Product review - Medis 24-7 fuel cell Power Pack
Last week I reported on the upcoming availability of the "Medis 24-7 Power Pack" fuel cell power source. To recap; this portable device uses fuel cells and a chemical process to generate power, and has enough "juice" to charge your gadgets for up to 3 days of use. The concept of fuel cells has been something that has always intrigued me, so when I got the chance to review this product in real life, I jumped on it. If you are into geeky stuff, you can read this Wikipedia article describing how the process works.
The Medis 24-7 Power Pack is available in 2 versions; a starter pack with the power cable and an assortment of power "tips" for $29.99, and a refill pack without the cables for $19.99.
The power pack itself is a small black box with some vents and a power connector on top. The pack is shipped in its "non activated" state, and has to be squeezed together to get the fuel cell process started. The device is sealed in an air tight bag and a green plastic strip is wrapped around the device to prevent it from being activated prematurely. The device weighs just 6.3oz (179 grams).
To activate the device, you remove the green strip and squeeze the top and bottom of the unit together till a gap at the bottom is fully closed. It takes some pressure to accomplish this, and the process can not be reversed; once you activate a power pack, it immediately starts making electricity until the fuel cell runs out. When you shake the unit, you clearly hear the liquids sloshing around. When the device is generating power, it is completely silent and it does not produce any heat.
Initially I had considered posting a full technical review, and digging out my multimeter to dazzle you with my amazing technical skills (I'm joking!), but I decided that it would be much easier to put the device through a "real world test".
For the review, I'll be using the 24-7 Power Pack with their Xtreme power cable along with a Blackberry Curve, a Nokia N78 and an HTC Touch Dual smartphone. These are all common devices, and the kind of device you might need an emergency power boost for when you are on the road.
Gallery: Medis 24-7 Power Pack review
Blackberry Curve
The starter pack includes a MiniUSB tip, so Blackberry owners going all the way back to the old 7000 series devices will be able to use the Power Pack. In my case, I plugged the Power Pack into my Blackberry when it was at 42% battery life, which is the average for me after about 2 or 3 days. The Blackberry instantly detected a power source (as indicated by the plug symbol next to the battery) and started charging. About every 10 minutes, I checked the battery status menu and a little over an hour later, the device had reached 100%. This charging time is on par with the original charger delivered with my Blackberry.
HTC Touch Dual
The Touch Dual uses the same power tip as my Blackberry, and the results were similar. Getting the phone from 57% battery power to 100% took just under 40 minutes.
Nokia N78
For my final test, I switched to a Nokia N78; this smartphone uses the Nokia power tip included with the Power Pack starter kit. Unlike my other tests, I waited to charge this phone until it was 100% drained (to the point where it would no longer turn on).
When I plugged the charger cable into the phone, nothing happened. According to the manual, this is normal; it can take several minutes for the phone to reach the stage where the charging circuitry actually has enough power to turn itself on. After about 2 minutes, the phone beeped once, and the display showed the charging process had started. With a completely drained Lithium-Ion battery, the 24-7 Power Pack took just over 2 hours 15 minutes to get the phone to 100% (the phone was turned off for this charge).
Fuel cell life
I first activated my 24-7 Power Pack three days ago, and since then I have charged 3 different devices 7 times. Most of those charges were from around 50% battery life (except for the Nokia N78, which received a 100% charge).
The specifications for the 24-7 Power Pack claim that the device can provide continuous power for about 20 hours. I'm currently on day 5 with the Power Pack, and it is still delivering enough power to charge my devices.
Flying with the Power Pack
One of my first questions about the 24-7 Power Pack was whether it would be allowed to come with you on board a commercial flight. Thankfully Medis have that covered, and the device has received a Department of Transportation approval. That approval is also printed on the device and the box.
A little bit about the "Xtreme power cable"
Medis has 2 different power cables for their 24-7 Power Pack; one is designed for low power devices, like the Motorola RAZR or an iPod Shuffle, the other is for high power devices like Smartphones and the iPod Nano/Classic.
