@cengland0 You’re totally right. I meant “they charge by just setting them in there, without having to connect plugs/cables” but it isn’t inductive charging.
@dave Thanks for the clarification. You did mention the Sonicare which really is inductive so I thought I was going crazy for a moment there. Actually, I know I’m going crazy but nothing to do with this site.
@PlacidPenguin Compared to my mom’s seven-year-old flip phone, I guess. In my mind, less than a year old is “new” and one-to-two years is “newer”. I’m sure different people think of it differently, though.
@PurplePawprints and here i thought my Samsung Galaxy S7 was still ‘new’. But alas, meh sells the older products, models, etc. So fortunately for me this works, yeah!
@PlacidPenguin If you own a “Nextbit Robin” and you’re upset this random Meh deal doesn’t exactly match your phone, you may kindly disconnect your router and go fly a kite
Hey, Meh product team!
It’s not accurate to say these charge inductively.
They have contacts in the base station that make contact with contacts on each charge unit.
You can see the base station contacts in the Meh images, and on the charge unit on this image from the bēm website:
I said I remember when you used to physically turn tv channels. My mom said I remember when (my dad) used to take tubes out and test them at the 7/11 (her words) and evidently replace the vacuum bulbs.
Sorry, I’m sick. my bday is may 18th. I’ll hang in there until.
@wew omg when I was 10 our radio stopped working and my mom let me take it apart and take all those tubes down to the 7-Eleven and check them and buy new tubes… Interesting thing for a 10-year-old girl to do but I was having a blast lol : )
@zebrabus Fascinating! In parts of the world where 7-Eleven and other corner stores are a retail powerhouse, they take care of everyday needs – like banking, paying bills, buying tickets, printing, and shipping – but vacuum tube testing may yet be the most interesting service I’ve heard offered there.
@trisk In the US, it was the “rat shack” (Radio Shack). I remember when they were Tandy, the leather goods store with all sorts of cool leather working tools.
@zebrabus I’m still testing tubes almost every day as part of my income, except in place of 7-Eleven, I use my own tube tester, my trusty Heathkit IT-17! Tubes are fun!
Or, since don’t have a feral pack to supply on the go power to, For $1 More I could get One power bank with a higher capacity than all 8 of these combined.
@Oneroundrobb Have you never had a children around? Or sometimes a girlfriend? They lose shit… Constantly. IDK why but they do. Letting them slowly lose $5 power banks is better than letting them rapidly lose one $40 power bank.
“Each one has a built-in Lightning and micro-USB cable – no need to have an Apple vs. Android debate in the comments unless you’re bored”
Usually, when there is a micro-USB vs Lightning option, the Lightning always costs more… so by putting both of these on there, I’m forced to indirectly pay Apple licensing fees? I prefer to keep my money as far away from the bitten fruit cash cows.
@mike808 Lightning is alive and well (and living in Paris?), and is expected to stick around for several more generations of Apple’s ‘i’ products (and is also being used as a charge port on apple’s wireless mice and keyboards and trackpads, and even the Siri remote for the Apple TV).
It would just seem that in the Apple world, USB-C / Thunderbolt 3 is the new port into which Lightning cables (and other devices) will plug into Macs going forward. @cinoclav is 100% correct that all the USB-C complaints above are from the non-apple fanbois who are using modern Android devices that have only USB-C connectors on them.
“The pace of change has increased…”. Not with these 8 power banks. No USB-C = no use to any of us who do keep up with the pace of change. Meh. Meh. Meh. Meh. Meh. Meh. Meh. Meh.
You are basically just buying 8 18650 lithium cells of an unknown quality in a clunky plastic shell. That being said I bought some…
I really REALLY hope they are charged by contacts and not induction. Induction charging is so inefficient and there is no reason for it on a product with a base station.
Do they actually light up like in the second-to-last photo? Sweet baby flounders, I’d have to cover the damn things with duct tape so they don’t all die in a freak hammer accident.
If they really can put out 2 amps for at least half an hour, and they can handle intermittent loads, then they would be great for Robotics classes.
