While building the Pico 2 thermometer update I tried testing how long my power bank would last with this as the load. To my disappointment the powerbank only remained on for about a minute so I put it aside guessing the load wasn't sufficient to keep it on.
When I was looking for a POE HAT on the PI HUT web site I came across this small kit.
It is a simple circuit, a 555 timer which pulses a load to draw just enough current to keep the powerbank on. The device is available in a few different forms, as a kit with through hole components USB A, pre-built using SMD components USB A or with USB C.
The assemble is very simple, resistors first then the 555 chip and so on building up to the highest components.
It took all of 5 minutes to finish ready for testing.
I started testing at 10.10 this morning, it will be interesting how many hours it will run for...
There are 3D stl files available to print a case so I have ordered that and I'll update this page when it arrives.