The low power cable does not deliver enough continuous power to charge some devices, so you'll need to check the Medis site to determine the cable you need. In most cases, a smartphone, PDA or MP3 player will require the Xtreme cable ($49.99).
The Xtreme cable is also quite a bit larger than the standard cable, but at just 2.5oz, it won't take up too much space in your bag.
Recycling
Unlike batteries, the Medis 24-7 Power Pack comes prepared for recycling. Included in the box is a zip-lock bag, and the side of the box has a return address for shipping the unit back to a recycling facility. The box is not postage-paid, so you will have to pay for returning it. Like all products, it's "greenness" will depend on the discipline of the user.
Cost and final thoughts
I've already determined that the product actually works, so this brings me to the cost. There is no denying it; $20 for a non reusable, non rechargeable power pack is going to seem too steep to a lot of people. There is also no way I can come to the conclusion that it isn't an expensive option.
The Medis 24-7 Power Pack is going to have a fairly narrow targeted audience, and the average traveler might not fit that profile. The advantages of the device don't come to their full potential unless you find yourself in a situation where you are nowhere near a regular power source for several days, or where you are in a "life or death" situation holding a cell phone with a dead battery.
There are also some alternative products out there; I've previously covered a rechargeable battery power source that can recharge your device 2 or 3 times, this device is more portable. At $60, it is just 3 times more expensive than a 24-7 Power Pack refill kit. These battery packs do have a few drawbacks; they lose their capacity over time (a fully charged Lithium-Ion battery pack will lose between 20% and 35% capacity a year) and you will need an AC or USB power source to recharge it.
In the end, I really can't do anything other than let you decide whether you think $20 is an acceptable investment for powering your devices, plus you'll have to take into account the initial investment for the starter kit and/or Xtreme power cable. It is a fairly high price to pay, but there really isn't any kind of similar product out there.
Personally, I think the device is pretty cool, but I've got a weird geeky fetish for power products. I've spent far too much time traveling with a dead gadget to ever leave home unprepared again. If you travel a lot, and keeping in touch with people back home is important to you, then it might make sense to buy one of these and keep it in the box in the event disaster (or a dead battery) strikes.
The Medis 24-7 Power Pack will be on the shelves of your local Best Buy in early October which does prove that regular retail channels see some the same potential in this product that I see. Time will tell whether the concept is a successful one and whether consumers are willing to pay $20 for this kind of convenience.
The starter pack includes a MiniUSB tip, so Blackberry owners going all the way back to the old 7000 series devices will be able to use the Power Pack. In my case, I plugged the Power Pack into my Blackberry when it was at 42% battery life, which is the average for me after about 2 or 3 days. The Blackberry instantly detected a power source (as indicated by the plug symbol next to the battery) and started charging. About every 10 minutes, I checked the battery status menu and a little over an hour later, the device had reached 100%. This charging time is on par with the original charger delivered with my Blackberry.
HTC Touch Dual
The Touch Dual uses the same power tip as my Blackberry, and the results were similar. Getting the phone from 57% battery power to 100% took just under 40 minutes.
Nokia N78
For my final test, I switched to a Nokia N78; this smartphone uses the Nokia power tip included with the Power Pack starter kit. Unlike my other tests, I waited to charge this phone until it was 100% drained (to the point where it would no longer turn on).
When I plugged the charger cable into the phone, nothing happened. According to the manual, this is normal; it can take several minutes for the phone to reach the stage where the charging circuitry actually has enough power to turn itself on. After about 2 minutes, the phone beeped once, and the display showed the charging process had started. With a completely drained Lithium-Ion battery, the 24-7 Power Pack took just over 2 hours 15 minutes to get the phone to 100% (the phone was turned off for this charge).
Fuel cell life
I first activated my 24-7 Power Pack three days ago, and since then I have charged 3 different devices 7 times. Most of those charges were from around 50% battery life (except for the Nokia N78, which received a 100% charge).
The specifications for the 24-7 Power Pack claim that the device can provide continuous power for about 20 hours. I'm currently on day 5 with the Power Pack, and it is still delivering enough power to charge my devices.
