42 replies to this topic

[smkranz]

This short pictorial and review shows the Gomadic "AA Emergency Battery Extender" with the two different tips I have. One is the Palm Multi-Connector tip for use in charging my Palm T5, and the other tip I just recently purchased is for charging both a Motorola Razr v3 phone, and my MZ-RH1, both of which use the same mini-USB plug.

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(The beer is a very nice Spaten Oktoberfest. It is self-powered and does not require a charger.)


Charging unit specifications from the Gomadic web site:

Emergency Battery Back-up Unit:
Cable Length: 6 inches
Holds: 4 X AA Alkaline batteries

Output: 5vdc

* Compatible with NiCad, NiMH rechargeable and alkaline batteries
* Integrated diode protects from reverse battery assembly

These shots are the front and rear of the unit (rear photo with battery door removed). Also pictured are the two tips I have, which simply plug onto the end of the 6 inch cord.

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On the top of the unit is an On - Off switch, and on the front is a green LED when the power is on:

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I have previously used the Gomadic charger for my Palm T5 on an extended bus trip, and it worked fine to charge and power the Palm.


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Just recently, I purchased the additional tip for the Motorola Razr v3 phone and used it on a camping trip to recharge the phone. Again, it worked as advertised.

For both the Palm and Razr phone applications, the web site says it will re-charge those devices from a discharged state 2-3 times on one set of batteries.

I just recharged my MZ-RH1 with this device earlier today. I let the RH1 play continuously until the battery charge indicator began blinking...and I let it go on blinking for a pretty good while, but I shut it off before it totally discharged and shut down.

Put a fresh set of AA's into the charger, connected it to the RH1 (which was powered off), and flicked the power switch on the charger to ON. The RH1's display came on and blinked "charging", along with the "time left" indicator which started at 60 minutes. Sure enough, after an hour the RH1 display turned off, and powering up the RH1 shows a fully charged battery meter.

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My guess is that since it only takes an hour to recharge the RH1, this device should provide at least 2-3 recharges on one fresh set of AA alkalines. I don't know what (if any) kind of extended run-time this device would provide to the RH1 if used in tandem with a fully charged gumstick...i.e. if it was connected and powered on while the RH1 was recording a long show, etc.

The AA charging unit with one tip costs $19.95 plus shipping. Additional tips are about $5.

http://www.gomadic.c...y-extender.html

[Roamer]

Thanks for the tests, pictures and link.
Actually, according to the manual, the RH1 is only 80% charged after one hour, and you should allow a couple extra hours to have it fullly charged.

[heathenmagic]

Now you got me wanting a beer! lol. Been looking for this kind of thing for a while, many thanks for sharing this with us. I looked at the link, and it even takes NiMh batteries, which is good. Would be ideal if recording over two of hours of PCM with this gadget connected. I think I will get one though, so thanks for the heads up! I owe you a beer. Lol

[danielbb90]

I was looking at something similar for my iAudio U2, I don't know why I didn't.

lol anyway, thanks for the review and pictorial!

[smkranz]

Thanks for the tests, pictures and link.
Actually, according to the manual, the RH1 is only 80% charged after one hour, and you should allow a couple extra hours to have it fullly charged.

Thanks for the reminder, you are right about that. [Does anyone but than me think that was a goofy and pretty darn useless design "feature" by Sony?]

[The Low Volta]

it is an inherent characteristic of LiIon Batteries that the first 80% charges quickly while it takes a whole lot of time to charge that last 20%... but as LiIon doesn't suffer from memory effects, it isn't necessary to charge fully each time (only when full power is needed)

[mrsoul]

Again, great review and thanks for the links and pricing. Made my day! Makes me long for the days when I lived in the Pacific NW and had access to great craft beers. Can be a long mile between down here in the South. But, again thanks for the mobile charging update and testing/pictorial!

[raintheory]

Nice!

This is definitely going to be my next purchase. Just the other day I was almost out of luck recording one of our jam sessions outdoors because my RH1 was dead... Luckily my fiance had her RH10 with her...

