Review on Eton ARC Blackout Buddy Charge Emergency LED Flashlight, Blackout Alert, Nightlight & Phone Charger, Blackout Buddy Charge Single (RCBB300W-SNG) by Andre Brignac

Poor circuit design produces high-pitched hum on insertion (coil whine). The noise was measured at the location of the device at 47 dB. I have ordered a dual pack Blackout Buddy Charge (marked RCBB300W-DBL on this product page) and both have this issue. I ordered from the seller Eaton (manufacturer). Eton supplied me with two devices marked DOM-DF:1929. These devices may be older as they do not appear to be identical to what is currently shown on Revain (e.g. the connector is different, it has a rotating connector but no foldable connector; exit markings on USB ports are not displayed). Packaging is copyright 2016. I've been using the original Blackout Buddy in the smaller size for a while and it's a great product. I don't disapprove of Eton products but this high hum product is a huge disappointment and based on the reviews this is a common and longstanding issue that Eton is reluctant to address. Upgraded from 1 to 3 stars: I returned the Blackout Buddy Charge Dual Pack and replaced it with two Blackout Buddy Connect Charge (RCCONNECTCHG-AAG) chargers. This option cost me $10 more, which is a shame, but this other model doesn't suffer from the noise problem. I don't plan to use the internet connection feature, but the Connect model can work like Blackout Buddy Charge and is silent! The only disappointment is that my chargers arrived with completely dead batteries. These units have a manufacturing date older than two years. So if left for long periods of time without charging, the battery chemistry can be compromised, reducing the lifespan of the product. So the original Blackout Buddy and Blackout Buddy Connect Charge devices are fine, but avoid Blackout Buddy Charge.