Hi All
Our kitchen side is getting overrun with chargers; 3 x mobiles, all different chargers, 2 x Bluetooth thingy's etc.
Is there a standard off the shelf wall wart tidy?
If not I'll have to make something.
Do you mean something to put them in or on during use or between uses?
|Hi All | |Our kitchen side is getting overrun with chargers; 3 x mobiles, all |different chargers, 2 x Bluetooth thingy's etc. | |Is there a standard off the shelf wall wart tidy? | |If not I'll have to make something.
I use six way 13 amp extensions. The sort which will fasten to the wall with two screws in keyhole slots, with a switch to turn the lot off. 12way ones are less useful because some wall warts obscure another socket.
Problem is that my walls are now covered (almost) with 13 amp extensions :-(
The only thing I can think of is an individually switched extension lead attached to the wall and some cable ties for the wires. The sheds have them with up to 6 sockets. I go for the individually switched type so you can turn 'em off when not in use.
I guess you could also mount it on a box and put the wires in the box and have slots/holes or WHY you drop the phones and things into when being charged.
While they are being charged really.
I use a 4/6 or even 8way adaptor to plug them all in together in one place. Adaptor and wall warts can be stashed out of the way, with just the low voltage ends on view.
I wonder if some could be secreted under the worktop or perhaps even under the upper cupboard right at the back, with their LV connectors fed through to someplace accessible.
5 & 12v distribution solves the myriad wart supplies for appliances problem, but only partly addresses the charger warts.NT
I see - not that I've seen. I can't think of an elegant in the sense of visually attractive solution particularly either.
For the workshop, to cope with my proliferation of chargers and wall warts for various types of power tool I made a recharging station which fits on the wall. Basically this is a panel with two shelves and fitted bays for each charger and then a UK power strip for UK wall warts. There is then an autotransformer and a U.S. power strip for U.S. ones.
While this provides a neat solution in the sense of avoiding trailing wires, it is not something that would be described as an item of beauty. I would be reluctant to make anything that closes in the wall warts - certainly not the ones with conventional transformer - for reasons of risk of overheating.
Maybe altering the location for charging away from the kitchen would be a solution, or a power strip in a larger kitchen cupboard?
What someone needs to manufacture is a device on the same lines as a plug in time clock with (say) 1 hour, 5 hour, 12 hour and 24 hour buttons. Plug charger into it, hit appropriate button.
I have a left over still in place socket, hidden behind one of the kitchen units, left over from before the kitchen was re-fitted. I plug a multiway outlet into that, then the warts sit inside the cupboard well out of sight and the way.
The annoying thing is that in our "green" culture we keep getting a new charger every time we buy a new device. Something universal would be great - if makers could agree on a voltage, etc - and then the ability to opt not to have a new charger. (Anyone want 3 Braun Toothbrush chargers - sorry I have just dumped 2 Nokia chargers)
I use a spare mechanical plug in time clock. Set interval on litrtle pegs. Twiddle until it clicks on. Leave, and turn off socket when removing charged item. Next time, switch on and twiddle until it clicks.
I've got a modified mechanical plug in timer, the motor supply is taken after the switch. Set the on period for what ever you want start it and it runs until it switches off.
Quite agree, it's effectively already been done with USB and PoE. I think something like the PoE system would be ideal. A fairly high (42 or is it
48v in the case of PoE) voltage feed and DC-DC convertors in the kit to make that into what ever the kit needs to live on. It would also be nice to standardise the connector but that is rather harder due to the size and design of modern portable electronics. But there is nothing to stop there being a standard that could be used and have adpaters for the tiny kit.
One problem is that manufactures can't agree on a standard plug into their device.
They deliberately don't have a comon standard, and change them frequently, so that you have to buy new accessories.
tim
You don't *need* a standard plug, I already said that could be a problem due to the design of modern portable electronics. A simple adapter from the kits connector to a standard one must be cheaper than a PSU/charger.
Or go down the connector less toothbrush route, with a literal drop in charger. Couple the power in via induction. Have a standard field strength in the hole, device has pickup coil sized to collect as much power at the voltage it needs.
Every new bit of kit has a different supply. I don't think I've seen any change during a given products life.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.