A Solution for LI-180 Extended Power

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Day-long measurements using the LI-180, in the field or any location where no AC power is available, require the LI-180 battery provides enough power. Users can order replacement batteries that can serve as a backup. However, for uninterrupted measurements, or if you are unable to replace the battery, this tech tip describes a solution for extending the LI-180 power throughout the day.

Plugging the LI-180 to a third-party external battery pack or a computer using the provided USB cable may charge the LI-180, but the instrument will switch to USB mode as shown in Figure 1 and be unable to take any measurements simultaneously.

Figure 1. Measurement mode is disabled when the USB connection is in use.

To keep taking measurements while the LI-180 is being charged, connect a 5 VDC power supply to the power connector. There are two options:

Option 1: Using a USB backup battery and a USB-to-barrel connector cable

You can power the LI-180 from an external USB battery pack with a USB-to-barrel connector cable (3.5 × 1.35 mm). The battery pack should supply at least 1.5 A.

Figure 2. USB-to-barrel connector (3.5 mm × 1.35 mm) power adapter cable.
Figure 3. LI-180 powered by a power bank (providing at least 1.5 A output) using a USB-to-barrel adapter cable. Measurement mode will not be disabled in this power supply configuration.

By using the most power consuming LI-180 settings (continuous logging every 10 seconds and 100% backlight), powered by a fully charged power bank with 20,100 mAh capacity, the LI-180 can continuously measure for nearly 24 hours. Increasing the measurement interval from 10 to 60 seconds will extend the measurement period to about 6 days.

Option 2: Using a backup battery with AC output

The LI-180 AC adapter has an input of 100-240 VAC at 0.4 A, 40-96 W. While technically any external battery with AC outlet that can meet this requirement should work, one of our LI-180 users reported the portable battery Mophie Powerstation AC worked well for 8-hour long continuous measurement in the field. The Mophie Powerstation AC provides a maximum capacity of 22,000 mAh and delivers up to 100 W at 110 V of power through its AC outlet. Therefore, technically a fully charged Mophie Powerstation AC can power the LI-180 for up to 55 hours.

Four types of AC adapter plug are included in the package of LI-180 as shown in Figure 4. Find the right plug type that is compatible with the AC port of your external battery and install it to the LI-180 AC power adapter. Connect the LI-180 to the external battery via the AC adapter then you are ready to go!

Figure 4. Connect LI-180 to your external battery via the AC adapter connection. Measurement mode will not be disabled when powered from an AC power supply.