Providing Emergency Power for Digital Devices
Date Posted:30 May 2013
The average smart phone battery will last about eight hours, which is fine if you recharge it every night when you get home from work. But if the unexpected happens (as it sometimes does) and you find yourself away from home with a dead phone or tablet, having an emergency power supply can be a life saver. This article looks at the different types available for digital devices.
AC charger
This is a normal 240-volt mains battery charger, like the one you use at home to recharge your device every day. It is usually a standard inclusion when you purchase a smart phone, so if you ever damage your phone and have to buy a new one, hang onto the old charger and keep it in your car, as it could provide a life-saving source of emergency power, providing you are able to access a 240-volt outlet somewhere.
Portable charger
There are a variety of different portable battery chargers on the market. Some are made to charge specific devices such as iPhones and some are universal and will charge any type of device. Most are compact, portable and lightweight, allowing them to be carried in a purse or briefcase and some are even built into the smart phone’s protective case, so that the phone charges continuously when in it. A good portable charger will hold a charge for up to 12 months, so that it is always ready to provide you with emergency power.
Car charger
This is a battery charger that uses your car’s 12-volt battery to recharge your device, either via the cigarette lighter port or through its own dedicated port. If you spend a lot of time in your car, then this kind of charger is really a must-have and can be left in the glove box for emergencies.
Solar charger
This kind of battery charger uses solar cells, usually in a fold out panel, to recharge your device’s battery with solar energy. If you find yourself in a situation where you don’t have access to any other sort of power supply (12 volt or 240 volt) then a solar charger can be very handy. It will take a while to charge however and obviously you’ll need some solar rays for it to soak up.
Extended life battery
This is another good way to make sure you’re not caught short with a flat battery. Many extended life batteries will give you up to twice the life of your normal battery. The drawbacks are that they are quite expensive and twice as thick as normal batteries, requiring a special replacement cover for your phone.
Conserving battery life
Prevention is always the best form of cure, so observing the following battery-saving techniques may help to ensure that you never find yourself in need of emergency power in the first place. These include:
- Limiting call length
- Limiting the number of calls you make
- Texting or emailing rather than calling
- Turning the device off when not in use
- Turning off all energy-hungry features.
