I'm trying to find a power bank or portable battery that can provide a continuous output without automatically shutting off. I have a really old phone from the 1890s that I retrofitted with a Bluetooth receiver and a wired speaker and microphone setup to make calls from my smartphone using the old phone. The issue is that the Bluetooth receiver needs a constant power source, and I'd prefer to keep everything contained within the phone box instead of having an unsightly power cable running to it.
I've tried various power banks, including one from Anker that has a trickle charge mode, but they all seem to turn off after a certain period of inactivity, usually around 10 minutes or, in the worst case, 2 hours! Ideally, I want a power bank that stays on 24/7 or until it runs out of battery. I'd love a model with a manual on/off switch that will maintain power regardless of whether a device is plugged in or not. Any recommendations?
2 Answers
You could look into using a Mintyboost along with 2 AA batteries. It might suit your needs without shutting off!
Have you considered that the Bluetooth receiver should be drawing power continuously while it's in use? If that's the case, it might be preventing the power bank from shutting off. Maybe there's something about the configuration I'm not getting right?
Some packs actually turn off if they detect minimal power draw because they assume whatever's connected is fully charged, so that's likely what’s happening here.
It's a small Bluetooth receiver that has mic-in and audio-out components, and it connects via micro-USB for power. I think it must consume a very low amount of power, which is why the power banks shut off eventually. I'm considering a workaround where I could maybe plug in another small device that draws a little more power to keep the bank active.