Delivering a supply while charging is such a great feature. I'm surprised that more units don't do that. It's so frustrating when this isn't possible. The other frustration I've come across when powering IoT devices is that, having laboured mightily to make your devices draw as little power as possible, power packs no longer recognise the power draw and switch off!
If you charge and also use the powerbank to power up phone at the same time, doesn't the output drop to the phone? So it's slower to charge up phone. Well that's my understanding. I'd rather charge up phone fully and then charge up powerbank fully. (Or vice versa)
I like how Clive recommends discharging batteries in advance and using non-conductive lever to remove Lithium batteries - and immediately proceeds to take his battery out with a metal thin spudger while informing us viewers that the battery hasn't indeed been discharged. Aiming for a flaming show, right?)
I believe that 5.1K resistor on the CC lines of the USB C connector are to tell the host device that it only communicates via USB 2 (or for power devices, signals that it uses USB 2 power delivery standards). If I'm not mistaken, tying both CC lines to ground via the same resistor is a violation of the spec. They should each have their own 5.1K resistor. This is the same design violation that was present in the initial run of the Raspberry Pi v4. There's a few articles online about the subject.
I would have bet on the CC line (Configuration Channel) for signaling Current capability (and cable orientation) as well, but I wonder about the Pinout, wouldn´t CC1 and CC2 be on Pin A5 or B5 respectively. But not sure about the pinout of that socket as well, also I can hardly imagine they crossed over pins within the socket. But you are right, if it is CC, each should have its own resistor. What makes me suspicious about the pinout of the socket as well though is also, that the outer connectors are actually wider than the others. with the housing of that socket beeing connected to ground, I would assume those are VBUS then where Power is transmitted, at least it would absolutely make sense to design those a tad beefier than the data pins. But those usually are Pin 4 and 9 in the socket. Unless of course this is actually a Power only socket, but then I wonder why they stil have 10 solder pins while actually 6 or 8 would be enough for those. If it was CC, I just looked up what the signaling was for the different currents. I think the in this case the power consumer measures the voltage between CC and ground to determine the current the source can provide. I think the lowest value would be 0.41 V, indicating either USB 2.0 500 mA or USB 3.0 900 mA, about 0.92 V would be 1.5 A and about 1.68 V would be the full 3 A. For those who wonder as I mentioned CC1 and CC2, those are the same pins on the different sides of the USB C plug. through this the device can recognize if both ends of the cable had been plugged in "straight" between possibly two USB C sockets, or if one side was twisted (the plug turned by 180 °)The "other" Pin would be used to power "active" cables (which is called VCONN).
The usb C connector needs to be told of it is a host or a sub device so it can transfer power and data appropriately. I have learned so much from your videos and I can’t wait for you to reach 1 million subscribers !
@@alexmarshall4331 (I did look up his statistics to find out where he came so wasn't trying to be negative) I do not know him personally, so I cannot get possessive, that is not to say I do not care about the man
Why oh why oh why have I just spent 10 mins of my life watching someone perform detective work on a Poundland power cell? Love it Clive . Thank you for utterly useless but completely fascinating insight into something I has NO idea would be interesting. This is what UA-cam good for.. giving entertaining people a chance to shine in weird and wonderful worlds!
It's always a bit of a thrill to watch Clive defuse a lithium battery bomb, almost never following his own advice to fully discharge it first. Acetone, isopropanol, and lighter fluid are fine for removing many types of sticky stuff, but I prefer heptane, which doesn't smell as bad as acetone and seems to work a little better than isopropanol. In the U.S., heptane is sold as an adhesive remover under the brand name Un-Du and as rubber cement thinner under the brand name Bestine. (Bestine is usually cheaper.) I wonder if whiskey, another flammable liquid after all, would work, although it does have better uses . . .
Thanks for the tip on Heptane. I use home-distilled 100% ethanol made from sugar. Tastes like rocket fuel, but won't kill you. GREAT for cleaning certain pieces of glass.
Great powerbank. The old version holding the 5v output was handy for my string lights as it kept the timer on so you didn’t have to switch them on every night. Great video Clive, thank you.
It's amazing how much technical knowledge this man has. I look at circuits in a different way since watching your reverse engineering demonstrations. They are a good thing to do, as you can diagnose what caused the fault and check if other sections are working correctly.
@5:00 I find dental floss is brilliant for cutting through foam tape... I imagine it'll simplify unsticking those rubber pads too, particularly if iso isn't an option.
4000 mAh is a small powerbank, and probably was at the time of review. Many phones now have a 5000 mAh battery, so allowing for losses, it wouldn't do a lot! But as usual and excellent review and enjoyed the circuit analysis.
if you damage it, use some aluminum foil tape! :> I do this frequently, no battery catched fire yet. Make sure you clean the surface and really squish the tape down, though. And then a layer of duct tape (the cloth stuff) to protect the fragile foil. I do this for batteries that have started ballooning. Puncture, de-gass and then seal the hole. Very important that you don't let air get in, so work fast!
@@TauCu Update: still hasn't caught fire, but the batteries that started gassing seem to gas regularly and drop in capacity. Apple and Samsung batteries are the #1 culprits.. Some self-destructing electrolyte in there, the battery becomes hard and stiff and loses flexibility.. Planned obsolescence hayo!
I remember the first pound shops probably more than 30 years ago, how they made a REALLY big point of EVERYTHING being just a pound, the shop was completely plastered in anecdotal phrases as to how amazing the concept was, and "Yes, it's a pound!" Doesn't really work thesedays.
We had first discovered an equivalent store in Canada called dollarama about 20 years ago, and we kept asking the workers “is this only a dollar?”. They seemed annoyed. Our cart was full and the total was around 90$. It now should be called the 4 dollarama store.
@@danwhiffen9235 I know, as others have also pointed out, there can sell under a dollar or pound, several $/£ and anything in between. They used to get around the "pound rule" by offering 2/3/4 etc items for the money, probably with the way the economy was going a few years ago, volatility caused the reasonable retailers' sales model to become nonviable.
