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Battery runtime calculator

How long will a power bank run a streaming rig?
Runtime comes from watt-hours divided by watts drawn, not from milliamp-hours. A 20,000 mAh bank is about 74 watt-hours on paper and roughly 60 after the conversion losses that get it to the voltage your gear actually uses, so a backpack rig drawing 15 watts runs about four hours while a phone-only setup at 6 watts runs closer to ten. Anything over 100 watt-hours needs airline approval to fly, which is where most 25,000 mAh and larger banks sit.
Runtime
3.9 h
Rated capacity
74 Wh
Usable after losses
59 Wh
At 74 Wh this is under the 100 Wh carry-on limit, so it flies without airline approval. Batteries must go in hand luggage, never checked.

Working: 20,000 mAh at 3.7 V is 74 Wh on paper, and about 80% of that survives the conversion to the 5 V or 12 V your gear actually draws. Divide by 15 W and you get the runtime above. Cold weather and a hot bank both cut it further, so treat it as a ceiling.

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Frequently asked

How long will a 20,000 mAh power bank run an IRL streaming rig?

A 20,000 mAh bank holds about 74 watt-hours on paper and delivers roughly 60 after conversion losses, so a backpack rig drawing 15 watts runs about four hours and a phone-only setup drawing 6 watts runs closer to ten. Cold weather and a hot bank both reduce it, so treat the figure as a ceiling.

How do you convert mAh to watt-hours?

Multiply the milliamp-hour rating by the cell voltage, normally 3.7 volts, then divide by 1000. So 20,000 mAh times 3.7 divided by 1000 is 74 watt-hours. This conversion is the reason mAh alone tells you nothing: a 20,000 mAh phone bank and a 20,000 mAh 12 volt battery hold very different amounts of energy.

What size power bank can you take on a plane?

Airlines allow lithium batteries up to 100 watt-hours in carry-on without approval, which covers most banks up to roughly 26,800 mAh. Between 100 and 160 watt-hours you need airline approval, and above 160 they are refused. Batteries must travel in hand luggage, never checked, which catches out people packing a V-mount.

Why does my power bank die faster than the numbers say?

Three reasons compound. Converting cell voltage up to the 5 or 12 volts your gear wants loses roughly 20% as heat. Cold weather cuts usable capacity further. And a rig draws more than its idle figure whenever the encoder works hard or a modem fights for signal, which on an IRL stream is most of the time.

Sizing a battery for a specific kit? Browse power banks or plan the whole backpack, which estimates draw from the parts you actually pick.