Robust and compact Power Bank with mild weakness in delivered capacity

I played for some time with the idea zuzulegen a battery bank. The batteries of modern smartphones usually do not last longer than a day and if you're driving, you have the opportunity, the mobile device fast recharge. Should not be underestimated even charging in the work. According to current law, charging personal devices is prohibited in the workplace and can even draw a warning to himself. With a battery bank has no longer this problem and is on the safe side. In addition, an external battery pack is also useful if you're like me and like to hike in the mountains on the way, so you do not have to fear for a discharged battery in an emergency.

Another note to the manufacturer's instructions: As smartphones and other mobile devices for loading require a constant and stable voltage of 5 V, this will switch off the charging process when a certain threshold is not reached, so that there remains a certain residual charge in the battery pack. So we can compare the load times of various smartphones with the same battery capacity not readily available. Since the capacity to 3.7 volts refers and also losses in the transformation of energy, so you will never find out the energy from the manufacturer's specification of the battery pack. Mostly you have to subtract about 30% capacity of the manufacturer's specification. But even that is not necessarily always the case, since you do not know on what basis the manufacturer makes his statements and if he has not already taken into account losses.

Scope of supply:
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The Power Bank comes in a small box and therefore is protected from scratches wrapped again in a foam sheet. In addition, you can still get a visually appealing storage bag and a bit special, about 30 cm long USB charger cable in flat version with 4 connectors (including microUSB connector; IPhone5 / 6 plugs and iPhone4 / iPod connector), and a in tolerable German formulated manual.

Technical Specifications:
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-Capacity: 10400 mAh
-Ladestrom Input: DC 5V 1.0A (max)
-Ladestrom OUT2: DC 5V 2.1A (max)
-Ladestrom OUT1: DC 5V 1A (max)
Dimensions (measured it) Width: 6.4 cm; Length: 12 cm; Thickness: 1.8 cm
-Weight: 229 grams (reweighed)

The battery pack has two USB ports, so that the same 2 devices can be charged. The battery itself has a capacity of 10400 mAh. With 229 grams of the Power Bank is relatively easy compared to its competitors.

Design and processing:
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The battery has a perfect finish and stable. The silver colored housing consists of a cast and is made of aluminum. The long sides are nicely rounded so that the Power Bank is also well in hand. Fingerprints left almost no tracks due to the matt surface.

The Connections, displays and operating elements are clearly arranged on one of the two front sides. On the opposite end to find the model name and specifications, as well as a QR code, which refers to the manufacturer's website.
The charging cable is a bit strange. Some could disrupt many plugs, as in my case, if you own any of the other 3 terminals or want to use the original wiring. Otherwise, the cable works well made and has in my case, not adversely affect the loading times.

The included case makes a very stable and sophisticated look and fits well visually to Power Bank. Here it is not only the Power bank itself, but also the cable store well, as there is a special attachment for this purpose.

Operation - Charging - Quality:
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A note about the loading times:

The charging time of a smartphone depends on very many factors. The key example is the output current of the charger. Charging with USB 2.0 provides only 0.5A charging current, with USB 3.0 you get at least 0.9 A. The charger of the Samsung Galaxy S4 delivers 2.1A and my Tablets Sony Xperia S nevertheless still 1.5 A, in each case based to 5 volts. Most battery banks provide reportedly up to 2.1 A at 5 volts. But not enough. The internal charging electronics and the cable used significantly influence the time to full charge. Longer cables cause some high power losses due to the greater resistance, so that in extreme lengths of the charging current can even be halved. Some devices refuse to charge in certain circumstances. Therefore I use in my tests only chargers with connection for a USB cable, so I can always use the same cable and charger. In addition, more will be added that according to the specification of the USB Forum of maximum charging current is limited to 1.5A. If you want to load a smartphone or tablet with a charger that provides a higher current, the device must support the AC-charging mode, which allows to load with higher currents. When Samsung Galaxy S4 this is at least the case.

First of all, the battery pack itself needs recharging, which takes approximately 12 hours and with a current consumption of 1.0 A approximately corresponds to the manufacturer's instructions. Not quite expected, showed me my meter after charging a capacity of 8924 mAh, which does not fit the reference value of 3.7 volts.

Both during charging of devices, as well as when charging the Power Bank, signaling 4 blue LEDs the state of charge in 25% increments. By pressing the button you get also displays the current capacity by an appropriate number of LEDs in the idle state. So you always have an eye on the condition of the Power Bank is.

