- Provide emergency power and charge hundreds of portable devices
- Visual indicators identify power capacity level and status
- Small and lightweight so it's comfortable to carry
- Simultaneously charge TekCharge and connected device
- Includes voltage regulator so it won't harm your device or its battery
Product Features |
Product Information
Technical Details
| Brand Name | Tekkeon |
| Item Weight | 4.5 ounces |
| Product Dimensions | 3.3 x 2.1 x 1.1 inches |
| Item model number | MP1800 |
| Number of Items | 1 |
Technical Specification
- User Manual [861kb PDF]
Additional Information
| ASIN | B0017KH6OU |
| Shipping Weight | 1 pounds |
| Shipping | This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S. |
| Date First Available | June 17, 2003 |
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Product Description
Amazon.com
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 Device | Power 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 |
| iPhone | 40 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
Product Description
TekCharger MP1800 is reusable emergency power source to charge and power many portable devices. Tekcharge MP1800 rechargeable lithium ion battery, you can enjoy hours of extended play time on your mobile phones, smart phones, PDAs, digital cameras, iPhone, iPod and MP3 players, protable CD players, Bluetooth headsets, and other small portable electronic products. As an added bonus, TekCharge MP1800 includes a flashligh so you have emergency light at your fingertips. This devices inlcudes voltage regulator so it won't harm your device or itsbattery. Please visit www.tekkeon.com for more information and support.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
85 of 86 people found the following review helpful
Amazon Verified Purchase
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.
Update September 11, 2011: Due to Hurricane Irene, the area in which we live was flooded and my wife and I were trapped in the house for 24 hours until the flood waters receded. We lost all power, and to my dismay the corded land line phone had gone dead. That left me with only my BlackBerry to communicate with friends and family.
Power was not restored until four days later, but in the interim I had to return home during the day to supervise flood restoration crews and other persons. Each night I charged the Tekkeon at our friends' house, and brought it with me to my home during the day so I could keep my BlackBerry charged to make and receive calls and email. It worked like a champ.
Bottom line: In emergency conditions, this unit proved critical and performed flawlessly.
Update July 24, 2012: The unit recently "died." When I plug it in to charge, the green light goes on and the flashlight works, but the second I disconnect it from the USB charging source, the green light goes off and nothing works. Customer service said it could be a defective switch, but I am well beyond the one year warranty period. However, I may continue to bring this as a nightlight when I travel since the flashlight will work so long as the unit is connected to a power source.
Update August 7, 2012: I now use the Powergen mobile juice pack 5200, which I have reviewed on Amazon, and like it even better than this unit.
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.
Update September 11, 2011: Due to Hurricane Irene, the area in which we live was flooded and my wife and I were trapped in the house for 24 hours until the flood waters receded. We lost all power, and to my dismay the corded land line phone had gone dead. That left me with only my BlackBerry to communicate with friends and family.
Power was not restored until four days later, but in the interim I had to return home during the day to supervise flood restoration crews and other persons. Each night I charged the Tekkeon at our friends' house, and brought it with me to my home during the day so I could keep my BlackBerry charged to make and receive calls and email. It worked like a champ.
Bottom line: In emergency conditions, this unit proved critical and performed flawlessly.
Update July 24, 2012: The unit recently "died." When I plug it in to charge, the green light goes on and the flashlight works, but the second I disconnect it from the USB charging source, the green light goes off and nothing works. Customer service said it could be a defective switch, but I am well beyond the one year warranty period. However, I may continue to bring this as a nightlight when I travel since the flashlight will work so long as the unit is connected to a power source.
Update August 7, 2012: I now use the Powergen mobile juice pack 5200, which I have reviewed on Amazon, and like it even better than this unit.
29 of 29 people found the following review helpful
Amazon Verified Purchase
Like many people, I live in constant fear of running out of power for my portable devices. Well, okay, maybe fear is too strong a term, but particularly when I travel in this era of hours long airline delays, I am concerned about my must-have devices, like my cell phone and media player, running out of juice.
Yes, you can buy extra batteries (and even with the Tekkeon MP1800, that may not be a bad idea), but the Tekkeon MP1800 gives you lots of back-up power in a very small, lightweight package.
Tekkeon says the unit will give you 12 hours of talk time on a smart phone, 6 hours on a portable media player and so on. I wouldn't trust the projections all that much, but based on the specifications and my limited experience so far, I'd say it is totally reasonable to presume you'll get 4 - 6 hours or more time out of any small device.
