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danfinger51 t1_j8skdma wrote

I just got one of these a month ago for my trip to Kenya. Worked great for recharging mine, wife and friends phones. Didn't get hot at all. Any reco's for replacement? 2 x USB-C ports a must have.

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tarnorgana t1_j8sni01 wrote

I contacted anker support and they have issued a full refund (waiting for it to complete) they also suggested the 537 as a replacement and offered me a 20% discount.

It's about 150g heavier, slightly more capacity and has a higher output.

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dereksalem t1_j8wx586 wrote

I realize this seems a bit like a different segment, but the 737 is fantastic. I have a few powerbanks (used to travel for work), but the 737 goes on sale pretty often for like $110 (it's currently $149.99 but with a $40 coupon on Amazon) and has 24,000mAh, 140W output, 2 full-speed Type-C and 1 Type-A port, and a helpful display that shows exactly how fast it's charging/discharging. I've only had this one for like 2 months, but it's been great.

It's hard to find a powerbank that charges as quickly as it discharges...but I've charged this thing at 120W (fastest charger I had) and I have no reason to believe it wouldn't charge at 140W if I had a charger for it. It's the only powerbank I've owned that can charge my MBP at full speed through the MagSafe (which is 100W, IIRC, on the 14" M1 Pro MacBook Pro).

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detectiveDollar t1_j8xa8er wrote

I really need to get a power bank with fast charging. The current Anker one I have maxes out at 10W I'm pretty sure

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verynearlypure t1_j94g68c wrote

I just committed to one, excited to try it out. Do you plan on getting 747 charger too? I have the Nano 3 30w and it’s been a lil trooper. My strongest brick is my 61w MacBook charger.

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dereksalem t1_j94s44f wrote

Nah, I don't need to charge that fast. I have a few 60W Anker charging blocks and they're great.

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F-21 t1_j8svjga wrote

I like my Xtar power bank, because it is actually using replaceable 18650 lithium cells, and is actually also meant as a 18650 battery charger that has a powerbank function.

I'm sure there are powerbanks that take a little less space for the same capacity, but on the other hand you can grab a couple more 5-10$ 18650 cells (from e.g. Samsung, LG, Panasonic) and expand your capacity by just swapping those out. Can't get more compact than the cell itself...

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killingtime1 t1_j8u48it wrote

I also use Xtar and ask the pros are true. However some competitors charge a lot faster (I have a XMI one that can charge laptops at full speed) and are lighter/less bulky for sale capacity. Xtar is lot better in the sense you can carry a larger capacity on planes as each individual battery won't be over the limit

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shad2020 t1_j8vxpi5 wrote

This sounds interesting, I've always wanted to get into the DIY powerbank space but I'm not sure how to begin.

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F-21 t1_j8waz1e wrote

There's not much to it, it's just a magnetic case/shell into which you place the batteries. Xtar even allows you to use smaller batteries in it as well (half-size 18650, forgot the correct designation), can't really mess it up in any way as far as I know.

I bought it as a charger for 18650 since I have some lithium battery flashlight, but the power bank function ended up being even more useful.

Some new flashlights have a reverse-charging powerbank function too. Probably Wurkkos of Sofirn. Though don't fall too deep into that flashlight enthusiast rabbit hole. If you've never owned an enthusiast flashlight, it's amazing how powerful they are compared to the stuff they normally sell in stores. And interestingly, quality western made flashlights are very rare, the chinese are the best in this field and you can get the best flashlights easily on aliexpress.

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JclassOne t1_j8w8ti3 wrote

Works to charge an Apple Watch also without shutting off. Yes xtar is great.

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gods_Lazy_Eye t1_j8we379 wrote

I got mine for a trip to Uganda and the model number has rubbed off, welp!

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