Dollar store in my area still hasn’t sold thru their shipping container load of usb-micro input power banks. I look every time for some new usb-c type but nothing. It’s really irritating first world problems 🤷🏼♂️ As always, love your calming narration and Peace from Texas
Clive: "Just be careful when you do it, because ..." Also Clive: Reveals broken plastic clip ledge on the inside which previously was intact Yes. Be careful.
I saw that too. It's inevitable. My power bank (completely different) doesn't go back together quite perfectly any more either. The inspiration for taking it apart in the first place some years ago was of course BC.
The USB Type-C resistors are used to indicate which device is pulling or supplying power. The specifications require them to be of certain value, referencing specific amperage and voltage. Without them, devices will just refuse to negotiate a connection.
One of the old style ones I picked up from Poundland Barnsley today had 3x 1350 mAh 18650s, which cycled (on an Xtar Dragon VP4 Plus) exactly as expected, 1322, 1400 and 1260. Just what we'd expect from "recycled" cells. The cells are now in their next life running garden lights, the power bank PCB awaits purpose!
To remove the battery, I would use fishing line threaded under the contacts so that it can be used as a bone saw to work its way under the cell, across the bottom, destroying the sticky pad on the way.
One thing to beware of is that I've found some power banks that pass through current, but overheat if it's for more than a few minutes. So they seem fine in a quick test, but can be trouble if actually used that way.
I just completely discharged mine from full at 2.4A. it got warm but didn't shut off. YMMV as they say. I also got 2.2Ah into my 2200mAh Poundland bank so maybe I'm just lucky.
Hi Clive, when testing power banks, please also measure if they can deliver power while they are getting changed. It is relevant in some cases, if you want to use it like a cheap"ups" for a raspberry pi or something.
@@nick1austin Thanks! It was intended as a general request for further videos too. It would be nice if Clive could measure the output voltage under like a 2a load.
@@Okurka. I was being nice. It's probably closer to 98% or more. I'm probably the only one who didn't want it to happen. Only because I'm trying to learn to repair components right now otherwise as long as noone gets hurt I'll happily watch it go bang.
@@alfulton5946 You need first-hand experience to know what NOT to do. I learned my lesson with a 5000mAh Li-Po going off in a small apartment, i couldn't see anything but the flame. :D
9:33 I'm having a Raspberry Pi 4 dejavu here. Seems they have connected CC1 and CC2 together and added a single 5.1kOhms resistor to ground. This will cause some power supplies to missclassify the power bank as an audio or debug accessory and set a current limit of 100mA (or provide no power at all). First Revision of the Pi 4 had the same oopsie, newer ones use two separate CC resistors as mandated by USB-IF spec.
At a guess - I'd say the absent resistor/transistor network is for optional Fast Charging capability - The standard USB port allows for 500mA, dedicated power ports are 1.5A, and then you've got the BC1.2 standard, and all the proprietary "standards" that each manufacturer had a go at creating. So short of actually using a dedicated USB charging "negotiator" (eg. TPS65988) you can just implement a certain resistor network which will statically advise the client (via the BC1.2 standard) of how much current it should be allowed to draw. The absent circuitry may well be for some proprietary support (eg. Apple, Samsung) - I know that early apple chargers were configured for 2.4A, which is rather similar to this device's output.
Also they sell items for less than a pound (individually, at a discount, or n for £1). Basically they're a shop that specialise in things that cost a pound or less than a pound or more than a pound.
Whenever I hear "multiplexing" I think of the dot-flip displays with with I've been fascinated since I was a child. Would really enjoy a tear-down and explanation of some Proper displays *hint hint*
I have found out that plastic guitar picks are nice to use when splitting some devices. They lower the risk of leaving damage on the device and are still strong enough to pry with.
If nothing else, the simultaneous power+charge capability means it could be useful as a dead easy UPS for a Raspberry Pi 3 and lower. I think the Pi 4/400 is a bit too power hungry, wanting 2.7W at idle.
The explosion pie dish is surely feeling lonely in the corner of the room after all these years with no use... :( Maybe Li-ion + O3 could work well together
For our next trick, we’ll combine a 4 Wh battery back with an ionizing air freshener, a huge 60 megapixel selfie cam, and an actual xenon flash for night photos. 😻
this looks ideal for projects. I'm currently working on an esp32 solar powered weather station. this looks perfect for pass-through charging with a solar panel!
Was just in Dealz yesterday looking at these! They stick "Minimum Charge time: 2hrs, Maximum discharge time: 4hrs" on all of their power banks regardless of Milliamp Hour which gave me a bit of a laugh. Glad you got the cell out in one piece! I tried removing 18650s from a laptop battery the last day before one started getting mysteriously warm , sparks ensued and outside it went! It's been rehomed in the local Recycling depot so all is well!
14:10 - Yes, you can control 6 LEDs with 3 digital pins using "Charlieplexing". Not sure what you would indicate with 6 LEDs as 4 divides into 100% nicely. 5 LEDs would give 20% steps, slightly better but more cost than it is worth for low costs power banks such as this.
But a small requirement to do that is your pins must be tri-state meaning able to have 0V output, Vcc output, and a floating output or High-Z. You can achieve floating output by turning an output pin to an input pin on the microcontroller. Without looking at all the microcontrollers out there, I'm not sure 100% of them are capable of changing pins to either output or input by software.
Walmart has a clearance going on with some 5000mAh Dual Port WITH 5W Wireless/Qi charging for $3 (In Store), i bought like 6 or 7 or so lol. they do VERY well and they stay at/above 5v up to 2amps or so. Very nice power banks for the price.
Sometimes I'll use a length of fishing line to cut through those foam pads, just loop under and saw. Even used tooth floss once. Maybe something to add to the toolbox.
