the recommendations that the manufacturer always gives in the attached instructions.

Hi all! My previous Power Bank was very bulky, and I decided to order myself something small and compact. The choice fell on this Power Bank with a capacity of 2600mah.

This review contains tests of real capacity and a lot of photos! For those who are interested, please follow the cut!

So, one day, wandering around various stores, I was looking for a compact Power Bank. I saw a suitable option on Aliexpress - it costs $6, it comes without original packaging and travels without a tracking code. This proposal did not suit me. I decided to find something cheaper and better. Stumbled upon new internet store – coolicool.com, the price was $2, I was already happy, but then I saw that I would have to pay another $4 for delivery. But still, it turned out to be a little more profitable for me than Ali, because the parcel came with a track and packaging.

Delivery

After placing the order, I received the track code the very next day. They sent it to me by Malaysian post (as the Chinese began to send it very often), it went fine, with a track code. I received the parcel in about 20 days. It was an ordinary small package - there is no point in posting photos of it.

And here's what was inside:


Box:


The internal kit was not particularly impressive - the Power Bank itself, and a microUSB cable for connecting to various devices. If you wish, you can use any other cable of your own and charge products, for example, from Apple

About Power Bank

Below are a few photos of the device itself:




The body is made of nice plastic, I liked it.

The device turned out to be really very compact, smaller than I expected. For comparison, a photo with a coin.

Inside, most likely, there is a regular 18650 battery. I did not disassemble it.

The Power Bank itself is equipped with LEDs. When it is charging, the LED turns red. When it is charged and you can start using it, it starts to glow blue.

You can use it as a keychain:

Well, now let's move on to the tests:

I won't go into details; I tested it a lot on different devices. Real Capacity– 1000mah. I was hoping that there would be at least 2000 of the declared 2600, but in principle this will do. You can fully charge your dialer or half charge your smartphone.

Results


Overall, not bad for the money. Although I expected more. I won’t recommend it for purchase, it’s an average item. I advise anyone who needs something compact to take it.

If you liked the review, please give it a thumbs up.

Greetings to all readers of my blog! We continue to disassemble portable batteries. Price good Power bank is significant enough to put up with a rapid loss of performance. To extend the life of your device, you need to know how to charge a power bank correctly. We will talk about this today, and also analyze the situation when the Power bank does not charge: what to do, how to identify the cause and try to eliminate it yourself.

Charging the power bank correctly

To begin with, the new power bank needs to be “pumped”. First of all, we charge the battery to 100% (according to the rule, you should get portable device with 70 - 80% charge). It is not possible to pre-discharge new modern batteries, as was previously recommended. Next, be sure to carry out 2 - 3 cycles of complete discharge and charging to 100%. Such manipulations will allow you to “boost” the maximum possible battery capacity.

The next important recommendation on how to properly charge a power bank is to always “fill” the “energy storage” 100% and not immediately disconnect it from the network for “trickle” charging. It is carried out at low current strength, after the 100% indicator on the case lights up. The beginning and end of this process can be monitored using a USB tester. When a value of 0.1 - 0.05 A appears on its display instead of 1 - 1.5 A, then “drip” charging has begun. The battery will be charged to maximum if you wait until it resets.

Should not be allowed to portable accumulator constantly discharged to the end. It must be connected to the power supply when the critical threshold of 20% is reached. In this case, there are two ways to charge the device: from a stationary 220 V electrical outlet via network adapter and from a computer via a USB cable. The first method is the fastest and most preferable. At the same time, there is the concept of calibrating a battery, which implies completely discharging it. To prevent various malfunctions, such calibration should be carried out once every 3 months.

The battery charge level is displayed on an LED indicator (the more lights are on, the higher the charge) or on the display (shows the exact percentage). It is recommended to always allow the power bank to “feed” completely. Short-term recharging is harmful to a lithium-ion battery, despite manufacturers' assurances that there is no memory effect. It’s unfortunate, but such an effect exists, and such irresponsible handling of the device will lead to the inability to charge it 100% in the future.

Another frequently asked question buyers - how long does it take to charge an external battery? There is no universal answer for all models, since the time depends on energy intensity, availability additional function fast charging, current in the network (more precisely, from the value that your adapter gives). If we talk about 5 or 10 thousand units for smartphones, then they require an average of 12 hours of recharge. High-quality models with a capacity of 20,000 mAh for laptops are equipped with a fast charging function and, surprisingly, require only 3 - 4 hours. You will, of course, find more detailed and accurate information regarding the purchased device in the user manual or operating instructions.

What to do if the portable battery does not charge?

When we connect the power bank to the source electric current, the indicator immediately lights up and flashes until the process is completed. At the same time, there is no need to constantly wake up at night in order to promptly disconnect the charging gadget from the network. Most models have overcharge protection and automatically turn off when the battery is completely full.

But what to do if the real situation does not develop according to the manufacturer’s scenario? Why did an external battery that had been in service for a month suddenly stop charging? The most common reason, according to experts service centers- broken wires in the port socket. As a result, you insert the cable into the connector, but no current flows. There is one way to fix such a malfunction - solder the contacts.

If the device (especially one ordered via the Internet) does not even turn on upon first inspection, then most likely it is completely discharged, so you first need to charge it.

Many users encounter this problem when the power bank takes too long to charge (for example, 10 hours with a capacity of less than 5 mAh).

You need to look for the problem in the following:

• low-quality network adapter that produces low current output (less than 1 A);
• thin cable that loses a large percentage of current;
• controller malfunction;
• the contacts in the connector move away (current flows in and then stops flowing);
• poor-quality assembly (when it’s easier to throw it away and not suffer).

You can try to eliminate some causes yourself (take another adapter with a good cable, disassemble and solder broken contacts), but without certain basic knowledge it is better to contact a specialist.

Very often, a cheap power bank from a dubious manufacturer not only charges slowly, but also discharges disproportionately quickly. There can be two options here: either the battery capacity is outrageously lower than declared (and instead of the expected 12,000 you actually have about 6,000 mAh), or one or more parallel-connected batteries inside the case turned out to be poorly sealed and simply came off (as a result there is a noticeable loss of capacity).

A power bank should ensure our comfort and mobility (this is its essence), but for this we must take care of it and not forget about the operating rules: store for a long time with a charge level of about 50 - 80%, avoid prolonged hypothermia, do not leave in room with high humidity. Before you begin troubleshooting any problems, you should evaluate all the risks (especially when working with Chinese counterfeits). I hope I helped you understand the issues of charging a power bank in order to avoid its premature failure. Subscribe to blog updates - share interesting information with friends on in social networks and get to know the technology around us better.

What to do if the power bank does not charge your phone?

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Thank you for your attention! See you again on my blog. Sincerely, Rostislav Kuzmin.