Flying with the Power Pack
One of my first questions about the 24-7 Power Pack was whether it would be allowed to come with you on board a commercial flight. Thankfully Medis have that covered, and the device has received a Department of Transportation approval. That approval is also printed on the device and the box.
A little bit about the "Xtreme power cable"
Medis has 2 different power cables for their 24-7 Power Pack; one is designed for low power devices, like the Motorola RAZR or an iPod Shuffle, the other is for high power devices like Smartphones and the iPod Nano/Classic.
The low power cable does not deliver enough continuous power to charge some devices, so you'll need to check the Medis site to determine the cable you need. In most cases, a smartphone, PDA or MP3 player will require the Xtreme cable ($49.99).
The Xtreme cable is also quite a bit larger than the standard cable, but at just 2.5oz, it won't take up too much space in your bag.
Recycling
Unlike batteries, the Medis 24-7 Power Pack comes prepared for recycling. Included in the box is a zip-lock bag, and the side of the box has a return address for shipping the unit back to a recycling facility. The box is not postage-paid, so you will have to pay for returning it. Like all products, it's "greenness" will depend on the discipline of the user.
Cost and final thoughts
I've already determined that the product actually works, so this brings me to the cost. There is no denying it; $20 for a non reusable, non rechargeable power pack is going to seem too steep to a lot of people. There is also no way I can come to the conclusion that it isn't an expensive option.
The Medis 24-7 Power Pack is going to have a fairly narrow targeted audience, and the average traveler might not fit that profile. The advantages of the device don't come to their full potential unless you find yourself in a situation where you are nowhere near a regular power source for several days, or where you are in a "life or death" situation holding a cell phone with a dead battery.
There are also some alternative products out there; I've previously covered a rechargeable battery power source that can recharge your device 2 or 3 times, this device is more portable. At $60, it is just 3 times more expensive than a 24-7 Power Pack refill kit. These battery packs do have a few drawbacks; they lose their capacity over time (a fully charged Lithium-Ion battery pack will lose between 20% and 35% capacity a year) and you will need an AC or USB power source to recharge it.
In the end, I really can't do anything other than let you decide whether you think $20 is an acceptable investment for powering your devices, plus you'll have to take into account the initial investment for the starter kit and/or Xtreme power cable. It is a fairly high price to pay, but there really isn't any kind of similar product out there.
Personally, I think the device is pretty cool, but I've got a weird geeky fetish for power products. I've spent far too much time traveling with a dead gadget to ever leave home unprepared again. If you travel a lot, and keeping in touch with people back home is important to you, then it might make sense to buy one of these and keep it in the box in the event disaster (or a dead battery) strikes.
The Medis 24-7 Power Pack will be on the shelves of your local Best Buy in early October which does prove that regular retail channels see some the same potential in this product that I see. Time will tell whether the concept is a successful one and whether consumers are willing to pay $20 for this kind of convenience.
Filed under: Gadling Gear Review
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
David Redstone Sep 2nd 2008 3:07PM
Scott,
I enjoyed your review. A couple of thoughts:
You wrote, "The advantages of the device don't come to their full potential unless you find yourself in a situation where you are nowhere near a regular power source for several days . . ."
I think this kind of misses the point. This product is ready to use right out of the package, never needs charging from a wall socket, and for the first time allows complete independence from the wall socket (unless you want to mess around with something like Energizer's "Energi To Go" and lots of premium AA batteries). It's not so much about "finding yourself in a situation where you are nowhere near a regular power source for several days" (although this product would be great for that - camping, extended grid outages, etc.). It's more about your handset battery not being able to get you through a day of voice calls, mobile web browsing, etc., and finding yourself in a situation where you have to sit near a wall socket and wait for your handset battery to charge, thereby limiting your mobility. The Medis product allows you to effectively take the wall socket with you. No more waiting. Freedom from the socket. A socket in your pocket.
You also wrote "once you activate a power pack, it immediately starts making electricity until the fuel cell runs out".
