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Powerbank (portable) for the Macbook Pro's 2016

coreyk said:
I picked up one of these for when I had a 12" Retina MacBook, it worked pretty well. I tried plugging my new 13" MacBook Pro into it and it shows up as charging in macOS at 29w.

https://mycharge.com/products/razorplatinum
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Sweet! I'm just waiting to see if someone tries a regular USB-A 2.4A battery pack with an A to C dongle. If that works at all, even just holds the charge at one place and doesn't even bring it up, that would enough for my emergency needs.

I'll try when I get mine Dec30 if no one has by then.
 
DaMan05 said:
Sweet! I'm just waiting to see if someone tries a regular USB-A 2.4A battery pack with an A to C dongle. If that works at all, even just holds the charge at one place and doesn't even bring it up, that would enough for my emergency needs.

I'll try when I get mine Dec30 if no one has by then.
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I'll try that with the Anker 26800 when I get my 15"
 
Also what would be the difference when charging with a 60w USB-c cable compared to a 87w cable?
 
I think any usb charger/powerbank WILL charge your MacBook, just how fast.

those 12w 'high-output' ones can barely keep up with normal safari web browsing,
if you want to charge while using, you'll probably need a usb charger/powerbank that supports 'usb-c power delivery'.
 
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Nice to see these battery packs showing up, looking forward to a purpose built 15" MBP model. Will be a must buy for me!
 
I've got the Powercore Mini+. Can I connect it to my Mac to charge it up or would it end up charging the Mac? How does it know whether or not it's being charged or to charge something?
 
andy.ringwood said:
I've got the Powercore Mini+. Can I connect it to my Mac to charge it up or would it end up charging the Mac? How does it know whether or not it's being charged or to charge something?
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One like this? Amazon.com: Anker PowerCore+ mini, 3350mAh Lipstick-Sized Portable Charger (3rd Generation, Premium Aluminum Power Bank), One of the Most Compact External Batteries: Cell Phones & Accessories

Only the USB-C spec devices allow you to send power in either direction from a single port. That one charges the battery using the micro-USB connector and charges a device using the USB-A connector so there's no mixing up which direction the power flows.
 
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hallux said:
One like this? Amazon.com: Anker PowerCore+ mini, 3350mAh Lipstick-Sized Portable Charger (3rd Generation, Premium Aluminum Power Bank), One of the Most Compact External Batteries: Cell Phones & Accessories

Only the USB-C spec devices allow you to send power in either direction from a single port. That one charges the battery using the micro-USB connector and charges a device using the USB-A connector so there's no mixing up which direction the power flows.
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Ah, okay. Thanks for clearing that up.
 
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JMac1996 said:
Hello mate,

yes, it shows a connected Power supply like the wall charger from apple. But it doesn't seemed to charge up much.
I will do a test for you today 😉 I'm reporting back soon.



Hmm never thought about it yet. I will try it out.
I bought the powerpack for class. Important was to expand the battery life.
So far I think it's a good combo.
I will report back with some results soon. 😉
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Hey JMac1996, how's the Anker PowerCore+ 20100 USB-C battery pack holding up in terms of charging your 2016 MacBook pro 15"?

I think we need to look at 3 scenarios:

1: MBP being used AND being charged at the same time
2: MBP being used but battery not charging
3: MBP in sleep/off and battery charging

Which one can you achieve w/ your Anker?

I had a quick look at the Power Supply that came w/ the 2016 MBP 15" and there were three outputs written. The 1st one being 20.2V @ 4.3A. I wonder if these are the specs that corresponding to the 3 scenarios I stated above?

The output for Anker PowerCore+ 20100 USB-C is 5V @ 2.4A, which is FAR below the 1st outputs so IF my guess above is correct then it would NOT let you use the MBP AND charge the battery at the same time. The key question is whether that's enough for #2. For me, if I can at least have #2, that would already make a huge difference.
 
DaMan05 said:
Sweet! I'm just waiting to see if someone tries a regular USB-A 2.4A battery pack with an A to C dongle. If that works at all, even just holds the charge at one place and doesn't even bring it up, that would enough for my emergency needs.

I'll try when I get mine Dec30 if no one has by then.
Click to expand...

So I tried this and it did NOT WORK.

AUKEY 10400mAh
37.44 Wh
Output: 5V/2.1A OR 9V/1.8A OR 12V/1.35A

with Anker PowerLine USB-A to USB-C cable.

Plugged it into my 13" MBP wTB and nothing happened.

Note: my original Apple charger's output is 20.3V/3A OR 9V/3A OR 5.2V/2.4A

I guess I need a power pack with higher amperage (at least 2.4A I'm assuming)
 
Chiming in here with my experience... Just got a 13" MBP TB (3.3 i7). I have the Anker PowerCore 20100 https://www.amazon.com/Anker-PowerCore-20100 and when I plug it into the Mac, the Mac sees power connected, but the menu bar says "Battery is Not Charging" (most of the time, once in a while it says charging). If I shut the lid it will charge the Mac, slowly. System information says:
AC Charger Information:

Connected:Yes
Wattage (W):12
Charging:No​

12W makes sense for this battery pack (2.4A x 5V).

