XANTREX XPOWER POWERSOURCE MOBILE 100 852-0281 Reviews

• Good device; but be realistic about your actual consumption

  
  By A2TUYRPS9TEGCJ on 2007-01-05
  I am not upset about my purchase of this device, but I do need to point out a few things about it.
  
  * 100W is a 5-minute rating based on the inverter, not the battery inside.
  * 80W is the inverter output from the car adapter when plugged in.
  * 60W is the maximum battery draw without the device shutting itself off.
  
  I read that this device would perform about two hours for a laptop, so I was optimistic. I own a Core 2 Duo Macbook Pro, and an older Dell Inspiron 8000 Pentium 3 laptop. I could not run either of them off the battery inside the PowerSource Mobile 100 if I had the laptop battery installed. Once I removed the laptop battery, I could run from the PS100 for about one hour. Now, realize that my AC adapters draw 75-85 watts max. My friend's laptop draws about 25 watts, instead of the 35-45 that mine draw (battery removed). You may wish to get a device such as the Kill-A-Watt that will show you how much power your laptop actually draws before using the battery and thinking it'll get you two hours of power in a bind.
  
  

• not as advertised

  
  By A10FEC65JEIQAA on 2007-06-16
  Read this device would add another 2 hours to the run time of my laptop.
  My laptop draws 22 watts (per kill-a-watt meter) and the mobile 100 lasts
  between 45 and 60 minutes before it shuts down. I was not expecting
  2 hours but I did expect at least 90 mins. The Mypower All 3400 or apc's
  universal laptop battery are better choices if running a laptop is your
  main use.
  
  

• Works as designed. Audible alarm is too loud and can't be disabled.

  
  By A33AMQMK4J08UY on 2007-10-20
  I used this device on an airplane for my laptop. It was working fine while I was watching a movie. I had headphones on so I didn't hear the audible alarm when the battery went low. A flight attendant came by looking for the source of the alarm. I was embarrassed to find out it was me causing the alarm from my device. I quickly unplugged everything. I would prefer a way to turn the audible alarm off.
  
  

• Camping?

  
  By A1S2M8NFSDRRSB on 2007-07-25
  I'm going camping (sans electricity) for a week but need to keep my Blackberry going . . . My initial testing of this product is pretty good. It does well with Cell phones. I think if I just used it for my Blackberry I might be able to keep it going all week. I tried it on my Archos and that seems to wear it down much more quickly. A full charge powered my 13 watt flourescent for 2 hours before it died.
  
  

• Highly Recommend for the Road Warrior

  
  By A30H0AMVSIA9R0 on 2007-01-05
  What are great device. As with other road warriors, a lot of cell phone time and not watching the charge on the battery. Never again..this is what I have needed for a long time. Works great for the lap top on those long flights.
  
  
• does what it says
  By ALWIEZ2JWF06J on 2007-01-17
  i didn't have any problems with this at all. there are a couple of important notes in the manual. like don't use it if it's plugged into and a/c outlet. that sort of thing may have caused problems for others, creating a malfunction. Or they just got a lemmon. anythings possible. mine works grrrreat!
  
  
• Xantrex is great
  By A3HBD5KF7ZUBAI on 2007-01-19
  I have used this product on my laptop, IPOD & Palm Pilot to charge it & it works great. It is definitely worth the price!!
  
  
• Good Portable Power (within limits)
  By A3ACC82B33MGX on 2008-03-17
  BACKGROUND
  I been looking for a simple portable 110V power source that would charge via home or car. This unit is definitely the best on the market although limited in power output and run time. If you need to power something simple it is great but you cannot exceed the 60W output or it shuts off.
  
  I have used these to demo web cameras which draw only 4Watts so it is a great device for that. It is also very good for a small DVD player or other portable device like Ipods or mini-TV's. Unfortunately, most laptops today will draw 60-90W so the charger simply does not power up. If it does it will shut down quickly.
  
  ADVANTAGES
  - Compact: Very small for a 40W-Hr supply (40W run for 1 hour)
  - Reliable: Once charged it seems to hold a charge well for 2-3 weeks at at time.
  - Good (but limited) run times: If power draw is low (@10W) it will run nearly 4hours.
  
