Powerbank Dashcams

[PeteTheGreek]

Hi.
This one is identical to mine in looks but different output. Mines 20,000. I looked all over my RAVpower unit and can't see any stickers etc, so can only go on looks but this one looks identical.
I found the receipt but it doesn't go into great detail
Have you tried ordering direct from RAVpower?
The Passthrough Charging allows you to charge the Powerbank while it's simultaneously charging the dashcam but what I found is that the ravpower turns off when the dashcam is fully charged and back on again when the voltage drops. It seems to function exactly like a hardwire.

 

[StrayCam]

Peter-

Thanks for the additional info!

Funny enough, the U.S. headquarters for RAVpower is only about 25 minutes from me... lol

Here's a link to an article that mentions why RAVpower was taken off of Amazon (which @SawMaster mentioned).

Amazon confirms it removed RavPower, a popular phone battery and charger brand

Update: Amazon confirms.

www.theverge.com

Btw I did a search on RAVpower website for "pass through charging" and nothing shows up. If they don't offer that, could I just rotate batteries that get charged from home... or could they still be charged in car? And would I need a special charger/charging wire to charge RAVpower batteries?

 

[StrayCam]

Peter-

Here's another link to another thread here on DCT that discusses the use of RAVpower batteries for parking mode...

Using power pack for parking mode

RAVPower doesn't full explain what technique they use to manage their pass through charging but the more I read their blog entries about the subject the more they seem to offer caveats, precautionary remarks and what I might call "rationalizations" about why the practice, at least with "their"...

dashcamtalk.com

 

[PeteTheGreek]

How amazing is that!
Do they have a counter?
If so, maybe you could pop in and ask the question regarding Passthrough Charging?
Rotation is what I'm planning to do.
Someone mentioned killing the batteries in the dashcam. To be honest, I don't think I've ever had a dashcam where the battery has passed 18 months and that's just plugged into lighter socket.
The ravpower can be charged from in the car. I would find a really good quality type charging lead. I have one that's like Rubber.

I've attached a picture for you. Other than that you should be good to go.
25 min from RAVpower and here's me having to wait almost two weeks for mine

 

[TonyM]

Well, it's been 5+ Weeks since I powered my dashcams via RAVpower Powerbanks.
I've just got over covid with wife so sorry for delay coming back.
Checked the Powerbanks today and both on 67% ish, despite being on 24/7.
At this rate I would estimate that a full charge should give about three months use before doing a full charge at home.

I find those numbers rather confusing, or misleading. You can't power a dashcam 24/7 for 3 months with a 20,000mah powerbank.

I assume you're doing a fair amount of driving to keep the powerbank charged?? How fast can you recharge it in the car - 12W, 18W?

 

[Kremmen]

My main concern would be having it recording 24x7. Surely it's got to burn out prematurely ?

 

[Nigel]

I find those numbers rather confusing, or misleading. You can't power a dashcam 24/7 for 3 months with a 20,000mah powerbank.

I assume you're doing a fair amount of driving to keep the powerbank charged?? How fast can you recharge it in the car - 12W, 18W?

It would be useful for this thread if Pete could explain what is being powered when parked...

If the dashcam is recording 24/7 while parked then, yes, it will never last 3 months on one charge.

If the dashcam is asleep, waiting for a g-sensor impact to wake it up, then it could last 3 months, but most USB powerbanks would decide that due to very low power consumption, the device was fully charged, and so the powerbank would power off.

So normally, you would need a dedicated dashcam powerbank, such as Cellink Neo, for it to continue powering the dashcam and a dashcam with a low power Sleep mode that uses almost no power unless woken up by g-sensor or radar (eg Thinkware U1000). Of course the problem then is that when the dashcam detects an event, by the time it wakes up and starts recording, the event is over and there is nothing of interest to record...

Pete has a Nextbase camera? And they have an internal battery that will wake them up on g-sensor without needing powerbank power? And maybe waking up can trigger the RAVPower to restart charging? In which case, my question is, how long does it take to wake up and start recording when something interesting happens?

 

[Kremmen]

Nextbase dashcams have 2 connection methods depending on owner requirements.

Connection 1 is ignition controlled and parking mode is impossible as the internal battery will deplete too early.

Connection 2 is permanent power and the dashcam goes to sleep after x minutes of motion inactivity. With a powerbank connected this is how I see it. Theoretically it should then go to sleep waiting for a sensor to wake it.

By now the OP should be able to interrogate the file structure and post whether there are gaps in recording when parked and recorded files once the car is started and driven.

 

[PeteTheGreek]

My main concern would be having it recording 24x7. Surely it's got to burn out prematurely ?

Sorry.
Prob the way I explained it. Its not recording 24/7.
Its in parking mode when parked up so only records when triggered.

 

[PeteTheGreek]

It would be useful for this thread if Pete could explain what is being powered when parked...

If the dashcam is recording 24/7 while parked then, yes, it will never last 3 months on one charge.

If the dashcam is asleep, waiting for a g-sensor impact to wake it up, then it could last 3 months, but most USB powerbanks would decide that due to very low power consumption, the device was fully charged, and so the powerbank would power off.