Modern cell phones ramp power draw up gently. The Arduinos need a steady 5 volts all of the time, but the robot motors draw more than an amp intermittently. Using a single power bank for both is tough.
I will buy one set now, and see if they can cope under that kind of load. If they work well, then I will know to buy many more when they come around again. Otherwise, I will just use them in projects without motors. They aren’t cost effective if I never need more than an amp.
If anyone gets buyer’s remorse and wants to unload theirs at a discount, I will probably be interested.
I kinda like the idea of these, but don’t want/need another giant thing sitting on my desk/counter. If I had one for my batter-operated power tools, that would be awesome.
@djslack Yeah, except I have 3 different batteries for each of my Black and Decker, Makita and Skil tools. Someday I’ll streamline and get something like that.
@ACraigL I’ve learned over the years that with cordless tools, you aren’t buying tools; you’re buying battery systems. That’s where the larger brands have a big advantage over the household or store brands - their battery designs tend to stay around for a while, which means the tools that use them stay around for a while.
@narfcake This, and then some: The reason I recently started standardizing on Ryobi is that they have demonstrated commitment to backward and forward compatibility with their tools and batteries. I feel better knowing that I shouldn’t be stuck with tools I can’t buy batteries for two years from now.
@unksol “TTI owns the Ryobi power tools and accessories division in the USA, North America, the UK, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, but Ryobi is also an independent company with separate product lines in some other parts of the world.” - source.
However, they are exclusively distributed at the Home Depot in the US.
These were really great. Just wanted to say since this is probably my favorite purchase here ever other than my laptop.
Had a graduation party and people really loved them. I actually felt almost bad since people kept asking where I bought them but I couldn’t really be helpful since they won’t be sold again.
Anyway, thanks, really unique (weird) item but better design than any of the other portable chargers I’ve ever used or seen. Good job, Meh!
Hey Hey everyone! These have been great for us, um, mostly, but especially with the kids. Now we need some replacements. Does anyone want to get rid of some they bought?(?!)
Specs
What’s in the Box?
8x Power Banks
1x Charging Base
Pictures
Power banks
There they are
One fell out
Plugs
Look at the one percenter over here
Price Comparison
$119.66 List, $70.77 at Amazon
Warranty
90 Day Bēm
Estimated Delivery
Monday, July 13th - Thursday, July 16th
Sloooooooow!
no USB-C no care
@RedOx agreed!
@RedOx
/image USBC to micro USB adapter
@medz
The speed would not be as fast as having built in type-c.
Poop on you, Meh. Enough with power and cables and shit. Gimme something I care about. Even a little.
@gertiestn Don’t push them, they might give you what you want.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Glacier-Bay-1-piece-1-1-GPF-1-6-GPF-High-Efficiency-Dual-Flush-Elongated-All-in-One-Toilet-in-White-N2420/203076918
@gertiestn This is the only thing I’ve been remotely interested in buying from them in like 6 months…
PB75300 Power Bank…
@Pantheist that’s embarrassing…
@Pantheist damn it you beat me lmao
@Pantheist nope, everyone knows PB is peanut butter. Every time.
Or if you’re a loner who has a precise, well-thought out plan that requires just eight more 2600mAh powerbanks to move from Alpha to Beta stage?
Yes. These will do nicely.
Very nicely.
/buy
@awk It worked! Your order number is: sassy-unified-squid
/image sassy unified squid
@mediocrebot Let’s not reveal Gamma stage before they’re ready…
@mediocrebot Awesome squid! What movie is that from? Must watch. Uh, It is… a… movie, right?
@mehcuda67
@mehcuda67 Ray Harryhausen animation- awesome!
@mehcuda67 Release the Kraken! I mean octopus!
If they are charged inductively, then what are those copper things on the bottom of each slot?
@cengland0 Hah I was just coming to point out the same thing! Good call
@Stormchaser Good minds think alike.
@cengland0 speed holes?
@awk You really should be nicer when talking about your sisters.
@cengland0 YES! ALL HAIL THE PEDANTIC GEEKS!
@cengland0 You’re totally right. I meant “they charge by just setting them in there, without having to connect plugs/cables” but it isn’t inductive charging.