You are right about piercing one of those lipo's. Had that happen a couple weeks back. I had used an Arduino to build a small MP3 player. Put it in a plastic project box and mounted some buttons to control things, as well as a earphone plug for output. I put a flat pack battery in the bottom of the case and just put the parts on top. It worked great for months, but the cover never really stayed put as the NANO which I had soldered to a small board was catching on the little mount pins inside the case at either end. So the other day I took a snips and removed those mounts cause they had no practical use in the project and were just getting in the way. What I neglected to do was cut the pins on my Nano that protruded through the circuit board containing the other components. I did notice that the blasted thing would come on by it's self from time to time if I pushed harder on the cover. I was listening to some tunes through it one day and suddenly the strong smell of plastic melting was in the air. Since I had not been soldering for quite some time I got a bit concerned. I picked up the mp3 player and burned the hell out of my hand! The pins from the Nano had pierced the cover of the flat battery and there was a very hot fire in the bottom of the case. I grabbed the whole device and pulled the Nano away from the battery but a bright white fire still remained in the pin hole. Now I am not as quick as I used to be, in fact I am classed as disabled but I assure you, I got that thing out doors quicker then I could have when I was a boy! I took my snips with me and once out doors, cut the lead, only one remained as the heat had unsoldered the other and dropped the burning battery on my drive way. Days went by, and I had pretty much forgotten about the whole affair when my daughter brought me that battery, saying she found it in the drive way. I took it immediately back out doors and placed it in some tin foil, then dropped it in an old cast iron pot that is yard décor where it remains to this very day. Oh the mp3 player? Well it still lays on the floor near my chair. One day I may install another flat cell, but then I have dozens of ways to play music now and don't really need a home built player.
I was the someone who suggested to use lighter fluid, to dissolve the sticky stuff. You can safely test the effects on a piece of sticky tape. Or those price stickers. Only a few drops are needed, not a squirt.
Hello Clive, I’m not polite enough not to tell the people who voted Thumbs Down as a bunch of fannies. Keep these awesome video going - you totally rock.
Can confirm Lighter fluid (I think Petrol is mostly the same stuff) does a really good job removing sticky glue. Works really well getting rid of glue residue from labels.
There are some circuits you can build to help with that issue. I saw one that used a 555 timer to pulse a load. It doesn't take much power, since it's for a very short amount of time.
When faced with the removal of double-sided tape of unknown provenance, my first tool is heat. If using solvents, I've found that ethanol works on some, IPA on others, MEK on others, so I generally try each one a bit gingerly. Acetone is also great but will also eat many plastics of course :)
Hey Clive! Try using some waxed dental floss and solvent under batteries to get em out, pull it under there like ya slicing cheese. A lot more confidence inspiring than spudging a squishy bag of energy out!
The use as a USB UPS could be useful. I was after just such a thing a while back when first getting into single-board ARM machines. The amount of power banks that can do that charge and output thing is rather rare. Perhaps, if someone wanted to use it for such, they could fit a small passive heatsink to that one chip with some superglue. Oh, so far as my own usage went, I wound up getting a Chinese 240v -> 12v power supply that supported a 12v battery as a UPS for it. Then I used a bunch of 12v -> USB adaptors and wound up with a lovely 9AH UPS for USB and 12V.
To help release glue on phone batteries and screens I like to set them on the build plate of my 3d printer. Works like a charm. I tend to set it about 50 - 60°C and wait until the whole thing is hot.
This is a rather belated request given when this video was released, but would you consider opening up an Anker power bank? The model I own is no longer on sale, but I'm curious as to what you think of their quality in general and about what kind of cells they use so I can replace them eventually. It'll be reassuring to see you open it up so I know what to do when I eventually do. I love your videos, keep up the great work!
I just got a Samsung battery that has 2 usb C ports and wireless charger built in. It can use either usb C port for input or output. Makes it nice because all i now need for usb cords for my phone and ear buds is one usb C to usb C.
My fav spudger now is cheap chopsticks you get at Chinese restaurants. Non-conductive, shapable, fairly dull and fairly strong. Very good for poking in places where there might be live angry pixies. They also don't tear up the seams on plastic as much.
Clive and others in the UK i found that plastic guitar picks make good non metal spudger(theres a few diffrent sizes) they are cheap and quite easy to find i get mine from cash converters for around £2 a pack of about 9
Assuming this only cost a pound like a dollar store over here only cost a dollar then that is an amazing deal. I can't even find power banks at a dollar store here. And you can expect to pay approximately $5 for something like a 3ah or 2.5ah.
Yeah there'd be a puddle of sticky plastic if you used acetone. I've had good luck with the "sticky stuff remover" which smells like some kind of petroleum based product.
@Samson Holdsworth Iso is actually one of the worst solvents for adhesives. You need an organic solvent with a high density to effectively dissolve adhesives.
Does anyone know why all these power banks have a minimum power draw requirement or else the shut off after a minute? I would love to power small 10mA circuits but can't.
Could you use the powerbank to charge a capacitor then power your circuit from the capacitor? Perhaps via a current limiting diode? to slow the discharge.
It's to save power in standby. When a phone is charged the current drop shuts the power bank off so that any parasitic draw in the phone charging circuitry or the power bank's boost circuitry doesn't continue to drain the battery. There are circuits that pulse a higher current to keep it awake.
Many USB-C supplies will not provide power unless they can identify the client device and the pulldown resistors tell the host that it's a "dumb" 5V host. This has caused a fair amount of trouble for devices trying to simply move to a USB-C port without paying attention to the standard as older connectors did not need extra components. This has led some manufacturers to dread USB-C and continue using micro-USB for as long as the market would tolerate.
For the cell alone it’s worth it but a low power draw like Wayze security cams would be great for these as they draw 2-4w if it really can do UPS style which is hard to find.
To help remove lithium batteries I use a cut up credit card, I put a slight 'chisel' profile on the edge, with a slight curve...it seems to go under batteries without risk of puncture, or deforming the battery...
I'm leavering cells from phones and macbooks on daily basis. Isopropanol is your friend, and so is some kind of plastic spudger. The cells can take much more bending and pulling than I initially thought. None went up in flames on me yet.
I'm gagging for a Poundland Top Ten Tat! Frankly I would be super happy with a top 5 (and the production costs would be lower). One wonders if a top five is even feasible given the underlying.
The way you hold things looks so funny and I can never tell why, I think it’s just because you have massive hands so it looks like you’re picking things up with just the tips of your fingers.
