So just how much capacity is in those battery packs and emergency radios?
I measured them using the tools I wrote about in Incoming Tool: UNI-T UT658DUAL USB LCD USB Type C Digital Tester. Consider these not best case results.
I’m testing a range of devices from dedicated battery packs to hand warmers with USB output. I also want to test some 18650 batteries. One approach for those is to put them in a radio like the XHDATA D-608WB an emergency radio that provides 5V USB output. Once discharged, I can charge them back up with my MiBOXER C8 battery charger that gives a value in mAh once the battery is charged.
| Model | Type | Stated capacity (mAh) | Rated Current (Amps) | Measured mWh | Computed mAh |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bscame BS-1 | Battery Pack | 10000 | 3 | 31460* | 8502 |
| iRonsnow IR-866 | Emergency Radio | 10000 | 1 | 25662* | 6936 |
| C311 | Hand warmer | 10000 | 2 | 24654 | 6663 |
| Sanyo 35E 3500 mAh | 18650 cell | 3500 | 10 | ||
| XHDATA 3000 mAh | 18650 cell | 3000 | ? | ||
| Qodosen 3250 mAh | 18650 cell | 3250 | ? | ||
| EasyAcc PB15000C | Battery Pack | 15000 | 2.1 | ||
| ifrogz IF GLT2-BK0 | Battery flashlight | 3000 | 2.1 | 6940 | 1876 |
| Zhiwhis ZWS-4415 | Emergency Radio | 10000 | 2.4 | ||
| Mregb YD-819 | Battery Pack | 42800 | 3 | 58485 | 15806 |
* See text
Methodology
The USB tester has a significant design flaw; when the test completes (the supply battery is exhausted), it shuts off and loses its measurements. I was lucky to have written down some results from the Bscame BS-1 not too long before it shut down. That didn’t happen with the iRonsnow IR-688. It finished when I wasn’t looking and I have to recharge and start over. These up and down cycles take hours.
I really like the Bscame pack for two reasons. First, it will not shut down under a light load like many of them, which means it can power something like a MLA-30+ antenna. The other is that it displays voltage, current and charge status digitally.
The solution I arrived at is to take time lapse video. I have an old Panasonic HC-V550 camcorder. It has a plug-in power supply that I can leave connected while taking video. I picked an interval of 30 seconds between images. Finding the time lapse feature was difficult. It requires recording in the AVCHD format and then setting Creative Mode before the Lapse option appears.
The first one tested with this setup is the iRonsnow IR-866. Rather than using the ceramic coaster, I put the whole rig on the hearth in front of my never-used fireplace, the same one where I store my 18650 batteries.
Results
iRonsnow IR-866
The first result from the IR-866 had a small flaw in the methodology. I went back to the manual and found that its Output Power was specified as DC 5V/1A. I had set the load for 1.17A, so I was overloading the radio per its specifications. When the supply neared its end, the voltage dropped a good deal. Most battery packs have ratings labels on them, but not the radios.
When I went to find the video on the media card there were two folders, DCIM and PRIVATE. The actual video was buried in a subfolder under PRIVATE. I appreciate Microsoft Copilot explaining the AVCHD and that the file extension I wanted was .mts. It also told me that software I have, Filmora 12, can convert the files, although Windows Media Player can’t display them. So here’s the initial run, noting that I didn’t get 5V probably because of the overload. The 11 second video following represents about 5 hours.
The reported value was 25.662 Wh, which divided by 3.7 V (to match how the public mAh numbers are calculated) gives 6936 mAh, clearly less than 10000, but again I overloaded it.
I packaged up the IR-866 to go to Goodwill.
C111 Hand Warmer
Sometimes my hands get cold and my C111 hand warmer is a pleasant aid. I’ve never used it as a battery supply, but it has a 5V 2A output via a USB-A port. While rated for 2A, I set it at 1.17. I expect around 5 hours for its rated 10000 mAh is exhausted. That will be around 2AM, so I won’t be around to view the results. The video camera is, however, on and even oriented the right way. The device has a 4 LED charge indicator that remains on when charging and discharging.
This was the first test to go 100% smoothly. Its measured capacity was 24.654 wH or 6663 mAh at 3.7V. The pack maintained 1.17A for 4:19:39 and its ending voltage was 4.84V, dropping only 1/100 of a volt during the test.
Evolving results:
18650 Batteries Via XHDATA D-608WB
The XHDATA D-608WB manual says that the output is 5V ≥ 1A. An 18650 cell should provide 10A output but of course it has to go through an upverter circuit to make it 5V.
I have 3 batteries I want to test. One is a Sanyo 35E battery rated at 3500 mAh. The second is one from Qodosen that optionally comes with their radios that’s supposed to achieve around 3250 mAh, and the third is one marketed by XHDATA and provided with the D-808WB data whose capacity is labeled 3000 mAh.
EasyAcc PB15000C
I’ve had this a few years so it’s not a fresh new battery pack. It’s labeled capacity is 15000 mAh at 2.1A. It has a second USB-A port with a separate rating, and these may well be independent. I’ll just test the high capacity one.
Mregb YD-819
This is my most recent acquisition and the one whose capacity I particularly wanted to verify. It far outstrips the others in advertised capacity at a huge 42800 mAh. Since it has a 3A output, I thought I would at least test it at 2A. The starting voltage it supplied was 4.99, or so the tester said. It ran 5 3/4 hours and finished with 58485 mWh, or a paltry 15806 mAh and an ending output voltage of 4.97V.
Since the voltage and current remained almost constant, we could also estimate Wh as simply 4.98 V * 2 A * 5.83 H = 58.066 Wh. That’s fairly close. I suppose it might have delivered more energy at a lower current.
ifrogz IF GLT2-BK0
This is the smallest of the lot and the one with the least advertised capacity at 3000 mAh. I’ve probably had it over 10 years, but it’s rarely used. Because of its age, I wouldn’t suggest using my result for product evaluation. Also because of its age, it charges with a USB Micro cable. The ifrogz GoLite 2.0 that is still for sale on eBay looks very similar. The flashlight is very weak. For the test I set the load to 1.0 A and will used that for all the rest.
Here is the ending result:
6940 / 3.7 = 1876 mAh, out of a rated 3000. It is, however, pretty old. The voltage was pretty consistent, starting at 4.92.