Advice sought on why 6.8A USB charger melted USB cable today

Electronic components are more precise now than they were years ago. Thirty years ago most resistors were 10% or beter. Now they are often 5 %.

The electrolytic capacitors may be +100/-50, but most of the others are usually in the 10 % or less range. Even a cheep motor starter capacitor I have is labled as 6 %.

Back when the Simpson 260 was the 'standard' test meter it was difficult to measure many values very close. Now the 'free with purchse' Harbor Freight digital meter will go to about 1 or 2 % and good meters much less.

Reply to
Ralph Mowery
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Some of the China stuff is junk, but some surprises me. I bought some DC volt metes that were mainly a circuit board with a display on it. Good from

0 to 99.9 volts. Out of the 4 that I bought for about $ 6 total including shipping all but 1 followed my Fluke meter up to about 30 volts which was the limit of the poewr supply I used to test them and the other one was off by the last digit most of the time which is often normal. That was reading to the tenth of a volt.

My $ 27 ham band handy takey from China works as well as any other one form Japan that costs 5 times as much.

Reply to
Ralph Mowery

trader_4 wrote, on Wed, 02 Dec 2015 08:27:32 -0800:

The cable was what was bad.

Reply to
Danny D.

Ralph Mowery wrote, on Wed, 02 Dec 2015 11:49:32 -0500:

Virtually everything like this is made in China.

Reply to
Danny D.

nospam wrote, on Wed, 02 Dec 2015 11:38:00 -0500:

After a few days of testing, I'm positive it was a bad cable. I'll return it to the store.

Reply to
Danny D.

Uncle Monster posted for all of us...

Correct, now I am all amped up (for what I don't know)

Reply to
Tekkie®

Natch. But did you buy precision USB chargers :-) ? Cheers, -- tlvp

Reply to
tlvp

tlvp wrote, on Thu, 03 Dec 2015 23:37:01 -0500:

I get your point.

Most here think the difference between 34watts and 40 watts is in the noise level.

My argument that it isn't is that you're *paying* only for watts (there's nothing else they can change since it has to be 5 volts!).

Another argument is that they never seem to make the mistake in the opposite direction (calling it a 29Watt device instead of 34).

But, in the end, you guys seem to think the 5 watt difference isn't meaningful. I hear you. I understand you.

I just disagree but we can leave it at that as I understand that you feel a 5 watt error is within the standard noise level.

Reply to
Danny D.

tlvp wrote, on Thu, 03 Dec 2015 23:48:13 -0500:

That "bargain" 40W USB charger is being offered for $60 online. The more honest 35W USB charger is offered online for $15.

Which would you choose if you're buying watts?

Reply to
Danny D.

it doesn't actually matter.

the maximum wattage only comes into play if you use *all* ports, which you won't be.

what matters is the capabilities of each port, which should be about

10-12w.

the difference in wattage is also not the cause of the cable failure.

Reply to
nospam

the same product line from the same company, with the only difference being 5w?

or are they actually two totally different products from different companies (one a more well known brand) and with different specs and different build quality??

in other words, your comparison of two unnamed products without any links is completely bogus.

why would anyone do that?

build quality and reliability should be a priority, not wattage.

if the charger fails, it could potentially fry the device, if not cause a fire.

Reply to
nospam

nospam wrote, on Fri, 04 Dec 2015 14:35:19 -0500:

This isn't even close to true based on the description of the part on the package and on the web.

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Reply to
Danny D.

it's hard to read with that popup in the middle and no way to clear it without an email address, but i didn't see anything that contradicts what i said underneath, other than a nifty typo.

the point is that no single port is going to source 6.8a. fill all five ports with 1a devices and it'll be fine. if one of the five is a tablet that draws 2a, it'll still be fine. if the *total* goes past 6.8a, then not so fine.

Reply to
nospam

nospam wrote, on Fri, 04 Dec 2015 21:33:02 -0500:

Sorry about that stupid popup.

