Anker PowerDrive+ 4 Ports USB-C Review

I just got an Anker PowerDrive+ 4 Ports USB-C ( model A2240 ) and I figured I would do a quick blog review with some pictures.  I have used many multi-port adapters before, they are very useful if you have multiple devices.  These days everyone has a phone or tablet they want to charge plus other devices (like dash cams) typically use USB power.

Side view

This adapter didn't come with any cables, just the adapter itself.  It has a neat little red ring around it that glows when plugged in, this might just seem like an extra feature with no value but it is very handy to ensure you are getting power - I have had other adapters "back out" of the cigarette lighter port and you really don't notice until your phone dies.

Red ring ( the switch is from my power supply )

4 ports  (green = QC 3.0)

The adapter itself has 4 ports:

- Two USB PowerIQ ports for your USB devices
- One Quick Charge (QC) 3.0 port for faster charging on compatible devices
- One USB-C port for USB-C devices

 To test the charger out, I used my home made power supply ( old ATX computer power supply with an on/off switch and cigarette lighter port) to power it up.  I then connected two large battery packs (one USB, one USB-C) and a Samsung S7 Edge on the QC port.  After about an hour, I checked the adapter and it didn't even feel warm to the touch.  All my devices were charging just fine, and the S7 Edge was showing quick charge mode.

Charging up multiple devices
( S7 Edge not connected since I used it for the picture )

Bottom line: This seems like a solid car charger, even if you don't have a USB-C phone today you can still use the other ports and be ready when you or someone else has a USB-C device to charge.

Anker Product Page: https://www.anker.com/products/variant/PowerDrive%2B-4-Ports-USB-C/A2240011
Amazon Product Page: https://www.amazon.com/Anker-Charge-Charger-PowerDrive-PowerIQ/dp/B01G5B069C

NOCO Genius G750 and G1100 Charger and Maintainer

I have looked into NOCO chargers in the past but never purchased one until recently.  I recently saw some good prices ( Amazon lightning deals ) and ended up buying two units - the G750 and the G1100.

Here is a quick rundown of the features/specs (not a full list of course):

- Both units can charge 6V and 12V lead acid batteries and use a multiple step charging approach
- The G1100 can also support 12V Lithium-ion batteries
- The G750 is IP60 rated and the G1100 is IP65 rated.  So they have the same solid protection (1st digit, 6 which is basically dust tight) but different liquid protection (2nd digit).  The G750 (rating of 0) has no protection, and the G1100 (rating of 5) protects against "powerful water jets" so basically rain shouldn't be an issue but don't put it under water.
- Both units come with clamp connectors w/ integrated eyelets, and they have a range of adapter/cables that you can purchase.
- Both units come with a 5-year warranty which is impressive.  Assuming you keep the receipt and register the unit, 0-2.5 years is no charge and 2.5-5 years is 35% of MSRP.

G1100

G750

You can remove the screw and they end up being eyelets
that you can mount to your car battery terminals if you want

Cover on the connector, in case you decide to leave this connected to your car battery

If you aren't familiar with the NOCO units, read up on them they have some neat features ( battery recovery, diagnostics etc ).  Product info links: G750 and G1100

Once I got the units, I tried them on a 6V battery that I had from one of those kid ride on cars.  The G750 wouldn't even get started, so I put the original charger on it for a while.  I put the G750 on it again, and after a while it would given me an error light.  I figured maybe the G750 didn't have enough power to bring the dead battery back so I tried the G1100 and it also gave me an error indication.  Ultimately, the battery itself was just beyond repair - it had been sitting in the garage for a while and I didn't keep it charged (I should have gotten a NOCO unit a long time ago).

Trying to charge the 6V battery

I also tested the G1100 against a few car batteries.  Since these were cars that were used often/recently none of the batteries were dead or near dead, but as far as I could tell the charger was working.

Topping off a Optima car battery

Once I purchased a replacement 6V battery, I used the G750 to fully charge it.  One of the nice features about these units is that they work as battery maintainers.  You don't have to disconnect the charger just leave it plugged up - it will monitor the battery and top it off as needed.  For situations where you don't use the battery often, this is a great capability.

Charging the new 6V battery

Ultimately, I think the G750 is perfect for indoor / garage use to keep things like the kid ride on toys or other batteries charged and maintained.  However, if you plan to use it for cars that are outside of the garage I would recommend the G1100 due to the better IP65 rating.  Ultimately, I think the NOCO Genius chargers are very nice options and you just need to select the best one for your use.  Don't make my mistake and let a battery go bad before you decide to get a NOCO charger!

Otium adapter with 3-socket cigarette lighter and 4 USB ports - Review

My car has an "always-on" cigarette lighter, but I plan to plug a few things into it and wanted to have it turn on when the car does.  I know I could do a custom setup using a relay and some wiring, but I wanted a quick/easy setup for now.  After digging around online I narrowed in on an Otium adapter that had the following features:

• 3-Socket cigarette lighter: This was important because I am using a FM transmitter until I decide to replace the radio
• 4-port USB charger: This will allow my phone, passenger phone and two other devices (one being a dashcam probably)
• On/off switch: Of course this was the most important aspect
• Volt meter: This was more of a nifty way to see if the power was on or off, but also would allow me to monitor the voltage.

