Powering Arduino from a power bank

I've been lurking on the forums looking for workarounds for getting a powerbank to remain switched on when it's attached to a 9v guitar amp via a 3v/5v-to-9v step up usb cable. Sorry for interloping in your Arduino business!

CURRENT SET UP: Powerbank>>>3v/5v-to-9v USB>>>Guitar Amp (switches on only when guitar jack is inserted)

My Anker Powercore 10000 switches off after ~1m30s and Anker customers service say it will do that if consumption drops below 50ma. This is the proposed work-around I wanted to get your advice on.

In order to stop the Powercore switching off, to give it something about 50ma to power, I'm proposing opening up a male-to-female usb power cable and a small LED reading light like this...

...and soldering the light in at a point along the cable, like this...

M
A---------- (+) FEMALE
L---------- (-)
E

LED LAMP

M ||
A-----||----(+) FEMALE
L-----------(-)
E

...and then plugging it into the 3v/5v-to-9v USB. So...
NEW SET UP: Powerbank>>>Adapted male-to-female USB cable>>>3v/5v-to-9v USB>>>Guitar Amp (switches on only when guitar jack is inserted)

I'm hoping I'll be able to plug my guitar into the amp (creating a circuit) and switch on the powerbank, which will power the amp and stay awake thanks to the lamp but when I remove the jack from the amp the circuit will be broken, the lamp will go out and the powerbank will go to sleep. Do you think that would work?

mark_uk:
Hi, I am using a PowerAdd Pilot X7 and found that if I turn on the torch the power stays on indefinately, even after the torch has been turned off again. Just hoping this may help someone :slight_smile:

Really? Wow, that might be the answer I'm looking for.