Power banks for Dummies

[ForgeCorvus]

This is me asking not teaching.

A question from Herself "What do I get if I want to run a hairdryer with no hook-up"
So, what should I recommend buying as an off-grid power setup for short term use, this would be weekends on campsites with no hook-up or camping on sites that aren't regular campsites or for day(s) long power cuts....... Assume that we are able to charge from mains or running a car because I've not got to the solar generation level yet.

I open the floor

[Winterprep]

First is to look at what wattage your item you want to use is and for how long then you can decide on what battery capacity you need.Charging these power banks from cars can take over 12 hrs from flat unless you buy one of their own dedicated Alternator charging kits.

So you can choose from EcoFlow,Bluetti or Jackery.There are other cheaper options available for you to research.I like the EcoFlow Delta range.

WP.

[Yorkshire Andy]

Is this solely to dry her hair? One shower / drying session and phone charging ?

On low power (trips on full) it'll get 35 mins run time

Added bonus from nearly flat it'll recharge in about 2hrs from the car cig lighter (average holiday running about visiting places)

[GillyBee]

Hair driers tend to be high power. So you would need to be able to provide a couple of KW for the ten minutes or so needed which means a big and expensive gadget.
My cheapskate hair drying solution when camping is one of these for 20 mins:https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08 ... UTF8&psc=1
Then staying somewhere warm ( sitting in the car) to complete drying off which is much quicker than with a standard towel.

[Yorkshire Andy]

Diesel heater and a longer hose?

[Peter]

Totally different subject but....this Dummy wants to know.....should a Goodmans 10,000mAh power bank
get HOT while charging an iPad ? if anyone will you let me know please.

[Yorkshire Andy]

Totally different subject but....this Dummy wants to know.....should a Goodmans 10,000mAh power bank
get HOT while charging an iPad ? if anyone will you let me know please.

Id say no...

[Winterprep]

Totally different subject but....this Dummy wants to know.....should a Goodmans 10,000mAh power bank
get HOT while charging an iPad ? if anyone will you let me know please.

It shouldn’t get “HOT” but depending on the size of the iPad and how flat it is a 10000mha powerbank will be working hard to recharge it.Also consider what surface it’s on and if you can site it so it has good airflow and not somewhere that’s warm already or in direct sunlight.

WP

[korolev]

Totally different subject but....this Dummy wants to know.....should a Goodmans 10,000mAh power bank
get HOT while charging an iPad ? if anyone will you let me know please.

Is it hot all over or just round the port ? They have a step-up converter to raise the voltage from 4(ish) to 5(ish) volts and they can get a bit warm if the ipad is drawing 2+ amps. Batteries can also warm up if they're discharging quickly.
Try a different cable and power bank to rule things out.

[PPrep]

Although I use 180PW solar panels charging about 150Ah batteries, I don't attempt to run high wattage appliances such as hair dryers, even if they're only on for a few minutes. In an emergency, hair - drying is really a low priority. I also don't plan to attempt to run refrigeration (unless it's a 12V cool box in hot, sunny weather). Lower power equipment, such as lighting, CB radio, Software Defined Receiver, music, etc, are what I would use battery power for if there's a long power cut. Also for charging 5V power banks, PMR radios, tablets, phone, portable digital short wave receiver,etc. For me, the idea is not "business as usual" when the power goes down, but to be able to use essential electrical devices for a longish period, maybe a couple of weeks or possibly several weeks.

5V power banks are very useful, convenient and highly portable, and these days can be used to charge a wide variety of small devices. I only buy larger ones of 20,000mAh or more.

A good power bank should not overheat when charging; I think most have a built - in current limiter in order to protect themselves.