Once the unit arrived, I unpacked it and took a few pics.  Lately many of my blog posts have been apps/websites so I was looking forward to putting up a hardware post again.

Box

Device - Simple and clean design

3 sockets and 2 USB ports on the front
The red things are where the double sided tape is

Interesting design for the sockets

4 USB ports total (2 front, 2 side)

Next, I took it to the car to test it.  Everything seemed to work fine, and the cigarette lighter powered FM transmitter worked great. 

Installed

Close up, notice the voltage

I need to tidy up the cables at some point

Here are the main points I noticed about this product:

Plenty of ports: The 3 cigarette lighter ports allow you to use items that must plug in directly or have their own adapter, and the 4 USB ports should cover any other devices.

On/off switch: If you have an "always-on" cigarette lighter, then this is a must-have.

Volt meter: This is just a neat way to know the unit is working, and keep an eye on your battery voltage / charging system.

Bottom line: So far I am very happy with this little unit.  I need to see if I can hide the wires and tidy up the install a bit, but I don't plan to use the double sided tape to mount it to anything just because I want to avoid residue being left behind if I remove it.   I will update this post if needed as I continue to use this adapter.

Otium Product Page
Amazon Product Page: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07169DMHM/

RushCard Free $30

NOTE: I no longer refer this card, so I don't know if my link even works or if the referral program terms have changed.

I have seen various posting about the RushCard, but I never got around to actually trying it myself.  Considering you can get free money ($30) for trying it, I figured why not.

NOTE: If you are ready to sign up and get $30 free, scroll to the bottom of this post for directions.

IMPORTANT NOTE: RushCard has changed the terms, you have to load $50 now.

My Thoughts on RushCard

There are other debit card options ( such as the ones I reviewed here http://bigboystoys13.blogspot.com/2017/10/online-bank-prepaid-card-alternatives.html ) that seem to be better options, but $30 free is a great incentive to give this card a try.  From what I can tell, the RushCard has a wider range of options to load money than I have seen on other cards.  For someone who is dealing in cash often, this might be an advantage over the other options that are out there.

Sign-up / Setup

I signed up online (scroll to the bottom when you are ready to sign up), and it took just under two weeks to get the card.  The sticker on the card gave a few options to active the card (app, web and phone).  I decided to use the Android application.

Click on "Activate New Card"

Put in your card info

Once it is activated setup an account and enter the required information

Once you are done, your card is active and ready to go!

Activating the card was fairly easy, and once the card was activated I setup an account in the application.

Loading Funds

Now I was ready to load money.  There are multiple options listed, which might be one of the reasons people use this card.  Most of the options also have fees, but ACH/direct deposit does not.

Many load options

You can link apps like PayPal (or probably any other option that uses ACH) by using the routing/account number that is in the app, or on the paperwork that came with the card.  The details below explain PayPal steps, but the same approach will likely work with other apps.

PayPal Linking

Option 1 "Bank Account": One of the papers that came with the card has a bank name, routing number and direct deposit ID number ( account number ) on it.  If you don't have that paper go into the app, choose direct deposit and select your card.  This will give you the same routing / deposit ID number.  Go to PayPal, and add the account using the routing/account number.  Within a few days, you should see two small credits and one debit on your RushCard.  Once you see that, go back to PayPal and confirm the account.  Once you are done you can transfer money from PayPal to your RushCard.

Option 2 "Debit or credit card": You can add the debit card number to PayPal, which allows you to transfer money quickly but there is a fee (for example I paid 25 cents to put $4.75 on the card).  You should only do this if you need the money on the card quickly and don't want to wait for the normal ACH method.  Update: This method works, two people tested it and they got their $30 within a few hours.

Adding funds via PayPal

Once you completed linking (above option 1 or option 2), you can put enough to cover the $3.95 card fee.  You should be able to go into your PayPal balance and choose "transfer to bank".  Option 1 will show up as "Metabank" and Option 2 should show up as a debit card.  Since there is a $0.25 fee, you will need to transfer $4.20 to cover the $3.95 and 25 cent fee.

Free Money?

So the bottom line you are probably wondering, did it work?  Yes it did!  Since you have to load $3.95 on the card to cover the card fee, you are basically getting $26.05 free!  You can get an additional $30 per person you refer ($600 max I think).

IMPORTANT NOTE: After 90 consecutive days of zero transactions or loads each month, you will be charged a $1.95 fee each month until you use the card again.

IMPORTANT NOTE: RushCard has changed the terms, you have to load $50 now.

Sign Up Steps

To sign up and get $30 free use my referral link below.  A few things to keep in mind:
- Pick a card design with a $3.95, do NOT pick "Sequin KLS" that has a $9.95 fee.
- Select the "I want to pay as I got for each purchase" option
- Make sure the "Enter Referral or Promo Code" field has my code ( VICTORJIMENEZ8 ), if not put that code in.

