Enjoy safe, portable power when you need it most. The Duracell PowerBlock 500 is a gasless battery generator that can make adventure more fun and emergencies less stressful. The PowerBlock 500 includes a 478Wh Lithium-Ion battery and 500W Pure Sine Wave Inverter that can power up to seven devices at once through multiple ports: 3 AC Outlets, 2 USB-A Ports, 1 USB-C Port and a 12V DC socket. Bring speakers, laptops and a mini-fridge on your next camping trip, or have plenty of lighting and keep cellphones charged the next time your household power goes out. For added convenience the Duracell PowerBlock 500 can be recharged two different ways: With AC or using its built-in MPPT controller with solar panels.
- FEATURES
- SPEC
- DEVICE RUN TIMES
- FAQ
Designed with You in Mind
The PowerBlock 500 is designed for everyday people. At 10.6lbs, we’ve made the PowerBlock 500 as lightweight as possible, while keeping it powerful enough to run your most important devices. The ergonomic carry handle makes movement around the house or on-the-go easy. The compact design is great if you’re packing light for your next road trip or if space is limited at home. With silent operation, you can use the PowerBlock 500 anywhere, anytime.
So Easy, Anyone Can Use It
We’ve taken the guesswork out of portable power. Simply plug in the device you want to power in any of the 7 output ports and press the power button to get started! The intelligent LCD screen display lets you know exactly how many hours of power you have remaining based on the devices you have connected. When you’re charging the PowerBlock, the display will also tell how many more hours it will take to get the PowerBlock fully charged.
Reliable Emergency Power
Keep the PowerBlock 500 on standby for power outages, bad weather and other emergencies! It’s safe to keep the PowerBlock 500 plugged into your AC outlet for maintenance charging when not in use. The internal charger is designed to optimize power without overcharging the battery, giving you maximum power to keep critical devices powered up until power is restored!
Fast 4 Hour Recharge with Solar
The PowerBlock includes a built-in 200-Watt MPPT solar controller that allows for a 4 hour recharge time with most 200W Solar Panels. Uses an industry standard Anderson Connector for compatibility with most solar panels. (solar panel not included)
Battery Powered vs Gas Generators
Unlike Gas Generators, the PowerBlock 500 is battery powered, meaning it is safe for both outdoor and indoor use. When you choose the PowerBlock 500, worries about fuel storage or dangerous fumes are thing of the past. The PowerBlock 500 provides clean and sustainable energy and emit 81% less CO2 emissions than gas-powered generators.
PowerBoost Technology
Some devices, like refrigerators, need a little extra boost of power to get started. With our PowerBoost inverter, the PowerBlock 500 can withstand a higher wattage power draw, up to 1000 watts, for a short time - just enough time to get your device going.
Intelligent LCD Display
NEW – LITHIUM POWERED!
