Quick update for @Abhishek and @Syed regarding Dreamcatcher current draw. After a boot or reboot, the Dreamcatcher settles down to a modest .4 amp at 5.0 vdc. I never saw that before. As a result, it works nicely with an Adafruit PowerBoost 1000 Charger - Rechargeable 5V Lipo USB Boost @ 1A - 1000C
I’m not getting any overheating, and with the Boston Power Swing 5,300, I can run off line for about 5 hours. Ken
Five hours is ok for short-term backup purposes, but my guess is that it’s not particularly useful if you had the radio out in the wild. Just an opinion. What kind of usage do you get from the commercial power packs?
You’re right about usefulness, but my objective here is to be able to do quick setups (with all the power gear self contained in my portable case) without having to look for AC power or carry heavier packs like the EasyAcc 20,000 mAh (which gives me about 18 hours off line).
I can position the Dreamcatcher without having to drag a power line, and when I find a place that works, I’ll have several hours to plug the Adafruit into the USB power module without losing any content or having to reboot. The Adafruit/Lipo combination also gives me an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) for the Dreamcatcher wherever I put it that doesn’t overheat as it did before. Ken
Does the PowerBoost really provide a uninterrupted power? The Dreamcatcher never reboots when new power sources are added or taken away?
The PowerBoost does work as a true UPS. I think you have a couple of PowerBoost like devices there - - WB JN-046F7. I have 3 of them here, and will run my DC with them to see if they work the same as the Atafruit. Ken
The WB JN-046F7 (which you sent me 2 years ago) is working the same. Initially, the DC draws 1.1 amps, then tapers off to about 0.6 amps. When it draws over 1 amp, the WB is warm to the touch, but as the power draw goes down, it cools.
I put the WB JN046F7 (with the Boston Power Swing 5,300) on my primary port forwarded Dreamcatcher so you can look into it by SSH if you like. Ken
To close the discussion for @Abhishek and @Syed on the Adafruit PowerBoost 1000 Charger - Lipo battery which I have successfully run for 2 hours with the ac USB power cube disconnected - -
Both chargers have worked continuously for 15 hours without overheating - - they run warm to the touch (not hot). They do work as an UPS with my Boston Power Swing 5,300 mAh. That said, as a practical consideration for Othernet’s marketing strategy, we’re operating too close to the device’s upper current limit of 1,000 mA in my opinion. The concept is valid, but there are other viable solutions such as an EasyAcc 20,000 mAh device that Zoltan proposed when he was with the company.
I have found a new device now on order from https://www.robotshop.com/en/mp2636-power-booster--charger-module.html - - a 2,500 mA capable Lipo charger I will test next week. With 2,500 mA capability, it should be able to run the Dreamcatcher and recharge a dead Lipo simultaneously. Ken
MP2636 Power Booster Charger Module
The MP2636 ($8 plus shipping and tax from www.robotshop.com) works fine. There are other sources.
I’m using the Boston Power Swing 5,300 mAh Lipo with the MP2636 - - the black USB connection feeds the Dreamcatcher (DC) and the white mini USB plug comes from a 2.4 amp wall charger. The unit runs the DC fine with or without external power. Plugging in/unpluging the external power does not cause a reboot of the DC. When running the DC, the MP2636 recharges the Lipo between .4 to .8 amps, and does not overheat.
Here’s a close up of the MP2636. Hope this helps others. Ken