The charging time is relatively easy to determine: time = (capacity in mAh / charging current in mA) x 1.3 (correction factor for loss by eg heat). This is only a guideline, for a rough estimate.
In order to obtain an approximately similar initial state before loading, it was connected the device only after automatic switch-off due to the empty batteries and were turned back on only after it is fully charged. In practice, therefore the loading times may vary, the time you phone so often invites when switched on.

Laden with power supply:

This means that the charging time of a Samsung Galaxy S4 would take with the supplied charger (2100 mA) at a battery capacity of 2600 mAh 1.6 hours or approximately 95 minutes. In fact, the Samsung Galaxy S4 requires loading with original accessories approximately 120 minutes, which corresponds to a charging current of about 1 A. My Tablet needed with original accessories (1.5 A) about 5 hours for a full charge. Thus you can clearly see that the charging currents, specified by the manufacturer, are rarely achieved.

Laden with Power Bank:

Field experience:

For my test I have the Samsung Galaxy S4 (2600 mAh) and my Sony Xperia Tablet S (6000 mAh) used. To start charging, or display the current capacity must be pressed on the face of the small button briefly.
The Samsung Galaxy S4 I could charge it for approximately 2.4 times, which corresponds to a roughly estimated capacity of about 6250 mAh. My Tablet Sony Xperia Tablet S has been fully charged and subsequently it was still possible to charge the Galaxy S4 to 10% (corresponding to a total of about 6260 mAh). The results of the 2 mobile devices indicate a actual usable capacity of about 6250 mAh, which is slightly lower than the capacitance values ​​of my previously tested battery packs.

Observations:

Additionally, I have yet acquired a USB Power Monitor and document the charging of tablet and smartphone. This shows that the practice values ​​vary some. When a charging voltage of 5:04 volts and a current of 1.1 A was found at the end of the day a given capacity of 6000 mAh. This is probably because the battery of my mobile devices are no longer the freshest.

Compared with other I tested battery packs (eg RAVPower 6000 mAh with 75%, Supremery 7800 mAh with 79% and Moving Life A2 10,000 mAh with 75%), the Foxnovo battery bank is located in a yield of 60% (practical test) rather in the rear area.
For a comparison with the measured values ​​I take not before, because I was not yet the meter at that time available. In general, the deviations of practical and measured values ​​are not as extreme and be in my case just 2.3%, that is, the yield based on readings is approximately 57.7%.

The loading speed corresponds to the manufacturer's instructions: The Samsung Galaxy S4 was charged with me in about 120 minutes and the charging process lasted so as long as the original power supply, which is also intended to provide 2.1A (But what to measure just is not the case ). The charging time my tablets was 6 hours, which lasted a little longer than with the original power supply, but probably the fact is owed that I could only use the original cable due to the special Sony connector.
In fact, the cable has a great influence on the charging current: If you use the original cable by Samsung, was not even the charging current 0.8 A, as opposed to 1.4 A with the Samsung PSU, using the included cable power bank about 1 , 1 A. After experimenting with different cables, I found later one with which the charging current could be increased with the Power Bank 1.4 A!

As a final discipline I then tried the Samsung Galaxy S4 (OUT2 with 2.1A) and my Sony Tablet (OUT1 with 1A) to simultaneously charge. Unfortunately, this failed because the Power Bank ausschaltete after a few seconds. In combination with other devices, however did not give these problems. Presumably, the short circuit protection, the suspects a problem in this case and switch off the power bank for safety. That this works effectively, I could test by simulation of a short circuit. The Power Bank then switches reliably.

Because today many home fires caused by batteries caught fire, this is a great advantage.

Conclusion:
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The Foxnovo FP10, a stable, high-quality and compact Power Bank at an affordable price. The supplied bag allows the estimated transportation of Power Bank, including Zubehür. The price-performance ratio is very reasonable at about 25 EUR.

The short circuit protection is in my eyes a not to be underestimated advantage because it can prevent some cases that the bank itself or the battery power of the connected appliance catches fire.

The positive overall impression is unfortunately somewhat by the small, usable capacity of only 6250 mAh (measured even only about 6000 mAh) clouded. Since me the Power Bank has, however, convinced in all other respects, it gets me benevolent 4 stars.