Aggravation regarding portable device batteries

[thewayne]

I have this really nifty Energizer battery, has a digital display that you press a button on the side and it tells you how charged it is. Two USB-A ports on top, one of those trapezoidal presumably USB-C ports on top, and a proper round USB-C port on the side.

I'm in Bethesda, Maryland right now at National Instututes of Health, and yesterday my iPad was a touch low, around 40%, at lunch, and I had another 4+ hours in the afternoon of appointments and reading while I was idle. So I plug in a C to C cable into the side port to charge my iPad.

And it drained the iPad trying to charge the battery!

Fortunately I noticed the alert on the iPad when it hit 10% and warned that power levels were low. Unfortunately I left my laptop at the hotel to save weight being schlepped around for 9 or 10 hours at the clinic. I made it through the day okay.

Tonight, in an attempt to determine if I just don't know how to use the battery or if it's mis-wired. I plugged in an A->C cable and plugged it into my iPhone 16. THAT seems to work properly! The battery is down 10% and the phone is up about 3%. A bit disproportionate, I admit.

So I finally looked up the web page for it. Heaven forbid it's on the energizer.com web site! I had to search for the model number, 'energizer ue10068'. And there it confirms the two USB-A ports on top are the output ports, the other two are the charging ports.

I would say that maybe someday I'll start reading manuals, but we know that ain't gonna happen. :-) At least I now definitely know what sort of cable I need to carry in my backpack if I expect to use my portable battery.

Comments

[disneydream06]

UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank goodness you were able to find that information out. :o
Hugs, Jon

[armiphlage]

That seems like information that should be marked right on the device!

[thewayne]

It may well be, but after having had cataract surgery, my close vision is absolute crap.

[ranunculus]

There should be a law stating that ports have to be identified in such a manner that eyes like ours can SEE it. IE NOT in small, medium grey lettering on dark grey case!!!

[thewayne]

'But that would ruin our packaging esthetic!'

[silveradept]

Oh, goodness. Good that you caught it in time, but those are things that really should be properly identified.

[kaishin108]

That was a relieve to hear you figured it out just in time, wow.

[thewayne]

And now I know! 

[murakozi]

I've noticed that all but two of the battery packs I have use micro USB for for input and USB A and/or C for output. Until now, I wondered why they were built that way. I guess the idea is to keep one from accidentally connecting a device to the wrong port. That makes sense, assuming folks know that's how they work.

The bigger Anker ones I have use a C port for recharging, though they're somehow smart enough to work both ways.

[thewayne]

I don't often use these things, but since I was flying, I wasn't entirely sure how long my iPad would last - and it did endure the flight.  But at least now I know the proper way to use the battery.