Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Sometimes when you travel there is no USB port on a laptop or AC outlet on a wall that is available to power your electronic devices when their battery charges start running low. This product is perfect for those situations. It is nice and compact, and comes with multiple adaptors to power and/or recharge a wide variety of electronic products. The included adaptors provide a backup for my iPod Touch 2G, iPod Nano 2G, Samsung cell phone, bluetooth headset, Garmin Forerunner 305, and Garmin Nuvi 660.
Additional adaptors for other gadgets(such as for the Amazon Kindle) are available at a modest price.
Here are a few comments to keep in mind:
1. You can charge only one item at a time. Therefore when you reach your destination and have access to an AC outlet, if you wish to charge multiple items simultaneously, this is not the item to do that (I recommend the Callpod, which I have reviewed on Amazon). [But see my April 24, 2010 update below. I figured out a way to do it and no longer use the Callpod.]
2. If you have a USB AC adaptor that you use for your iPod Touch or Nano, it will work fine to charge this unit. There is no need to buy a separate adaptor.
3. Once the unit is fully charged, you can just leave it plugged in to the charging source (I checked with Tekkeon tech support, which is very helpful and responds quickly). That way you can be sure that the unit will always have a full charge when you need it.
4. This unit will not power a laptop or comparable electronic product. But Tekkeon does sell more powerful (and more expensive) units that will do so.
5. I chose this unit rather than the less expensive MP 1550, which runs on AA or rechargeable batteries, because in my experience I have found that a power source with its own internal battery lasts longer than one relying on batteries. Of course, the flip side is that once this unit runs out of power, you can't just pop some fresh batteries in. However, that is not an issue for me, though something that you may want to consider.
This product looks nice, is simple to operate, and does what it says. I am very happy with it.
Update August 22, 2009: I like this so much that I use it at home on a daily basis. The unit has two USB ports--a mini and a regular. Using the included retractable cable, I plug one end into the mini on the unit and the other end (which has a regular USB) into an Apple travel charger that is plugged into the wall. That way this unit is always at full charge if I take it on a trip. I use the free regular USB port on the unit to charge a variety of devices (though one at a time) that come with a USB cable, such as my BlackBerry and iPod Touch [But see April 24 update below re how to charge more than one at a time]. It is more convenient for me to charge them on this unit than to plug them into my laptop (which I do only when I need to sync data).
I have also found the built in flashlight on this unit a nice feature to have when rummaging through my bags looking for some gizmo that I can't find.
Update November 24, 2009: I recently stayed in a very nice hotel where the bedroom was really dark at night, but there was no nightlight in the bathroom. Solution: I just turned the flashlight on this unit on all night (8 hours)in the bathroom. Not only did the light last through the night, but it took only a relatively short time (less than 20 minutes) to restore the unit to a full charge.
Update April 16, 2010: Customer service for this company is first rate. On a recent trip I realized that I did not have a micro USB tip that would fit my BlackBerry Tour and Kindle 2. I emailed customer service after I returned home, and was advised that this tip was supposed to be included with the product. But since I bought my unit over a year ago, it was not included then. When I explained the situation to Jerry at customer service, he mailed me the tip at no cost within 24 hours. It's always nice to know that a quality product comes with quality customer service.
Update April 24, 2010: If you would like to use this product to simultaneously power more than one USB device at a time, there is an easy way to do it. I use the Belkin mini USB 2.0 hub (which I have reviewed on Amazon) and plug it into this unit, and now have four USB ports for my gadgets. The more gadgets you plug in, the faster you will drain the unit. But it is handy, for example, on a longer plane ride or at the beach for my wife and me to each plug our Slacker G2 players into the hub, which is in turn connected to the MP 1800, in order to extend the playing time. I also use the same technique for my Kindle 2, BlackBerry Tour, iPod Touch, and Garmin Forerunner 405CX.
Also, when you arrive at your destination, just connect this unit to an AC adaptor as I described in an earlier comment above, connect the hub to this unit, and now with AC power you can simultaneously not only recharge this unit, but also recharge up to four USB devices--all without a computer or bringing along the separate USB adaptors for each device (though being a "belts & suspenders" kind of guy, I still bring them along just in case for some reason the hub should fail since "Murphy's law"--if something can go wrong, it will go wrong--has kicked in on more than one vacation). Note: What I have described only works with the type of relatively low power draw USB devices that I have mentioned above. Also if you are drawing too much power for all the devices connected, the light will flash on the Belkin mini hub and/or on the Tekkeon MP1800. If that happens, just disconnect one or more devices until the flashing stops.
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Product Description:
TekCharge MP1800 is a reusable emergency power source to charge and power many popular portable devices--anywhere, anytime--making it a versatile solution for the power needs of most of your mobile products, on the road, and at home. Often, portable devices are in need of recharging after a few hours of use. By taking advantage of the TekCharge MP1800 rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery, you can enjoy hours of extended play time on your mobile phones, smart phones, PDAs, iPhone, iPods and MP3 players, portable CD players, Bluetooth headsets, and other small portable electronic products. As an added bonus, TekCharge MP1800 includes a flashlight so you have emergency light at your fingertips.
TekCharge connects to your device in two ways: One, you can use an adapter to connect to your device; or two, you can use your USB device cable, bypassing the need for an extra adapter. And this small mobile charger includes a voltage regulator so it won't harm your device or its battery.
TekCharge comes with a handy tote, plus seven adapter tips for connection to:
Blackberry (mini USB)
LG mobile phones
Motorola mobile phones (mini USB and Micro USB)
Nokia mobile phones
Samsung mobile phones
Sony Ericsson mobile phones
iPod/iPhone/Zune (using your own iPod USB cable)
Add-on adapters are available for Bluetooth headsets, other mobile phones, MP3 players, PDAs, portable games, and portable media players.
Approximate Charge for Common Devices
Portable DevicePower on the Go Mobile phones 17 hours of talk time Smart phones 12 hours of talk time PDAs 6 hrs Portable media players 8 hours of playback Bluetooth headsets 70 hours of talk time MP3 players 40 hours of audio playback iPhone40 hours of audio playback,
12 hours of video playback iPod touch 46 hours of audio playback,
11 hours of video playback iPod classic 165 hours of audio playback,
28 hours of video playback Zune 175 hours of audio playback,
23 hours of video playback
*Hours shown are approximate and will vary depending on connected device.
What's in the Box
TekCharge MP1800, Retractable input/output cable, Universal adapter kit (8 tips), User guide
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