Anypower T Power Plus Alpha [full review video added]

I emailed them back just two days agoasking about the status. their previous response said:

Recently We are adjusting the Programing on CPU enable to match with PCB circuit for T-Power plus Alpha becuase sometimes the current in UPS would be higher and the UPS might works unstable.

This is supposedly the issue they found, and I don't understand it enough other than just to wait. I was hoping they would get back to me.

Since then I have been using the Cellink B which is a lot bigger but charges quite a bit faster. Mine doesn't even connect to a permanent on fuse and I think it has only ever died ONCE, besides that it basically has been powering my rear dr550 nonstop the last month with an ACC fuse.

you can connect it to a permanent fuse too so it will use the car battery once the battery in the cellink dies. I was going to have my review on it within the week.

It is more expensive than the t power plus alpha though, and it is significantly bigger. so its harder to install but I am going to cover that in my review.

I likely will be switching to two cellink B's for my dr550 and dr650.

I think the only place you can get them right now is blackboxmycar.com and i believe they are around $180 each (pricey I know! but you can use my coupon code USDASH to get $10 off, not much but helps a bit). Mine was sent for review but I plan on buying one actually.
 
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Couple of questions:
  1. Does the Cellink B have an override switch, so you can turn it off (e.g., when parked in your garage) to avoid wasting charging cycles?
  2. Does the box include a USB input adapter, or do you have to use that large cigarette adapter to power the dashcam?
  3. Does the Cellink B power the camera from the 12VDC input when power is available, or is the cam always powered by the batteries in the pack?
  4. Does the manual mention what the max. output is? I'm wondering if I can use a splitter to power 2 separate camera systems instead of 1 dual channel system.
I do like that it uses the LiFePO4 battery chemistry, as it's much safer/robust in extreme environments (but does have a larger footprint).
 
Couple of questions:
  1. Does the Cellink B have an override switch, so you can turn it off (e.g., when parked in your garage) to avoid wasting charging cycles?
  2. Does the box include a USB input adapter, or do you have to use that large cigarette adapter to power the dashcam?
  3. Does the Cellink B power the camera from the 12VDC input when power is available, or is the cam always powered by the batteries in the pack?
  4. Does the manual mention what the max. output is? I'm wondering if I can use a splitter to power 2 separate camera systems instead of 1 dual channel system.
I do like that it uses the LiFePO4 battery chemistry, as it's much safer/robust in extreme environments (but does have a larger footprint).


got my full review up here:

https://dashcamtalk.com/forum/threads/cellink-b-review.11276/

and answering your specific questions:

1. nope, but neither does the t power plus alpha. the old t power plus did but they removed it with the new model. you would need to DIY some sort of switch in the wiring if you really wanted it.

2. nope, no USB adapter.

3. the cellink b powers through its own internal battery first, and it lasts pretty darn long, and charges fast. if you hardwire it to an always on batt fuse it can last even longer though. it only uses the car battery once its own battery dies, which is the opposite of the t power plus. this was designed with BMW's in mind supposedly which gives battery discharge errors to drivers who hardwire dash cams, so they want it to use the internal battery before the car battery.

4. not sure what the max output is. says 12.8v 6000mAh 76.8W though if that helps.
 
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Has anyone tried charging the cellink from home with an adapter? After the first beep, the red led lights up. However a short time later, the green and red led blink alternately and beeps twice. Not sure what it means but i sense something not right so just stop the charging.

My drives are not long enough to give the cellink a full charge so thought of charging from home once in a while to maintain the battery in good condition.

Anyone with experience?
 
Ill try it. FYI I did add a cellink b thread last night with my review if you wanna chat about it in that thread. In mobile so too lazy to link.
 
I have the exact same problem as mentioned above.

T Power Plus Alpha was purchased from CANADADASHCAM.COM to be installed in Mercedes s-class vehicle. Main battery terminals hooked up to 30A fuse with constant flow (~12.31V) and a proper ground point. ACC hooked up to 15A fuse (~12.30V) with power on ignition. A single blackvue DR550 with wifi function connected to this battery pack and unit set to switch on at 12.1V setting.

With the vehicle shut-off, battery takes on a charge (humming noise from unit) for the first few hours and dashcam working just fine then battery dies and unit shuts off. No output power from battery and indicator lights off. With ignition ON there is still no output from T Power Plus Alpha and it is not taking a charge. Re-checked all voltages at fuses, same as before, not faults found.

Upon further investigation determined there is a programming problem with the unit. Tried to send back for exchange/refund with CANADADASHCAM.COM but was hugely disappointed. Supplier is an arrogant prick who by the looks of it intentionally marked this device as clearance after it has been returned previously and applied a no refund policy.

