Powering My Monkey.

FrgMstr

FrgMstr

Just Plain Mean
Staff member
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May 18, 1997
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Would love to hear some feedback about these gadgets!

http://www.hardocp.com/news.html?news=Mjk3MTksLCxoZW50aHVzaWFzdCwsLDE=

The Power Monkey is basically a high powered portable battery that will recharge your phone, camera, or MP3 player multiple times. If you are on the go a lot, the benefits to this are clear. And for you tree huggers out there, Power Monkey does a “rugged” edition with solar panel that will charge up just about anywhere. I have mine sitting here charging off the lights in my office. You can leave the thing open on the seat of your car or just about anywhere and charge your Power Monkey Explorer while you are getting other things done with no wall plug needed.
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1197906748ODYpkAly47_1_1.jpg
 
While I don't have one I can see how useful it would be.
When my wife and I get our new PDA phones I think I will pick a couple of these up as well.
Thanks for the info!
 
Does it work with all phones? (using replaceable tips of course)

If so, how does it know how many volts/amps to charge at because most phones (like my Treo) dont have that programmed on the phone. The chargers do that for the phone.
 
Haven't done a price comparision yet, but iGo has been out for awhile now and (other than solar charger) has something similar (ie custom tips). You can find them online or at Radio Shack. I got one for mine and my wife's car, since between wife, 3 kids, 3 different cell phones, PSP and DS, they come in real handy.

I need to get one for my daughter, will try and do a cost comparison once I get a chance.
 
$120 ouchs... maybe if it was half that price I'd start to consider it but that's kinda steep for just a gadget charger..
 
A close friend was having trouble deciding what to get her husband for Christmas. This seems to have solved that problem.

Thanks!
 
I went out and found one as soon as you mentioned it here, I was on the hunt for something to use when I went travelling next week... damn this is an amazing find!

It's got everything, heck it even has a plug for my notebook! It can leech power of my notebook, or vice versa, it works with my phone! it works with my ipod!
 
Techx said:
$120 ouchs... maybe if it was half that price I'd start to consider it but that's kinda steep for just a gadget charger..
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No doubt that is not cheap, nor inexpensive. But it is one of those devices that could easily be worth the investment if you had a usage model that that utilized it. Of course, it is not for everyone, but I would suggest anyone that gets on a plane regularly would see the benefit of having one for sure.
 
sparky3009 said:
If so, how does it know how many volts/amps to charge at because most phones (like my Treo) dont have that programmed on the phone. The chargers do that for the phone.
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I'd like to know the answer to this as well, if anyone has first-hand experience.
 
I've been using a sample from these guys for a few months, and it's so easy and simple I can't believe there are not tons of these on the market. Very cool.
 
AlbeeC13 said:
I'd like to know the answer to this as well, if anyone has first-hand experience.
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Hi, the eXplorer unit is auto sensing from 4.5-6V. output is 700mA. If there are units out there less than 4.5V we do not supply tips for these. It also has Overcharge protection, short circuit protection and countercurrent protection. SO yes it will be fine with your Treo.
 
Techx said:
$120 ouchs... maybe if it was half that price I'd start to consider it but that's kinda steep for just a gadget charger..
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$120 for the eXplorer but $59.00 for the basic powermonkey, no solar and additional features though.
 
power_monkey said:
Hi, the eXplorer unit is auto sensing from 4.5-6V. output is 700mA. If there are units out there less than 4.5V we do not supply tips for these. It also has Overcharge protection, short circuit protection and countercurrent protection. SO yes it will be fine with your Treo.
Click to expand...

It should work then, but my treo is 3.7v... so it might overdo it. Im a real stiff with these because I fried a battery with a bad dock that was putting out too many volts
 
Any word on how quickly the solar panel regenerates power? If I left my ipod connected to it, sitting in the sun, could it theoretically run forever? Or does something like an ipod generally draw power quicker than the panel can regenerate it?
 
mrgulabull said:
Any word on how quickly the solar panel regenerates power? If I left my ipod connected to it, sitting in the sun, could it theoretically run forever? Or does something like an ipod generally draw power quicker than the panel can regenerate it?
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If your ipod runs right down then you would need to turn it off and let the solar panel charge it for 10 mins then power it back on and it will charge while you listen, if you are playing a movie it might struggle if the sun is not strong enough. But yes it will give you Continuous power. If you charge the eXplorer unit fully you will get up to 40hrs extra on your ipod.
 
