Review by Greg Sterley
If you are a GoPro user like I am you have probably come to the conclusion that the standard batteries just don’t have enough run time to last a whole days worth of fishing. There are several options out there to increase your battery life, but in this review I’m going to talk about a product that lets you recharge your batteries up to four times.
The Digipower Re-Fuel Go Charger is a lightweight lithium ion power bank that claims 4x refuels of your GoPro batteries on a single charge. It’s pretty powerful for a relatively small size, coming in at 5200mAh with a 2 amp/10 watt USB charging port. For a power bank comparable to the size of a larger cell phone, such as my Motorola Droid Turbo, those are some impressive numbers. But does it hold up to the claims on the box?
After using the Go Charger for a month and a half both on an off the water I can for certain say, yes the Go Charger does meet its claims of 4x refuels. I do however have to share one variable. I don’t own a GoPro Hero 4, so I was unable to test the newer style batteries. I used the charger to refuel my older GoPro Hero 3/3+ batteries via USB cable and Wasabi dual battery charger pack. As stated above the 4x refuels is true, actually, I was able to squeak out five! Even better, the Go Charger fully charged a dead battery in under forty minutes.
To further test the Go Charger’s capabilities I decided to give it a try on my cell phone. For reference, my Motorola Droid Turbo is equipped with an extended battery that lasts up to 48 hours with limited use. I drained my cell phone’s battery down to 2% over a two-day period and let the Go Charger go to work overnight. When I woke up the following morning, the phone was at 98%, enabling another 36 hours of use of my phone. The Go Charger was completely dead however.
For the ultimate test I decided to take the Go Charger on the water and put it to use. Before I did that I fit the Go Charger, USB cable and Wasabi dual battery charger snuggly into a waterproof Plan 1040 dry box for peace of mind and worry free on the water charging. After I drained a battery I quickly popped open the Plano box, inserted the dead battery and 40 minutes later it was completely refueled and ready to go, very impressive.
So far, the Go Charger has met all the claims on the box and I am a big fan, but there are some improvements that could be made. We are kayak anglers after all and obviously water is a part of the equation, so I would like to see a waterproof option offered or maybe an enclosure available as an upgrade. The included USB cable leaves some room for improvement too. It’s a standard single connection type, and I would be a lot more impressed if the Go Charger was offered with a triple connection type cable. This would enable the user to be able to charge different types of devices all at once, enhancing the overall capability of the Go charger.If you need a powerful charging device to keep your GoPro recording for a full day of fishing, then check out the Digipower Go charger, it is highly recommend.
From the maker:
For the GoPro fanatic in all of us, this is the last battery pack you’ll ever need. This all-in-one Power Bank lets you charge up to two Hero4 batteries at the same time and also comes with a USB port to simultaneously charge your phone. Or if you prefer, you can charge your GoPro without removing your battery and plug it directly into the Power Bank’s USB port. If you consider yourself to be a serious GoPro enthusiast, this is a must-own portable Power Bank. It is available at https://re-fuel.com/go-charger-rechargeable-power-bank-and-gopro-charger.htmlfor $49.99
Some quick features:
Battery comes pre-charged and ready to use right out of the box.
Keep your devices up and running with 2 amps of charging power.
Compact design that fits comfortably in your bag or backpack while your GoPro charges.
Designed with a USB output port and micro and mini input ports.
LED charge indicator shows you battery level with the press of a button.