1/3 the weight of SLA powered power stations
Light Weight & Compact Design
| Battery | |
| Chemistry | Li-Ion |
| Capacity | 478Wh (11.1V, 44.3Ah) |
| Input | |
| AC Charger | 120 VAC, 80 W |
| Solar Controller - MPPT | 13-30 VDC, 200 W Max |
| AC Outlet | |
| Number of outlets | 3 |
| Output | 120 VAC, 60Hz, Pure Sine Wave |
| AC Output (continuous) | 500 W |
| AC Output (5 min PowerBoost) | 650 W |
| AC Output (3 sec PowerBoost) | 1000 W |
| USB Ports | |
| USB - A (2x) | 5 V, 2.4 A |
| USB - C PD (1x) | 5V / 9V / 12V / 15V / 20V, 3.0A, 60W Max |
| Certifications | |
| Safety | ANSI/CAN/UL2743 |
| Efficiency | CEC/BC/DOE |
| EMI | FCC Part 15 |
| Dimensions and Weight | |
| Length | 27.0 cm / 10.6 in |
| Width | 22.7 cm / 8.9 in |
| Height | 20.0 cm / 7.9 in |
| Weight | 4.8 Kg / 10.6 lbs |
User Manual
| Device | Continuous Draw (Watts) | Average Run Time |
| LED String Lights | 3.3W | 151 hours |
| LED Light Bulb (100 W Equivalent) | 14W | 35.5 hours |
| LED Light Bulb (60 W Equivalent) | 8.2W | 61 hours |
| Incandescent Light Bulb | 58.8W | 8.5 hours |
| CPAP | 53W | 10 hours |
| TV (42" LED) (100 W) + DVR | 48.3W | 11 hours |
| Cable Modem + Wi-Fi Router | 12.5W | 40 hours |
| Bar Fridge (1.7 cu ft) | 50W | 12 hours |
| Dorm Fridge/Mini Fridge (3.7 cu ft) | 40W | 12 hours |
| Mid Size Refrigerator (17 cu ft) | 78W | 7 hours |
| Ice Maker | 90W | 5.5 hours |
| Sump Pump | 250W | 1.5 hours |
| Blender | 200W | 1.5 hours |
**Recommended for efficient refrigerators less than 18cu ft.
NOTE: Not recommended for air conditioners or items with heating elements such as space heaters, rice cookers and hot plates.
Average Run Times
Mid-sized refrigerator
7 hours
Mini refrigerator
12 hours
LED television
11 hours
LED Table Lamp
61 hours
Cable/Wifi Router
40 hours
Sump Pump
1.5 hours
LED Lights
151 hours
Laptop
9x charges
Tablet
17x charges
Smart Phone
72x charges
General Questions
The 12V port is an unregulated port which means it follows the voltage of the battery pack. Some devices may pull a surge of current initially which can cause an overload, try to turn the port on and off a couple of times, some devices will only surge once. If the device still causes an overload, try using the AC port to power the device with an AC power supply.
Yes, the fan is designed to come on during charging to keep the battery cool.
No, the charge current of the battery near 90% is very small as it tops off the battery. At this rate it is hard to estimate the end of charge, thus it resets to around 8 mins a few times before completing the process.
No, the PowerBlock uses Li-Ion batteries which do not suffer from “memory effect” that affected older Nickel based batteries. The PowerBlock can be charged or discharged partially without affecting the health of the battery. It is best to keep it charged.
The time remaining calculation is calculated based on the power draw and battery remaining at that moment. When the power draw of the device changes the time remaining is re-calculated.
Consumer type wind turbines generate AC current, they are equipped with a controller that converts the AC current into DC current. This DC current can be fed to the solar controller input to charge the battery however our tests have shown that even at moderate 15 mph wind speeds there is insufficient DC current to charge the battery.
The PowerBlock 500 (DRPB500C) has a power saving feature where if the load is less than 5 Watts for an hour, then the device will shut off. The purpose is to prevent the scenario where the unit is accidentally left on (while in storage or something like that) and then it slowly drains out the battery. The reason it is set at 5 Watts is because this is the smallest power increment that the processor is able to detect (i.e. can't be 4W or 2W). This is a very common power saving feature and virtually all products have this type of feature. So, it is intentional, but we recognize that it could cause an issue in certain use case scenarios.
To prevent the unit from shutting off, you could just add another low consumption device that would add to the CPAP to exceed the 5W minimum. Here's a few suggestions (wattage shown is minimum W):
- Clock Radio (turn the radio on but volume down/off ~1-3W)
- Home Phone (~3W)
- Echo or Alexa (~2-5W)
- Wifi/Internet Router (~4-5W)
- LED Christmas Lights (~5W)
- LED Light Build (~5-7W)
- Small Table Fan (~10W)
- Inkjet Printer (~10W)
- Air Purifier (~25W)
- DVD Player (~26W)
- Humidifier (~35W)
- Small Water Feature (~35W)
Some other potential options (with one caveat, when the device's internal battery is fully charged then it won't likely draw enough power again and it may shut off).
- Phone or Tablet (preferably using an AC adapter 4W-10W )
- Electric Toothbrush Charger (6W)
- Nintendo Switch (7W)
- Portable Phone Charger (4-7W)