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| Frequently Asked Questions |
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Are your external battery packs already compatible with international usage?
Yes, all of our external battery packs are already compatible with international use, and you do not need a voltage converter with any of our battery products.
In fact, we do not recommend using a voltage transformer with our battery packs, because All of our battery models will accept most foreign voltages.
AC Input: 100-240VAC; 47-63hz
However you may need an adapter plug to allow the US style power cord to plug into a foreign wall outlet. In case you don't
already have a wall outlet adapter, we also sell on our online store for only $10.99 at http://tinyurl.com/ktx6q
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Are your external battery packs really safe? What are some of the safety features of your battery packs?
We manufacture all of our external battery packs with a 'Green Lithium' chemistry which makes them fully environmentally friendly (unlike other external battery packs in addition to the very heavy and shorter run time sealed lead acid batteries. Sealed lead acid batteries are typically found in COWS (computers on wheels) and contain the very environmentally unsafe and toxic heavy metal chemical commonly referred to as PB. They are also approximately 10 times heaver than our lithium-ion batteries and also provide much less application run time per charge. Our battery packs are safe and also fully protected against thermal run away (overheating). It is also completely safe and effective to always keep our battery packs plugged in and to recharge them whenever it is convenient without any loss in performance because they have no memory effect. Ever since we started manufacturing our external battery packs back in 2002 there have never been any recalls nor have there ever been any safety related incidents.
All of our external battery packs have been designed and manufactured with a PCB (Protective Circuit Board) which provides the following internal protective safety features:
1. Internal protection against thermal run away (overheating).
2. Internal protection against over charging.
3. Internal protection against over discharge.
4. Internal protection against over voltage and over current.
5. Internal protection against short circuit.
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Can I bring your external battery packs on an airplane?
Yes, you should have no problems bringing any of our external battery packs past airport security checks and on airplanes because all of our external battery packs have already been airline approved.
Also, all of our external battery packs have been designed and manufactured with a PCB (Protective Circuit Board) which provides the following internal protective safety features:
1. Internal protection against thermal run away (overheating).
2. Internal protection against over charging.
3. Internal protection against over discharge.
4. Internal protection against over voltage and over current.
5. Internal protection against short circuit.
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Can I pick up my order in person at your Lake Oswego business location?
Sure! If you would like to pick up your order in person we prefer that you pay for it on our website first. We can set you up with a free shipping coupon so you can order it online first before you pick it up from us or we would also be happy to assist you with placing your order over the phone if you prefer. Please just email us at sales@batterygeek.net and let us know your prefered order method and also inform us of what item(s) you are interested in ordering and what date and time you would prefer to meet us to pick them up. Or else, if it is not possible for you to pay online or over the phone first, you may also pay for your order when you meet us in person for pickup. Sorry, we do not accept personal checks for product pickups and we do not carry change so please have your exact order amount ready.
Our office address and hours are:
Battery Geek Inc.
16869 SW 65th Ave. Suite #325
Lake Oswego, Oregon 97035-7865 USA
office & showroom hours: M-F 9AM-5:30PM PST
Another option you may want to consider is for us to just mail your battery to you. Please know that if your ship to address is anywhere in Oregon or Washington state then
FedEx ground is usually only a few dollars and it also provides you with a next day delivery. Also, we offer same day shipping. For more information on our shipping policy,
please refer to http://www.batterygeek.net/ShippingPolicy.asp
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Does Battery Geek have an external battery solution for the MacBook and MacBook Pro?
What Battery Packs are Compatible with the MacBook and MacBook Pro?
--Portable Power Stations
--BG 15-21-130
--BG 15-21-118
--BG 14-18-118 (MacBook only)
--BG 14-18-60 (MacBook only)
--BG 18-21-111 (MacBook Pro only)
--BG 18-21-75 (MacBook Pro only)
How Do I Receive the Special Magnetic Connector for the MacBook and MacBook Pro?
Battery Geek includes the MacBook cable for only $9.99 when customers purchase any external laptop battery pack and
add the optional cable at the time of checkout. The MacBook cable is also sold seperatly for $19.99.
