Recommendation: Tecknet iEP380-II + Proporta micro-USB for N900
 

It might seem a little bit strange to recommend a product that doesn't work out of the box with the N900, but that's exactly what I'm about to do.

USB external chargers have moved on considerably in the lifetime of the N900, so I recently bought myself a TeckNet iEP380-II 7000mAh pack, via Amazon. It doesn't conform to the USB dumb charger spec, like many external packs, so you'll need a Proporta cable for it to work with an N900.

Once that's sorted, though, there's much to like. The pack uses a microUSB charging port, so it charges from existing N900 chargers, and it uses microUSB as its default cable too, so it comes with a bunch of adapters that also fit any of your N900 chargers. Very practical indeed, no additional cr*p needed for charging the pack over and above what you'd carry anyway.

Two ports capable of 1A output, haven't fully tested how fast it charges the N900 yet, but means I could, if needed, charge both phone and headphones from it at the same time.

The capacity feels subjectively about right, we'll see, it's not as big and hefty as the 11000mAh packs but should still be able to rescue the N900 two or three times off a single charge. It may not be perfect, but combined with a Proporta cable it seems to be a distinct improvement on most of last year's products, so I thought it deserved a mention here.

Re: Recommendation: Tecknet iEP380-II + Proporta micro-USB for N900
 

Hi,

Sorry new to the forum but getting increasingly frustrated with TeckNet's (and Eix an amazon re-seller) customer support. My iEP380-II did not come supplied with a charging cable. I have asked both companies to ship me a replacement cable but to no avail (TeckNet has denied responsibility, and Eix have not replied within a fortnight).

Rant over: I'm now going to try and get a cable myself. Would you be able to confirm (possibly by an active link) which cable I need to charge my battery pack (as opposed to my electronic device).

I have heard conflicting information (micro v mini usb). Greatly appreciate the help, and hope you all have a Merry Christmas!

Re: Recommendation: Tecknet iEP380-II + Proporta micro-USB for N900
 

First, sorry for the slow/delayed reply; I imagine you'll have fixed the problem by now. But, I'll answer it for the sake of completeness.

1) The microUSB cable supplied for charging the phone doubles as a USB cable for charging the device. It's the default connector which is micro-USB. (FYI, mini-USB is what you'll find on a Nintendo DS or some older cameras. micro-USB is what you'll find on the N900, the Tecknet pack, all Blackberries and modern phones).

2) However, you don't want to charge a 7000mAh battery from a 500mAh USB port, it'll take an absolute age. The best thing to charge your IEP-380 is the Nokia AC-10X fast charger supplied with your N900, which is good for up to 1200mA. So, I'd be very surprised if a charging cable is actually what you want.