Power sockets with USB ports - any that support super fast charging

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Benoire

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#290135 22-Oct-2021 20:43

Like many people, I have a mess of USB adapters littered across the house and I'm looking at the wall sockets with built in USB sockets. My house was rewired with HPM elite wall sockets and switches so ideally would want to stay with them but open to other options as the sockets they have available are max 2.1a @ 5v per port. I was wondering whether there where any sockets that could pump up 25W or higher per port, or at least one port as many of our new devices support high ampage fast charging.

Any recommendations?

Thanks,

Chris

neb

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#2799657 22-Oct-2021 21:03

I would avoid any wall-socket USB chargers. No matter what you get, it'll be obsoleted by a new charging standard the minute you've installed it. I use multi-outlet USB power bricks tucked out of sight in a few locations, where I can upgrade them to whatever the latest thing is that some device needs.

Another thing, not having actually looked at any but given their origins they'll have the cheapest, nastiest 240V-to-5V conversion device in them that you can get. If something's going to overheat or catch fire, doing it while hidden inside a wall cavity will make it really hard to spot until it's too late.

billgates

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#2799715 22-Oct-2021 21:26

PDL Iconic has a module which has both USB Type C and A with Type C module supporting 3A providing 15W which is good.

https://www.pdl.co.nz/products/detail?CatNo=PDL342USB2AC&itemno=PDL342USB2AC-VW

Do whatever you want to do man.

sbiddle

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#2799718 22-Oct-2021 21:52

billgates:
PDL Iconic has a module which has both USB Type C and A with Type C module supporting 3A providing 15W which is good.

https://www.pdl.co.nz/products/detail?CatNo=PDL342USB2AC&itemno=PDL342USB2AC-VW

5V only output on USB-C is a complete and utter waste of time. I've spoken to PDL product managers last year and they didn't even understand the USB-C PD spec.

Simple answer when I looked again about 6 months ago (after looking previously around 6 months before that) is no, there isn't a USB-C wall module with AS/NZ wall approval that's any good.

richms

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#2799819 23-Oct-2021 12:13

I have not found any, and some of them even lack the correct chip in them to trigger a high-ish speed charge on anything but an iPhone. Seeing 1 amp into your phone from something that proudly claims 2.4A on its label is rather annoying.

Richard rich.ms

Benoire

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#2799820 23-Oct-2021 12:16

richms:

I have not found any, and some of them even lack the correct chip in them to trigger a high-ish speed charge on anything but an iPhone. Seeing 1 amp into your phone from something that proudly claims 2.4A on its label is rather annoying.

Shame, seems like a good opportunity and quite simple to get right assuming it can be packaged safely. It would be far neater to just have cables to plug in (and hide away in some cases) than the dongles which the kids constantly break by pending the socket end

neb

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#2801679 26-Oct-2021 23:51

neb: Another thing, not having actually looked at any but given their origins they'll have the cheapest, nastiest 240V-to-5V conversion device in them that you can get. If something's going to overheat or catch fire, doing it while hidden inside a wall cavity will make it really hard to spot until it's too late.

As an example, and admittedly this is a particularly bad one which gets the rarely-awarded double deaths-heads for electrical safety (or lack thereof), this wall-outlet USB charger gets to over 130 degrees on some internal components, well outside the limits of some of the other components there, and that's with it sitting in free air, not inside a wall cavity.

Having said that, it would probably provide a great insurance fire if you need that at some point.

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sbiddle

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#2801695 27-Oct-2021 07:31

Benoire:

richms:

I have not found any, and some of them even lack the correct chip in them to trigger a high-ish speed charge on anything but an iPhone. Seeing 1 amp into your phone from something that proudly claims 2.4A on its label is rather annoying.

Shame, seems like a good opportunity and quite simple to get right assuming it can be packaged safely. It would be far neater to just have cables to plug in (and hide away in some cases) than the dongles which the kids constantly break by pending the socket end

It would be a great opportunity.. but there are massive challenges to overcome that current technology can't necessarily solve - namely size and heat.

IMHO a wall socket is pretty pointless and offers no futureproofing unless it can deliver 100W PD - ideally to two USB-C ports, but even 100W across both would be an OK compromise. If you look at the size of current chargers there would be challenges designing such a charger to fit into a flushbox even with GaN technology. There is also then the major problem of heat dispersion because there is zero cooling occuring when a charger is sitting inside a metal flushbox in a wall surrounded by insulation.

Those that do exist in other markets (non AS/NZ approved) are typically only capable of delivering around 30W.

I remember chatting to one of the reps from one of the electrical companies at the electrical distributor I use last year and they said the only way this might be realistically possible would be to be using DC distribution around the home to the wall sockets themselves, Googling this now it looks like Schneider do this now https://www.dc.systems/products/sockets/184-usb-c-100w-wall-socket-outlet

Benoire

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#2801712 27-Oct-2021 08:13

sbiddle:

It would be a great opportunity.. but there are massive challenges to overcome that current technology can't necessarily solve - namely size and heat.

IMHO a wall socket is pretty pointless and offers no futureproofing unless it can deliver 100W PD - ideally to two USB-C ports, but even 100W across both would be an OK compromise. If you look at the size of current chargers there would be challenges designing such a charger to fit into a flushbox even with GaN technology. There is also then the major problem of heat dispersion because there is zero cooling occuring when a charger is sitting inside a metal flushbox in a wall surrounded by insulation.

Those that do exist in other markets (non AS/NZ approved) are typically only capable of delivering around 30W.

I remember chatting to one of the reps from one of the electrical companies at the electrical distributor I use last year and they said the only way this might be realistically possible would be to be using DC distribution around the home to the wall sockets themselves, Googling this now it looks like Schneider do this now https://www.dc.systems/products/sockets/184-usb-c-100w-wall-socket-outlet

I agree about the heat, I wouldn't want to use a in built socket for high draw devices... I'm just looking at the myrid of cables for charging watches, phones, tablets and the littering of cables and adapters. I've got an eclipse charging unit (ECLIPSE - Say Goodbye to Messy Cables by Native Union — Kickstarter) that works ok but we end up with the cables always out as the missus hates unwinding them... it also doesn't appear to fast charge any more... either phone or unit, not sure.

Zeon

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#2801798 27-Oct-2021 09:52

neb:
neb: Another thing, not having actually looked at any but given their origins they'll have the cheapest, nastiest 240V-to-5V conversion device in them that you can get. If something's going to overheat or catch fire, doing it while hidden inside a wall cavity will make it really hard to spot until it's too late.
As an example, and admittedly this is a particularly bad one which gets the rarely-awarded double deaths-heads for electrical safety (or lack thereof), this wall-outlet USB charger gets to over 130 degrees on some internal components, well outside the limits of some of the other components there, and that's with it sitting in free air, not inside a wall cavity. Having said that, it would probably provide a great insurance fire if you need that at some point.

Love this one with the live 240v cable touching the usb shield... and it has no earth:

Geekzone electricity police incoming!

Speedtest 2019-10-14