The Anker Powercore+ 20100 w/USB-C https://www.amazon.com/Anker-PowerCore-Ultra does 3Ax5V = 15W via the USB-C port. Based on other forum reports I do believe this will charge the MacBook Pro slowly while in use. However, note that on the produce page it says "USB-C port makes it compatible with the new MacBook 2015/2016 (not MacBook Pro), charging at 5V/3A." I think I'm going to buy one and give it a shot.

Why not any of these other solutions? Well, USB-C is just such a mess right now that I'm not comfortable branching out to other brands currently. Anker is one that I trust.

Edit to add this link: https://macperformanceguide.com/blog/2016/20161119_1007-powering-MacBookPro-Anker.html
Which refers to an out of stock Anker "Power Delivery" battery pack that would give 30W.
Anker PowerCore Speed 20000 PD Portable Charger, 20000mAh External Battery with USB Power Delivery (30W), Type-C, PowerIQ & VoltageBoost Technology https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M5BELF8/?tag=diglloyd-20&​

More info:
Google engineer reviews USB-C battery and cables: https://www.amazon.com/gp/profile/amzn1.account

Google Pixel (USB-C) charger and battery options:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1vnpEXfo2H​
 
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I'm actually eyeing this:

http://www.romoss.com/proview.php?ID=3&pID=1

It does DC12-20V @ 3.5A! Now the 87W AC adaptor that came w/ rMBP 15" max out at 20V @ 4.3A so my guess is that this battery, at least on paper, should be able to charge the rMBP 15" or at least POWER it up?

Disclaimer: I have nothing to do w/ this company other than being curious about their product!
 
I have been using the RoMoss Sofun 6 battery for the past month with my late 2011 mbp 17inch. Their portable batteries (Sofun 6(15,600mAh)/Sofun 9(23,400mAh) uses their patented eUSB technology along with their magsafe cable to charge your macbook on the go.

To date they have not come out with their eUSB cable Type-C connector/ only cables available are magsafe 1 and 2.RoMoss batteries need their proprietary cables to work...see pics below

The cost is affordable S$120 for Sofun 6 and S$150 for Sofun 9 compared to the HyperJuice prices.I am using the Sofun 6 and this gives an additional 2-3hrs additional battery life depending on use. Macbook Pro is always hooked up to a usb portable 22inch 1080p monitor for my purposes. These are excellent batteries for my use.

FYI RoMoss is a local singapore company so it is convenient for warranty uses etc.

http://www.romoss.com.sg/product/eusb-sofun-6/
http://www.romoss.com.sg/product/sofun-9/
http://www.romoss.com.sg/product/magsafe-cableoem/


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alecela said:
I'm actually eyeing this:

http://www.romoss.com/proview.php?ID=3&pID=1

It does DC12-20V @ 3.5A! Now the 87W AC adaptor that came w/ rMBP 15" max out at 20V @ 4.3A so my guess is that this battery, at least on paper, should be able to charge the rMBP 15" or at least POWER it up?

Disclaimer: I have nothing to do w/ this company other than being curious about their product!
Click to expand...
 
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mrlowkey said:
I have been using the RoMoss Sofun 6 battery for the past month with my late 2011 mbp 17inch. Their portable batteries (Sofun 6(15,600mAh)/Sofun 9(23,400mAh) uses their patented eUSB technology along with their magsafe cable to charge your macbook on the go.

To date they have not come out with their eUSB cable Type-C connector/ only cables available are magsafe 1 and 2.RoMoss batteries need their proprietary cables to work...see pics below

The cost is affordable S$120 for Sofun 6 and S$150 for Sofun 9 compared to the HyperJuice prices.I am using the Sofun 6 and this gives an additional 2-3hrs additional battery life depending on use. Macbook Pro is always hooked up to a usb portable 22inch 1080p monitor for my purposes. These are excellent batteries for my use.

FYI RoMoss is a local singapore company so it is convenient for warranty uses etc.

http://www.romoss.com.sg/product/eusb-sofun-6/
http://www.romoss.com.sg/product/sofun-9/
http://www.romoss.com.sg/product/magsafe-cableoem/


View attachment 687428 View attachment 687429 View attachment 687431
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Wow, your answer is MUSIC to my ears! A major reason for me to consider the 2016 rMBP is the possibility of extending battery life via the use of portable external battery via USB-C on rare occasions. Given what you wrote above AND my preference on the longer travel keyboard on 2015 rMBP, there's really no lingering reason for me to contemplate the 2016 model anymore... Thanks!