Would love to see a few videos regarding affordable test equipment. Just like that little USB tester, some of the affordable ESR testers, I could give you a list of some of the best stuff going right now if you’d like. I assume you’re not really interested in test gear as much as every day household items… But it really is the golden age for dirt cheap high-quality test equipment. I work in my lab full-time doing component level board repair and test equipment calibration/repair… and have a full range of calibrated and metrology great equipment used to check test equipment. I’ve probably purchased over 100 different cheap pieces of test gear over the past few years… And could give some great recommendations if you’re interested. It’s just fun to find super affordable and high-quality equipment. And I enjoy testing it even though most of my clients wouldn’t be interested in this type of stuff… Because they have to use specialty expensive equipment. But I can always make recommendations to others and newcomers to the Hobby
While you would be able to drive 6 LEDs, there is the issue of other possible current paths. For example, if you have 1 High, 2 Low, and 3 High Z, you have a path through the hypothetical D5 connected directly to 1 and 2. But you also have the path through D1 and D4. And the same problem would occur if you tried to turn on an existing LED. If you made 1 High, 2 High Z and 3 Low, you have the intended path through D1, and another possible path through D5 and D3. While this likely wouldn't be a problem if all the LEDs are the same and aren't broken, if you have different LEDs it could be a problem and more than just the intended LED could light up. And if an LED broke, then the others would be more likely to light up.
I always feel that a power bank that says 4000mAH on it ought be to able to supply 4000mAH at the 5V output rather than just at whatever cell or battery is in it.
They are still selling both versions of these for £5 in Poundland. However the Pink version of the new type was unavailable. Perhaps Big Clive has created a trend. 😀
I wired my bike lights upto a charger like this, they took 2x 3v lithium batteries I figured 5v would be enough to run them, I soldered wires inside them running front to back and put a USB connection soldered in the middle of the run of wire and had a frame bag that held the power bank. Basically I wanted easily rechargeable lights that wouldn't really be a hassle to run. It worked great
Good to see that Clive is still buying things in his favourite colour.
LoL
Real men wear pink
@@dilbyjones of course some homophobe from Texas would find that funny
What's The Difference Between Pink And Purple ?
Your Grip .
@@broomhwauser3380 Gay.
Delivering a supply while charging is such a great feature. I'm surprised that more units don't do that. It's so frustrating when this isn't possible.
The other frustration I've come across when powering IoT devices is that, having laboured mightily to make your devices draw as little power as possible, power packs no longer recognise the power draw and switch off!
If you charge and also use the powerbank to power up phone at the same time, doesn't the output drop to the phone? So it's slower to charge up phone. Well that's my understanding. I'd rather charge up phone fully and then charge up powerbank fully. (Or vice versa)
This may count as a UPS supply, maybe not a very good one thi
I like how Clive recommends discharging batteries in advance and using non-conductive lever to remove Lithium batteries - and immediately proceeds to take his battery out with a metal thin spudger while informing us viewers that the battery hasn't indeed been discharged. Aiming for a flaming show, right?)
Fanny Flambeau 2.0
@@mangamaster03 4 A⋅h, I'd say. ;D
He's got the Explosion Containment Pie Dish nearby, no doubt.
@@tncorgi92 and the Fajar Extinguishaar! ☺
Maybe he should trying poking that battery with a metal skewer preferably outside
I believe that 5.1K resistor on the CC lines of the USB C connector are to tell the host device that it only communicates via USB 2 (or for power devices, signals that it uses USB 2 power delivery standards). If I'm not mistaken, tying both CC lines to ground via the same resistor is a violation of the spec. They should each have their own 5.1K resistor. This is the same design violation that was present in the initial run of the Raspberry Pi v4. There's a few articles online about the subject.
I would have bet on the CC line (Configuration Channel) for signaling Current capability (and cable orientation) as well, but I wonder about the Pinout, wouldn´t CC1 and CC2 be on Pin A5 or B5 respectively. But not sure about the pinout of that socket as well, also I can hardly imagine they crossed over pins within the socket. But you are right, if it is CC, each should have its own resistor. What makes me suspicious about the pinout of the socket as well though is also, that the outer connectors are actually wider than the others. with the housing of that socket beeing connected to ground, I would assume those are VBUS then where Power is transmitted, at least it would absolutely make sense to design those a tad beefier than the data pins. But those usually are Pin 4 and 9 in the socket. Unless of course this is actually a Power only socket, but then I wonder why they stil have 10 solder pins while actually 6 or 8 would be enough for those.
If it was CC, I just looked up what the signaling was for the different currents. I think the in this case the power consumer measures the voltage between CC and ground to determine the current the source can provide. I think the lowest value would be 0.41 V, indicating either USB 2.0 500 mA or USB 3.0 900 mA, about 0.92 V would be 1.5 A and about 1.68 V would be the full 3 A.
For those who wonder as I mentioned CC1 and CC2, those are the same pins on the different sides of the USB C plug. through this the device can recognize if both ends of the cable had been plugged in "straight" between possibly two USB C sockets, or if one side was twisted (the plug turned by 180 °)The "other" Pin would be used to power "active" cables (which is called VCONN).
The usb C connector needs to be told of it is a host or a sub device so it can transfer power and data appropriately.
I have learned so much from your videos and I can’t wait for you to reach 1 million subscribers !
He is currently the 29809th most subscribed youtube in the world!
@@phonotical Do you ever feel a tad possesive about "our" Big Clive...like he's my Ion Man? 👉🐻👈👉💎👈
@@alexmarshall4331 (I did look up his statistics to find out where he came so wasn't trying to be negative)
I do not know him personally, so I cannot get possessive, that is not to say I do not care about the man
@@phonotical Only messing geezah...!!! 👉🐻👈
@@alexmarshall4331 tit
Why oh why oh why have I just spent 10 mins of my life watching someone perform detective work on a Poundland power cell? Love it Clive . Thank you for utterly useless but completely fascinating insight into something I has NO idea would be interesting. This is what UA-cam good for.. giving entertaining people a chance to shine in weird and wonderful worlds!
