DROK NFC Enabled Bluetooth Audio Receiver Review ( Model IBT-08 )

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this product for free so that I could provide product feedback to the company and post a product review. I was not required to write a positive review and I do not rate products higher than they should have been. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's requirements.

I recently received a DROK NFC enabled Bluetooth audio receiver for a product review. The receiver itself was a bit smaller than I expected based on the pictures, but larger than another adapter I recently tested.  In addition to the receiver itself, an audio cable and USB cable were also included.

Product box, receiver, and included cables

The back of the receiver has two audio output options ( 1/8" headphone style jack and RCA jacks ) and also has a USB connector that allows you to use a single power source to run the adapter and charge your phone.  Power is provided to the receiver via a micro USB port.

Back of device
Left to Right : Power In (microUSB), Power Out (USB), Audio Out (RCA), Audio Out (1/8")

On the front, you have buttons for volume and play control.  If you long press the volume buttons, it will restart the current track (-) or skip to the next one (+).

Controls on front of unit

To test the receiver, I used the included cables to connect it to the aux in of a portable speaker.  I was able to pair with my Moto X phone just by touching my phone to the top of the receiver (where the NFC word is).  I didn't have any problems playing music, and the quality was good.

Size comparison next to a standard AA battery

I also tested my Nexus 7 with the adapter, and it paired using the NFC feature pretty easily ( I had to try it more than once, when I kept the Nexus close to the receiver while pairing it worked better ).

In addition to testing the receiver in my house on a portable speaker, I also tested it in my car.  I used the aux-in cable to connect the Bluetooth receiver, and was able to play music just fine and I found it useful being able to hold the + button to skip to the next track since I didn't have to look at the screen to make it work.

Here are the main points I noticed about this product:

Audio Output Options: The receiver has multiple audio output options and includes a cable with headphone plug on one side and RCA on the other.  As long as your stereo has some sort of aux or RCA input you should be able to hook up this receiver without any extra cables.

Power Pass-Through: If you plan to use this on your desk, or in the car, where you don't have multiple power options I think the USB power output is a nice extra feature.  I tested it with my Nexus 7 tablet and it worked.

Ease of Use: If you have a NFC-enabled phone or tablet, it is very easy to pair with the device.  The manual explains the various features of this adapter and how to use it, but once you read the manual it is very easy to use.

Bottom line: This is a nifty little gadget if you are looking to add Bluetooth to your home or car sound system.

NOTE: I used this product as one of the options for my Nexus 7 install here:
http://bigboystoys13.blogspot.com/2015/02/nexus-7-in-car-setup-non-permanent-mount.html

Amazon Product Page: http://amzn.com/B00Q2ND632

RAVPower 15W Solar Charger Review ( Model RP-SC02 )

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this product for free so that I could provide product feedback to the company and post a product review. I was not required to write a positive review and I do not rate products higher than they should have been. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's requirements.

I recently received a RAVPower Solar Charger for a product review.  The package included the solar charger itself and 4 clips.  Although I never used the clips, there are 4 holes in the panel assembly so you can use the clips to mount it in the right position.

Solar Charger and 4 clips

When you fully open the charger, you will notice 3 solar panels, and then on a 4th section it has a pouch with two USB connectors in at (and directions written on the pouch itself which is useful).

The section with directions and the 2 USB plugs pulled out.

To give the solar panel a good test, I hooked up two of my DROK USB testers and a few devices to provide a load.  I tested it early afternoon, so the sun was not directly above me.

• When I had the panel laying flat, I was getting about 1.6A across both USB ports which is pretty good.  
• When I tilted the panels so they were "pointed" at the sun, I was getting about 2.5A across both USB ports.  While this is just under the max rated 3A, the devices I was using as a load test may have been the limiting factor not the panel itself. 

RAVPower Solar Charger fully unfolded

Even if 2.5A was the max I was able to get with that sunlight, that is still enough to easily handle two devices.  From my own prior tests I know that  Nexus 7 table pulls about 1A and a Moto X pulls just under 1A, so the 2.5A would have been enough to charge a Nexus 7 tablet and Moto X smartphone.

If you are going to be using this devices in situations where it would not be convenient to keep your devices connected during the day, you may want to consider pairing this with a RAVPower USB battery pack so that you can keep the pack charged (during the day) with this solar panel and at night you can use the USB battery pack to charge your devices.

