Kickstarter

Creator Tobias Bischof on January 11

I do some defect location and I think it is the powerpot himself that case the problems. I try to measure the voltage that comes from the pot without the regulator. When I heat the pot, the voltage rise up to 2-3 Volts and then it begins to jumping up and down from 0 – 3 Volts.
I also tested the regulator separately and it works fine with an external power supply. Is there any electronic in the powerpot or only the thermoelectric element? When there is only the TEG, I guess that it is damaged
Best R. Tobias

Creator Tobias Bischof on January 11

I have the same problem like Rick! During the first test, the powerpot works great and give me 4,2 Watt out of the usb-port. But now the green led stops after a fews secounds and to not turn back, only when I let the powerpot cool down, it comes back for another few secounds. Is the charging unit defect or the powerpot?
Thanks, Tobias from pocketnavigation.de

Creator Rick Clements on November 2, 2012

David, Ive sent two requests for return istructions describing that when I started up my power pot plugged into the light it came for about 10 seconds and then went out and wehn I plug in my cell it also will not charge. So its not working - how do I ship it back for replacmeent /repairs? Thanks Rick Clements

Creator Russell on November 1, 2012

Didn't receive the battery in my package, would that be due to postal restrictions in Canada?

Creator Ryan Fortner on October 27, 2012

Just got mine! Thanks. Weird thing though, it was sent without a name, but my local post office figured it out! : )

Creator scott on October 27, 2012

Just a quick thank you to the team, my Powerpot V and sundries arrived this week. Easy to use, all tested well (I received a second gas stove nozzle instead of the LIPO battery due to mail carrier restrictions but had other USB powereld battery packs on hand, and charging worked well).

It'll be interesting to see the longevity of the device, but an excellent accomplishment to all the PowerPot team - I'll be playing with a fresnel lens and seeing what kind of current I can pull out of pure solar heating... :)

Thanks,
Scott (in Brisbane Australia)

Creator Ron Me on October 1, 2012

got mine powerpot v today in germany. last two weeks delay came from customs control. thanks looks good

Creator Joakim Bergman on September 28, 2012

I have just tested the PowerPotV with the trinity titanium (wood) stove and it's easy peasy to work with. Feeding the fire is very easy compared to smaller stoves. And it's lightweight !! I used a copper sheet to distribute the heat below the pot ( and to protect the pot from the flames)

I also experimented with charging a LiFePO4 8Ah battery, with just a 3.7v step-down regulator. At a temperature difference of 37deg it starts charging with 10mA and then increase to a max close to 1A ( supply side ) It's easy to maintain a charging current of 0.6A. ( so easy I suspect I've missed something ;-)

Lightweight charger ( for a "lifetime" )
PowerPotV 516g
Trinity stove 450g
( cooper sheet)
LiFePo4 8Ah battery 220g
Cables, Step-down 3.7v ,protection circuit < 100g

Creator Jim on September 21, 2012

I have a huge problem with my rewards, guys. I wasn't sent what I pledged for. I'm hoping you guys can help me clear it up. Sent you an email...

Creator Joakim Bergman on September 18, 2012

>DareMachina

PowerPot is very real and the PowerPotV I have tested deliver according to spec !
( read my previous comment )
Think you should consider they have almost tripled the pledge from 50k to 130k ..and that must affect deadline.

Creator DareMachina on September 17, 2012

Agreed with Jeff, I'd love to get what I paid for.

I pledged 300 dollars for a Powerpot V and a Powerpot X... both due for the summer camping season and neither have arrived. You have my money, I filled out the delivery info almost 2 months ago, and there have been no new updates or responses to your kickstarter comments.

I no longer need the Powerpot X as I was going to use it on my last aid trip to Haiti to power everyone's cell phones and GPS devices and maybe even help get some Powerpot some exposure. I can't even edit my pledge even though you guys failed to meet your deadline and considering I've yet to find a single review of any sort, even on youtube, so I consider this vaporware.

Creator Jeff Strobel on September 17, 2012

According to the latest update, all the units should have shipped a couple of weeks ago. I still haven't received mine. I'd love a new update, or better yet, an actual PowerPot.

