Help with battery power bank

General Pub
1

Hi guys

I’ve got a problem with the two Kogan battery power banks I just purchased. I know there’s a few electronics experts here, so maybe someone can help. I’ve looked online and found others having the same problem but no explanation or solution.
The problem is the power banks will charge my phone (Samsung Galaxy Nexus) and my wife’s (iPhone 4s), but not my two bike lights (Light and Motion 550 and Knog Blinder rear) or my Garmin Edge 500. The chargers work for about 15 seconds then stop.
I’ve tried multiple cords, which work when plugged into wall chargers and computers. The cords that came with the power banks also work fine with wall chargers.

Anybody have any idea what’s going on? This is all like magnets to me: how do they work?
The Kogan site says ‘use with iPhone 4/5/6 and Android’ (which is Kogan’s service department response to me) but not that it won’t work with any other USB device.

2

Sounds like it’s something to do with the amperage to me.

I.e. a phone only needs x amount of amps to charge and the battery packs you have can do that with their 1.5amps. But the bike lights require more amps and thus they’re not charging from the battery packs.

3

I thought if they need more amps they’ll just charge slower. The battery pack is actually turning off and not supplying a charge after 15 seconds

4

Maybe its current draw then, not enough is being taken by the lights so the battery bank thinks there’s nothing there and turns off?

Either way it’s weird.

5

I think you might be onto something.