@dave Thanks for the clarification. You did mention the Sonicare which really is inductive so I thought I was going crazy for a moment there. Actually, I know I’m going crazy but nothing to do with this site.
Power you can bank on…very laggggyyyyy tonight too btw
@AttyVette It took so long to load I was sure there was a Futobuku sale.
Doesnt have the new type c…meh
No USB-C? Pass.
Can we debate the fact that it doesn’t actually work for many Androids since there’s no type-c?
@PurplePawprints No. I don’t know of a single Android phone that has a type-C jack.
@PurplePawprints it’s a micro-usb. Works for android phones.
@cengland0 Can’t tell if joke. Google Pixel, Sony Xperia X and XZ, Moto Z, Huawei P9, HTC 10, LG G5 and G6, ASUS ZenFone 3, Samsung Galaxy S8…
@cengland0 You’re behind on your tech then.
@SoftAsFur It works for some Androids, but not for many of the newer ones.
@HuckleberryGin Throw in Nexus 6P and 5X, too.
@HuckleberryGin @cengland0
(To continue the list)
Oneplus 3(T), OnePlus 2, Nextbit Robin, ZTE Axon 7, a lot of phones from Chinese companies which I have never heard of…
@PurplePawprints
Considering that the Nexus 5X and 6P have it, 2 years isn’t exactly “new” in the world of tech.
@PlacidPenguin Which is why I said “newer”.
@cengland0 gonna chime in ?
@PurplePawprints
Newer compared to what though?
(Sorry, a bit distracted. Creating a thread regarding Google I/O.)
@PlacidPenguin Compared to my mom’s seven-year-old flip phone, I guess. In my mind, less than a year old is “new” and one-to-two years is “newer”. I’m sure different people think of it differently, though.
@CrossIT nope, not me. Why would I have anything to say?
@cengland0
But isn’t the fact that you asked why you’d (@cengland0, not us, since you’re asking it) have anything to say something which is said?
@PurplePawprints I really want to charge my Nintendo Switch with these
@PurplePawprints and here i thought my Samsung Galaxy S7 was still ‘new’. But alas, meh sells the older products, models, etc. So fortunately for me this works, yeah!
@SoftAsFur
In the world of tech, it’s not exactly ‘new’, but if you bought it recently, then to you it is ‘new’.
@PurplePawprints not just no Type-C but also only 2/3 the size of my phone’s battery #willnotrechargefully
@PlacidPenguin If you own a “Nextbit Robin” and you’re upset this random Meh deal doesn’t exactly match your phone, you may kindly disconnect your router and go fly a kite
@MegaHenzoid
I use a Nexus 5X as my daily driver.
I was giving examples of phones which use type c.
I have never learned how to fly a kite.
“Give me USB-C, or give me death” – Patrick Henry
I don’t have any usb-c devices.
More of these for me not to buy.
@mike808 it’s a mico-usb
GODDAMMIT @SoftAsFur
Meh. But at least these are more sensible than those shitty disposable ones the other day.
Hey, Meh product team!
It’s not accurate to say these charge inductively.
They have contacts in the base station that make contact with contacts on each charge unit.
You can see the base station contacts in the Meh images, and on the charge unit on this image from the bēm website:
@curtise They inductively charge using a very very low inductance.
@awk Did someone induce you to make that induction?
@curtise Thanks! I updated it. I meant “you’re not having to connect a cable to this to charge it” but you’re right, it’s not inductive.
Looks like a repurposed Wii-mote charging station.
@mike808 *Wii-purposed
I said I remember when you used to physically turn tv channels. My mom said I remember when (my dad) used to take tubes out and test them at the 7/11 (her words) and evidently replace the vacuum bulbs.
Sorry, I’m sick. my bday is may 18th. I’ll hang in there until.
@wew omg when I was 10 our radio stopped working and my mom let me take it apart and take all those tubes down to the 7-Eleven and check them and buy new tubes… Interesting thing for a 10-year-old girl to do but I was having a blast lol : )
@zebrabus Fascinating! In parts of the world where 7-Eleven and other corner stores are a retail powerhouse, they take care of everyday needs – like banking, paying bills, buying tickets, printing, and shipping – but vacuum tube testing may yet be the most interesting service I’ve heard offered there.