It's always a bit of a thrill to watch Clive defuse a lithium battery bomb, almost never following his own advice to fully discharge it first. Acetone, isopropanol, and lighter fluid are fine for removing many types of sticky stuff, but I prefer heptane, which doesn't smell as bad as acetone and seems to work a little better than isopropanol. In the U.S., heptane is sold as an adhesive remover under the brand name Un-Du and as rubber cement thinner under the brand name Bestine. (Bestine is usually cheaper.) I wonder if whiskey, another flammable liquid after all, would work, although it does have better uses . . .
Oh no, don't use whiskey to remove adhesives. That's full out alcohol abuse. Drink the whiskey and you won't be bothered by the adhesive.
Thanks for the tip on Heptane. I use home-distilled 100% ethanol made from sugar. Tastes like rocket fuel, but won't kill you. GREAT for cleaning certain pieces of glass.
@@TechGorilla1987 even better!
@@TechGorilla1987 Add coarse salt to the ethanol when cleaning said "certain pieces of glass". It adds a gentle scrubbing action. 😁
dont use acetone if the thing the battery is stuck to is made of 'soft' plastic, it'll melt it!
Great powerbank. The old version holding the 5v output was handy for my string lights as it kept the timer on so you didn’t have to switch them on every night. Great video Clive, thank you.
It's amazing how much technical knowledge this man has. I look at circuits in a different way since watching your reverse engineering demonstrations. They are a good thing to do, as you can diagnose what caused the fault and check if other sections are working correctly.
He is so good at explaining the workings of these circuits. It really is a pleasure to watch and I admire his wisdom.
@5:00 I find dental floss is brilliant for cutting through foam tape... I imagine it'll simplify unsticking those rubber pads too, particularly if iso isn't an option.
Smart!
4000 mAh is a small powerbank, and probably was at the time of review. Many phones now have a 5000 mAh battery, so allowing for losses, it wouldn't do a lot!
But as usual and excellent review and enjoyed the circuit analysis.
if you damage it, use some aluminum foil tape! :> I do this frequently, no battery catched fire yet. Make sure you clean the surface and really squish the tape down, though. And then a layer of duct tape (the cloth stuff) to protect the fragile foil. I do this for batteries that have started ballooning. Puncture, de-gass and then seal the hole. Very important that you don't let air get in, so work fast!
*Yet*
@@TauCu Update: still hasn't caught fire, but the batteries that started gassing seem to gas regularly and drop in capacity. Apple and Samsung batteries are the #1 culprits.. Some self-destructing electrolyte in there, the battery becomes hard and stiff and loses flexibility.. Planned obsolescence hayo!
I've said it before and I'll say it again. Really waiting for an electroboom moment. Mr. Clive you have got me on the edge of my seat.
And that answers the question I was going to ask. Yes it can be used as a UPS. Thanks Clive. 👍😃
You said exactly what I was thinking!
I think I may use one of these for an android powered GPS vehicle tracker.
I remember the first pound shops probably more than 30 years ago, how they made a REALLY big point of EVERYTHING being just a pound, the shop was completely plastered in anecdotal phrases as to how amazing the concept was, and "Yes, it's a pound!" Doesn't really work thesedays.
We had first discovered an equivalent store in Canada called dollarama about 20 years ago, and we kept asking the workers “is this only a dollar?”. They seemed annoyed. Our cart was full and the total was around 90$. It now should be called the 4 dollarama store.
@@danwhiffen9235 I know, as others have also pointed out, there can sell under a dollar or pound, several $/£ and anything in between. They used to get around the "pound rule" by offering 2/3/4 etc items for the money, probably with the way the economy was going a few years ago, volatility caused the reasonable retailers' sales model to become nonviable.
Is there a 1/2 kg meme here?
Dollar store in my area still hasn’t sold thru their shipping container load of usb-micro input power banks. I look every time for some new usb-c type but nothing. It’s really irritating first world problems 🤷🏼♂️
As always, love your calming narration and Peace from Texas
love the fact that you put in the measurements to take apart.. as battery boomskis arent not wanted ;)
I'm sure Poundland must sell pink versions of their electronic products because they know Clive will buy & review them! 😁😁
Clive: "Just be careful when you do it, because ..."
Also Clive: Reveals broken plastic clip ledge on the inside which previously was intact
Yes. Be careful.
I saw that too. It's inevitable. My power bank (completely different) doesn't go back together quite perfectly any more either. The inspiration for taking it apart in the first place some years ago was of course BC.
@@Chrisamic it's the charm of doing it yourself 😉
@Kevin Morris I makes it easier to dismantle second time around
The USB Type-C resistors are used to indicate which device is pulling or supplying power. The specifications require them to be of certain value, referencing specific amperage and voltage. Without them, devices will just refuse to negotiate a connection.
One of the old style ones I picked up from Poundland Barnsley today had 3x 1350 mAh 18650s, which cycled (on an Xtar Dragon VP4 Plus) exactly as expected, 1322, 1400 and 1260. Just what we'd expect from "recycled" cells.
The cells are now in their next life running garden lights, the power bank PCB awaits purpose!
To remove the battery, I would use fishing line threaded under the contacts so that it can be used as a bone saw to work its way under the cell, across the bottom, destroying the sticky pad on the way.
One thing to beware of is that I've found some power banks that pass through current, but overheat if it's for more than a few minutes. So they seem fine in a quick test, but can be trouble if actually used that way.
I just completely discharged mine from full at 2.4A. it got warm but didn't shut off. YMMV as they say. I also got 2.2Ah into my 2200mAh Poundland bank so maybe I'm just lucky.
@@matthewlovibond900 into? when charging? what about out of,?
@@andygozzo72 2233 in, 1380 at 1A out and 1518 at 420mA out.
Hi Clive, when testing power banks, please also measure if they can deliver power while they are getting changed.
It is relevant in some cases, if you want to use it like a cheap"ups" for a raspberry pi or something.
14:47
@@nick1austin Thanks!
It was intended as a general request for further videos too.
It would be nice if Clive could measure the output voltage under like a 2a load.
@@peterholst8875 Did you even watch the video?
@@BellaLightning2010 did you even read this thread?
@@peterholst8875 You asked if he could do 2 things, and he did both in this video.