If you google for "HC363-5U" you find the exact same part branded by a different company with the EXACT same description EXCEPT that it's correctly listed as a 35Watt device and not a 40W device.

$15

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$60

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Hausbell 35W HC363-5U UL Certified (UL No:E310745) Family-Sized USB Wall Charger Plug Smart Charger, Single USB Output 2.4A Max,Output total 6.8A Max,

5P-USB Output for Apple and Android Smartphones,Tablets and More(White)

Hausbell® HC363-5U?Products comply with the United States and national security certification.

product parameters MODEL:Hausbell® HC363-5U INPUT:100-240V 50/60Hz 800mA Max Output:total 6800mA Max Super Charger:5V-2400mA Max Universal:5V-1000mA Max size:8.9×7.3×3.3cm

characteristics Hausbell USB smart charger, using multiple USB output, more convenient a few products charging at the same time, can solve the charging trouble of every family.

Hausbell® HC363-5U ideal for international travel,100-240 volt input,5 USB output:total 6800mA Max.?unibody design,size:8.9 ×7.3×3.3cm, Industrial-grade materials and premium circuitry ensure lifetime reliability.

Description Hausbell® HC363-5U, which possess USB smart charger products and adopt the most advanced smart management chip under international brands, can identify automatically the device and provide corresponding rated charging current.

Automatic identification technology provide a solution to different Consumer electronic products, which can not compatible under different brands.It is the latest research of science and technology the newest research technology in charger industry. Every family can benefit from it.

Smart chips can automatically identify the required current of charged devices according to their brands or types and achieve quickly chargeable. Hausbell USB smart charger, using multiple USB output, more convenient a few products charging at the same time, can solve the charging trouble of every family.

Reply to
Danny D.

nospam wrote, on Fri, 04 Dec 2015 14:35:20 -0500:

Here is the EXACT SAME PART and BRAND and 40W price:

$30

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$15

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Here is the competitor, again, with exact same everything but the wattage is correctly listed as 35 watts.

$15

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$60

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Reply to
Danny D.

it's not your fault. lots of web sites do that.

that means it's a generic device that gets rebranded, which usually means it's cheap crap.

two different sellers with different prices. so what?

1 super charger port rated up to 2.4a, leaving 4.4a for the remaining four ports (if you assume the 6.8a is correct), except those four ports are rated up to 1a (not 1.1a), for a total of 6.4a (not 6.8a), or 32w.
Reply to
nospam

nospam wrote, on Fri, 04 Dec 2015 14:35:20 -0500:

There is absolutely no way to tell the build quality. Absolutely impossible without an oscilloscope which you can't expect a consumer to have, and you can't even expect a consumer to tell the build quality.

So what you suggest, while utopian, is impossible for a consumer.

They are all UL approved.

They are all of a "brand" name. (What brand name would you choose anyway since Apple doesn't make them?)

They are all sold by brand name stores (Amazon, Frys, etc.)

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You suggest something that is patently impossible for a consumer to do.

This is all the consumer has for quality: Guaranteed Safety:UL certified design(No:E310745). Unibody design,size:8.9×7.3×3.3cm,Industrial-grade materials and premium circuitry ensure lifetime reliability.

Reply to
Danny D.

yes there is. stick with reputable companies, not noname crap.

Reply to
nospam

nospam wrote, on Fri, 04 Dec 2015 21:56:21 -0500:

32 Watts is even worse then, for the 40 watt claims.

The UL test report doesn't look right though.

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Reply to
Danny D.

nospam wrote, on Fri, 04 Dec 2015 21:56:21 -0500:

I found a way around that stupid Facebook popup!

  1. Visit that page in Firefox:
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  2. Notice the unremovable popup to create a Facebook account or log in.
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  3. Type "about:config" into the URL field of Firefox: Then type "javascript.enabled".

Toggle from: javascript.enabled;true Toggle to: javascript.enabled;false

  1. Press the reload button in Firefox. Voila!
Reply to
Danny D.

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