Customer Reviews

Tekkeon TekCharge Mobile Power and Battery Charger

5 star:		(87)
4 star:		(35)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(18)
1 star:		(43)

 

 

Length:: 3:46 Mins

I've been using this for several months, and more than once it has paid for itself. It is small, lightweight, and has done everything I need it to.

I get several full phone recharges out of a set of four AA batteries, as compared to about one 85% charge from the Eveready® Energizer® Energi To Go™ Instant Cell Phone Chargers charger (although I suspect that the energizer was eating my batteries if I left them in there for more than a day.)

This unit does not discharge batteries no longer how long you leave them in there, so pairing it up with low self-discharge batteries is beneficial. You'll forget you have it until you need it!


VIDEO REVIEW TRANSCRIPT:

This is the TekCharge MP1550 mobile power supply and battery charger. This unit allows you to transfer power from standard AA batteries to USB power, and also will allow you to charge rechargeable AA batteries From USB power in an emergency.
This allows you to carry emergency power for cellphones, mp3 players, or anything else which can be charged from a USB port or cable. The maximum output voltage is 5v. You can use either standard alkaline AAs, or use rechargeables to power the unit.
The device is very small and compact, only a little larger than the batteries it contains.

The device comes with a charging cable and several interchangeable tips. The retractable cable on mine arrived frayed to the point where I don't think I could depend on it to work when I need it to. You can see the stray wires poking out from the wire sheath. I could have returned the unit, but I've never had good luck with "one size fits all" cables, and therefore probably wouldn't use it anyway. I bought the cables I need from my favorite auction website. For me, a six inch USB to mini-USB cable will do 85% of what I bought the unit for. A Standard USB A to B cable will do everything else.
The unit outputs power through a standard 5V USB plug. Any device I can think of with a USB charger can be plugged in and receive power through this port. There is an "ON/OFF" switch next to the plug, which controls whether a device is receiving power. There are also several indicator lights on the front of the unit which show how much power is left in the batteries.
The unit will run off of either 2 or 4 AA batteries. I would recommend using four whenever possible, as the lower discharge rate on each battery will mean you get more total power from each cell, as compared to using two at a time. However, it is nice to know that if I need to scavenge two batteries from the charger in an emergency, I will still be able to recharge my phone using the other two cells.
Beside the output USB Jack is a mini-USB Jack labeled "5V in". This is the jack which you can use to charge rechargeable batteries without removing them from the unit. The manual states that the unit will fully charge two batteries in three hours, or four batteries in six hours. It also strongly recommends to recharge batteries only when they are completely empty, so the charging function shouldn't be used to "top off" batteries which are only partially discharged.
I use low-self-discharge batteries, and use a separate Lacrosse BC-900 series charger to keep my batteries well maintained.
The Tekcharge unit does not appear to drain the batteries when it is not in use, which the "energizer" brand AA recharger seemed to do. Also, I get more power out of each cell as a result of the lower discharge rate associated with drawing the power from four cells instead of two. The battery compartment is also much easier to open than the energizer model, which often got stuck or jammed. However, to open the battery compartment you have to push down on the lever next to the USB jack. This is not indicated on the unit, although the manual does clearly state it.
Overall, I am extremely pleased with this unit. It does exactly what it advertised, and feels well built. Again, the cable arrived frayed from the factory, but I would have thrown it away even if it was in good condition. However, for those who prefer playing with interchangeable heads, it would have been an issue. I am pretty confident that it was an isolated problem, and I'll bet customer service would have replaced it had I felt the need to contact them over it.
I keep this unit in my backpack, and it's nice to know that I have two weeks or more of power for my cell phone if I get stuck somewhere without my charger, along with a means of recharging batteries away from home.

I've used other products when trying to extend the life of my iPod touch on long airplane flights, but this one is tops. It's small size and ease of battery replacement is ideal, and it does everything it's supposed to adding considerable life to an iPod Touch, especially when viewing videos, which can drain the iPod Touch within a few hours. No longer is that a problem. I HIGHLY recommend this product.