I'll bet half the viewers wanted to see the battery go critical and light the isopropyl alcohol.
@Martin Android probably nothing good 😆🤣😂
I keep on hearing photonic inductions voice in my head yelling "don't poke it"
@@Okurka. I was being nice. It's probably closer to 98% or more. I'm probably the only one who didn't want it to happen. Only because I'm trying to learn to repair components right now otherwise as long as noone gets hurt I'll happily watch it go bang.
Oh yes. Road crash UA-cam..... 😂😂😂
@@alfulton5946 You need first-hand experience to know what NOT to do.
I learned my lesson with a 5000mAh Li-Po going off in a small apartment, i couldn't see anything but the flame. :D
9:33 I'm having a Raspberry Pi 4 dejavu here. Seems they have connected CC1 and CC2 together and added a single 5.1kOhms resistor to ground. This will cause some power supplies to missclassify the power bank as an audio or debug accessory and set a current limit of 100mA (or provide no power at all). First Revision of the Pi 4 had the same oopsie, newer ones use two separate CC resistors as mandated by USB-IF spec.
At a guess - I'd say the absent resistor/transistor network is for optional Fast Charging capability - The standard USB port allows for 500mA, dedicated power ports are 1.5A, and then you've got the BC1.2 standard, and all the proprietary "standards" that each manufacturer had a go at creating. So short of actually using a dedicated USB charging "negotiator" (eg. TPS65988) you can just implement a certain resistor network which will statically advise the client (via the BC1.2 standard) of how much current it should be allowed to draw. The absent circuitry may well be for some proprietary support (eg. Apple, Samsung) - I know that early apple chargers were configured for 2.4A, which is rather similar to this device's output.
Thats nice and chunky. I have to admit I was hoping to see the containment pie dish in emergency use. 🔥🔥 👍👍
Ah a proper good ole fashioned Big Clive video about usb power devices. This is what got me in to your channel !
"This is where it arcs and flashes and all goes up in flames - you wish!" - don't lie, so do you, Clive.
Pound land should change it's name to "Upto 5 Pound Land".
True.
I don't think there is an upper price limit.
Should be ‘From One pound land’
Also they sell items for less than a pound (individually, at a discount, or n for £1). Basically they're a shop that specialise in things that cost a pound or less than a pound or more than a pound.
How about they rename to Pound Sand
Lighter fluid is absolutely brilliant for removing glue, also the sharpie you used on the case. Interesting content thanks for sharing.
I always use old gift cards to pry out cells. they are cheap, flexible, non conductive and they apply force over a wider area
"Payback" cards or old debit cards are ideal indeed... That's what we use in Europe
Also ideal for removing car trim or to scrape off glue
They're useful for all sorts 👍
Great tip!
Whenever I hear "multiplexing" I think of the dot-flip displays with with I've been fascinated since I was a child. Would really enjoy a tear-down and explanation of some Proper displays *hint hint*
I might suggest Franlab if you are into teardowns of obscure and vintage displays.
I have found out that plastic guitar picks are nice to use when splitting some devices. They lower the risk of leaving damage on the device and are still strong enough to pry with.
They've seen your videos so they've made it harder for us mere mortals to dismantle them!
Oh the lengths we have to go through to get these cells. Imagine if the simply sold it to us.
If nothing else, the simultaneous power+charge capability means it could be useful as a dead easy UPS for a Raspberry Pi 3 and lower. I think the Pi 4/400 is a bit too power hungry, wanting 2.7W at idle.
I am disappointed that we weren't shown the explosion containment pie dish, just so we knew that it was on hand.
The explosion pie dish is surely feeling lonely in the corner of the room after all these years with no use... :(
Maybe Li-ion + O3 could work well together
Clive should make an electric bike like Louis Rossmann, perfect for getting around the island!
@@ASBO_LUTELY And for starting fires on your porch...
For our next trick, we’ll combine a 4 Wh battery back with an ionizing air freshener, a huge 60 megapixel selfie cam, and an actual xenon flash for night photos. 😻
this looks ideal for projects. I'm currently working on an esp32 solar powered weather station. this looks perfect for pass-through charging with a solar panel!
Was just in Dealz yesterday looking at these! They stick "Minimum Charge time: 2hrs, Maximum discharge time: 4hrs" on all of their power banks regardless of Milliamp Hour which gave me a bit of a laugh. Glad you got the cell out in one piece! I tried removing 18650s from a laptop battery the last day before one started getting mysteriously warm , sparks ensued and outside it went! It's been rehomed in the local Recycling depot so all is well!
14:10 - Yes, you can control 6 LEDs with 3 digital pins using "Charlieplexing". Not sure what you would indicate with 6 LEDs as 4 divides into 100% nicely. 5 LEDs would give 20% steps, slightly better but more cost than it is worth for low costs power banks such as this.
With 6 LEDs you would at least know when you had 16.6% charge remaining
But a small requirement to do that is your pins must be tri-state meaning able to have 0V output, Vcc output, and a floating output or High-Z. You can achieve floating output by turning an output pin to an input pin on the microcontroller. Without looking at all the microcontrollers out there, I'm not sure 100% of them are capable of changing pins to either output or input by software.
Walmart has a clearance going on with some 5000mAh Dual Port WITH 5W Wireless/Qi charging for $3 (In Store), i bought like 6 or 7 or so lol. they do VERY well and they stay at/above 5v up to 2amps or so. Very nice power banks for the price.
Sometimes I'll use a length of fishing line to cut through those foam pads, just loop under and saw. Even used tooth floss once. Maybe something to add to the toolbox.
