@Dashmellow what do you make of my online chat with Nextbase, below, about their battery pack (see post #1).
WELCOME TO LIVECHAT
RYAN
2:56 pmHello. How may I help you?
DAVID CHAPMAN
Hi,
I had an email today about the Nextbase External Battery Pack.
Do you have a technical expert to hand?
1st email yesterday: "The battery will not work whilst being charged and the warranty period is 6 months.
Kind Regards
Karen"
Then today: "Nextbase have actually confirmed that the unit can be used whilst being charged"
So, is it safe to charge the pack whilst also using it to power a dash cam?
This is so that when I park up and leave the vehicle I can just leave the cam running on battery power.
RYAN
Hello
Yes I can confirm that you can power your camera and charge the powerbank at the same time
I have just tested it
DAVID CHAPMAN
Isn't in dangerous to do this?
I thought it an unwise idea to charge a lithium-ion power bank at the same time it is being discharged because it puts a great deal of stress on the battery cells.
RYAN
This is the first I have heard of there being any stress caused on the battery while it's being charged, same as you probably use your mobile device while the battery is charging
DAVID CHAPMAN
Ryan, what is your position at Nextbase and what experience do you have of these battery packs? No disrespect intended, just like to know by what authority you speak.
RYAN
Hello David, I have just spoken to the gentleman who designed the powerbank and he has explained to me that...
When the DC out is plugged in while the unit is being charged that the circuit is designed in parallel meaning that the DC out takes priority while any left over current gets redirected to the battery to charge it.
Therefore the unit isn't being drained while it's being charged
DAVID CHAPMAN
There's a debate going on over at Dashcamtalk about whether this pack can be used to safely power a cam AND charge at the same time. The general consensus about similar packs is that it's dangerous.
However, your one seems to have been designed with a dash cam in mind, whereas others charge iPads, phones, etc.
So, could you ask the designer to confirm that this pack was consciously designed with the idea a user could charge it, and power a cam, simultaneously? And that this would be both safe and not cause any damage or loss of lifespan to the battery's cells? Thanks.
RYAN
Yes I can confirm that the pack was consciously designed to charge it's internal battery and power a camera (or DVD player) simultaneously... although the power bank will charge slower than usual while another device is being powered
hope this helps
DAVID CHAPMAN
...and that it's safe to do so and won't cause premature failure of the cells?
RYAN
Correct
I hope that I've answered all of your questions David
DAVID CHAPMAN
Yes, so far! Many thanks!