Here are the main points I noticed about this product:

Ease of use: The panel is very easy to use, just unfold it and plug in your device.  For better performance, you can ensure it is pointed directly at the sun by putting something under it to tilt it the right way.

Performance: As I mentioned earlier, in direct sunlight this charger was able to put out between 1.6A and 2.5A depending on how you point the panels.  This should be enough for one or two devices, of course you have to be realistic and remember that anything less than direct sunlight will impact performance.

Design: The panel assembly folds down to a portable size, and the pouch at the end for the two USB cables (and to place your device to keep it out of direct sunlight) is a nice touch.  As I mentioned, I didn't use the 4 clips but I can see the value in the clips and holes in the panel assembly to help with placement.

Other considerations: This gadget is not as common as a normal USB battery pack.  For someone who likes having unique gadgets or is into "green" technology like solar panels this would make a great gift.

Bottom Line: This solar panel works as expected, is well designed, and would make a great tool for anyone that has a need and a great toy for anyone who likes to have unique gadgets.

Product Page : http://www.ravpower.com/15w-foldable-solor-charger.html

DROK USB Output Tester Review

I recently purchased two DROK Dual-USB output charging testers, and I figured I would test out a few devices I had (make sure you read the disclaimer at the end about the RAVPower and Maxboost items).

I decided to use smartphones and tablets I had available for the USB load, however in the future I may actually purchase a 1A/2A USB load device to ensure a consistent load for testing.

Load Devices with load rating based on a quick test

Nexus 7 (2013) LTE: Approx 1A
Nexus 7 (2012) WiFi: Approx 0.6A
Verizon Motorola Moto X: Approx 0.7A~0.8A
Republic Wireless Motorola Defy XT: Approx 0.5A

RAVPower Deluxe 15000 mAh battery pack with two DROK testers and 3 devices

In the picture above you see a rough idea of how the test hardware was setup.  Essentially I connected the phones/tablets (two devices) to each DROK, and then either one or two of the DROKs to each power source being tested.  In the picture below you will see the two testers, and devices tested.

Two of the DROK testers, and the various A/C adapters or USB battery packs

Overall, it was pretty interesting testing all the devices and seeing that in most cases they met or exceeded their rated capacity.  The test was only for a few minutes, not a longer test to see how the devices performed under a heavy consistent load.  Of course, I would not recommend exceeding the capacity of your charging devices.  See below for the results of each test.

RAVPower Two Port A/C Adapter (Model RP-UC02)

Rated : 2.1A

- Port 1: Both Nexus 7s, measured at 1.6A
- Port 2: Both Motorola's, measured at 1A

Results: The adapter was able to exceed the rated capacity, supporting 2.6A total.

Motorola Two port A/C Adapter (White one, from the Moto X I believe)

Rated 1.15A

- Port 1: Both Nexus 7s, measured at 1.1A
- Port 2: Nothing connected, not enough space between plugs to connected 2nd DROK tester

Results: The adapter was able to support just below the rated capacity.

RAVPower FileHub 6000 mAh (Model RP-WD02)

Rated 1A (only 1 USB port)

- Both Nexus 7s measure at 1.12A

Results: The battery pack was able to support just above rated capacity.  Note, this device can also has other capabilities ( file hub and router ) but those were not turned on at the time of my test.

RAVPower Deluxe 15000 mAh (Model RP-PB19)

Rated at 4.5A total (two ports)

- Port 1 (2.4A port): Both Nexus 7s, measure at 2A
- Port 2 (2.1A port): Both Motorola's, measured at 1.3A

Results: The adapter was able to support a total of 3.3A across two phones and two tablets.  I believe the devices were pulling their full load, so I don't think I hit the limit of the battery pack.

Maxboost Electron Mini 5600 mAh (Model MBP-5200B)

Rated 1A (only 1 USB port)

- Both Nexus 7s measured at 2A

Results : The battery back was able to exceed the rated capacity.

RAVPower Savior 9000 mAh (Model RP-PB23)

This device has a built-in microUSB cable (which I can't measure without some adapters) and a built-in USB port which is rated at 1A.

- Both Nexus 7s measure at 1.1A

Results: Device was able to support just over the rated capacity, and which I connected the Moto X to the microUSB port the rating on the USB port did not change so overall the battery pack was able to support 2 tablets and 1 smartphone and seemed to be within rated capacity.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received the RAVPower and Maxboost products for free so that I could provide product feedback to the company and post a product review. I was not required to write a positive review and I do not rate products higher than they should have been. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's requirements.