Power_money rep? contact Kyle to get a neat title and all that jazz.

Had to comment, my friend's dad has one of these and he swears by it. He refuses to use anything else to charge on the go. For him, he said the biggest convince was having the cig-lighter in the car free and no pesky wires roped into his phone from the dash. He also admires the unit's ability to completely destroy his reliance on extra batteries for his laptop.
Just for some background; His phone is a battery whore. He uses it so much, (runs a business) that he bought TWO backup batteries for the beast. He also has an extra, extended battery for his laptop. After the purchase of the Solar-Power Monkey, he was able to sell ALL his extra batteries and recoup some of the $100's of dollars they costed him.

Great product from what he says. Little steep for my taste and budget, (Only Solar for me. The fact that that option is even offered says volumes about the company. I extend to the Power Monkey company, the deepest gratitude for taking the initiative in doing that. All it takes is one company to make it a success and we will see many more.)

Would love to have one, but I'll have to save up a few, (read: many) paychecks to pick one up. Hopefully I'll be able to catch one 2nd hand off EBay, (shudder) or something and offer my own personal review.

Anyways, that's my little speil.
 
Legendz411, waiting for a jazzy title now ;) Thanks for the comments, we have some great new products being released at CES in a couple of weeks. There will definately be something that fits your budget shortly.
 
<sing>Power Monkey, you're the one, you make gadgets lots of fun! Power Monkey I'm awfully fond of you!</sing>
 
I currently use an HTC Touch smartphone, and this puppy drains its battery quick.

Now here's a question -- I know the solar panel is meant for sunlight (otherwise it takes a long time to charge). If I had the panel hooked up at work (flourescent lighting), could I at least maintain a steady stream of power that would at least power the phone (not necessarily charge it)?
 
About charging a Zune: Did you guys try taking the Zune's USB cable and using the female USB adapter that comes with the Powermonkey?
 
GuruX said:
I currently use an HTC Touch smartphone, and this puppy drains its battery quick.

Now here's a question -- I know the solar panel is meant for sunlight (otherwise it takes a long time to charge). If I had the panel hooked up at work (flourescent lighting), could I at least maintain a steady stream of power that would at least power the phone (not necessarily charge it)?
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I did some of that here in my own office. It will charge off office lighting, but it seems as though it will not do it if the PM is fully dead, only if it already has a partial charge.
 
Holy Hell!!!

Has anyone else noticed the specs on the Power Gorilla?!?
http://powertraveller.com/acatalog/pgsa.jpg

21 amps in that small of package?
You should be able to run Gaming/DTR Laptop for atleast 3-4 hours with one of those. Usually your lucky if you get an hour charge out of those kinds of laptops.

If the power monkey representative is still here, hopefully he could test that for us. I would also like an estimated price for that battery.
 
Any idea if this thing will charge through the 5vDC plug on my camera? The separate AC charger for the battery is a bit cumbersome.
 
CaptNumbNutz said:
Holy Hell!!!

Has anyone else noticed the specs on the Power Gorilla?!?
http://powertraveller.com/acatalog/pgsa.jpg

21 amps in that small of package?
You should be able to run Gaming/DTR Laptop for atleast 3-4 hours with one of those. Usually your lucky if you get an hour charge out of those kinds of laptops.

If the power monkey representative is still here, hopefully he could test that for us. I would also like an estimated price for that battery.
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Yep, it looks to be earning the "Gorilla" name from the specs.
 
drjaymez said:
Any idea if this thing will charge through the 5vDC plug on my camera? The separate AC charger for the battery is a bit cumbersome.
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Yes it should to my knowledge. I will ping the PM guys and see if we can get their rep back in here to answer some questions.
 
GuruX said:
I currently use an HTC Touch smartphone, and this puppy drains its battery quick.

Now here's a question -- I know the solar panel is meant for sunlight (otherwise it takes a long time to charge). If I had the panel hooked up at work (flourescent lighting), could I at least maintain a steady stream of power that would at least power the phone (not necessarily charge it)?
Click to expand...