Creator Joakim Bergman on September 15, 2012

I have just been out testing it, I'm surprised it really can reach 1A !!! (as promised ). I have tried it with two types of wood stoves. with biolite forced airflow it can easily reach 0.8A and with a simple stove with natural draft I get 0.4A. Both stoves takes a lot of work to feed. And I'm now waiting for a lager stove in titanium called trinity ( simple firebox )

Some tips and tricks
If you want to charge other kind of Li-Ion batteries a very simple charger that adapts to available current is available on Ebay called TP4056. You can find a TP4056 charger up to 1.5A. I prefer 18650 batteries for flashlight. I you want to charge NiMh the Maha MH-C401FS is my best choice so far using a 5v step down regulator. It takes 250mA constant current on slow charge which is easily met by the powerpot and a wood-stove natural draft. But for fast charge 1A you will need a better stove with forced airflow or gas burner...or one of the larger pots.

Conclusion
ThePowerPotV is a really neat package that exceeded my expectations. I have been interested in TEG for quite some time and I know from experience you get a LOT for the money with PowerPotV. ( it is simply dirt cheap ). For the future I'd love to see some lager titanium models and it would be really nice with some simple woodstove optimized for thePowerPot . When using wood it is important to find a easy ( lazy ) approach that doesn't require too frequent feeding. ( even with 1A it will take several hours to recharge a 2Ah battery ..therefore convenient wood feeding is a big issue )

Creator CJ Siano on September 11, 2012

OK, The battery is cute. Like the small size. However, its not enough to fully charge my iPhone from dead to 100%. Was hoping it would be at least a full charge worth.

Don't get me wrong, I love the pot, just wish some notice was given on spec changes. I am now sourcing another battery to complement my pot.

On the flip side, the LED lamp is brilliant! Very cool way to have light right where it is needed. Taken the pot on several camping trips now and I've found that the added weight over my old cookpot is minimal. And, I've left the headlamp at home as the one real need (cooking) is no longer an issue. A very tiny led flashlight now suffices.

Been careful to use the pot only over hot coals and not flame and that works very well. Coal bed takes time, but since I'm not limited by light, it works out great. I get camp squared away and then take care of dinner.

Also works well on my Whisperlite stove. Hope the discoloration on the bottom won't harm anything. My only complaint on using the stove is that it heats up fast and if I really need to charge, I would need to boil several pot worth. The coals produce less heat, but seem to make plenty of power.

Lastly, was wondering if the fasteners might be made more flush in future versions. At times, they do make cleaning more difficult. (canned Pasta for example)

Creator Laurel Fenenga Parker on September 6, 2012

Ours have not yet arrived - have they all been shipped?

Creator CJ Siano on September 5, 2012

@Morten I cooked up some Raman soup in mine. Did that job just fine. All the while it was charging my iPhone and in the time it took to get the water boiling and then cook, I was able to go from 20% to 57%. I wish I had timed it, but it wasn't too long, maybe 15 minutes or so over a low gas heat source. A full charge is not going to be fast, but you can certainly use the pot.

Creator Morten Hedegaard on August 30, 2012

Just got mine too and it works. However i'm confused, can i also use it for cooking?

Creator K.W. on August 28, 2012

Got mine! Love it! Can't wait to take it for a spin on a camping trip soon.

Creator CJ Siano on August 28, 2012

Got mine! Works like a charm!

Looking forward to having to make soup, coffee, tea, etc when the power goes out. (^_^)

Creator Jim on August 17, 2012

David, since we're a month past expected delivery, can you gives us weekly updates so we know where things are at? Being late is quite understandable, but please keep us in the loop. Many of us would like to have a better idea when these will ship because we've got plans coming up and would like to take these with us.

Creator Andrew Henry on August 17, 2012

Ditto - camping season is running out and no powerpot yet. We've missed the July delivery - will you make delivery in august?

Creator Jim on August 3, 2012

Yup, curious myself. Have the Vs come in?

By the way, Rob, in the Updates tab, they posted a pretty good update just recently. It gives a lot of info.

