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fazalmajid t1_ixwpepq wrote

Nitecore NB10000 Gen 2 by a wide margin.

Ankers are OK, but much bulkier.

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sunandmooncouture t1_ixyajoq wrote

>Nitecore NB10000 Gen 2

"10000 mAh"
(Rated Energy 6400mAh)

lol batteries, amiright? maybe they should start posting capacity in watthours instead

looks like Nitecore is using lithium phosphate while anker is still using lithium ion to keep costs down. is tradeoff. I wonder if anker will start making more lifepo4 batts soon

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fazalmajid t1_ixybiyx wrote

They totally should do Wh instead of meaningless mAh. A big part of Anker’s problem is they use cylinder batteries like 18650s hence the poor density.

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spluga t1_iy0u0g6 wrote

I like everything about Nitecore, except I’d prefer 5w charging for my use case. Do you know the specs for the “low current” charging feature? Does the powerbank auto detect, or can you manually enable to slow charge if you’re not in a rush?

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fazalmajid t1_iy1467v wrote

Good question. I tried charging my 12.9” iPad Pro with my USB-A and my USB-C multimeters:

  • USB-C, low-charge mode On: 5V 3A, 15W
  • USB-C, low-charge mode off: 11V, 1.67A, 18W
  • USB-A, low-charge mode On: 5V 1A, 5W
  • USB-A, low-charge mode off: same

Make of that what you will. The USB-A tests were done with an AmazonBasics C-A cable rated at 10Gbps.

You have to manually engage the feature by long-pressing the mode button. Presumably it’s mainly for USB-A since it doesn’t negotiate power like PD does, thus the risk of overload.

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spluga t1_iy1vaou wrote

Thank you for taking the time to test that for me! So the USB-A port appears to limit to 5w regardless of low-charge mode (did you mean the fourth bullet to be USB-A, low charge off?).

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fazalmajid t1_iy1vlgj wrote

Yes, corrected my post. Not sure why it isn't doing the 10W standard USB-A is capable of, even if it can't do the non-standard Apple 12W charging mode at 2.4A. I'll try again with a different power meter and cables.

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spluga t1_iy2bh1h wrote

Yes, 5W and not 10W is surprising. Looking forward to what you find, if you can!

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fazalmajid t1_iy38x04 wrote

OK, I switched to an Apple-branded USB-A to Lightning cable and Klein ET920 tester, verified with an Apple 10W USB charger that it did 5.07V 1.68A on an old iPad Pro with Lightning connector (it was 87% full so probably not drawing at its fullest).

When put on the Nitecore on, it did the same 5.07V 1.56–1.68A whether I turned on slow-charge mode or not. At this point I think it's a placebo, and if you want fast charging up to the rated 18W you must use USB-C, but on USB-A YMMV depending on the cable.

This also confirms my feeling that every power bank maker should adopt the Anker 737's status display feature, and that a USB multimeter is a must-have accessory.

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spluga t1_iy3jk8g wrote

Thanks for the follow up! Agree, agree.

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Dracomies t1_iyaz02g wrote

We found the Ultralight Redditor. jjkjkjk.

Isn't Gen 1 better based on the Excel sheet on Ultralight rn?

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fazalmajid t1_iyc8bmo wrote

How so? I have both (also the NB20000, but I don’t EDC the latter), gave my wife the gen 1, she absolutely loves it. She’s a much heavier power bank user than I am (her iPhone X battery is on its last legs) and her previous Anker 20,000mAh power bank was a real boat anchor in her purse. The UI in the Gen 2 is improved, it has those natty yellow ports and slightly higher output.

Here’s a positive review, apparently by the person who maintains the spreadsheet:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Ultralight/comments/w8mx0p/nitecore_nb10000_gen_2_power_bank/

Conversely here is a negative review:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Ultralight/comments/w848tp/my_opinion_of_nitecore_power_banks_after_1200/

He complains of durability of the ports, and I can see that. I take good care of my gear and must be the only person on the planet who doesn’t have ripped Apple charge cables despite their inadequate strain relief, whereas my wife and daughter are much rougher on their gear, so that might be worth considering in Anker vs Nitecore.

I don’t hike in the great outdoors, which seems to be the core Ultralight demographic, but urban dwellers benefit from lighter gear too.

One other good 10,000mAh power bank is the Xiaomi Pro, with its solid aluminum rather than plastic case, but that also makes it heavier than the carbon fiber Nitecore, and it’s harder to find in the US:

https://www.mi.com/uk/product/xiaomi-22-5w-power-bank-10000/

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