@trisk In the US, it was the “rat shack” (Radio Shack). I remember when they were Tandy, the leather goods store with all sorts of cool leather working tools.
@zebrabus I’m still testing tubes almost every day as part of my income, except in place of 7-Eleven, I use my own tube tester, my trusty Heathkit IT-17! Tubes are fun!
@PooltoyWolf Tube tops, yes; tube socks, not so much.
Or, since don’t have a feral pack to supply on the go power to, For $1 More I could get One power bank with a higher capacity than all 8 of these combined.
Heh, I just realized it’s the #1 Best Seller in “MP3 Player Batteries” … pretty sure that kind of labeling is how things end up on Meh
@Oneroundrobb Have you never had a children around? Or sometimes a girlfriend? They lose shit… Constantly. IDK why but they do. Letting them slowly lose $5 power banks is better than letting them rapidly lose one $40 power bank.
@unksol I can almost guarantee they will lose 7 of the 8 before the 1 bigger bank gets lost…it’s a law
“Each one has a built-in Lightning and micro-USB cable – no need to have an Apple vs. Android debate in the comments unless you’re bored”
Usually, when there is a micro-USB vs Lightning option, the Lightning always costs more… so by putting both of these on there, I’m forced to indirectly pay Apple licensing fees? I prefer to keep my money as far away from the bitten fruit cash cows.
@fredboy it’s ok. The apple fanbois are bitching above about it not being USB-C. The lightning is a failed tech, now orphaned.
Explains why it’s on Meh.
@mike808 I don’t think it’s Apple users complaining, I believe it’s legitimately Android users with USB-C products doing so.
@cinoclav And that is why this is showing up on meh.
@mike808 Lightning is alive and well (and living in Paris?), and is expected to stick around for several more generations of Apple’s ‘i’ products (and is also being used as a charge port on apple’s wireless mice and keyboards and trackpads, and even the Siri remote for the Apple TV).
It would just seem that in the Apple world, USB-C / Thunderbolt 3 is the new port into which Lightning cables (and other devices) will plug into Macs going forward.
@cinoclav is 100% correct that all the USB-C complaints above are from the non-apple fanbois who are using modern Android devices that have only USB-C connectors on them.
@curtise Mehbe Meh should offer a 2-fer pack (or more) of USB-C-2-USB-* adapters. The price range for them is right up Meh’s skirt, I’m sure.
“The pace of change has increased…”. Not with these 8 power banks. No USB-C = no use to any of us who do keep up with the pace of change. Meh. Meh. Meh. Meh. Meh. Meh. Meh. Meh.
@skemmehs, is your system jury-rigged, or jerry-built? Or jason-mangled, or gerrymandered?!
@UncleVinny None. Clusterfucked.
Modern naming rules capitalize the second word and lose the space… PowerBank
@pskemp2 Don’t frget dropping vowls and adding dipthongs and diacriticals.
PöwwŕBehnk
@mike808 And umlauts.
/image an umlaut
I would be all over these if I hadn’t bought a pile of those Duracell mat ones. I love them.
/giphy I love duracell
@sammydog01
/giphy I love the A-team
You are basically just buying 8 18650 lithium cells of an unknown quality in a clunky plastic shell. That being said I bought some…
I really REALLY hope they are charged by contacts and not induction. Induction charging is so inefficient and there is no reason for it on a product with a base station.
@unksol Asked and answered:
@djslack you startled him.
@unksol 8 - 18650 lithium cells with 2 connectors in a clunky plastic shell, at $5 each.
I would jump on this, except there’s no other way to charge the battery besides the base. If they also had u-usb IN, I’d be in.
Also, not 18650 lithium cells, since 3.7V wouldn’t charge dick (or my phone).
@G1 5 volts in and out. They have DC-DC convertors to go to and from the 3.7 volt battery.
They mention 3.7 volts because the 2600 mAh is measured at that voltage, not at 5 volts. So about 10 watt-hours capacity, not 13.
Why do all of the Amazon links always have zero reviews???