This is a nice little charger. I love it but only giving it 3 stars. It charges my PPC-6700 VERY slowly and can't charge my HTC Touch Pro at all. It would show the batteries are dead after 5 min of charging and the charger gets super hot. After it cools, you can charge other devices just fine with the current batteries. I've tried it with alkaline, powerex 2700 NiMH batteries, powerex imedions, and eneloops with the same results. It works great with my ipod touch 2g, PSP, cowon D2, and creative Zen. I would recommend this unit for all your MP3 needs but if you plan on trying to extend the life of your smart phone, I'd probably get a Lithium-ion version.

I have been looking for a multipurpose charger to work with the stubborn charging requirements of the iPhone 3G, and I know I have found it. I was avoiding a rechargeable battery pack, just in case that battery went dead, and I didn't like the price associated with them.

This charger uses 4 AA batteries, and can also be used to charge 4 rechargeable AA batteries. You can charger the AA batteries through the provided USB cable, then in turn, use the battery pack to charge your iPhone the other devices compatible with this charger. It serves a useful dual purpose.

Also, this is a true battery charger, not a battery extender. It actually charges the battery so you do not have to keep the charger connected to the device to use it. I would recommend this product to anyone who needs a portable USB charger for their devices.

This Tekkeon 1550 has been working very well for me. There are many detailed in depth reviews of the Tekkeon here on Amazon, so I will instead address some other issues that people seem to have.

The power unit will work as designed and will be reliable if you do not exceed the limitations of the device. Again for emphasis, do not exceed the limitations of the device and it will serve you faithfully!
(There is a Summary at the end for the main highlights)


1) Overloading the Tekkeon
Do not attach a phone or any device that will draw more than 800mAh (.8 Ah)! Yes, this means some of those Android phones with giant screens, Dual Core Tegras, etc. If your phone draws more than 800mAh it will overload the little Tekkeon and burn it out sooner or later! It was not meant to supply power for those super power hungry devices. Know the electrical specs of the device you intend to attach to it!


2) Charging rechargeable batteries in the Tekkeon
Do not attempt to recharge partially charged batteries! It very briefly touches on this in the manual and yes, they should have addressed it more. With regards to charging batteries, it appears that the Tekkeon is a simple timer charger that sends a given amount of current for a fixed amount of time and then shuts off.
If you try to recharge partially charged batteries, the batteries will get full too quickly before the Tekkeon turns off. The batteries then shed this excess energy through heat. Solution: only charge empty or near empty batteries. You should be using a smart charger (like the La Crosse BC9009 or Maha MC9000) to recharge partially charged batteries.
To be safe, I rarely use the Tekkeon to charge and instead use a smart charger. It really is better for the batteries and for the Tekkeon this way as it was primarily designed to provide power, but in a pinch can be used to recharge. If you find yourself with empty batteries and need to charge them, go ahead and let the Tekkeon charge them. It can and will safely do this. But don't use it as your main battery charger.
Lastly, if you are in a bind and need to use the Tekkeon as a charger, let it fully charge them without disconnecting it. If you do have to unplug it before the cycle finishes, do not immediately replug it back in to charge more. When you unplug it, this will reset the timer and the result will be too much charge at the end of the charge cycle as explained above.
Restated again, if you do disconnect it before the charge cycle finishes, do not try to charge them again in the Tekkeon until the batteries have been run down. Or take them out and use a smart charger to finish them off.


3) Tekkeon does not charge my smartphone/device fast enough
Modern smartphones need the data pins (D+ and D-) on the USB cable to be shorted. This lets the smartphone know that it is connected to a USB power that can supply more than 500mAh.
In the android world, most phones can sense three conditions:
a) No cable attached
b) USB power attached -- phone will draw max 500mAh
c) AC power attached -- phone will know it can draw over 500mAh
I suspect this is related to the slow charging issue. In the Fall of 2009, all of the major cell manufacturers and governing bodies agreed to standardize on the MicroUSB plug to charge cell phones. The standard also specified the shorting of the USB data pins to let devices know they are attached to a high power USB port.
My android phone detects the Tekkeon as USB power, so it draws only 500mAh from it. I am perfectly fine with it charging at 500mAh instead of 700-800. It takes a little longer, but it still charges.
For the Tekkeon to supply more current to your device, the idea is to 'trick' your phone into thinking it is connected to AC power when it is really connected to the Tekkeon. This is can be done with a `Charge Only' type cable (where the D+ and D- pins are shorted together). But do not exceed 800mAh as discussed above!! You would need to also check how you phone senses how different chargers are attached.


