A Decent Little Power Bank, With a Few Limitations

A few weeks ago FCEM purchased a few of these small 200w Powkey power banks (Amazon link, $80), and I was asked to evaluate one for possible ham radio use.  My overall impression is that it's a pretty good unit, but it is slightly dated and decidedly sub-optimal for ham field use.  Read on, but first let's get the TLDR out of the way.

Pros: Intuitive operation.  All-in-one unit.  4-LED "gas gauge."  Sine wave AC output.  Easy solar.

Cons: "12vdc" outlet is only 11.5vdc.  USB-A only outlets.  AC inverter puts out some radio interference.

Maybe/Maybe Not: Is 200 W maximum output and 146 W-H total enough for your application?

OK, now let's unpack the TLDR.  Intuitive operation, sure.  On/off switch then AC on/off switch, then plug in whatever you're using.  Be sure to take it out of the fitted foam-lined case though first, because there's a vent on each side.  That's easy.  Sine wave AC output is what you want, because that's also the kind of current that comes from home wall sockets.  (Earlier, cheaper power inverters put out "modified sine waves," a sort of stair-step approximation that could damage many devices.  Not recommended.)

It's easy to interface with solar, and in fact I'd recommend buying the combo pack with a 60 watt solar panel for $135 total (link).  Just plug it in, and in good sun it should fully recharge a spent bank in about 4 hours (if the quoted numbers are right).  Of course, you still can and should recharge the bank from a wall socket before heading out.

Now for the downsides.  First and foremost is the 11.5vdc problem, with a 10 amp maximum output current at that.   Some 12vdc devices are OK with this, many aren't.  You can step it up with a boost converter (link, $30), but (a) that's $30 more you have to spend, and (b) you now lose the all-in-one convenience factor.  Oh yeah, and (c) you've got to wire plugs on this extra unit, for whatever plugging you're planning.  But it is doable.  Finally, that 10 amp limit means that you won't be running full-power on any radios – 115 watts input maximum, which translates to about 25 watts RF power out.  So QRP, sure, and a legal-limit CB will do fine, but for typical ham base or mobile units you'll have to dial back the power.

Next up, the USB-A problem.  OK, it only has USB-A ports.  Plug your phone's USB-C charger into one of the two AC ports just like you would at home and rock on.  Don't want to give up an AC socket?  Bring along an AC power strip and you'll have as many ports as you like.  But that's... one... more... thing.

Now, how bad is the problem with the inverter putting out radio frequency interference?  In my testing, an AM radio was unusable in about a 10 foot range around the device, while broadcast FM was unaffected.  It's not bad, but it is something to be aware of, especially if you're thinking of two-way radios.  Again, not bad, but it is there and it is a consideration.

Now for the maybe/maybe nots.  With only 200 watts output, you're not going to run a 1200 watt coffee maker or your kitchen refrigerator on this thing.  Could run the coffee grinder though, and then make your coffee on a camp stove.  And it will run many, many other useful things: a household LED floor lamp (10 watts), maybe a small TV (check its specs), a Dremel tool to sharpen a chainsaw, those sorts of low-draw things.  As for its total energy (146 watt-hours), you could run a couple of lamps all evening and charge a couple of phones (about 15 watt-hours) overnight.  A floor box fan pulls 40 watts on low, so only about 3+ hours there.  Of course, when the power's flowing in from the sun during the daytime and once the battery's charged, it's all free energy until sundown.  Just know the limits and do the math: 200 watts maximum output, 146 watt-hours total, in any combo you like.

Bottom line is this is a pretty nice little plug-and-play unit, with a few hiccups in its design: namely the USB-A only and 11.5vdc output issues.  Paired with its solar panel, it will keep a few lights on, the phones charged, and the coffee beans ground on a car camping trip or after a hurricane, all at a price that won't break the bank.  If any of the cons really bug you – or you just want something with better build quality or a name you recognize – there are lots of other options out there.

Tropical Slop

Three days of stuck-inside rain from TS Bertha:

Well, can't complain too much.  It's moving on west and probably won't develop much farther:

Though, I was heading out on a bike ride when Yet Another small rain band hit.  Meh, again, can't complain too much about this particular storm.

He's a Cat, They Do That

Peter, leaping from the hood of my Mustang:

I'm guessing he has something like this on his tiny little mind:

Cats.  Bizarre as they can be, it's still way better than having rats around the place.

Moved the Old Gravel Bike

After 15 years of riding and over 10 months of casually trying to sell the thing, a friend bought my old Specialized Tricross last weekend.  Here's my favorite picture of it, and some links to relevant blog posts.  Here, have some theme music.

First ever coffeeneuring stop, at the Mockingbird in 2017

• A Nasty Surprise
• To the East End of St. George
• At the Bethel Trails
• A 2020 coffeeneuring interlude (with a nice picture)
• Waiting for Hurricane Zeta
• New pedals! (now rebuilt and transplanted to the Straggler)
• New wheel!
• Parting glamor pic, all freshly washed up and ready to move on.

It's good to see the bike go to a friend who'll both ride and appreciate it.

Re-Reading Ringworld

You know how it goes.  Or you should – in which case you should remedy this deficiency ASAP.  In any case, here's a graphic from Larry Niven's site, and encouragement to re-read it yourself.

Sometimes, you've just got to get there fast.

More on the Over-Biking Trend

The trails got smoother and the bikes got burlier.  Something has to give. over at Singletracks mag.  A little long and ramble-ish, but the problems with bike bloat are real.  Most bike customers have absolutely no use for what in a previous decade would have been considered a downhill race bike.  My 2024 thoughts on this matter.

And now in 2026, you can add an electric motor.

FWIW, it's not all that different in the computer industry:

Think I'll venture forth on my rigid chromoly under-bike now, before this fine July day heats up.  There are few things worth doing that you can't do with a bike like that and a PDP-11.

Crashlander: Some Things Are Better Left Untold

I just finished reading Larry Niven's short story collection Crashlander, a compilation of his

Known Space tales centering on ace star pilot Beowulf Shaeffer.  The collection serves as a sort of biography of one of the main characters in Niven's future history series, and knits these stand-alone shorts together with brief bridge chapters.  It also adds a new (well, 1994) Shaeffer short story, Procrustes, and somewhat ambiguously wraps it all up with a "happily ever after – maybe" epilogue, which is frustrating in and of itself.

The original set of stories dating from the 60's and 70's are all great.  The new short story is not, and neither are the bridge chapters.  The older stories are sleek tales, where Shaeffer figures out the key puzzle piece and with a narrow margin moves on in one piece himself.  Procrustes and its surrounding bridge stories are more of a wheels-within-wheels slog of tale, with several unsavory characters that a smart guy like the Shaeffer of the earlier stories would have automatically avoided.  Not worth the small price of the new collection, not worth the reading time.

All of the good stuff can be found in the earlier collections Neutron Star and Tales of Known Space, along with many other excellent short stories Niven produced in the same era.  Give Crashlander a pass, buy and read those two other collections.  Then use your leftover time to read (or re-read) Protector.