The Tekkeon MP1800 can either be a source of direct power to the device or act as a recharger for the device battery. The unit measures 3.3" x 2.1" x 1.1" and weighs 4.5 ounces. It is delivered with eight adapter tips for Blackberry, iPhone/iPod, LG, Motorola, Nokia, Samsung and Sony Ericsson. With the increasing shift to the miniUSB port, however, I find that is all I need. The unit also has a flashlight, though it is relatively low-powered and cannot be used while the unit is powering another device. A lanyard is also provided.
The MP1800 has a 4,000 mAh capacity. I recharged a cell phone battery using it in about two hours, bringing it from about a 20% charge to full. According to the simple diode system on the MP1800, I still had more than 70% of the internal battery's charge remaining, more than enough to recharge the phone again or another device.
The unit has a voltage regulator to protect the devices you attach it to, a nice protective touch.
The unit is supplied with a retractable USB cord which is used both for charging from your computer and for attaching to whatever device you are going to power. Tekkeon says it takes about 8 hours to recharge the MP1800. Since it takes a standard 5v input, I strong suggest you get both car lighter and wall AC USB power adapters. Tekkeon doesn't say anything about this, but I suspect these items would provide speedier charging.
Tekkeon, by the way, has excellent customer support. I wrote them about a very small issue I had with another of their products and they responded quickly and very helpfully.
At its modest price, the Tekkeon provides a nicely designed portable power package. Small and light, you can drop it in your bag and not notice it - until youneed it, at which time you will be thankful for it. There are few things as excruciating being stuck, for example, at an airport with a dead cell phone.
Jerry
Yes, you can buy extra batteries (and even with the Tekkeon MP1800, that may not be a bad idea), but the Tekkeon MP1800 gives you lots of back-up power in a very small, lightweight package.
Tekkeon says the unit will give you 12 hours of talk time on a smart phone, 6 hours on a portable media player and so on. I wouldn't trust the projections all that much, but based on the specifications and my limited experience so far, I'd say it is totally reasonable to presume you'll get 4 - 6 hours or more time out of any small device.
The Tekkeon MP1800 can either be a source of direct power to the device or act as a recharger for the device battery. The unit measures 3.3" x 2.1" x 1.1" and weighs 4.5 ounces. It is delivered with eight adapter tips for Blackberry, iPhone/iPod, LG, Motorola, Nokia, Samsung and Sony Ericsson. With the increasing shift to the miniUSB port, however, I find that is all I need. The unit also has a flashlight, though it is relatively low-powered and cannot be used while the unit is powering another device. A lanyard is also provided.
The MP1800 has a 4,000 mAh capacity. I recharged a cell phone battery using it in about two hours, bringing it from about a 20% charge to full. According to the simple diode system on the MP1800, I still had more than 70% of the internal battery's charge remaining, more than enough to recharge the phone again or another device.
The unit has a voltage regulator to protect the devices you attach it to, a nice protective touch.
The unit is supplied with a retractable USB cord which is used both for charging from your computer and for attaching to whatever device you are going to power. Tekkeon says it takes about 8 hours to recharge the MP1800. Since it takes a standard 5v input, I strong suggest you get both car lighter and wall AC USB power adapters. Tekkeon doesn't say anything about this, but I suspect these items would provide speedier charging.
Tekkeon, by the way, has excellent customer support. I wrote them about a very small issue I had with another of their products and they responded quickly and very helpfully.
At its modest price, the Tekkeon provides a nicely designed portable power package. Small and light, you can drop it in your bag and not notice it - until youneed it, at which time you will be thankful for it. There are few things as excruciating being stuck, for example, at an airport with a dead cell phone.
Jerry
20 of 20 people found the following review helpful
By Paul Hung
Amazon Verified Purchase
I previously had a Mophie Juice Pack Air. The problem with that was:
1) Didn't play well with an iPhone with invisible skin
2) Crappy mAh capacity
I looked for an alternative and narrowed my search down to this Tekkeon and the Kensington external battery pack.
The size of the Tekkeon isn't too bulky or heavy, nor does it make my pockets bulge out. I actually performed a mini-test to see how well it would charge the 3GS.
Here's my test:
1) Test to see if there is any juice left in the Tekkeon: Nope
2) Fully charge the Tekkeon from a red to green light.
3) Unplug the Tekkeon for a few hours to stimulate real-time usage
4) I started at 75% and ended at 100%. Net: +25%
Conditions: phone on, wifi on, brightness 33%
beejive running in background, email fetch set to 15 mins
read & answered emails, chatted on beejive
Started at 61%, ended at 100%. Net: +39%
phone on, wifi on, brightness 33%
beejive running in background, email fetch set to 15 mins
read emails, text msg, chatted on beejive
Started at 65%, ended at 100%. Net: +35%
phone on, wifi on, brightness 33%
beejive running in background, email fetch set to 15 mins
chatted on beejive, read and sent emails, test msg
Started at 55%, ended at 100%. Net: +45%
phone on, wifi on, brightness 33%
beejive running in background, email fetch set to 15 mins
heavy chatting on beejive, heavy safari browsing, reading email, moderate text messaging
Started at 53%, ended at 84%. Net: +31%
phone on, wifi on, brightness 33%
beejive running in background, email fetch set to 15 mins
text message, beejive chatting
*Note: Several hours passed between each charge to stimulate real-time usage.