4) The attached device discharges into the Tekkeon
(i.e. the Tekkeon discharges my phone after it finishes charging my phone).
I suspect this happens when the batteries in the Tekkeon are near empty and it just finishes charging up the device. Best I can offer is, try to always unplug the Tekkeon from the device when finished charging OR when all three power level LEDs on the Tekkeon turn off. If there is not much power left in the Tekkeon, it will only partially charge your device and the Tekkeon LEDs will all turn off..Unplug it! Perhaps there is no one way flow regulator built in (any EE people care to chime in?). This is probably due to the fact that the Tekkeon also has to be able to charge batteries, so power flows both ways.


Summary:
1) Don't overload your little Tekkeon, 800mAh or less!
2) Don't use it for recharging batteries (use only in emergencies and with fully depleted batteries). Use a separate smart charger!
3) Be patient when it is charging or use a cable with the USB Data lines shorted, but pay attention to #1 above!
4) Unplug your device from the Tekkeon when it's finished.


P.S. I use Eneloops in the Tekkeon and they work well together.

When this worked (for two months), it worked fine. I got three charges for my iPod Touch before the Tekkeon's batteries had to be re-charged. But after about two months, nothing. Couldn't charge the batteries. New batteries didn't work. None of the lights lit. Paid the postage to return it once and got a brand new replacement. Two months later, it failed. Now, it's not even heavy enough to be a paperweight.

I bought this instead of a more expensive LiIon energizer backup system. It worked great for the plane ride out, but when I plugged it into the wall to charge the batteries, it started blinking. It now won't charge or discharge. Changing the batteries doesn't help. It's now junk.

This charger is awesome and works great with the Archos 605 wifi and all my chargeable cell phones, pdas and ipods!!!
I bought this because of the high ratings it was given on the Archos Forum!!! Believe me, they were right!!! Works like a champ and takes AA batteries to boot!!

I researched and decided to buy this product as it seemed like a great idea and had many favorable reviews. However, i tried using it with my HTC Hero with bad results. I only used the charger once before it basically melted. For reference, I used Sanyo Eneloop batteries in the charger and I used the retractable cable provided with the mini usb adapter. The charger did recharge my batteries, but it got so hot when charging my phone that the outer case warped from overheating. I thought maybe I received a defective device so I paid to have the unit returned to Tekkeon and they exchanged the first one without any problem. The second charger I received yielded the same results. When I used the provided retractable cable, the unit got very hot. I pulled the cord out before it melted and decided to try the cable that originally came with my phone. This seemed to solve the problem and I thought I had figured it out, but no such luck. After draining and recharging the eneloops a couple more times, it stopped working.

I called Tekkeon to tell them what was happening and the customer service rep asked what amperage my phone required. I told him I wasn't sure but I would check after I got off the phone with him. I then told him how I had read all of the provided paperwork BEFORE I even attempted using the product and saw no reference to amperage requirements nor any mention of incompatibility with HTC or any other device. The directions only referenced voltage, which the 5 volt output was compatible with my phone. He proceeded to tell me I probably didn't understand the concept of amperage draw. The funny thing is, I am a master electrician with more than a firm grasp on the concepts of amperage and voltage. I wasn't sure why he tried to make me feel like I did something wrong by charging a cell phone with a battery powered cell phone charger. I completely understand if this product wasn't designed to charge a specific type of phone with specific amperage requirements, but why didn't they mention that in their paperwork?

Anyway to make a long story short(er), I asked for a refund. He told me Tekkeon couldn't refund my purchase unless I ordered directly from them. So I had to call the middle man company (Adorama Camera) who I ordered the product from off amazon. They told me the refund wasn't their problem either, but to go ahead and send it to their return department. So after I got their return address and paid for shipping once again, Amazon finally refunded my money. So after shelling out nearly as much in shipping fees as I had originally paid for the product, I figured the least I could do was warn people of the BAD experience I had with Tekkeon and the TekCharge charger.

I neglected to check the current requirements of my HTC EVO 4G before buying this device. I wondered why the MP1550 got very warm & emitted a burning smell after being connected to the EVO so I e-mailed Tekkeon support. They said the EVO takes one amp! They said continued use could damage the MP1550 and my batteries. So I got the Seideo 3500 mAh battery available from Amazon. This gets me through the day without the need to recharge.