What Output Voltage is Required for the MacBook and MacBook Pro?
The MacBook requires a 16V output from the battery pack.
The MacBook Pro requires a 19V output from the battery pack.
How Much Additional Runtime Can I Expect?
The runtime for the MacBook and MacBook Pro depends on the hardware configuration, power management settings, and software being used. With that said, the MacBook Pro 15" using a 130Wh external battery pack will run for an additional 5 hours beyond its internal battery life. This additional 5 hour runtime is under normal operation with WiFi and Bluetooth turned on and no power management settings active. Users have reported gaining at least an additional hour of runtime for a total of 6 hours with the keyboard backlight turned off, the screen brightness dimmed, and Wifi turned off.
Does the External Battery Recharge the MacBook/Pro's Internal Battery?
Battery Geek's external battery packs only act as an external power source for the MacBook and MacBook Pro. Unlike other laptops, the internal battery on the MacBook and MacBook Pro will not recharge when connected to our external battery packs.
Does Battery Geek Offer A Car Charger For the MacBook and MacBook Pro?
Battery Geek offers a 130Wh Universal Car Adapter Kit that will power but not recharge the internal battery on the MacBook and MacBook Pro. The 130Wh Universal Car Adapter Kit plugs into any 12V cigarette ligher power port, and allows MacBook users to power the MacBook indefinitely when connected to an automobile's 12V power source.
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How can I get free shipping to an APO or FPO address?
Being Veterans ourselves we can fully appreciate your contribution to our country and are giving you FREE SHIPPING on all orders delivered to
Military FPO and APO addresses. Orders can only ship USPS Priority mail. If you have a Military FPO or APO ship to address and would like to order,
just e-mail us at sales@batterygeek.net
We appreciate you for shopping with us and also for serving our country.
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How do I determine which battery pack to buy?
Complete a Free Battery Audit
Let the Battery Geeks make the best recommendation for your external battery needs. Simply fill out our online Battery Audit Form by
providing the requested information at http://www.batterygeek.net/BatteryAudit.asp
Look at the Partial Compatibility List
Each product description page on the Battery Geek website has a partial compatibility list for the specific battery pack. If the make and model of the device you
would like to power is listed on the product page, then that battery pack is compatible with your device. Please know that the Partial Compatibility Lists are not
comprehensive lists, and if you don't see your device listed, there is still a good possibility that Battery Geek has an external battery pack that is compatible but not listed.
Determine the DC Output Voltage and Current
Device compatibiltiy is largely based on the specifications of the supplied AC charger of the device you are trying to power. To determine compatibiltiy, follow these simple steps:
1. Determine the DC Output Voltage of the AC charger. On every AC charger, there is a label that states the DC Output voltage. Once you know the DC output voltage,
you can match that voltage to the output voltage on our battery packs. For example, a laptop with a DC output labeled at 16V on the power supply would be compatible
with the BG 15-21-130 external battery pack, because the voltage range of this battery pack is 15-21 Volts. Please note there may be more than one battery pack that
supports your required output voltage.
2. Determine the DC Output Current of the AC charger. On every AC charger, the Output Current is usually labeled after the DC Output Voltage. For example, the DC
Output for a laptop may be 16V, 4.7A. Therefore the DC output current is 4.7A, and you would need to make sure that the Maximum Output Current rated for the battery
pack is higher than the required Output Current labeled on the AC charger. If you do not select a battery pack with a Current Rating higher than the Output Current
listed on the AC charger, the battery pack will not power your device.
3. Consider how the AC charger plugs into the device you would like to power with an external battery. Battery Geek supports most barrel-style
(also referred to as coaxial style) adapter tips. If the AC charger connects to your device using a barrel-style tip, then Battery Geek will more than likely
have the appropriate sized connector tip that allows the battery to plug into your device. However if you have a unusual connector tip on the AC charger,
Battery Geek recommends you fill out a Battery Audit to determine if the appropriate connector tip is available. Also please keep in mind that every external battery pack
uses a positive center pin and negative outside sleeve polarity for their adapter tips.
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How do I know if my external battery pack is fully charged?
