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Power Bank KeepAlive (Adjustable)

SKU: TPH-106339 Brand: The Pi Hut

Most power banks will automatically turn off their USB ports when the power/current being drawn is lower than a certain value. This makes it impossible to...

$20.72 AUD, inc GST

$18.84 AUD, exc GST

In stock, ships same business day if ordered before 2PM
Delivered by Tue, 3rd of Jun

Quantity Discounts:

10+ $18.08 (exc GST)
25+ $17.52 (exc GST)

Most power banks will automatically turn off their USB ports when the power/current being drawn is lower than a certain value. This makes it impossible to run low-power devices on a power bank, such as a Raspberry Pi Pico, small microcontrollers or even charge your AirPods.

...until now! This is a USB KeepAlive (adjustable version) which does exactly that - it keeps your power bank 'alive' by pulsing a small amount of current (via a 555 timer - neat) through the USB port. The pulse combined with the keepalive's low-current draw from your end device will keep your power bank alive.

Thisadjustableversionhas a very similar circuit to theassembled KeepAlive, howevercomes with the ability to adjust the strength of the pulseusing the slide switch to three different set values.

Whilst the standard assembled version has a resistor value that works for most projects and power banks, some of our customers asked for the ability to change the value easily, to cater for some awkward power banksandto potentially allow an even lower pulse power consumption.

Plug one end of this into your power bank and the other end into your device, and there you have it - an easy, reliable mobile power source with an adjustable pulse!

How does it work?

The Keepalive works by periodically sending a small electrical pulse which, when combined with another device plugged into it drawing a small amount of power, is usually enough to keep a power bank from shutting down.

By default, we would recommend you start on low and only try medium or high if your power bank does not stay powered on. Below are the approximate draws for each of the settings:

Low= 100mA
Medium= 145mA
High= 170mA

Be aware that atthe highest setting, a small amount of heat will be generated -please ensure that you do not cover the unitwith fabric or similar and air is allowed to flow around the device when in use.

Use cases

Whilst we originally stocked the range of keepalives for small dev board purposes, there have been many interesting use cases that customers have shared with us. It's great to hear about the weird and wonderful places our keepalives are used!

Charging Hearing Aids
Charging earbuds
Timelapse photography
Running a mobile Raspberry Pi Pico/microcontroller

Resources

Documentation

FAQ

Will it work with my power bank?
- As you may appreciate there arethousandsof power banks out there which means it's impossible to be able to test and verify with every power bank. We have chosen a middle ground regarding how much power the device draws to balance out keeping a power bank alive while not affecting battery life too much.
- We can confirm that all of ourANSMANN power bankswork with the range of ePlop keepalives.
Can it keep a power bank alive on its own?
- No. The keepalive device is designed to work in conjunction with another small power source.
Can it work with power delivery / QC
- No. The keepalive is only designed to work at 5v and so can only keep alive 5v devices. If you try to plug it into a PD power supply you risk damaging the keepalive and other hardware.

Package Contents

1x Power Bank KeepAlive (Adjustable)

This product is listed in:

Power & Batteries>Others

Product Comments

Exact shipping can be calculated on the view cart page (no login required).

Products that weigh more than 0.5 KG may cost more than what's shown (for example, test equipment, machines, >500mL liquids, etc).

We deliver Australia-wide with these options (depends on the final destination - you can get a quote on the view cart page):

$3+ for Stamped Mail (typically 10+ business days, not tracked, only available on selected small items)
$7+ for Standard Post (typically 6+ business days, tracked)
$11+ for Express Post (typically 2+ business days, tracked)
Pickup - Free! Only available to customers who live in the Newcastle region (must order online and only pickup after we email to notify you the order is ready). Orders placed after 2PM may not be ready until the following business day.

Non-metro addresses in WA, NT, SA & TAS can take 2+ days in addition to the above information.

Some batteries (such as LiPo) can't be shipped by Air. During checkout, Express Post and International Methods will not be an option if you have that type of battery in your shopping cart.

International Orders - the following rates are for New Zealand and will vary for other countries:

$12+ for Pack and Track (3+ days, tracked)
$16+ for Express International (2-5 days, tracked)

If you order lots of gear, the postage amount will increase based on the weight of your order.

Our physical address (here's a PDF which includes other key business details):

Unit 18, 132 Garden Grove Parade
Adamstown
NSW, 2289
Australia

Take a look at our customer service page if you have other questions such as "do we do purchase orders" (yes!) or "are prices GST inclusive" (yes they are!). We're here to help - get in touch with us to talk shop.

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