Sorry, I am still a bitl confused, but let me see if I have it right now:
#1- I could get 1A (or 1000 mA), or I could (without problems) get 5A (or 5000mA), and which wouldn't cause a problem to my TT. Is that correct?
Would 1A (1000 mA) be best?
Both 1A and 5A devices are entirely adequate to both charge and operate your TomTom.
#2- I could get over 1000 mAh with no problems. Even 5000 mAh!
The HIGHER the better, with no possible damage to TT. Is that correct?
Absolutely correct. The more mAh they are quoting (assuming they're accurate, of course!) the better. More mAh means more run time.
#3- The voltage is very important. I should make sure no higher than 5V. I notice some say, "5v - 5.5v or 5v - 12v."
Is that okay?
No device supplying USB power should ever produce anything BUT 5V at the connection to the device. I'd be willing to accept a device that claims 5V~5.5V, but nothing that talks about more than that under any circumstances.
#4- I could use the EcoSol Powerstick (Capacity 750mAh) with no problems, other than it would not last for 2 hours. Correct?
What you have is 1300mAh in the unit. A device that supplies less than that means that you're not even doubling your run time. The mAh of the device you select should (again) be tailored to your budget, how much hardware you want to carry around, and how long you need to operate on battery power. If you pick up a good 5000mAh unit, you can assume that you've just added somewhere around 3.5X additional time to what your unit would give you without the external supply.
How long it will run exactly will depend on a bunch of things - not least of which will be your screen brightness.
(mAh is how much current it 'stores', while mA is the max power it can give)
Is the following correct? It seems strange that the higher "A" would give less time!
The components (apart from the battery pack itself) in one of these units are sized to deliver some sustained maximum current value - be it 1A, 5A or whatever. That figure and design will change the cost of the parts and the unit, and is chosen such that it is able to power a lot of common electronic devices. It is rare that a USB device will ever make good use of much more than 1A under any circumstances. You might not be aware of it, but a computer USB port must never be expected to deliver more than 500mA (1/2A). So any USB powered device really shouldn't REQUIRE more than that (although it may make use of more current - to charge batteries faster, for example if the added current is available).
For example 1500mAh means it can give your TT 1.5 A for one hour before the battery dies. Or 3A for 30 min. Or 6A for 15 min.
How much life would 750 mAh give? Less than one hour?
Assume that your TomTom will never draw more than about 1A even with completely depleted internal battery. A 1500mAh is just barely more than the internal battery. If your battery was freshly charged, 1500mAh external + the 1300mAh internal combine to give you just about 2X the run time of the 1300mAh internal alone.
Can anyone suggest a fairly good portable power stick like the EcoSol Powerstick that would cost less than $50 and have 1000 mAh or higher? Seems like a lot to ask I guess. But then again, my grandson might be able to use it also with his Archos 32 possibly?
I don't think that the form factor (the "stick") lends itself well to high capacity, nor is it a convenient connection since it has the USB plug on its end - a device that expects a cord will be much easier to manage. Devices with higher capacity come in rather different shapes than that. As I noted, there are several good options out there, and I pointed out a few. Here, again, are some options that will significantly improve his run time in "pedestrian" mode without totally breaking the bank (under your $50 limit):
1400mAh, Kensington K38021US
4400mAh, Just Mobile Gum Pro 4400mAh
5000mAh, Trent Super-pack IMP5000
