Hardware Review: Tekkeon TekCharge MP1550 (Page 1 of 1)
Written by
Steve Lake
Posted on: Aug 18, 2008 at 01:34pm
Section:
Hardware
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It's a certified fact that the number of portable Linux powered devices has grown over
the past several years to be quite a commanding force within the tech market. But
there's one thing about those tech devices that few people pay attention too. They
all require batteries, or they need to be charged. Mostly the latter. It's
certainly true that battery life on mobile devices is improving, with some gaining as much
as 35hrs or more of runtime on a single charge. But ultimately you will at some
point find yourself out on the go, camping, or away from your home and in need of charging
your mobile device. This is where the Tekkeon TekCharge MP1550 comes in.
Sure, it's not a Linux powered device itself, but it does *support* mobile devices
powered by Linux. So it's a device worth looking into in my humble opinion.
When you unbox the unit for the first time, you'll find that it's not very big.
Probably not much bigger than your average MP3 player or PMP. The unit comes with
six adapters and a retractable USB cable that can act as a seventh adapter, depending on
the device.
Included in the box is a warrenty postcard (to activate your 1 year limited warrenty),
an adapter tip toat bag (to carry your adapters with you), an informational booklet, seven
adapters, and the MP1550. My first impression with the MP1550 was that it felt a
little light and flimsy, but certainly not cheap. Interestingly enough though, once
you load your batteries into it, you no longer get that feeling as the unit takes on a bit
of weight and starts feeling much sturdier and more rugged. It's likely because the
batteries add a little extra reinforcing to the device once they're inserted. And
even without the batteries, the device is rugged, despite how it feels.
The device itself is rather unique in the fact that it not only has the ability to
charge other objects, but if you put a set of rechargable batteries in it, the unit
doubles as a charger. There are two outputs on it that make this possible. The
standard 5v usb connection is for outgoing power that can be used to charge other devices.
The miniusb 5v connection on the other hand is useful for charging the batteries,
either two or four at a time, from a standard USB port.
Depending on how many batteries you have in the unit, and how big they are, charge time
can take anywhere from three hours, upwards to eight. Also, if you have special AA's
that require a smart charger, I don't recommend charging them in this unit as it's a
standard direct charger with no smart features. The unit has a very simple,
semi-rugged on-off switch on the front next to the two USB ports, and a rather unique
three light battery meter.
According to Tekkeon, three lights mean you have between 65% and 100% battery, two
means you have between 30% and 65% battery, and only one means you're down below 30%
battery. Zero lights means the unit has shut off due to insufficient battery power.
This will prevent damage to either the unit, or your portable device caused by
power brownout due to insufficient power from the batteries. So this is a nice peace
of mind feature so you don't have to worry too much when the batteries get low.
The seven types of adapters it has are work with the following brands of devices:
- LG
- Nokia (2 different tips)
- Samsung
- Sony-Ericsson
- Motorola, Blackberry, or any other devices that use MiniUSB.
The standard mini-charger plug on the end of the retractable USB cable can also be used
by any device that uses that type of plug. Also, if you already have a charging
adapter for your device, and it connects into a standard 5v USB connector, you can use it
with the MP1550 by directly plugging it into the standard USB connector on its face.
The MiniUSB plug is really the only adapter in the whole kit that serves a double
purpose, as is attached to the retractable usb cable and used to power the MP1550 when it
is being used as a battery charger.
The little "attachment" bag that the unit comes with is interesting because
it's large enough that you can put the MP1550 in there, and still have plenty of room to
put several of the attachments in there if you so choose. You should be able to get
all, or well over half of the adapters, plus the retractable USB connector, in there
easily, after which you just put the top shut, and then stuff it in your bag, your pocket,
or wherever and take it with you.
Testing the device using a standard Sandisk PMP (Sansa View) and a Nokia PDA (N810),
both worked well with the charger, and it performed beautifully. Compared with a
previous usb potable power device I had that was similar to the MP1550, the MP1550 ran
circles around it without even trying. It ran for well over three hours, never
overheating or really getting more than a tiny bit warm during operation.
It fully charged the Sansa View from a dead battery, and got well over 80% charge on
the Nokia (the N810 is natoriously difficult to charge with a portable power device due to
its odd charging method that consumes more power during charging than most typical
portable devices do.) on a standard set of four 2500mah AA batteries.
That's pretty impressive given that the previous charger I put it up against got very
hot during operation (almost too hot to hold), barely lasted two hours, and only charged
my Nokia about 30% from dead, and up to 70% on the Sansa View with the same exact
batteries and the same exact charge on those batteries! (ie, 100% charge, fresh off the
charger) Also, if you don't have four AA batteries handy, the unit is designed to
allow you to use two instead. Certainly this won't get you quite as far, but you can
at least do a slight bit of charging on your device in the meantime, so that's a help.
A downside to the device I found is the way it handles its plugs. While the
standard USB connector end on the retractable USB adapter is solid, I get a bit bothered
by the way the power plug end connects into the adapter and ultimately into the device.
It makes it such that you would not want to be mobile while using this unit.
So finding somewhere to set down your device, plug it into the TekCharge unit, and letting
it sit would really be recommended to avoid possible damage to your power
plug. Of course that's just good common sense when charging a mobile device anyways,
but I still mention it for those who might consider doing it anyways. At the very
least you can't say I didn't warn you. ;)
Overall though, I really like the device, and while I wasn't sure what to think of it
at first, I've really come to like it as I've worked with it more. Admittedly the
company could serve to come up with a less vulnerable adapter system, so that the charger
posed less of a risk to your portable device charger plugs should you be on the go, but if
you're willing to be patient and charge it while stationary (or at least while the device
itself is stationary, you should be alright. Either way, I liked it. If you're
interested in getting one for your mobile device(s) of choice, you can purchase one
through Newegg, Amazon, or any of a variety of other stores.
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