You are right about piercing one of those lipo's. Had that happen a couple weeks back. I had used an Arduino to build a small MP3 player. Put it in a plastic project box and mounted some buttons to control things, as well as a earphone plug for output. I put a flat pack battery in the bottom of the case and just put the parts on top. It worked great for months, but the cover never really stayed put as the NANO which I had soldered to a small board was catching on the little mount pins inside the case at either end. So the other day I took a snips and removed those mounts cause they had no practical use in the project and were just getting in the way. What I neglected to do was cut the pins on my Nano that protruded through the circuit board containing the other components. I did notice that the blasted thing would come on by it's self from time to time if I pushed harder on the cover. I was listening to some tunes through it one day and suddenly the strong smell of plastic melting was in the air. Since I had not been soldering for quite some time I got a bit concerned. I picked up the mp3 player and burned the hell out of my hand! The pins from the Nano had pierced the cover of the flat battery and there was a very hot fire in the bottom of the case. I grabbed the whole device and pulled the Nano away from the battery but a bright white fire still remained in the pin hole. Now I am not as quick as I used to be, in fact I am classed as disabled but I assure you, I got that thing out doors quicker then I could have when I was a boy! I took my snips with me and once out doors, cut the lead, only one remained as the heat had unsoldered the other and dropped the burning battery on my drive way. Days went by, and I had pretty much forgotten about the whole affair when my daughter brought me that battery, saying she found it in the drive way. I took it immediately back out doors and placed it in some tin foil, then dropped it in an old cast iron pot that is yard décor where it remains to this very day. Oh the mp3 player? Well it still lays on the floor near my chair. One day I may install another flat cell, but then I have dozens of ways to play music now and don't really need a home built player.
I was the someone who suggested to use lighter fluid, to dissolve the sticky stuff.
You can safely test the effects on a piece of sticky tape. Or those price stickers.
Only a few drops are needed, not a squirt.
Great job, very thorough, cool meter too! Thanks.
Studied electronics at uni but now work in software development - this is giving me some nightmare flashbacks of midnight library sessions.
4:55 😁 ⚡🔥 - you know your audience oh so well Clive 😁
Hello Clive, I’m not polite enough not to tell the people who voted Thumbs Down as a bunch of fannies. Keep these awesome video going - you totally rock.
Can confirm Lighter fluid (I think Petrol is mostly the same stuff) does a really good job removing sticky glue. Works really well getting rid of glue residue from labels.
I use surgical spirit. Not quite so stinky.
I hate how some battery banks will shut off if your running a USB light with a dimmer, on the low setting some banks will just turn off.
Similar issue charging my headphones, current too low to keep the output on. Fortunately two ports, so I put my phone on it, too.
There are some circuits you can build to help with that issue. I saw one that used a 555 timer to pulse a load. It doesn't take much power, since it's for a very short amount of time.
When faced with the removal of double-sided tape of unknown provenance, my first tool is heat. If using solvents, I've found that ethanol works on some, IPA on others, MEK on others, so I generally try each one a bit gingerly. Acetone is also great but will also eat many plastics of course :)
Be careful with MEK. It's nasty stuff.
Hoorah, it's back, it's the new Rinky-Dinky Poundland Kinky-Pinky 4Ah Powerpack!
🤔👍👍🤣
I like these Geek power banks, they don’t pulse the line noticeably checking if a load is connected esp a low drain one
The usb load that you used works if you run it inline as a current regulator. I have a few and use them as a cc for charging or to dim led's.
There's always a resistor in these devices to measure the current with. Not a high value though.
Hey Clive! Try using some waxed dental floss and solvent under batteries to get em out, pull it under there like ya slicing cheese. A lot more confidence inspiring than spudging a squishy bag of energy out!
The use as a USB UPS could be useful. I was after just such a thing a while back when first getting into single-board ARM machines. The amount of power banks that can do that charge and output thing is rather rare.
Perhaps, if someone wanted to use it for such, they could fit a small passive heatsink to that one chip with some superglue.
Oh, so far as my own usage went, I wound up getting a Chinese 240v -> 12v power supply that supported a 12v battery as a UPS for it. Then I used a bunch of 12v -> USB adaptors and wound up with a lovely 9AH UPS for USB and 12V.
We need to see more food getting a good 240 forking lol
Yeah, the Hot Dogger was pretty cool.
@@tncorgi92 Wonder if Photonicinduction's got his hands on one of those? "How to produce hot-dog ionised plasma" might make a catchy title!
@@phils4634 Lets just stick that new huge ass capbank right across it. Cooking sausages with a bang!
@@DrakkarCalethiel A flash, bang and wallop (from the shockwave!). Seems a great idea (even faster cooking than his 3 phase toaster!)
It feels like I only go to Poundland to get something that either Clive or ashens have featured.
Sometimes it's nice to have a look around.
I definitely do get the electronics stuff if he featured and approved it
All done without the aid of the fire resisting pie dish. Brave man!
I've got a lot to learn still, but between yourself and Great Scott! I've learned a ton about electronics. Thanks so much!
I don't think I've been in a Poundland for years, home bargains or B&M bargains are as close as I've come.
To help release glue on phone batteries and screens I like to set them on the build plate of my 3d printer. Works like a charm. I tend to set it about 50 - 60°C and wait until the whole thing is hot.
Your printouts are so crisp and clear to read and follow, cheers for that💚
As always I suppose 😅
This is a rather belated request given when this video was released, but would you consider opening up an Anker power bank? The model I own is no longer on sale, but I'm curious as to what you think of their quality in general and about what kind of cells they use so I can replace them eventually. It'll be reassuring to see you open it up so I know what to do when I eventually do.
I love your videos, keep up the great work!
I'm pleased to see that the new version CAN be used as a mini UPS. Greatly expands it's usefulness IMHO.
I can’t find it in the specification, but my guess is the green contact is to fix the input voltage to 5v, since usb-C can deliver various voltages.
"This cell, incidentally, is not discharged."
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥😁
I just got a Samsung battery that has 2 usb C ports and wireless charger built in. It can use either usb C port for input or output. Makes it nice because all i now need for usb cords for my phone and ear buds is one usb C to usb C.
My fav spudger now is cheap chopsticks you get at Chinese restaurants. Non-conductive, shapable, fairly dull and fairly strong. Very good for poking in places where there might be live angry pixies. They also don't tear up the seams on plastic as much.
I use a hot air gun on the case behind the battery to soften the adhesive. And don't heat it too hot...
Clive and others in the UK i found that plastic guitar picks make good non metal spudger(theres a few diffrent sizes) they are cheap and quite easy to find i get mine from cash converters for around £2 a pack of about 9
Assuming this only cost a pound like a dollar store over here only cost a dollar then that is an amazing deal. I can't even find power banks at a dollar store here. And you can expect to pay approximately $5 for something like a 3ah or 2.5ah.
