high speed charger fail

[Poppy]

I didn't know how to title this thread because it is not a failure of the high speed charger but rather, the fact that some items will not accept a 3 amp input.

I bought a few 20 watt, 3 amp plug in the wall power supplies/chargers. They accept a USB C cable, and came with iPhone lightning cords. I bought half a dozen adapters from the lightning plug to USB micro plug.

I have a number of inexpensive "Five Below" battery packs, that take a 1 amp micro input. Some of them will accept a charge from my 20 watt, 3 amp charger, some of them won't at all. In other words, when supplied 3 amps, they don't light up and blink like they do when they are charging. When I use a 1 amp supply, they charge fine.

Also My LiitoKala Lii-402 chargers are designed for a 2 amp input, but they won't run at all when offered 3 amps. That was a disappointment. I was hoping to be able to charge multiple 18650's a little faster than when I supply the charger a measly 1 amp. Most wall warts are only 1 amp, ie 1000 ma.

I was hoping to be able to standardize on the higher power wallwarts, but I guess not.

 

[idleprocess]

USB charging is an unfortunate mess of standards that don't always interoperate.

 

[turbodog]

From my experience, I'd rather not charge at 3 amps through a micro usb, especially for a long time like a pack needs.

 

[orbital]

+

Use Type C {PD} really only for higher watt charging.

I do alot with Type C PD,, charging at or over 65W everyday for powertool battery packs.
Those packs run a fan from _ Type C PD
Sometimes charge the packs DC~DC, sometimes a 65W GaN based wall charger.


add: you do need a high quality Type C cable, one that'll do 100w

 

[Poppy]

From my experience, I'd rather not charge at 3 amps through a micro usb, especially for a long time like a pack needs.

may I ask why?

 

[Poppy]

While we were away at Disney, I fortunately brought five 1 amp wall warts, just because. I hadn't realized that we would each have a "Magic Band" (A wrist watch type of thing that you wave at each ride/attraction entrance for admittance). These Magic Bands require recharging each night with a special cradle that each uses a standard USB connection.

I also had two 3 amp USB C wall warts and lightning cables to charge our four iPhones, while the others were charging. Also two power banks that required USB micro inputs. We filled up the use of a four plug powerstrip, and another duplex outlet.

 

[MidnightDistortions]

From my experience, I'd rather not charge at 3 amps through a micro usb, especially for a long time like a pack needs.

may I ask why?

Could this be dangerous being lithium-ion batteries?

 

[DRW]

USB charging is an unfortunate mess of standards that don't always interoperate.

Exactly, that's the problem.

High amp (or voltage) USB power sources usually need some type of handshake to negotiate the amperage/voltage with the device. Both the device and the charger need to speak the same language during that handshake for success. Otherwise, disappointment ensues.

The old days of 500ma/5v are pretty much over. But sometimes, that's all you get if the charger and device can't agree.

 

[DRW]

From my experience, I'd rather not charge at 3 amps through a micro usb, especially for a long time like a pack needs.

For cheap and long cables I agree. There are micro USB cables perfectly capable of 3 amps sustained.

 

[turbodog]

Because the connector's spec are for 1.8a at LVDC. Keep in mind that's NEW connectors. Get some age, bending, oxidation, etc and you've got the recipe for a spicy evening running for your life while your house burns down.

 

[idleprocess]

High amp (or voltage) USB power sources usually need some type of handshake to negotiate the amperage/voltage with the device. Both the device and the charge need to speak the same language during that handshake for success. Otherwise, disappointment ensues.

Yup. I recall USB-PD spec calls for resistors across certain pins on cables to indicate capability. The other closed standards may use entirely different methods; precisely how they do it is not public information and their methods may not be compatible with USB-PD.

 

[Poppy]

Well then I guess I should give up on the idea of fast charging my cheap battery banks.

I have a 30,000 mah power bank that will take a USB-PD input. It is fairly heavy to carry around the park, when that much back up power is not needed, so it doesn't get used.

 

[orbital]

+

Poppy, rereading your op,
it seems like your working with a bunch of electronics, different max charging capabilities
Can be tricky at times.
I have a Xtar 8 bay charger that get super grumpy if I just use Type C cable (c~c) It only wants basic usb ~ usb c cable.

The reason I was banging on about PD, is that it'll charge from 5~100W at a number of different voltages.
It's becoming the standard, more electronics just have to get on board.

 

[Poppy]

lol... yeah once you get to use 3 amp chargers, 1 amp charging is just sooo slooow.

 

[orbital]

+

double post type thing

 

[Poppy]

The reason I selected the one that I got was that it would take a lightning cord input to charge. I'm trying to standardize.

 

[DRW]

I'm trying to standardize.

PD is the way to go.

Can lightning output 100w? 30w is the last rate I've heard.

 

[orbital]

PD is the way to go.

+

yes

EU forcing Apple to adapt Type C charging. Apple loves proprietary everything, so bit of a sore spot_ hehe

https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/24/tech/eu-law-charging-standard/index.html

Much higher wattage from higher voltages coming.

https://www.usb.org/sites/default/files/2021-05/USB%20PG%20USB%20PD%203.1%20DevUpdate%20Announcement_FINAL.pdf

 

[PhotonWrangler]

While we were away at Disney, I fortunately brought five 1 amp wall warts, just because. I hadn't realized that we would each have a "Magic Band" (A wrist watch type of thing that you wave at each ride/attraction entrance for admittance). These Magic Bands require recharging each night with a special cradle that each uses a standard USB connection.

Disney Magic Band teardown

 

[PhotonWrangler]

I have a number of inexpensive "Five Below" battery packs, that take a 1 amp micro input. Some of them will accept a charge from my 20 watt, 3 amp charger, some of them won't at all. In other words, when supplied 3 amps, they don't light up and blink like they do when they are charging. When I use a 1 amp supply, they charge fine.

I accidentally blew out a PD36R head by using a modern 20 watt fast charger, even though the light is specified as accepting fast USB charging. It might have been a quirk in the gallium arsenide electronics in the charger. IMO USB-C fast charging is not a fully baked system yet.