Most laptop batteries are manufactured by all the leading companies in the market like Samsung, Toshiba, Panasonic, Acer, Compaq, Dell, Gateway, HP, IBM, Sony, and last but certainly not least, the new hot Apple iPad.
But since we had a friend recently join the Peace Corps and wanted to find a way to reliably charge his iPad off the grid, we are going to focus on the iPad.
OK, first the boring tech stuff. While the iPad is very power-efficient, it doesn’t hurt that the iPad has a huge battery inside. The i Pad gets its power by 3.75V rechargeable battery(X2 wired in parallel to get 7.5 volts), 24.8 watt-hour (6.5 Amp hour). The 25 watt hour lithium-polymer battery provides the iPad the battery power for the advertised 8 – 10 hours of use. For comparisons, the iPhone 3GS has a 4.51 watt-hour battery and the MacBook Air has a 40 watt-hour battery.
Ten hours of battery life on a device like the iPad may or may not be enough depending on your usage pattern. The iPad “up to” 10 hours of battery life depends whether you’re web surfing, reading,watching movies or listening to music. When you hear the words “up to” it might cause you concern, but there would be no other way to word it since everyone needs a wide a range of iPod battery power draws. Anyone that’s ever used a mobile device knows that battery life varies depending on what you’re doing with the device. The i Pad is no exception so… no big deal. Especially since this iPad battery review is about how to boost the existing battery. However, we should say that continuously use of Apple iPad bluetooth keyboard, while playing music with the blue tooth headset, cut the iPad battery life nearly by about 1/2.
The Brunton Impel 81-000019 145 wH 81-000019 rechargeable battery is a very cool compact portable device that Brunton just came out with. The additional 145 wH of energy will add about 38 hours of additional off-grid use of the iPad (Again, depending on what you are using the i Pad for). You might remember from high school physics that when comparing battery capacities what really matters is watt hours, which is arrived at by multiplying ampere-hours and voltage. The Brunton Impel portable battery has a capacity of 145 watt-hours. That’s enough to light a 100W bulb for over an hour, or to boil 3 cups of water which is an incredible amount of energy for a small lightweight portable battery like the Brunton Impel.
Charging the iPad lithium batteries takes some time. The 10 Watt standard power adapter will power the iPad in about 3 hours which is quite a bit faster than charging via USB from a laptop. There have been some reviews / blogs that report the iPad failing to charge when plugged in via USB. MacWorld offers a good overview of what’s going on, mainly that some older, lower-power USB ports just don’t have the juice to power the i Pad.
Though, in the interest of full disclosure we have not officially test the theory, charging the iPad from the Brunton Impel should be at least comparable to the 10 watt iPad power adaptor if not better. Amps X Volts = Watts. Brunton Impels’ output set at 12V (output is adjustable) is 3.2 amps (3,200 mA) 3.2 amps x 12 volts = 38 watts. The energy capacity of a battery is usually expressed indirectly in ampere hours; to convert watt hours (W·h) to ampere hour (A·h), the watt hour value must be divided by the voltage of the power source. This value is approximate since the voltage is not constant during discharge of a battery.
The Brunton Impel has multiple adapters that come standard. If we attach the extra battery to the USB port and then surf, the Brunton Impel with a rated energy capacity of 145 Wh adds another 39 additional hours of usage to the i Pads’ standard 8 – 10 hour battery.
Charge the Brunton Impel internal rechargeable lithium polymer battery at home or in the car and then head out on an off-grid outing with enough juice to recharge your hand held devices.Features a 5V USB output socket and an adjustable output lets you select 12V, 16V or 19V output socket so you can power your iPad, laptop, cell phone, smartphone, GPS and other electronic devices.
Internal lithium battery of the Brunton Impel has a storage capacity of 145 watt hours. USB output current is rated at 600 mA with an output voltage of 5V. 3,200 mA @ 12V, 16V and 19V. Battery can be recharged from a home electrical outlet, car’s power supply (adapter not included), a computer’s USB 2.0 port or with a Brunton solar panel (sold separately).
Monitor your power usage with the LED display. 5 LED indicates 80 – 100% power remaining; 4 LED indicates 60 – 79.9%; 3 LEDs indicates 40 – 59.9%; 2 LEDs indicates 20 – 39.9%; 1 LED indicates 0 – 19.9%.
Automatic shut-off turns off the Brunton Impel when the charging of your iPad or other electronic device is complete.
The Brunton Impel portable power device can charge nearly any electronic device while you’re off the grid on any adventure vacation from a weekend in the mountains, Grand Canyon or like our friend who is going to Africa with the Peace Corps (very cool). Carry the Brunton Impel renewable battery system because it can charge nearly any electronics device, including iPad, cell phones, smartphones, cameras and laptops through a multitude of built-in outputs.
Water resistant
Brunton Impel iPad Battery Booster
Durable rubberized shell
Weight: Less than 6 ounces
Internal rechargeable Lithium Polymer
Power gauge and auto shut-off
Reverse flow protection
Includes: Accessory cables
Battery storage: 145 WH
USB, 12V, 16V and/or 19V output
Output: 600 mA @ 5V;
3,200 mA @ 12V, 16V and 19V.
Conforms with FCC Standards
Lithium polymer (Iron-Phosphate)
No disposal or overheating issues
Weight: 38 oz
Dimensions: 7.5″ x 7″ x 1″
The Brunton Impel portable battery connects directly to your electronic product without multiple connection cords. Includes an AC adapter for charging the battery with a regular A/C outlet but also includes a connecting cable and 6 adapter tips for powering laptops as well as USB port which will work for your Apple iPad. Some laptop computers such as Samsung, Toshiba, Panasonic, Acer, Compaq, Dell, Gateway, HP, IBM and Sony laptop computer, may require a after market adapter if the standard ones included in the Brunton Impel so not fit.