One quick question though: When you said the SoFun6 would give about 2-3 hrs on your 2011 17" MBP? I would assume you mean it would simply power your MBP for about 2-3hrs of uses and it's NOT charging the battery within your MBP during this time?
 
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alecela said:
.....One quick question though: When you said the SoFun6 would give about 2-3 hrs on your 2011 17" MBP? I would assume you mean it would simply power your MBP for about 2-3hrs of uses and it's NOT charging the battery within your MBP during this time?
Click to expand...

If I understand you correctly, in my case RoMoss Sofun 6 charges my MBP 17 inch when I use it to power it on as per pics above..

1. Do note that the Sofun 6 model (15,600mAh) output=65W max good enough for non-retina and retina MBP/MBA 13/11 inch models up to late 2015.

2. However the Sofun 9 model (23,400mAh) output= 85W max good enough for my late 2011 MBP 17 inch model and all 15 inch non-retina and retina models up to mid 2015.

My late 2011 MBP 17 inch battery capacity is 8850mAh at 93% health. I am a heavy chrome user with 10-15 tabs open/photo video editing at 75% brightness and I easily get 5-6hrs of use/ when used with the Sofun 9 model i get an additional 5hrs of battery while recharging my MBP17.

But more so than not, I use an external USB portable 22 inch 1080p monitor at 100% screen brightness with the MBP17. The battery life drops to 3-4hrs depending on whether i am watching 1080p or 720p streaming on Kodi on the external monitor. The Sofun 9 gives it an additional 4-5 hrs and the Sofun 6 gives it an additional 2-3hrs of viewing time.

IMHO the Sofun 9 is a better buy for S$30 more..23400mAh vs 15600mAh=no brainer.

Anyway I got my inspiration from Mr Jonathan Sim's blog article at http://autumnfloods.com/2016/03/17/...ook-air-to-last-for-the-next-couple-of-years/

I can't thank him enough.
 
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mrlowkey said:
View attachment 687545 View attachment 687546

If I understand you correctly, in my case RoMoss Sofun 6 charges my MBP 17 inch when I use it to power it on as per pics below..
Click to expand...

Wow that's even better. So if I understand correctly, you first exhaust the internal battery on your MBP, then you plug in the SoFun6 & get another 2-3hrs of usage. So at the end of the 2-3hrs when the SoFun6 is exhausted, what percentage of power would have been charged on the internal battery of your MBP?
 
alecela said:
Wow that's even better. So if I understand correctly, you first exhaust the internal battery on your MBP, then you plug in the SoFun6 & get another 2-3hrs of usage. So at the end of the 2-3hrs when the SoFun6 is exhausted, what percentage of power would have been charged on the internal battery of your MBP?
Click to expand...

There are unavoidable times i drain the MBP17 internal battery first ( I try not to) then plug in either Sofun 6 or Sofun 9. No problem it charges the internal battery all the way to 100% while I am using the MBP17 on its own. But when using concurrently with the USB portable monitor it charges the internal battery to about 70% on the Sofun 6 and about 85% on the Sofun 9.

I also do the opposite first for setup convenience..I exhaust the Sofun batteries first... at the end on the Sofun 6 = MBP17 reads 90% battery left / on the Sofun 9 = MBP17 reads 100% battery left.
 
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mrlowkey said:
I tend to do the opposite first. I exhaust the Sofun batteries first. Why? during setup i usually plug everything first for convenience.. at the end on the Sofun 6 = MBP 17 reads 90% battery left / on the Sofun 9 = mBP reads 100% battery left.

But there are unavoidable times i drain the MBP17 internal battery first then plug in either Sofun 6 or Sofun 9. No problem it charges the internal battery all the way to 100% while I am using the MBP17 on its own. But when using concurrently with the USB portable monitor it charges the internal battery to about 70% on the Sofun 6 and about 85% on the Sofun 9.
Click to expand...

Ok, the internal battery on 2011 MBP 17" is rated at about 8600mAh (if I got my math correctly with internal battery rated at 11v) so it's definitely good news that the SoFun6 rated at 15,600 mAh can power the MBP AND charge the internal battery to 100% within 2-3hrs.

So am I right to say that w/ SoFun6, you can literally get 2 * 7 + 2 (maybe 3) = 16-17 hrs of usage out of your MBP? Assuming a fully charged internal battery would last you about 7hrs, then 2-3hrs to charge it fully via SoFun6 while exhausting the SoFun6, then another 7hrs on fully re-charged internal battery! I'm excited!
 
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2. However the Sofun 9 model (23,400mAh) output= 85W max good enough for my late 2011 MBP 17 inch model and all 15 inch non-retina and retina models up to mid 2015.

Hi mrlowkey,

on their website, rooms mentioned that the eUSB soft 9 premium model,
max output is 65W ?

am i looking at the right product ?

thanks!
 
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