[MandoRod]

I think that the new "Energizer Instant Cell Phone Charger" (w/ USB Mini plug) might also work. I saw this item at Longs Drugs for about $20. More info here: http://www.energizer...ndex_flash.html. Do any of you have one of these, and could you test it with the MZ-RH1?

[smkranz]

Just the other day I was almost out of luck recording one of our jam sessions outdoors because my RH1 was dead... Luckily my fiance had her RH10 with her...

Lucky, indeed! I'd say marry that girl...and quick!

I think that the new "Energizer Instant Cell Phone Charger" (w/ USB Mini plug) might also work. I saw this item at Longs Drugs for about $20. More info here: http://www.energizer...ndex_flash.html. Do any of you have one of these, and could you test it with the MZ-RH1?

Another good-looking find. No specs shown that indicate output, and I don't know squat about battery-power and charging electronics, but I'm wondering how that device with only one or two 1.5v AA batteries would put out the 5v used by the RH1 chargers, and the Gomadic AA charger. Another question is, could the RH1 battery be recharged with less than a 5v output?

Maybe you could spring for the $20 and let us know if it works?

[milomind]

That seems like a good way for me to recharge the RH1's battery away from a power source, but in order to make outdoor festival stealth recording more doable there needs to be a small footprint single or double battery solution. With the sheer amount of USB devices out there, there has to be a ton of products.

Thank god Sony has kept a non-proprietary USB miniplug instead of something cradle recharge only.

I think that a Spaten Octoberfest will be my next purchase, however. I drank a liter at our local German Club's Octoberfest last weekend.

I think that the new "Energizer Instant Cell Phone Charger" (w/ USB Mini plug) might also work. I saw this item at Longs Drugs for about $20. More info here: http://www.energizer...ndex_flash.html. Do any of you have one of these, and could you test it with the MZ-RH1?

Like this thing. I didn't even look to see what the product was, sorry.

[A440]

Something that looks exactly like the Gomadic is on sale at Ebay for $12 shipped.

Like this one:

http://cgi.ebay.com/...ewI...A:IT&rd=1

Or search for Motorola Razr Battery Extender

[smkranz]

Something that looks exactly like the Gomadic is on sale at Ebay for $12 shipped.

Like this one:

http://cgi.ebay.com/...ewI...A:IT&rd=1

Or search for Motorola Razr Battery Extender

It does look pretty much the same as the Gomadic model, except that the photo doesn't show the same plug at the tip which interchanges with various other tips to make it compatible with other devices, nor does it mention this ability in the description.

[milomind]

Killing two birds with one stone this morning. I'm charging a LIP-4WM battery I bought off ebay from China, and I'm doing it with the Energizer instant cell phone charger. I'll check back in later to let you know if my RH1 blew up or not.

[milomind]

All charged up. Seems to be fine, and charged a half charged battery to full in about an hour.

[A440]

Can you take out the LIP-4WM battery and just run the RH1 from the charger?

[raintheory]

Can you take out the LIP-4WM battery and just run the RH1 from the charger?

Should work... I know having the unit plugged into the AC adapter thingy without the battery in works fine. I've no idea how long it would last with the charger thing though.

EDIT: The only thing I would worry about doing this is the fact that if the unit thinks it's running off of AC (which it would if you are using the charger without the LIP-4WM in the unit) it may not try to save power in order to be sure it can write the system file.. So you could lose your recording, in theory.

Edited by raintheory, 21 September 2006 - 06:18 PM.

[milomind]

Can you take out the LIP-4WM battery and just run the RH1 from the charger?

Didn't work when I tried it with the Energizer charger. I think it needs to sense a battery in the unit in order for the charger to turn itself on.

[smkranz]

Didn't work when I tried it with the Energizer charger. I think it needs to sense a battery in the unit in order for the charger to turn itself on.

Could this have something to do with the output voltage of the Energizer charger? I will try to remember to do the same experiment with the Gomadic model which has 5V output.

[smkranz]

Can you take out the LIP-4WM battery and just run the RH1 from the charger?

That's affirmative, at least with the Gomadic model. I just tested it this evening. The pic shows the battery out of the RH1, the Gomadic charger connected and powered on, and the RH1 happily playing away.

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