Testing Battery Life with Built-In LED Power Meter
Most Battery Geek external battery packs have a built-in charge indicator. To activate the charge indicator, momentarily depress the test button on your battery pack, and this will cause the LED array on the power meter to illuminate according to the charge remaining inside the battery pack.
Testing Battery Life with AC Charger
Another way to tell whether or not your Battery Geek battery pack is fully charged is to connect the AC charger to the external battery pack and then plug the AC charger into the wall outlet.
On the AC charger, there is a single LED light which is a status indicator:
When the external battery pack is done charging, this light should be green. When the external battery pack is still charging, this light should be red.
If at any time the LED on the AC charger does not glow either solid red or green, this indicates there is a problem, and we recommend you file a trouble ticket through the Battery Geek Support Center.
Before using any battery pack for the first time, we recommend that you fully charge your Battery Geek battery pack until the LED on the AC charger is green.
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I cannot find a matching connector tip for my device. What should I do?
Since there is no official Internationally recognized standard for power connectors on consumer and professional grade electronics, finding the
appropriate connector tip can occasionally pose some problems. However Battery Geek offers an extensive assortment of the most popular connector tips,
and each battery pack includes a selection of connector tips most common to the voltage range of the battery. So by choosing a battery pack based on the device's voltage,
it is more than likely that the correct connector tip has been included with your battery.
If you are trying to power a device that uses a barrel-style (also referred to as coaxial style) tip, every Battery Geek battery will more than
likely come with the appropriate sized connector tip. Compatibility issues may arise if the device you are trying to power uses an unusual or proprietary
connector tip. If your device requires an unusual connector tip, please contact a Battery Geek representative to determine if we support that device.
Suggestions for finding the correct connector tip for your device:
If you have a device that uses a barrel-style connector tip and still cannot determine which adapter tip is the correct size, please try the following procedure:
1. Take the device you are trying to power, and locate the DC input port on the device.
2. DO NOT connect the supplied DC output cable to the battery. Simply connect each tip to the DC output cable, and then gently try to plug the
connector tip into the DC input port on the device.
3. Test all of the tips as indicated in the last step, and now create 2 different piles of tips. The first pile will include all the connecter tips
that do not fit into the DC input port, and the second pile will include a small handful of tips that are potential matches because they physically fit into the DC input port.
4. Now make sure the battery pack is set to the appropriate voltage, and connect the DC output
cable to the battery pack. Carefully and methodically test each tip from the handful of potential matches that were set
aside in the second pile. Plug into your device with its internal battery removed, and then try turning it on and running the device on
external battery power. Try all of the connector tips because even if you find that one works, there may be another connector tip that makes a
better connection. You want to avoid using a loose tip if there is a better match.
5. Once you have found the correct connector tip, feel free to store it in a separate place away from your other tips for easy retrieval or
you can make a small mark on the black plastic housing to separate it from the other connector tips.
Note: Please let us know if you still cannot find the appropriate connector tip by filling out a support ticket through the Request
Support menu item above or e-mail a Battery Geek at sales@batterygeek.net
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Is it possible to be recharging your external battery pack from a wall outlet while using it on my device. In other words,
when i'm traveling can I leave my devices A/C adapter home and just use your battery pack as an A/C adapter replacement?
Yes, it is possible to use our external battery packs as an A/C adapter for your device. The external battery packs we recommend most for this use are our Portable Power Station models.
The PPS (Portable Power Station) batteries are specifically designed to power all electronic devices which require anywhere between 3V-26V of power.
They also feature a built in USB 5V out port and a power off feature to conserve discharge. You can also use these batteries as an A/C adapter replacement
for your devices so you can leave all your other A/C adapters behind. The brand new SPPS200 model can power laptops and tablets for up to 30 hours of additional run time per charge.
To watch and listen to a video introduction on the Portable Power Station visit:
Segment 1 (9:13 minutes): http://tinyurl.com/2n8xe9
Segment 2 (8:31 minutes): http://tinyurl.com/28ryf3
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Is it possible to power my laptop at the same time as I am recharging my cell phone, iPod or MP3 with any of your external battery packs?