Creator Rob Matthew on August 2, 2012

any new status, I know with 1047 backers your probably swamped with (Whats the status)
however, last post was end of June it is now Aug and we are running out of camping season...
any anticipated delivery date

Creator Jim on July 11, 2012

Cool, keep us posted, David.

Creator Michael Bortnick on June 27, 2012

It would be good to get an update on the progress/issues that have been encountered. Part of backing is living the journey with the project owner. Communication is key, even if the project is delayed from original estimates. We all understand.

Creator Peter on June 26, 2012

Are we still on for the July delivery estimate? Very excited about this and am looking forward to take this on my next trip

Creator Dominik EGGER on June 2, 2012

Cant wait to get mine :)

Creator Adam Harding on May 4, 2012

Only came across this last minute, but what a fabulous idea, with such a good ethos. Just wished I could have donated more.

Creator Adan Gallardo on May 4, 2012

It just occurred to me. Would it be possible to run this backwards? Say attach a solar panel to provide the pot with some power and have it cool things off when say camping? Much like how some thermoelectric peltiers are used to cool off computer cpus?

Creator John Bingham on April 30, 2012

Great project, glad you'll get it going
Only wish I could Donate a pot and get a T-shirt too as a reward option.

Creator Joakim Bergman on April 30, 2012

I like what a see ...the effort David Toledo and his team has put in the construction seems very convincing.. I like products built to last !!

Quote :
"We are so confident in The PowerPot that every PowerPot sold during Kickstarter will come with a lifetime warranty! If you should encounter any problems with the PowerPot, we ask that you return it to us so we can fix it or replace it for you free of charge."

Creator Thomas Channing on April 28, 2012

$94,574!!! cool :)

Creator Chad Adamchick on April 27, 2012

I pre-order the a biolite stove and I am backing the PowerPot as well. Both are great designs good for backpacking and throwing in my 72hr kit. Nice work :)

Creator Mac Senour on April 27, 2012

oops, I got the number slightly off... but my question is the same. :)

Creator Mac Senour on April 27, 2012

I'm a bit confused by the rewards levels. I'm at 150, does it come with a lid? What is the difference between the 150 and the 199? I see at 199 you are donating a pot, very good, but there's another 199 level.

Creator Dan N. on April 24, 2012

@gerald scott I've worked a small bit with thermo-electrics and I know for sure you can destroy the cell if there's nothing to cool the side opposite the one being heated. On the powerpot in the pics there's a label that says not to run it dry. Without water in the pot to cool it you'll kill the cell!

Creator Marco Gallen on April 23, 2012

Hello, great idea I love the power pot so much I already backed the proyect. My question is, I live in Mexico, so how much would it be for international shiping?

Creator gerald scott on April 21, 2012

Great project! I would like to see you build a product without the pot. That is, just the thermoelectric component that could be put directly into a fire while the for is being used for other purposes (roasting, heating, etc)

Creator IcyOstrich on April 18, 2012

I had a question for the makers of the project - I live in Canada and have backed $40. Do I need to add more money to cover shipping of the items to me?

Creator IcyOstrich on April 18, 2012

This is a very brilliant idea. I love what you guys have done. I just wish I could back more.

Creator Peter on April 17, 2012

Great project, finally an easy way of getting one online!

I wanted to get one of these pots years ago from a company in sweden that seems to be building them for the swedish army: http://www.termo-gen.com/pdf/Thermoelectric_Mobile_Charger.pdf

Thought their pot looked a bit heavy though so held back. What is the weight of the PowerPot?
The thermo-gen pot states 9W with cool water and 4W with boiling water, what are the respective outputs for the PowerPot?

Creator Rick Clements on April 16, 2012

I'm a backer. Seems to me a sun oven would be a great next product?

Creator Rachel Teng on April 16, 2012

I love the idea of this pot, especially what it means to nations rife with poverty. Sorry I couldn't pledge more right now, but perhaps in the next couple of weeks, I will up it some.

Also as a somewhat related reading: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-14967535 -- it's just nice.