Conclusion:
For a total net of +175% while the 3GS was under moderate to heavy usage, the Tekkeon is AWESOME! The Tekkeon is rated at 4400 mAh compared to 1200 mAh in the Mophie Juice Pack Air. The only issue I have, which is not about the product, is the 30-pin to USB cable being so long. There are short ones (8-10mm in length) but at a hefty price of about $15.
1) Didn't play well with an iPhone with invisible skin
2) Crappy mAh capacity
I looked for an alternative and narrowed my search down to this Tekkeon and the Kensington external battery pack.
The size of the Tekkeon isn't too bulky or heavy, nor does it make my pockets bulge out. I actually performed a mini-test to see how well it would charge the 3GS.
Here's my test:
1) Test to see if there is any juice left in the Tekkeon: Nope
2) Fully charge the Tekkeon from a red to green light.
3) Unplug the Tekkeon for a few hours to stimulate real-time usage
4) I started at 75% and ended at 100%. Net: +25%
Conditions: phone on, wifi on, brightness 33%
beejive running in background, email fetch set to 15 mins
read & answered emails, chatted on beejive
Started at 61%, ended at 100%. Net: +39%
phone on, wifi on, brightness 33%
beejive running in background, email fetch set to 15 mins
read emails, text msg, chatted on beejive
Started at 65%, ended at 100%. Net: +35%
phone on, wifi on, brightness 33%
beejive running in background, email fetch set to 15 mins
chatted on beejive, read and sent emails, test msg
Started at 55%, ended at 100%. Net: +45%
phone on, wifi on, brightness 33%
beejive running in background, email fetch set to 15 mins
heavy chatting on beejive, heavy safari browsing, reading email, moderate text messaging
Started at 53%, ended at 84%. Net: +31%
phone on, wifi on, brightness 33%
beejive running in background, email fetch set to 15 mins
text message, beejive chatting
*Note: Several hours passed between each charge to stimulate real-time usage.
Conclusion:
For a total net of +175% while the 3GS was under moderate to heavy usage, the Tekkeon is AWESOME! The Tekkeon is rated at 4400 mAh compared to 1200 mAh in the Mophie Juice Pack Air. The only issue I have, which is not about the product, is the 30-pin to USB cable being so long. There are short ones (8-10mm in length) but at a hefty price of about $15.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Still have it
It has been forever since I ordered this and it still works well. I use it for a lot of different electronics and it never fails.
Published 9 days ago by Kelly A Kolp
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great little simple device
I like how straight-forward and simplistic this device is. It has a physical switch to charge things, be off, or charge and turn on a light. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Justin Bongard
4.0 out of 5 stars
Keep On Charging
I have used this for a couple of years as a backup power source to my phones. It holds a charge for a long time, and will recharge my phone a couple of times. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Amazon Stockholder
5.0 out of 5 stars
Nice charger
This device is awesome. keep it in my book bag and charges my iphone up to 3 times in a single charge. the LED light in the front has been very handy for book bag item search.
Published 18 months ago by Devilyloco
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great
I'm not a tekky, so there might be better things out there. But, for what I use this for (external battery for my video camera), this thing works great. Read more
Published on May 12, 2011 by Steve J
5.0 out of 5 stars
Does what it's suppose to.
I was heading out on a trip and I wanted to be sure I would have reserve power for my phone and this device did an excellent job. Read more
Published on February 12, 2011 by G. Wade
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great product
Love this thing. Can charge cell, wife's cell, GPS, tablet computer, and Sony ereader. Dont have to carry chargers for each just this. Read more
Published on January 8, 2011 by MC
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good charger but with a few drawbacks
A large battery with a handy flashlight as a bonus. It's 1800mah battery holhds more juice than most devices out there, will give you a full charge and have some to spare. Read more
Published on January 7, 2011 by BMT
5.0 out of 5 stars
Reliable & portable, but sometimes awkward
IMPORTANT NOTE: Although there is a picture of an AC outlet attachment in one of the pictures, it is NOT included in the package. Read more
Published on January 6, 2011 by Hawaii Review
5.0 out of 5 stars
first-rate
The devise is outstanding and very flexible for many devises including Apple products, Nokia, Sony Ericson. Read more
Published on December 21, 2010 by Mohammed