@lostrowski this one didn’t even have a product description in either the header bit or the actual section for it further down the page. impressive.
Because nobody bought this crap, which is why it’s on meh in the first place.
Also, be careful on the “BEM Wireless” page. Google tells me it may have been hacked, and it certainly seems it has.
Do they actually light up like in the second-to-last photo? Sweet baby flounders, I’d have to cover the damn things with duct tape so they don’t all die in a freak hammer accident.
@TheFLP Nope, we faked that just for you
If they really can put out 2 amps for at least half an hour, and they can handle intermittent loads, then they would be great for Robotics classes.
Modern cell phones ramp power draw up gently. The Arduinos need a steady 5 volts all of the time, but the robot motors draw more than an amp intermittently. Using a single power bank for both is tough.
I will buy one set now, and see if they can cope under that kind of load. If they work well, then I will know to buy many more when they come around again. Otherwise, I will just use them in projects without motors. They aren’t cost effective if I never need more than an amp.
If anyone gets buyer’s remorse and wants to unload theirs at a discount, I will probably be interested.
I kinda like the idea of these, but don’t want/need another giant thing sitting on my desk/counter. If I had one for my batter-operated power tools, that would be awesome.
@ACraigL like this? I keep being tempted by it but haven’t bought yet:
6x battery slots and a 2.1a usb output.
@djslack Yeah, except I have 3 different batteries for each of my Black and Decker, Makita and Skil tools. Someday I’ll streamline and get something like that.
@ACraigL I’ve learned over the years that with cordless tools, you aren’t buying tools; you’re buying battery systems. That’s where the larger brands have a big advantage over the household or store brands - their battery designs tend to stay around for a while, which means the tools that use them stay around for a while.
@narfcake This, and then some: The reason I recently started standardizing on Ryobi is that they have demonstrated commitment to backward and forward compatibility with their tools and batteries. I feel better knowing that I shouldn’t be stuck with tools I can’t buy batteries for two years from now.
@narfcake Ryobi is a store brand…
@unksol “TTI owns the Ryobi power tools and accessories division in the USA, North America, the UK, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, but Ryobi is also an independent company with separate product lines in some other parts of the world.” - source.
However, they are exclusively distributed at the Home Depot in the US.
No USB-C. For that alone, meh.
Sold out in 20 seconds to VMPS -.- DAMN!
So much for some saved for VMP’s!
What were there, like THREE?
@katbyter There were 21.
Wow, kinda PO’d. Short window this morning and this afternoon and only 21 left? Are you owned by Walmart? Day-em.
@bniedt encore! https://morningsave.com/deals/b-m-wireless-8-pack-2600mah-power-bank-station
Why am I not seeing your images? I’m using Chrome and only about 3 images are showing up.
Is it weird that it entices me to buy one since it’s sold out
@tinkleondabeach encore! https://morningsave.com/deals/b-m-wireless-8-pack-2600mah-power-bank-station
@troy the URL generator does unfortunate things to their brand name
I got mine, and one is defective. Oh noes! Guess I have to look into that warranty thing.
@jds2001 I have the same problem. One of mine does not charge.
These were really great. Just wanted to say since this is probably my favorite purchase here ever other than my laptop.
Had a graduation party and people really loved them. I actually felt almost bad since people kept asking where I bought them but I couldn’t really be helpful since they won’t be sold again.
Anyway, thanks, really unique (weird) item but better design than any of the other portable chargers I’ve ever used or seen. Good job, Meh!
I love this. Grab n go. Very convient. I use them all the time.
Worked great for a short time (less than 2 months); now, trying to get them repaired/replaced either via here or the vendor.
@jeffreywperkins
@jeffreywperkins … wanna get rid of that set if you haven’t yet?
-1 star. Worked perfectly for 5 months, then base unit quit recharging the battery packs. Worthless.
@mligett … wanna get rid of that set if you haven’t yet?
Hey Hey everyone! These have been great for us, um, mostly, but especially with the kids. Now we need some replacements. Does anyone want to get rid of some they bought?(?!)
Sure.
I’ll have to check to see if I still have them, then I’ll get back to you.