Final verdict: I was unable to figure out or solve this issue and was obliged to remove device from vehicle after a long installation in the first place. I can’t blame the T Power Plus Alpha or its manufacturer entirely for this mishap since I am well aware that battery packs go flat if not stored properly. There is dedicated equipment for storing and power cycling batteries of any kind and you should know that Jason from CANADADASHCAM.COM
 
Just so everyone has the full story regarding Mr. Sim experience, as he failed to mention the following:

The device was returned to us, and all the cabling had been cut, and another part was missing. When you modify the device, including the cable, you will risk voiding your warranty from the manufacture. We provide full customer support via email and our toll-free number, and even spoke with the customer on the weekend. Unfortunately the device was tampered with, and that will void any warranty with any manufacture. As always, we have thousands of awesome and happy customers. And we're happy to talk to and support all of them. This will be the first and last reply to this tread.

Jason

I have the exact same problem as mentioned above.

T Power Plus Alpha was purchased from CANADADASHCAM.COM to be installed in Mercedes s-class vehicle. Main battery terminals hooked up to 30A fuse with constant flow (~12.31V) and a proper ground point. ACC hooked up to 15A fuse (~12.30V) with power on ignition. A single blackvue DR550 with wifi function connected to this battery pack and unit set to switch on at 12.1V setting.

With the vehicle shut-off, battery takes on a charge (humming noise from unit) for the first few hours and dashcam working just fine then battery dies and unit shuts off. No output power from battery and indicator lights off. With ignition ON there is still no output from T Power Plus Alpha and it is not taking a charge. Re-checked all voltages at fuses, same as before, not faults found.

Upon further investigation determined there is a programming problem with the unit. Tried to send back for exchange/refund with CANADADASHCAM.COM but was hugely disappointed. Supplier is an arrogant prick who by the looks of it intentionally marked this device as clearance after it has been returned previously and applied a no refund policy.

Final verdict: I was unable to figure out or solve this issue and was obliged to remove device from vehicle after a long installation in the first place. I can’t blame the T Power Plus Alpha or its manufacturer entirely for this mishap since I am well aware that battery packs go flat if not stored properly. There is dedicated equipment for storing and power cycling batteries of any kind and you should know that Jason from CANADADASHCAM.COM
 
Jason,

Perhaps you can explain this to me as I am baffled by the fact that there are no negative reviews on your website CANADADASHCAM.COM about any of the products that you sell?
 
Just so we are clear here: canadadashcam.com website operator Jason (operating out of his basement and pulling a day job to pay the bills) has no say in any warranty returns because he is not qualified technician and does not install equipment into vehicles, he also has no ties with the factory that produces this equipment. This business has no retail locations that you can visit and it will not send you a prepaid label for the return shipping. If you buy from this site (please note only positive reviews there from fictional buyers) and have the need to return the merchandise for whatever reason you will be disappointed.

“If you have any warranty issues, Canada Dashcam looks after you. There is no need to contact the manufacture directly, and no need to ship your camera overseas.”

I found this on there lol sounds like a technicality that he added to cover his behind.

If anyone has had issue with the T Power Plus Alpha either it is purchased there or elsewhere please continue this thread and together we can figure this out.
 
Did you modify it, and if so why?

It seems as if the t power plus did seem to have issues in the past. as I have mentioned before I returned mine to the manufacturer in korea and they sent me a new one. i had TWO fail. one t power and one t power plus. i still use one to this day though and it has never had issues since. I had been in contact with the company (although I did pay for them from amazon, all three that i bought originally) so they DID know I ran my youtube channel so I dunno how that may have affected their return for me.

I believe i mentioned it before but the manufacturer told me they were reprogramming it but that was awhile ago.
 
My experience with TPowerplus alfa.

I decided to buy a “TPower plus α” from Anypower. There was a leaflet with two different mounting modes in the box: the “Continuous power mode” and the “Cigar power mode”. I thought this would go straight forward; …not so. The instructions were not very clear to me and above all I couldn’t find information about the properties of the different hardwiring methods. So I went back to internet and this made the confusion even worse. Do you have to follow the “Continuous Power Mode”?, the “Cigar Power Mode”? Why should I use one or the other? What is the ACC input? Do I have to connect it to the 12V or only connect the red cable to the 12V? etc…
I did some experiments with my TPowerplus alfa connected to my DR 650GW-2CH, below you will find my conclusions. For those who want a more detailed description, I refer to the attachment.

Rik



If you use the “Continuous power mode” or the “Cigar mode” following the connection instructions given in the Anypower leaflet, you are safe.

BUT! In the cigar mode, check that the cigar lighter is disconnected from the car battery when the engine is off, or when the car is in sleeping mode. If not your battery may discharge below the safe level.

In parking mode, the autonomy of your cam will be longer in Continuous power mode than in Cigar mode.


  • Don’t! Connect the ACC at a place that stays “hot” when the engine is off or when the car is in sleeping mode. You will discharge your car battery below the safe voltage level.

  • Don’t! Put the Tpp in Cigar mode when the 12Vin (B+) is connected to a place that stays hot when the engine is off.

  • Don’t! Forget to connect ACC to a place that is hot when the engine is on, or to use the Cigar mode; if you do, you will not charge the battery of the Tpp.
 

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