Sign up link: https://apply.rushcard.com/start?urid=VICTORJIMENEZ8

If you want to see other freebies/offers, go here:
http://bigboystoys13.blogspot.com/2016/11/get-some-free-stuff-or-free-money.html

Online Bank / Prepaid Card Alternatives ( Chime, Simple and Qapital )

I have run into many people online who either have no bank account or use prepaid cards, but many of the prepaid options have fees.  I decided to pull together a list of a few options I knew of that would be good online only banks / prepaid card alternatives.

I haven't tested all of these full yet, but here is a summary of the features.

NOTE: Update 12 Feb 2022 - Simple is gone, but SoFi Money is good alternative.

$25 from SoFi Money - You can save, spend, and earn interest—all in one account. Use my link to sign up and you’ll get a $25 bonus. Referral link: https://www.sofi.com/invite/money?gcp=baf027eb-93db-453b-a474-fe7aae805180

Common between all cards:
- Claim minimal/no fees ( Simple fee info / Chime fee info / Qapital fee info )
- Provide routing # and account # so you can get pay direct deposit and use other services that require the info
- Provides a physical debit card
- You can pay bills/people using mailed checked
- Can link to your bank

Common between at least two cards:
- Has a list of ATMs in the application (Simple and Chime)
- Can transfer money quickly to other users of the same service (Simple and Chime)

Setting aside Savings

Each of the options has a different way to help you save money.  Here are the options:

Saving with Chime - Chime has something they call "Automatic Savings" which can set aside some money when you spend money (round up and save the change) or get paid (save 10%).  However, it doesn't seem to include allocating the money to multiple goals like Simple and Qapital.  This seems to be a great "set and forget" without specific saving goals.

Saving with Simple -  Simple uses "Goals" for setting aside money using an easy approach of defining the amount of your goal, and when you need it so it can automatically set aside money.  This seems to be the easiest to setup if you want to use goals, but you can still manually allocate money if you want.  You can read more here ( https://www.simple.com/help/articles/goals/budgeting-with-goals )

Saving with Qapital - Qapital uses "Goals" but they are based on a wide set of rules that you can customize.  This seems to offer the most automated options, but you can also just manually control money moves if you prefer.  Here are the types of rules:

Round-Up Rule: Save the change every time you spend ( for example, if you spend $2.25 it rounds up to $3 but puts the 25 cents into your savings ).
Spend Less Rule: For example, you set aside $10 a week for McDonalds.  If you spend less than $10, the difference goes to savings.
Guilty Pleasure Rule: Ever time you spend money at a certain place (for example Starbucks) you can set aside a certain amount into savings.
Set and Forget Rule: Set aside a certain amount of money per day, week or month.
52 week Rule: Save $1 week 1, $2 week 2 and so on for 52 weeks.  When you are done, you will have $1378 set aside.
IFTTT Rule: This lets you customize a wide range of options using the service IFTTT.
Freelancer Rule: Set aside 30% for tax day every time you get paid.  You can adjust the percent.  This is helpful if you get paid but no taxes are taken out.

If you just want to set aside savings without thinking tying the money to specific goals, Chime is probably a good option.  If you want to set aside money for goals, Simple and Qapital are the best options.  Both work well to manually move money around, but if you want automatic options use Simple for an easy setup and use Qapital to tweak things how you want.

Unique features to just one of the options:
- Chime has a rewards program, but I only saw a few offers and none were interesting to me at the time but I believe they change.
- Chime can link to a debit card, so you can transfer money (limit 3 times per card, $25 minimum).
- Chime says you can receive your paycheck (via direct deposit) up to two days early
- Simple supports photo check deposits, Chime says this is coming soon

Referral Program:
- Simple: If you sign up using a referral link you can get $20, you do have to make a purchase (card swipe not online).  Also if you refer others you can get $20 per person.
- Chime: If you have a payroll direct deposit (of $200 or more) you can get $25 right now (not sure if that will change.  Also when you refer others, you and the person can both get $25 if they also have a payroll direct deposit of $200 or more.
- Qapital; When you sign up and make a deposit (even a few bucks) you get $5, then each person you refer who also does a deposit gets you and the person $5 each.

NOTE: The referral information above and at the end of the post are as of late October 2017 and are subject to change.

You can read the full feature information by clicking: Simple, Chime and Qapital.  Ultimately, the best card for you depends on how you plan to use it.  Luckily all of these options are free, so you can pick more than one to try out.

My referral links:

Qapital -Get $5 free when you sign up and make a deposit (even just a few bucks).
My link: https://get.qapital.com/bzAc/7i45bilM5G

Simple - Get $20 if you use a referral link.  You can earn more by referring friends.
My link: https://simple.com/friends/BRYN323

Chime - Get $25 when you open a Chime Account and set up payroll direct deposit of $200 or more. 

I closed my Chime account.  I never got my referral money when I signed up because they said the code didn't register (I know I used a valid link).  Contact support was pointless, no one would fix it - I was flat out told on the phone that even a supervisor would tell me they can't help.  I got real annoyed at that point and told them to close my account.  Feel free to try it for yourself, just find someones code if you want to try to earn the referral money.

If you want to see other freebies/offers, go here:
http://bigboystoys13.blogspot.com/2016/11/get-some-free-stuff-or-free-money.html