I think this could be misleading. The product does have a self-discharge rate once it is activated, but the fuel cell is self-regulating, and its self-discharge rate is much slower than when the product is actually charging something. If you were to activate a power pack and immediately put it in a drawer without charging anything you could come back many weeks later and still be able to charge devices with it.
Thanks again for the thoughtful review.
David Redstone, Editor & Publisher
"The Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Investor"
http://www.h2fc.com/
DavidRedstone Sep 2nd 2008 4:02PM
Scott,
I enjoyed your thoughtful review. A couple of thoughts:
You wrote, "The advantages of the device don't come to their full potential unless you find yourself in a situation where you are nowhere near a regular power source for several days . . ."
I think this kind of misses the point. This product is ready to use right out of the package, never needs charging from a wall socket, and for the first time allows total independence from the wall socket (unless you want to mess around with something like Energizer's "Energi To Go" and lots of premium AA batteries). It's not so much about "finding yourself in a situation where you are nowhere near a regular power source for several days" (although this product would be great for that - camping, extended grid outages, etc.). It's more about your handset battery not being able to get you through a day of voice calls, mobile web browsing, etc., and finding yourself in a situation where you have to sit near a wall socket and wait for your handset battery to charge. The Medis product allows you to effectively take the wall socket with you. No more waiting. Freedom from the socket. A socket in your pocket.
You also wrote "once you activate a power pack, it immediately starts making electricity until the fuel cell runs out".
I think this could be misleading. The product does have a self-discharge rate once it is activated, but the fuel cell is self-regulating, and its self-discharge rate is much slower than when the product is actually charging something. If you were to activate a power pack and immediately put it in a drawer without charging anything you could come back many weeks later and still be able to charge devices with it.
Thanks again for the thoughtful review.
David Redstone, Editor & Publisher
"The Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Investor"
Scott Carmichael Sep 2nd 2008 4:05PM
David,
Thanks for the comments; my remark was meant to point out that a device like this really isn't going to come to its potential unless you are in a situation away from the grid. I doubt someone would buy one of these if they were going to be away from power for a few hours. To me, the real potential is if you are going to be away from an outlet for a couple of days, perhaps camping or hiking.
Thanks for the correction on the self-discharge; I was under the assumption that the process started immediately and that it would be worn out after several days.
techskeptic Sep 2nd 2008 7:32PM
Scott, good review. I'm glad to see that you came to the same conclusion I did. Little or No value proposition for this thing. Also good to see your positive review of Li+ devices which make far more sense.
two questions:
When you used the 'low power device' and it took a couple of minutes to get a charging symbol. Is that all you let it do? Or did you try to make a call at the time. Seems to me that if this is ever going to be an emergency device, the dead cell phone should be plugged into a the 24/7 and then a call made. Se how long a call lasts after the charging symbol comes up.
"I first activated my 24-7 Power Pack three days ago, and since then I have charged 3 different devices 7 times."
Was this a total of 7 charges over 3 days? or was this a total of 21 charges over 3 days? I'm wondering because it is clear, from the rate of charge you are getting, that its just the battery (in the PMS) that is in fact charging the device and not the fuel cell directly which can only charge at 1 watt.
I would think that this would matter if you are actually trying to use the power pack on a long haul. you would kill the PMS battery and be left with nothing. Battery driven devices for far lass than a power pack + Extreme cable are available all over.
example: http://www.proporta.com/F02/PPF02P05.php?t_id=2763&t_mode=des
60 bucks, close to 20Wh, virtually free refills, hundreds of re-uses. Cant beat it (well perhaps you can with other Li+ devices :).
techskeptic Sep 2nd 2008 7:39PM
Sorry one more thing:
"To me, the real potential is if you are going to be away from an outlet for a couple of days, perhaps camping or hiking. "
Why would the potential for the 20Wh 24/7 be better than a fully charged 20Wh Li+ battery pack for this scenario? People generally plan to go hiking.
David Sep 5th 2008 5:27PM
Hey thanks for this great article. Would you mind researching the actual attributes of the shelf life after it has been activated and putting them on here? Could be very helpful.
Thanks,
David