Yes. The PPS (Portable Power Station) batteries are specifically designed to power all electronic devices which require anywhere between 3V-26V of power. They also
feature a built in USB 5V out port and a power off feature to conserve discharge. You can also use these batteries as an A/C adapter replacement for your devices so
you can leave all your other A/C adapters behind. The brand new SPPS200 model can power laptops and tablets for up to 30 hours of additional run time per charge.
To watch and listen to a video introduction on the Portable Power Station visit:
Segment 1 (9:13 minutes): http://tinyurl.com/2n8xe9
Segment 2 (8:31 minutes): http://tinyurl.com/28ryf3
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When I press the TEST button on my battery, nothing happens, is my battery dead?
Not to worry! Chances are you just need to take your battery out of its initial hibernation mode. While the battery will still function and power devices in
hibernation mode, however its LED battery life indicator will not work. To "wake up" your battery, all you need to do is press and hold the TEST button on your battery
for up to thirty seconds, until the LEDs on the front of your battery light up.
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When is the soonest I can receive my battery?
In most cases you would be able to receive your battery the very next day or you can even pick it up from our Lake Oswego office location the same day.
Please refer to our shipping policy at http://www.batterygeek.net/ShippingPolicy.asp for more details.
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When using your battery, do I use it first or after the built in battery on my device has expired?
You can use any of our battery packs with or without your built in battery. For maximum run time however we suggest that you
remove your built in battery and only use ours. The reason for this is because our battery packs are designed to expend extra energy recharging your devices
built in battery while simultaneously powering your device.
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Where do Battery Geek external battery packs connect to my electronic device?
Virtually every portable electronic device has a DC input port where the device's supplied AC wall charger connects and provides power and/or recharges the device's internal battery.
Battery Geek's external battery packs replace the AC charger and eliminate the need for users to plug their portable electronics into a wall outlet. Every external battery
pack comes with a series of adapter tips that allows users to plug the external battery pack directly into the DC input port on the portable electronic device.
These external battery packs are not replacements for the internal battery on your portable electronic devices, but rather the external battery packs are designed to provide
supplementary power for your electronics. This allows users to continue using the onboard internal battery power plus gain additional runtime from the external battery pack
connected to the DC input port of any given device.
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Why won't my battery power my portable electronic device? It has worked before, but now I can't get my battery to output any power.
Every Battery Geek external battery pack has built-in circuit protection to ensure safe operation and reliable performance. Any number of things may trigger this circuit
protection, and thus the battery pack must be reset in order to restore the voltage output.
The circuit protection can be triggered by the following:
1. Adjusting the output voltage when connected to a device.
2. Disconnecting the battery pack and then reconnecting to a device that is turned on.
3. Leaving the DC output cable connected to the battery and then accidentally short circuiting the terminals on the DC output cable by coming into contact with
keys or other cabling in a laptop bag etc.
To reset the battery pack and restore the voltage output:
1. If the external battery pack is a model that turns on and off like the PowerStick 15 or Portable Power Station, you may be able to reset the battery pack by
turning it off and then back on, readjusting the voltage, and reconnecting to the portable device.
2. OR by connecting any external battery pack to its AC charger, the battery pack will reset itself after being connected to the AC charger for 5 seconds.
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Will your products recharge on 12v? i.e. in a car?
