Power banks can have different capacitance values, but even powerful devices must be properly charged to ensure the most efficient operation of such products. Depending on the model, the connection to the electricity source may vary significantly.
The duration of the recovery of the portable battery will also depend on the charging method. In this article, the most optimal options for connecting a power bank to various electric energy converters will be considered.
Content
Rules for charging an external battery
Violation of any rules is undesirable, and when it comes to electrical appliances, following certain instructions will avoid significant material losses and even harm to human health and life.
The type and type of adapter used will directly determine the time and efficiency of charging, as well as the amount of energy loss due to heating of the conductor and the backup battery.
How to charge a power bank for the first time
To ensure long-term storage, external batteries are sold with a small amount of accumulated electricity. For this reason, it will not be possible to use the product for its intended purpose immediately after purchase. It is recommended to install the device on charging immediately after purchase.
If the device has been at a negative temperature for a long time, then it should be kept at room conditions for several hours. It is also not recommended to use fast charging for the first time, even if the device supports such a function of restoration of performance.
The value of the capacity when charging the bank for the first time does not matter. Even if this parameter is at zero, then even in this case, you can restore the product to working by connecting a suitable type of charge to it.
Lithium batteries are practically devoid of memory effect, therefore, both during the first charge and during subsequent use, this characteristic will not matter much.
One should only take into account the fact that elements of this type have a limited number of charge-discharge cycles, and after each full charge this value will inexorably decrease.
Normal Charging Methods
Special controllers are installed in the banks, which do not allow excessive charge of batteries and full discharges. For this reason, the electricity supply automatically turns off when certain capacitance recovery values are reached.
A mobile device connected to the backup battery also stops charging when the charge level is at the minimum level.
The presence of such a function allows not only saving the energy of the bank, but also significantly extending the battery life. This ensures the safety of using a mobile backup energy device.
To maximize the "life" of a portable battery, it is not recommended to discharge it to a value below 20% of the nominal capacity and exceed 90% when charging.
If the device is not equipped with a display where this value is accurately shown, the indicator is almost always on the power bank case. If the light blinks in just one division, it is recommended to stop charging the phone or other device to extend the life of the device.
What is better to charge
As a rule, a charger with a power bank is not supplied, so you have to deal with the selection of the most suitable device to restore the working capacity of the portable battery yourself. For this purpose, almost any adapter for a smartphone or other gadget equipped with a micro-usb plug is suitable.
In the box with the new power bank you can find the adapter from USB to micro-usb. Using such a connecting cable, you can connect to the appropriate port on a desktop computer or laptop and completely do without a charger. You can use the universal universal adapter with a USB connector, as well as a device that runs on a car cigarette lighter.
When charging from a computer or tablet, you should be prepared for the fact that it will take much longer to restore the charge than when using network adapters.
How much should the external battery charge
The slowest option for charging a power bank, as mentioned above, is to use computer ports and other digital equipment as a current source. Depending on the capacity of the product, which is measured in mAh, the device can be charged from 3 to 4 hours to a day or more.
Charging the bank this way will be a long time, but it is not harmful, due to the small value of the current strength. The fastest way to restore energy is to use fast charging.
Using this method, it is possible to restore battery performance in 1 - 1.5 hours. The most important condition for fast charging is the availability of support for this method by the bank. It is also necessary to use a special charger.
The average time spent is the method of using conventional network adapters. Recovery in this way does not occur slowly or quickly, but the device does not heat up or wear out, as when using fast charging.
How to understand that Power Bank is charging
Many banks are equipped with LED indicators, which make it easy to determine the charge of a portable battery. As a rule, when the recovery reaches 100 percent, all miniature bulbs will light at the same time. Devices equipped with a digital display can show the exact battery charge level.
If you use a home-made power bank or in the case when the factory device is not equipped with display elements, the charge of the portable battery can be determined by the moment the electricity consumption ceases.
For this purpose, you can use a charger equipped with a red indicator that turns off when there is no power consumption. You can also use the usb tester. In the latter case, you can not only determine exactly when the bank will recover completely, but also find out the amperes and voltage when charging an external battery.
Is it possible to charge a power bank and a phone at the same time
The ability to charge the phone with a bank while connecting to the network adapter should be checked with the seller of the portable battery. Many models support this function, that is, during the connection of the memory to the power bank, the phone will also be charged, but the effectiveness of using this method of capacity recovery remains a big question.
Even if the battery has a small capacity value (measured in mAh), the starting value of electricity sent through the device will still be less than when directly connecting the phone to the adapter. In this case, the charge recovery time of both the mobile device and the portable battery will be significantly increased.
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