  DISADVANTAGES
  - Cannot keep plugged in 24/7 to use as a battery backup since this may overcharge the battery.
  - Xantrex does a poor job listing run times vs power draw or even explaining that with low power draw you can be quite long run times. This is a common principle in the backup battery area explained well by companies like APC.
  
  SUMMARY
  This is a great little supply for very portable devices. If you do not expect a battery backup solution or a big portable supply then you will be please with the product.
  
  
• excellent,,,product....
  By A32K8RMHLJ36SZ on 2007-09-10
  I baught this its worth for me,,,its really work great with my sony laptop.and keep on around two hours..its also work with my psp. thanks its great product.
  
  
• Great product all-around for a great price
  By A2AHYUY00XU4U1 on 2007-09-24
  Holds a steady charge, converts car electricity (DC-AC) with ease, and haven't tried it on an airplane nut I was told it works there too. Good for regular use at 60 Watts ONLY. The 100 Watt rating is only when you use it as a car to home outlet converter, NOT THE BATTERY!!! Overall I like it and it is the only one of its kind.
  
  
• Great device.
  By A37WS98R56RFRX on 2007-11-22
  Works awesome, just charge it up and it powers usb and plug in devices. I got a great deal on this device through amazon, not sure why it was so cheap, anyways, it works great.
  
  
• Love this product
  By A1KJ8Z066EBC2Z on 2007-11-30
  I use this to power everything, when I travel out of the country - I recharge everything off this. saves my expensive equipment from possible voltage conflicts or fluctuations. Used on the plane with my ipod, and when I need to jog and the ipod is dead, throw this in my camelback and hook up to ipod and go - it actually charges it while I jog! Love this!
  
  
• Great when traveling (excellent) immediate power
  By A223CAN7TW47XH on 2008-01-07
  I purchased this for my laptop notepad. When traveling, Keep in mind if you have dial service up while traveling. It won't work when cruising through the internet unless you have mobil wifi. Otherwise you can use it for movies, music and basic paperwork and Microsoft office. It can work well if you find wifi near a UPS office,Kinkos,Banks,airport, cafe, or office building that has service within 500 feet. Yes, you can use it outside. And plug in the Power source mobile unit for instant power.
  
  
• Bliss Remiss
  By ATRJ18SMG6GBO on 2008-02-09
  I purchased this product with a two-fold purpose. 1) to maintain a full charge on my Blackberry and to provide for emergency power for my notebook. I have a FIVE PLUS star rating for the former and a "0" star for the later. When I found myself in a situation where I had to have another hours juice for my notebook, I couldn't even get a second. So, I'm not thrilled, but it'll do.
  
  
• Good power source. Perfect for most of your portable needs
  By A3RPDGJ926BAJV on 2008-09-08
  I got this both to use as a secondary source for my laptop, and as a portable power source for my game system. I've been able to run a Slim PS2 on this baby for about 1 hour and 25 minutes on a full charge. It does what it's supposed to. If you can also find this one, you'll save about a good $30 than buying the one with Duracell on the box.
  
  It can from time to time run a bit warm and is advised (in the manual) that you do not recharge the battery when it's "hot". I'm sure the reason is obvious but a usual 15min cool down time should be okay for recharge after wards. The only thing I really don't like about this unite is it's low battery warning indicator. It's similar to a digital alarm clock noise and that goes on for some time. But when it comes on, you basically got like 20 seconds to shut down or plug it into your car (because yes it's an inverter as well).
  
  Charging is relatively slow when you have your source plugged into it while charging in the car (it does come with a car charger). I've never had an instance where the low car battery shutoff feature was activated, but it's there none the less. You can only "use and charge" in your car. You can't use and charge while plugged into a wall. All functions when plugged into a wall are disabled. Strictly for charging.
  
  To finish this lengthy review, if you're looking for a reliable and inexpensive portable power source to charge all you mobile devices and utilize some big ones, this certainly does the trick.
  
  

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