Nah, they charge more for some stuff these days. Description says it was a fiver.
@@m__y-t-s I see, a lot less of a deal then.
Acetone will take care of most adhesives, but might attack the case.
Yeah there'd be a puddle of sticky plastic if you used acetone. I've had good luck with the "sticky stuff remover" which smells like some kind of petroleum based product.
@Samson Holdsworth Iso is actually one of the worst solvents for adhesives. You need an organic solvent with a high density to effectively dissolve adhesives.
I prefer sawing adhesive off using dental floss. 😉
@@ferrumignis "goo gone" and similar products are based on citrus or pine terpenes - dense, oily organic solvents.
@@bufordmaddogtannen I'd never considered that, but that's damn clever. I typically use a safety razor blade because they're so thin and flexible.
The best solvent for acrylate adhesive foils is orange oil (the essential oil in the peels). Highly flammable, though, and may eat your plastic.
I have that exact same load test fan. It works fantastic!
Does anyone know why all these power banks have a minimum power draw requirement or else the shut off after a minute? I would love to power small 10mA circuits but can't.
Could you use the powerbank to charge a capacitor then power your circuit from the capacitor?
Perhaps via a current limiting diode? to slow the discharge.
@@theopelgrave5842 I am intrigued by that idea. I will try it today.
It's to save power in standby. When a phone is charged the current drop shuts the power bank off so that any parasitic draw in the phone charging circuitry or the power bank's boost circuitry doesn't continue to drain the battery.
There are circuits that pulse a higher current to keep it awake.
@@bigclivedotcom That clears up a lot of my confusion. I wonder if there are any power bank ICs that allow a user to disengage that feature.
@@bertbrecht7540 There are versions - usually the lower capacity units that always put out 5V.
1:48 did you just call Amps Amp Hours?! 😂
Many USB-C supplies will not provide power unless they can identify the client device and the pulldown resistors tell the host that it's a "dumb" 5V host. This has caused a fair amount of trouble for devices trying to simply move to a USB-C port without paying attention to the standard as older connectors did not need extra components. This has led some manufacturers to dread USB-C and continue using micro-USB for as long as the market would tolerate.
"Charlieplexing" (LED multiplexing) is a neat trick :) If you went to 6 LEDs, just put a 47R resistor in all 3 LED traces.
For the cell alone it’s worth it but a low power draw like Wayze security cams would be great for these as they draw 2-4w if it really can do UPS style which is hard to find.
Would throwing this in the freezer help release the adhesive? I found it works very well with some adhesives but not others.
possibly heating it with a heat gun would be very effective in softening the adhesive.
@@darkknight145 Quick hit from the back with the heat gun, just like them basement professionals repair screens.
To help remove lithium batteries I use a cut up credit card, I put a slight 'chisel' profile on the edge, with a slight curve...it seems to go under batteries without risk of puncture, or deforming the battery...
I'm leavering cells from phones and macbooks on daily basis. Isopropanol is your friend, and so is some kind of plastic spudger. The cells can take much more bending and pulling than I initially thought. None went up in flames on me yet.
I'm gagging for a Poundland Top Ten Tat! Frankly I would be super happy with a top 5 (and the production costs would be lower). One wonders if a top five is even feasible given the underlying.
The way you hold things looks so funny and I can never tell why, I think it’s just because you have massive hands so it looks like you’re picking things up with just the tips of your fingers.
A Really Good Well Thought Out Video All The Best To You Clive.
Would love to see a few videos regarding affordable test equipment. Just like that little USB tester, some of the affordable ESR testers, I could give you a list of some of the best stuff going right now if you’d like. I assume you’re not really interested in test gear as much as every day household items… But it really is the golden age for dirt cheap high-quality test equipment.
I work in my lab full-time doing component level board repair and test equipment calibration/repair… and have a full range of calibrated and metrology great equipment used to check test equipment. I’ve probably purchased over 100 different cheap pieces of test gear over the past few years… And could give some great recommendations if you’re interested. It’s just fun to find super affordable and high-quality equipment. And I enjoy testing it even though most of my clients wouldn’t be interested in this type of stuff… Because they have to use specialty expensive equipment. But I can always make recommendations to others and newcomers to the Hobby
While you would be able to drive 6 LEDs, there is the issue of other possible current paths.
For example, if you have 1 High, 2 Low, and 3 High Z, you have a path through the hypothetical D5 connected directly to 1 and 2.
But you also have the path through D1 and D4.
And the same problem would occur if you tried to turn on an existing LED. If you made 1 High, 2 High Z and 3 Low, you have the intended path through D1, and another possible path through D5 and D3.
While this likely wouldn't be a problem if all the LEDs are the same and aren't broken, if you have different LEDs it could be a problem and more than just the intended LED could light up.
And if an LED broke, then the others would be more likely to light up.
It's not Photonicinduction's channel so I don't expect flames.
Unexpected flames are exciting.
@@tncorgi92 Agreed
That Ruideng USB tester is always upside down whatever you plug it into... 😎
I opened mind at the same time puncturing the lipo lol
Did you use LSD to open your mind???
I always feel that a power bank that says 4000mAH on it ought be to able to supply 4000mAH at the 5V output rather than just at whatever cell or battery is in it.
I've had a "Workzone" battery bank which I purchased from Aldi years ago.
Sturdy chunky thing which has just kept working for years.
I have one of those, happy at how well it's lasted.
They are still selling both versions of these for £5 in Poundland. However the Pink version of the new type was unavailable. Perhaps Big Clive has created a trend. 😀
I wired my bike lights upto a charger like this, they took 2x 3v lithium batteries I figured 5v would be enough to run them, I soldered wires inside them running front to back and put a USB connection soldered in the middle of the run of wire and had a frame bag that held the power bank. Basically I wanted easily rechargeable lights that wouldn't really be a hassle to run. It worked great
My experience is that petrol works much better than isopropyl alcohol on those sticky pads. Thanks for another useful product analysis.