Yes, our products will recharge from a 12V car adapter with our optional 130W car charger adapter sold seperately on our site at http://tinyurl.com/epbul
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External Battery Pack Comparison Specifications Chart
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| Ultra High Capacity External Battery Pack Comparison Specifications Chart |
| Available Battery Models |
Voltage Output Range Supported |
Maximum Current Output Supported |
Capacity Watt Hours (WH) |
Recharge Time |
Dimensions |
Weight |
| Portable Power Station |
(3V~28V) |
6A |
130 WH |
6 hours |
8.93x4.84x.87(in) |
2.4 lbs |
15-21-130 |
(15V~21V) |
6A |
130 WH |
3~4 hours |
7.75x4.5x.75(in) |
1.7 lbs |
19-24-130 |
(19V~24V) |
6A |
130 WH |
3~4 hours |
7.75x4.5x.75(in) |
1.7 lbs |
14-18-118 |
(14V~18V) |
8A |
118 WH |
5 hours |
7.75x4.5x.75(in) |
1.7 lbs |
18-21-111 |
(18V~21V) |
8A |
111 WH |
5 hours |
7.75x4.5x.75(in) |
1.7 lbs |
10-14-88 |
(10V~14V) |
8A |
88 WH |
3~4 hours |
6.5x4x.75(in) |
24 oz. |
9-12-130 |
(9V~12V) |
4.5A |
130 WH |
3~4 hours |
7.75x4.5x.75(in) |
1.7 lbs |
9-12-60 |
(9V~12V) |
4.5A |
60 WH |
3~3.5 hours |
6.25x3x.75(in) |
1 lbs |
6-12-44 |
(5V~12V) |
3A |
44 WH |
2~3 hours |
2.25"x3.25"x1.5" |
13 oz. |
Powerstick 15 |
(3V~7.5V) |
2A |
15 WH |
2~3 hours |
4.6"x1.5"x.75" |
6.3 oz. |
Geekpod 100 |
(3V~7.5V) |
2A |
15 WH |
2~3 hours |
2.25"x3.25"x1.5" |
6.3 oz. |
PSP 15 |
(3V~7.5V) |
2A |
15 WH |
2~3 hours |
2.25"x3.25"x1.5" |
6.3 oz. |
Feel free to download our latest color catalog in PDF from http://tinyurl.com/35m4ku
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How do I turn on the Portable Power Station and how do I adjust its voltage?
Turning the Portable Power Station ON or OFF
The Portable Power Station can be turned on by using the circular button on the control panel of the battery pack. To turn off or turn on the Portable Power Station,
hold down the test button for ~30 seconds, and the LED indicator lights will either turn on when the battery is powered up and off when the battery is shut down.
Adjusting the Output Voltage
The Portable Power Station has 10 different output voltages that can be controlled through the circular button and hi/lo switch on the control panel of the battery pack.
Below is a description of its operation:
Hi/Lo Toggle Switch: This bipolar switch selects between the High Voltage and Low Voltage outputs on the Portable Power Station. Each of the 5 LEDs on the Portable Power
Station corresponds to two voltage outputs: low and high. The Portable Power Station will output a voltage indicated by position of the Hi/Lo toggle switch and the
conrresponding Hi/Lo voltage on the LED status bar.
Circular Button: To adjust between voltages, hold the circular button down for 5 seconds until the LED indicating the current voltage begins to flash and then release.
This hold and release procedure allows a user to step up to the next voltage level and adjust the voltage to the required DC input for a specific device.
Testing the Remaining Battery Life
To activate the test meter and determine the remaining battery life, simply depress the circular button momentarily and the 5 LED voltage indicators will display the
remaining charge in a bar graph with each LED representing approximately 20% of the battery's overall charge.
5 LED = 80-100% charge remaining
4 LED = 60-80% charge remaining
3 LED = 40-60% charge remaining
2 LED = 20-40% charge remaining
1 LED = 0-20% charge remaining
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How do I turn on the PowerStick 15 and how do I adjust its output voltage?
Turning the PowerStick 15 ON or OFF
The PowerStick 15 has 2 control buttons:
A rectangular button used for turning the battery on/off and turning the LED flashlight on/off.
A circular button on the control panel for adjusting the output voltage.
To turn the battery pack on or off, simply hold the rectangular button down for 30 seconds. You will know the battery pack is on when the green LED corresponding
to 3.0V is illuminated on the control panel on the base of the battery pack.
To turn the LED flashlight on, the battery pack must be turned on as described above in the previous step, then momentarily depressing the rectangular button
will toggle the LED flashlight between a flashing mode, a solid mode, and an off mode.
Adjusting the Output Voltage
When the battery pack is turned on, users can adjust the voltage output on the PowerStick by depressing the circular button on the control panel for 5 seconds
until the LED indicator flashes. Releasing the circular button will change the output voltage to the next voltage output. Repeat this process until the PowerStick
LED indicator is set to the desired output voltage.
