Batteries are rather expensive, I’m sure we all know that and constantly buying them is not only a waste but costs money obviously. One solution to buying batteries is to get rechargeable ones, but I’ve found that not all are created equal.
Today for review I’ve got a brand new product from Konnet that uses Induction technology to charge your Wii remotes. Induction technology in short is no cables involved, it essentially charges wirelessly and that’s something I think anyone can appreciate. The product is called the PowerV Duo, but besides the fact that it uses induction charging it also included two extra USB ports to charge your Nintendo DS or any other gadget with a USB cable. I’ll be honest I like this product a lot, so read on to learn more about what I think is one of the best accessories for your Wii..
Specifications:
Advanced Wireless Charging Dock for Wii Remote Controllers & Nintendo DS
Features :
-Advanced Wireless Induction, Connection-Free, Charging Technology
-Charge and Store up to 2 Wii Remote Controllers at one time
-Charges Wii Remotes without taking off Motion Plus and silicone jackets
-Bundled with 2 x Rechargeable Battery Pack
-LED Indication in red/blue colors for Charging Status
-Intelligent charging technology to avoid overcharged
-2 Extra USB charging Port for charging DS console
Specifications :
Wireless Charging Ports : 2
USB Charging Ports : 2
Rechargeable Battery : Ni-MH 800mAh x 2
Input Power : 5V 2000mA
Wireless Charging Power : 200mAh x 2
Wireless Charging Time: 3-5 hours
USB Charging Power : 500mAh x 2
Included Inside :
PowerV Duo Charging Dock x 1
Rechargeable Battery Pack x 2
USB charging cable for DS Lite/DSi/DSi LL
AC/DC Adaptor x 1
Manual x 1
Compatibility:
Nintendo Wii Remote
Nintendo DS Lite
Nintendo Dsi
Nintendo DSi LL
Dimensions : 173 mm x 150mm x 78mm
Net Weight : 0.4kg
Model No.: KN-9809
Price: $34.99
Unboxing:
We’ll start off with an unboxing video for you:
The box is basically one sided, the other side is the same except in a different language.
Inside you’ll find the unit itself in two part, a base and a ‘head’ part, you’ll also find an AC adapter, ‘Y’ style USB cable and two batteries for your Wii remotes.
The head piece has a single LED on on the top and two USB ports, one on each side. The bottom of the unit is keyed to fit and lock into the base unit. The bottom has metal contacts inside that match those on the base unit.
The base has two large Wii Remote shaped spot on either side, along with LEDs on each side and a power button on the front. On the bottom you’ll find ventilation and rubber feet.
On the back of the base you’ll find the power connection:
Installation, Performance, Comparison
To install the head piece you just fit into in place and turn it to lock it in and make the power connection. Here’s a few different views:
battery installation is easy, they just clip in place like the covers of the battery compartments do. Here’s both of my Wii Remotes with battery installed and not:
The batteries add no bulk to the remotes, they fit in the space where regular batteries would fit.
Once you have the batteries in, just plug the PowerV Dou in via the AC Adapter and hit the power button, the button itself lights up as does the LED in the head section.
Charging couldn’t be simpler you just set the remotes in place and it starts. I like it, no messing around with cables or changing batteries. The remotes are charged independently and they each have their own LEDs on the sides of them that turn red when charging and then blue when fully charged.
As claimed it works perfectly find right through the silicone covers, and you can charge with the MotionPlus attached.
Charging takes about four hours to complete from a totally dead battery. Today is Wednesday and I received the PowerV Duo on Friday of last week, I did my unboxing etc and then let them charge, then I played the Wii for the next few days for a few hours per day. I Got Super Mario Galaxy 2 of course and spent some quality time with it and a few other games that involved the MotionPlus and those that didn’t. In total I think I’ve spent about 10 hours playing and the batteries still don’t need recharging just yet, but as expected the controller with the MotionPlus attached does have a lower battery level.
I have another charging base unit with rechargeable batteries, and it’s one that involves actually hooking it up to the Wii and the USB port on it, that’s where it gets it’s power to charge the remotes from and it takes a long time to charge this way. I also found that the batteries with that setup don’t seems to last when you’re not charging them, but those with the PowerV Dou seem to retain their charge very well when not on the charger.
Normally for my gadgets that require batteries I use Radio Shack brand Enercell Alkaline, I swear by them actually, they do seems to last the longest out of any other batteries except for the Energizer Lithium, but they’re rather expensive and I can get a 40 pack of Enercell batteries for $20, whereas a four pack of Energizer cost about $10. I’ve found the Enercell batteries really last almost as long as the Energizers do. Anyway, the point here is that the rechargeable batteries that come with the PowerV Duo seem to be as good as regular alkaline are. The issue with rechargeable batteries though is that after a time they lose their power, I can’t comment on that part of it since I’ve only had it for less than a week, but I’m hoping they’ll last as I really like the PowerV Dou.
I also own the Konnet Xbox360 Controller Charger as well, it’s called the Power Pyramid, and the one thing that I really like about it is that’s it’s independent of the Xbox360 and that’s a feature that I really like. I don’t have to turn on the Xbox to charge my remotes, and the PowerV Duo is the same in that respect, it works independently of the Wii. To use the PowerV Duo you just push the power button and you’re ready to go.
The PowerV Duo though isn’t just for charging your Wii remotes, those two USB ports on the top piece can be used to charge anything that can be charged via USB. I don’t own a Nintendo DS, but the included cord is for that basically, I did however charge my Zune and one of my Phones with no issues are all.
It is a USB port so you can expect the same type of charging as if you hooked it up to your computer, slow but it works fine.
So the PowerV Duo is much more than just an induction charger for you Wii Remotes, you can charge most any other mobile device as long as you’re got a USB cable for it.
Conclusion:
The PowerV Duo in my opinion is one of the best accessories for the Wii you can get, it’s simple to use and it works well. Induction charging works well, and you have to love the fact that there’s no wires involved here.
The batteries included seem to be powerful enough to last several hours of gaming, and will not lost their charge if left off the charger like other batteries do.
The PowerV Dou gets bonus points though because it’s much more than a charger for your Wii remotes, it has two USB ports that will allow you to charge other gadgets like the Nintendo DS, your MP3 player or cell phone.
This product is one that I can easily recommended to Wii owners out there, it truly is a great little product.
Pros:
+Simple to use
+Well made
+Batteries last long and hold their charge
+You can charge other gadgets via the USB ports
+Induction charging!
Cons:
-None that I could find
Ratings
Overall: 5 out of 5
Performance: 5 out of 5
Aesthetic: 5 out of 5
Build Quality:5 out of 5
Disclosure: http://www.bonafidereviews.com/disclosure-policy/
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