So normally, you would need a dedicated dashcam powerbank, such as Cellink Neo, for it to continue powering the dashcam and a dashcam with a low power Sleep mode that uses almost no power unless woken up by g-sensor or radar (eg Thinkware U1000). Of course the problem then is that when the dashcam detects an event, by the time it wakes up and starts recording, the event is over and there is nothing of interest to record...

Pete has a Nextbase camera? And they have an internal battery that will wake them up on g-sensor without needing powerbank power? And maybe waking up can trigger the RAVPower to restart charging? In which case, my question is, how long does it take to wake up and start recording when something interesting happens?

Hi.
That was interesting reading.
Instantly is the answer.
Literally slamming or opening the door causes the dashcam to record. Just a few seconds later, the Powerbank red light ignites and charging commences.
I didn't know there were dedicated powerbanks for dashcams??
Could you shed some light on these pls?

 

[PeteTheGreek]

Nextbase dashcams have 2 connection methods depending on owner requirements.

Connection 1 is ignition controlled and parking mode is impossible as the internal battery will deplete too early.

Connection 2 is permanent power and the dashcam goes to sleep after x minutes of motion inactivity. With a powerbank connected this is how I see it. Theoretically it should then go to sleep waiting for a sensor to wake it.

By now the OP should be able to interrogate the file structure and post whether there are gaps in recording when parked and recorded files once the car is started and driven.

Definitely no gaps in recording while the vehicle is moving.
When stationary, I can say the dashcam activates recording (wakes up) every time a door is opened or closed. (motion detected).

 

[PeteTheGreek]

I find those numbers rather confusing, or misleading. You can't power a dashcam 24/7 for 3 months with a 20,000mah powerbank.

I assume you're doing a fair amount of driving to keep the powerbank charged?? How fast can you recharge it in the car - 12W, 18W?

Hi Tony.
Sorry. Seems you only got some of my posts.
To clarify. The ravpower is plugged into my lighter socket and is constantly charged when the vehicle is moving. It seems to sense when the dashcam is fully charged or discharged so it applies power accordingly. Up to now I have not had to charge it manually.
Also, the 24/7 is MY OWN error. It's on standby when parked so not recording 24/7. That part was a typo on my part and not meant to mislead.
Hope this helps.

 

[PeteTheGreek]

I find those numbers rather confusing, or misleading. You can't power a dashcam 24/7 for 3 months with a 20,000mah powerbank.

I assume you're doing a fair amount of driving to keep the powerbank charged?? How fast can you recharge it in the car - 12W, 18W?

It would be useful for this thread if Pete could explain what is being powered when parked...

If the dashcam is recording 24/7 while parked then, yes, it will never last 3 months on one charge.

If the dashcam is asleep, waiting for a g-sensor impact to wake it up, then it could last 3 months, but most USB powerbanks would decide that due to very low power consumption, the device was fully charged, and so the powerbank would power off.

So normally, you would need a dedicated dashcam powerbank, such as Cellink Neo, for it to continue powering the dashcam and a dashcam with a low power Sleep mode that uses almost no power unless woken up by g-sensor or radar (eg Thinkware U1000). Of course the problem then is that when the dashcam detects an event, by the time it wakes up and starts recording, the event is over and there is nothing of interest to record...

Pete has a Nextbase camera? And they have an internal battery that will wake them up on g-sensor without needing powerbank power? And maybe waking up can trigger the RAVPower to restart charging? In which case, my question is, how long does it take to wake up and start recording when something interesting happens?

Just looking at the Cellink Neo.
It's a brilliant device but too many bells and whistles, don't you think.
Also, the App is very buggy and seems to request location before allowing you to connect.
Looking at the app reviews it's not a great device.
Why don't they just make a simple one. An app for a battery just seems very overrated?
I was excited when you mentioned it

 

[Nigel]

Why don't they just make a simple one. An app for a battery just seems very overrated?

To make it more expensive = more profit?

 

[SawMaster]

IMHO the Neo is overpriced, but yiou pay for it's plug-and-play convenience so maybe not. More concerning to me is that a notable number of them see one of the cells inside fail in service long before they should. Made by Egen which is known for good stuff which makes the problem hard to understand, but my guess is that they might be using "B" grade cells and not "matching" them, but instead just counting on all the cells from a manufactured batch being the same. With "A" grade cells the practice is acceptable- most Li powered multi-cell devices are built that way- but with "B" grade there's more variation between cells and matching is advisable.

When Cellink was the only game in town for a plug-and-play no-touch dashcam battery it was a no-brainer and a good choice. That may not hold true now- you decide.

Phil

 

[Nigel]

More concerning to me is that a notable number of them see one of the cells inside fail in service long before they should. Made by Egen which is known for good stuff which makes the problem hard to understand,

They are charging them rather fast, so long life should not be expected, especially if they are poorly matched B cells.

 

[PeteTheGreek]

Well. Thought I would update everyone on my Ravpower Dashcams.
3500 Miles of driving and several months later and all going well. Ravpowers hardly need charging. Around once every three months.
Dashcams work brilliant on parking mode and while driving. Popped into a local Halfords store last week and one of the techy guys was blown away by the setup.
Next best thing to paying hundreds of pounds for a DVR type setup.
Everything works great anyhow and no hiccups at all.
Did a format last week and carefully scanned through all the files- not a single one missing.
All good so far. Will keep updating.

