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MixAmp Rechargeable Battery Pack
Score: 95%
Developer: Astro Gaming
Device Type: Audio
Compatible With:


Function:

The MixAmp Rechargeable Battery Pack provides your MixAmp with a reliable source of backup power.

Performance:

While you have the MixAmp plugged into a USB port, the batteries aren't used; in fact, the MixAmp charges the MixAmp Rechargeable Battery Pack while it's plugged in. When you take your MixAmp with you (and use it without the USB cord plugged in), the Rechargeable Battery Pack powers the MixAmp for up to 12 hours of use on a single charge.

The MixAmp Rechargeable Battery Pack provides an easy-to-use, easy-to-charge power supply for your MixAmp. It's sold separately, so you can save a little money if you never plan to use your MixAmp with the USB cord unplugged - and so you can use your own rechargeable batteries, if you're swimming in perfectly good rechargeable 'AA's. Mind you, the MixAmp won't charge standard 'AA's; if it did, it would be dangerous to use normal 'AA' cells with it. If you use normal 'AA' batteries, you'll have to remove them to recharge them, then replace them in your MixAmp when they're charged again.

The MixAmp Rechargeable Battery Pack, on the other hand, can be put into the battery compartment once and then just left there and recharged by plugging the MixAmp into a powered USB port, which is quite convenient.


Features:
  • Charges when MixAmp is Connected to USB Power
  • 2300 mAh of Capacity
  • Up to 12 Hours of Use per Charge

Drawbacks & Problems::

It's a really good thing that the MixAmp Rechargeable Battery Pack is a drop-in-and-forget-it solution. In addition to the convenience factor, it's not very easy to actually remove the battery. For that matter, it's not overly easy to simply "drop-it-in."

The battery holder in the MixAmp is designed so that it can hold four 'AA' batteries (normal or rechargeable), or it can hold a battery pack that is basically the equivalent of four batteries combined into one package. There are metal spring clips that hold the batteries in place - on the 'AA' batteries, these actually make contact and conduct the electricity. With the Rechargeable Battery Pack, however, these merely hold the pack in place; the actual connections are made by some connectors in the middle of the back of the MixAmp, battery compartment. The spring clips, however, have to sort of accommodate two different sorts of things. The 'AA' batteries seemed to fit a bit loosely (along one axis), in that they weren't snugly fit against each other. However, this didn't affect the score of the MixAmp, since nothing I did - including some fairly rough shaking - would cause the batteries to lose connection.

While the 'AA' batteries were a bit loose in the compartment, the MixAmp Rechargeable Battery Pack was more than just a little bit tight in the compartment. If you start by setting the bottom in place, it takes just too much pressure to wedge the top into place, and vice-versa. The best way I found to put the battery in is to center the battery in place and press it in, top and bottom, at the same time.

What goes in, must come out... at some point, and with the battery clips as tight as they are, getting the battery out can be difficult as well. Here's an install tip to make that day easier on you: take a small piece of ribbon and lay it in the bottom on the battery compartment so that it doesn't block the contacts, then pres the battery into place on top of the cord. Carefully lay the cord over the battery and close 'er up. When you need to remove the battery, carefully grab both ends of the cord and use it to help pull the battery out of the compartment.

At any rate, that's mainly forward thinking. The Rechargeable Battery Pack is a drop-in-and-forget solution, and offers a very convenient way to keep your MixAmppowered and, at a retail price of around $20 USD, it's a great option. I would highly suggest picking up the Rechargeable Battery Pack to add "always ready" and "easy to recharge" to the USB MixAmp's list of finer qualities.


-Geck0, GameVortex Communications
AKA Robert Perkins

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