The Solar panels are made up from Multi Crystalline PV cells so they will react to any light solar or artificial. If the light source is strong enough it will charge directly from a desk lamp or any bright lighting.
 
CaptNumbNutz said:
Holy Hell!!!

Has anyone else noticed the specs on the Power Gorilla?!?
http://powertraveller.com/acatalog/pgsa.jpg

21 amps in that small of package?
You should be able to run Gaming/DTR Laptop for atleast 3-4 hours with one of those. Usually your lucky if you get an hour charge out of those kinds of laptops.

If the power monkey representative is still here, hopefully he could test that for us. I would also like an estimated price for that battery.
Click to expand...

The Gorilla is being finalised at the factory this week, it should power your laptop for an extra 5.5-6hrs so in theory a high powered gaming laptop 3-4hrs should be fine. It will also simultaneously charge any other device, mobile, PSP etc. Samples will be available shortly and we will of course make sure Kyle has one of the first for testing. The MSRP will be available at the end of this week and i will post it here.
 
drjaymez said:
Any idea if this thing will charge through the 5vDC plug on my camera? The separate AC charger for the battery is a bit cumbersome.
Click to expand...

Yes it will. The AC charger comes with multiple heads for different countries, you dont have to take them all with you, just the ones you need.
 
Looks like a useful addition to my travel gadget collection. It would allow me to leave some pieces out, so it would be a good trade in terms of space, weight, etc.

Another reason to carry one: I find that hotel rooms often have very limited outlet access to charge a computer, phone, and other devices. The Power Monkey would offer another charging option in such situations.

Will these devices be made available in black any time soon? I'd buy 'em in black to go with my ThinkPad X, BlackBerry Pearl, etc. All of my desktop computer components are also black.

Kyle heard this from me weeks ago, but I decided to add it to the thread. I want 'em in black!

Thanks for the review Kyle...
 
Looks nice, just don't spank that Monkey!
chimphw9.jpg

Sorry, couldn't resist.
 
snakeeyes said:
Looks like a useful addition to my travel gadget collection. It would allow me to leave some pieces out, so it would be a good trade in terms of space, weight, etc.

Another reason to carry one: I find that hotel rooms often have very limited outlet access to charge a computer, phone, and other devices. The Power Monkey would offer another charging option in such situations.

Will these devices be made available in black any time soon? I'd buy 'em in black to go with my ThinkPad X, BlackBerry Pearl, etc. All of my desktop computer components are also black.

Kyle heard this from me weeks ago, but I decided to add it to the thread. I want 'em in black!

Thanks for the review Kyle...
Click to expand...

Available in Black and Grey, not just black though.
 
I did see the gray color option as pictured on the Powermonkey website. This option is currently available on Newegg.com with a black case, black adapters and black power plug.

Why not offer the Classic and eXplorer in black? Or at least in black with gray accents (instead of the reverse)? Black would be a better "fit" with the black case, black adapters and black power plug, etc.

It would also be a better match for my other black equipment.
 
Skrying said:
About charging a Zune: Did you guys try taking the Zune's USB cable and using the female USB adapter that comes with the Powermonkey?
Click to expand...

i've tried charging my zune with a powermonkey. its only worked when the battery was completely dead and the zune could not be turned on. Once the zune turns on, it seems to stop charging.
 
ghty said:
i've tried charging my zune with a powermonkey. its only worked when the battery was completely dead and the zune could not be turned on. Once the zune turns on, it seems to stop charging.
Click to expand...

I will get our guys at the factory to test this and post the results ASAP.
 
power_monkey said:
The Gorilla is being finalised at the factory this week, it should power your laptop for an extra 5.5-6hrs so in theory a high powered gaming laptop 3-4hrs should be fine. It will also simultaneously charge any other device, mobile, PSP etc. Samples will be available shortly and we will of course make sure Kyle has one of the first for testing. The MSRP will be available at the end of this week and i will post it here.
Click to expand...

Hey whatever happened here, what's up with the Gorilla. Also wanted to know if the power monkey comes with the stuff to charge the LG envy and voyager.
 
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