SHARGEEK STORM 2 POWER BANK

PORTABLE POWER!

I must begin by stating that I acquired this device at half the usual price, and that's about as much as I'd want to pay for any portable battery pack. They all seem to be mighty expensive to me and although this particular one has some fabulous features/abilities, I can't see how it's worth the price shown on Amazon (UK), then again I might be out of touch.

Okay, so this unusual looking battery pack is made by a Chinese company called Shargeek who were formed in 2020. They are innovators in the power-supply industry with the proud title of being the Number-1 selling brand for power-supply products on Amazon (US)!

They have a beautiful looking website which offers a good range of information on their product range and you can buy direct from them BUT bear in mind the inevitable delays and costs getting your goods to your country and the usual spanking that the Customs & Excise will apply in import duties. Probably better to buy from Amazon or similar and just accept the inflated (but final) cost price.

So what is it exactly? Well it's a Large Capacity (25,600mAh) Power Bank with some great abilities. It can provide power to 3 devices at the same time via the USB ports on the end panel. One of the USB-C ports is capable of outputting up to 100W which is pretty darned impressive and will be useful for a variety of applications. 

It also has a really handy DC Jack which can provide up to 75W and variable voltages from 3.3V up to 25V (that’s handy!) but you cannot use the 100W USB port while the DC Jack is in use (but you can use the other lower capacity ports).

Rather strangely, the case on the Storm2 is transparent and although it serves no real purpose, it does look pretty darned cool. Inside you can see 8 genuine Samsung 18650 (3200mAh) batteries and they are enveloped in a fireproof wrap which is a nice safety feature. There is an excellent Battery Management System which provides protection for the unit or anything connected to it from Over-Voltage, Short-Circuit and Extreme-Temperatures.

The unit has a tiny, but very sharp looking colour screen which provides a wealth of information on what's going on with each individual input/output port, including Voltage, Amps and Watts. It also indicates the charge-level of the unit itself and which ports are in use. You quickly become accustomed to the simple colour-scheme, instantly recognising which data relates to which port.

The only negative that I can see (apart from the full retail price) is that the device might be considered to be a touch delicate because of its use of clear plastics. Weighing over half a kilo, this thing will land heavily if you drop it. Because it looks so pretty though (and costs so much), I suspect that most owners will treat it like their firstborn child, lol.

For safety reasons, I keep my Storm2 in a fire-resistant pouch when it's being stored and I keep it in an Anker case when it's being transported.

The Storm2 will serve me well as a power-supply for any of my QRP radios and should easily give me all-day use. Or I can plug my NoteBook or SurfacePro into it. Even my iPhone when I’m using it as a Wi-Fi hotspot outdoors. It’ll also be handy for my USB Soldering Iron!

For those interested, this powerbank is certified for use on aircraft, so great for frequent travellers. 

So would I pay the full retail price for one? No, it’s just too much. I do love that fantastic info screen, but not enough to fork out Amazon prices. I’m very lucky to have got mine for such a heavily discounted price. If you plan to connect a variety of devices to the Storm2, remember to use USB cables which are specifically designed to handle 'fast charging' - I would recommend that you choose 100W cables - they're cheap enough.

My 13.2V 8400mAh FlightMax LifePO4 battery cost me £70 and has served me well over the last 4 years and it’s still going strong, so although it felt ridiculously expensive at the time, I guess it actually represents tremendous value for money.   But, it lacks all the finesse and features of the Storm2 and requires careful management in order to keep it healthy. You also have to factor in a smart balance-charger which also needs to be monitored during charge cycles. 

So there you have it - a fabulous device with amazing specs, features and flexibility!

INDEPENDENT VIDEO REVIEW

(Not Mine)

On a separate note, for those coming to this post thinking it was specifically about individual 18650 batteries, I guess I should mention that I do own some regular 18650s and they are of varying power levels.

One came with my Tecsun PL990X and I have another two which I got from FogStar website - a Molicell 3500mAh and a FogStar's own 4000mAh. They're both great batteries and relatively cheap. I only use them with my 990.

Many thanks for visiting the blog. Please feel free to leave a comment below.

73, Tom, M7MCQ.