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I misplaced my AC charger for my external battery pack. What charger do I need to use?
Every Battery Geek external battery pack uses an AC charger with a single LED that glows Red when charging the battery pack and green when the battery pack is fully charged.
The LED also glows solid green when connected to the wall outlet but not connected to the battery pack. Please confirm you are using the AC charger with the correct
output voltage and current as required for the external battery packs listed below.
The labeled DC Output is 18V @ 2A for the following external battery packs:
Portable Power Stations
BG 15-21-130
BG 15-21-118
BG 18-21-111
BG 18-21-75
BG 14-18-118
BG 14-18-60
BG 19-24-130
BG 9-12-130
BG 9-12-60
The labeled DC Output is 12V @ 2A for the following external battery packs:
BG 10-14-88
BG 6-12-44
The labeled DC Output is 12V @ 0.5A for the following external battery packs:
GeekPod 100
The labeled DC Output is 9V @ 0.5A for the following external battery packs:
PowerStick 15
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What is the significance of Battery Geek Model Numbers?
Battery Geek's external battery packs use the following uniform naming convention to differentiate between different battery models.
BG XX-YY-ZZZ
For the BG Series of External Battery Packs, Battery Geek uses the following format:
XX denotes the low voltage range of the battery pack.
YY denotes the high voltage range of the battery pack.
ZZZ denotes the capacity of the battery pack in Watt-Hours
BG is an abbreviation for 'Battery Geek,' and models using this naming convention are part of our consumer line of external battery packs.
Portable Power Station ZZZ
For the Portable Power Station Series of External Battery packs, Battery Geek differentiates between models by their Watt-Hour rating.
ZZZ denotes the capacity of the battery pack in Watt-Hours.
The Portable Power Station product line are part of Battery Geek's professional series of external battery packs.
PowerStick ZZZ
ZZZ denotes the capacity of the battery pack in Watt-Hours.
GeekPod HHH
HHH denotes the iPod audio playpack time with the GeekPod.
The GeekPod is a 22Wh battery pack that provides 100+ hours of audio playback and 12+ hours of video playback
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What is the typical runtime for a portable DVD player with Battery Geek's external DVD batteries?
The BG 9-12-60 will provide most users an additional 6-8 hours of runtime on their portable DVD players.
The BG 9-12-130 and Portable Power Station 130 will provide users an additional 12-14 hours of runtime on their portable DVD players.
When estimating runtime, please consider that runtimes will vary from device to device and it largely depends on screen brightness, screen size, and volume settings.
It is from our experience and feedback from our customers that we can deliver these real-world estimates for runtimes based on the capacity of our battery packs.
Actual runtime in most cases may vary by approximately 1 hour. Battery Geek remains committed to delivering real-world runtime estimates to our customers.
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What is the typical runtime for a laptop or tablet pc with Battery Geek's external laptop batteries?
As far as runtime goes for our BG 15-21-130 or PPS-130 these battery's capacity is 130Wh(Watt-hour). You can compare these battery's capacity with your internal battery capacity to figure out how long this battery can run your notebook. For example, if your notebook internal battery output is: 10.8V & 4000 mAh, then, your notebook internal battery capacity is:
10.8V x 4000 mAh = 43200 mVAh= 43.2 Wh (Watt-hour).
This external battery capacity is about 130/43.2=3 times of your internal battery capacity.
If your internal notebook battery can run 3 hours, then the external battery pack can theoretically run about : 3 hours x 3 = 9 hours which comes out to a total of 12 hours of laptop runtime per charge with the use of both the internal and external laptop batteries.
This is a rough estimate. Actual running time varies, depending on notebook computer's configurations and what kind of applications running . For example, screen brightness, the use of the CPU, the hard drive, the CD drive, and other peripherals results in an additional drain upon the battery, effectively reducing the battery's run-time. The total run-time of the battery is also heavily dependent upon the design of the notebook. To ensure maximum performance of the battery, optimize the computer's power management features. Refer to the computer manual for further instructions.
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