 

[PeteTheGreek]

Well. It's been a good few months now since my Ravpowers were installed in my car, feeding two dashcams.
Despite many "experts" on forums saying it wouldn't work, from it will kill the dashcam batteries to destroying the Ravpowers, none of their theories have materialised.
The dashcams work 10x better than when they were hardwired and constantly missing footage.
Now, everything is recording great and I'm not concerned about a dead battery or missed footage during parking mode.
I have recommended this method to two brothers, a neighbour and our local pub landlord whom we have known many years. All have taken on the project and all are ecstatic to have cams that don't keep bleeping low battery.
It works!
But it doesn't just work!
It works amazingly good.

 

[Dashmellow]

This is now your fifth thread about your questionable charging practices with the RAVpower powerbank you claim to own. What is the point in launching thread after thread about this?

Nobody ever said that charging a powerbank at the same time it is discharging "won't work". What was said in no uncertain terms is that engaging in this practice is unwise because it can damage the cells in the powerbank and can also damage your camera.

The fact that you have not experienced any problems to date that you are aware of is meaningless.

Abusing lithium-ion battery cells is a bad idea, PERIOD, but in this case the phenomenon of "mini-cycling" as a result of charging a battery bank while it is discharging can not only damage the powerbank's charging circuitry and battery cells but can also damage the device that is being charged by the powerbank. Damage may happen slowly and imperceptibly but it is indeed happening. It can potentially lead to a condition called "lithium metal plating" inside the cells and the creation of dendrites which are whiskers of lithium that grow inside lithium-ion batteries, which can cause the bank and devices they’re powering to lose power more quickly, short out, and in some instances, catch fire.

There is a good reason that both RAVpower and Anker stopped offering "pass-through-charging" powerbanks years ago with one or two specialized exceptions. For example, the only pass-through-charging powerbank RAVpower currently offers is a specialized 5000 mAh wireless phone charger. None of their standard powerbanks claims to have the feature anymore and they may not have really had it in the first place. Both RAVpower and Anker's approach to "pass-through-charging" were questionable and is the reason they stopped offering the feature. Currently, ZENDURE is one of the only powerbank companies to legitimately offer powerbanks with the proper circuitry for pass-through-charging but these are far more costly than the devices offered by Anker and RAVpower because of the more sophisticated circuitry required which is more like battery management you would find in a cell phone.

Anker Support - when Anker cautions that pass-through-charging can cause your powerbank to rapidly power on and off, they are referring to the phenomenon called "mini-cycling". What Anker is basically acknowledging here is that their powerbanks did not really have "pass-through-charging" because "mini-cycling" would be entirely eliminated in a powerbank that had the proper circuitry.



Anker Technical Support



Even when RAVpower sold powerbanks that were "supposed" to offer pass-through-charging, they recommended only using the feature "from time to time" rather than full time.

Team RAVpower support


Even when RAVpower was still offering powerbanks that claimed to have pass-through-charging they advised not to use it for long periods of time and to only use it for emergency situations. And this advice didn't even take into consideration the added stress to a powerbank that is permanently left inside the cabin of an automobile where the powerbank is subjected constant vibrations and temperature extremes, an environment they were never built for.



From Battery University - Charging Lithium-ion
"Batteries In A Portable World" by Isodor Buchmann

 

[Nigel]

Well. It's been a good few months now since my Ravpowers were installed in my car, feeding two dashcams.
Despite many "experts" on forums saying it wouldn't work, from it will kill the dashcam batteries to destroying the Ravpowers, none of their theories have materialised.
The dashcams work 10x better than when they were hardwired and constantly missing footage.
Now, everything is recording great and I'm not concerned about a dead battery or missed footage during parking mode.
I have recommended this method to two brothers, a neighbour and our local pub landlord whom we have known many years. All have taken on the project and all are ecstatic to have cams that don't keep bleeping low battery.
It works!
But it doesn't just work!
It works amazingly good.

Don't worry about the "experts" that don't understand how these batteries work but still give their opinions!

The reason RAVpower suggest not to use pass through charging long term is that when most people use it, they use it between a charger and phone or tablet or laptop, where the battery ends up at maximum charge for very long periods. Lithium batteries don't like to be permanently at maximum charge, doing so does reduce their lifetime, but you are not using it in that way, and you are accepting that using the power bank will slowly wear it out, so you have nothing to worry about.

There can be problems with passthrough charging on some powerbanks when combined with some dashcameras, where the output of the powerbank glitches as the car ignition is turned on/off, which can result in the dashcam shutting down. This makes it very difficult to recommend using powerbanks in the way you are using them, especially for super capacitor based dashcams, which is what most people here have, but if you have a combination that works then there is no need to worry.

The main thing to worry about when using powerbanks is to make sure they are supervised whenever they are being charged. Ensure that you are ready to deal with a powerbank fire in the unlikely event that they do catch fire. You should find this message included in the instructions for every lithium powerbank.