Next Powerhouse - features requested?

[professor]

The current Powerhouse, is a slightly modified version of the original which was released for say on April 18th 2016.

It has some key strengths:

• for its Wh it is smaller and lower cost than competitors
• it provides most outputs you’d need.

It did state a solar option input at the start but that vapored.

I believe Anker can, and possibly is, make a better Powerhouse. I’d like to suggest what is viable for Anker to physically make.

• Serviceable parts. The Powerhouse is currently a sealed unit, like all Powercores, but unlike Powercores costing $10-$100, the Powerhouse is a $300-$500 item and with more cells inside there are more parts to fail and a limited warranty. I believe Anker can make a modular architecture with slotted-in smaller batteries, say comprised of 50Wh-80Wh Lithium Poly in very basic protection and the future Powerhouse has say 8 slots, so if one fails you can replace. I think Anker could make it a free replacement for say a year then a for-fee replacement thereafter, and if you do not replace a failed slot, then the max Wh and max Watts drops, so the Powerhouse will last longer, with a more graceful ageing option. The user-replaceable slotted cells are sent back in a supplied hardened case to protect in transport given they’d be “naked” Lithium cells.

• More water resistant. I think you can borrow from some of the Soundcore products with covered ports.

• DC diallable output upto a reasonable max (say 19V) and a supplied set of common shaped connectors so that DC-DC is supplied to devices like laptops. Less common connectors sold for a fee. This will reduce total size of equipment for a camping trip and make for a more efficient conversion, so the future Powerhouse delivers more laptop use.

• USB-PD output, I expect it can do right up to 100W USB-PD for future-proofing.

• Optional case, to ruggedized and additional water penetration protection when not in use.

• Variable DC input of any voltage. This will in particular then allow any solar panel to be used unregulated.

Does anyone else have suggestions?

[cade963]

Did u know the power house can charge electric scooters and bikes.

[TheDude]

Great modular battery bank idea that @Harish_Sridharan came up with isn’t it?

[Insider]

It did state a solar option input at the start but that vapored.

I remember that. Didn’t end up materializing, huh?

As for any features I’d request, I trust what you think

[pauldey]

A German version would be nice

[TheDude]

And be 3 times the price😆

[professor]

No, the modular idea is a very old one. Example I had 7 months ago.

Share Your Suggestions to Win Anker Gift Packs

I'd like to see from Anker in 2017 use of the LED technology from the Lumos with the flatter type Powercore battery shapes to make a Powercore with a bright deskside light. This is for those who want a personal light which runs off battery but not the pointed harsher light of the torches type. Rechargeble, obviously. You could then give this battery a setting (say double-press fast) where if the mains input power to it goes out, then it turns its light on automatically (say just a single press…

The intelligent part is how well it is designed and implemented for cost and reliability. Actual modularity is as old as mud and straw.

What I’m evolving is how to design it for cost and reliability. The specifics of modularity at scale.

If you go back through this I have been trying to think about how to solve the serviceability problem.

e.g. one from 2 months ago

Big Sale: Anker PowerHouse

...followed by someone saying "but I just bought the Powerhouse2" What I'd make: - self-service swappable cells with a commitment to sell for 3 years. - DC output diallable upto say 30V with a set of tips of common items - DC input from any voltage so any solar cell would work

[professor]

I been thinking more about what you’d get with a bigger DC-DC converter like you have in a Powerhouse form-factor which can dissipate heat better than a smaller device like a typical Powercore. The bigger the ratio of DC/DC in/out the more the heat so this is a good product genre for solving the solar problem.

Solar either is unregulated or regulated. If it is regulated then it has the DC-DC converter itself to output a particular voltage (6V and 12V seem popular) but that conversion has its own inefficiences. If you then took that regulated output and input to a future Powerhouse then you’d have yet another DC-DC converter to then feed the Lithium cells. So a more efficient design is to have any unregulated solar panel feed directly into the future Powerhouse. You’d then lower the cost of solar and make useful gain from any solar product.

If you combine it all then you’d take any type of input and product any type of output, within limits. Example missing input: 12V DC from common cigarette lighter, so the idea would solve that example lack of source problem.

The value would improve, efficiency improve, total volume, total weight is reduced. You’d not need your laptop charger

(nor your scooter charger, its just about the shape of the plug)

[professor]

Indirectly.

The scooter/bike will have its own non-USB input, like its own 110V wall socket charger. The issue you’d have stacked inefficiencies, DC-AC then AC-DC. If you allow a diallable DC output then its just the plug shape problem. You’d get more scooter recharges per Powerhouse charge.