Test Your USB Cables

[@BigJohnsHamShack]

I have teenagers at home. Anything USB A or C, combos of A and C, or Apple Lightning simply vanishes into thin air, never to be seen again.

[@temporarilyoffline]

My teenagers left a year ago... and left a mess behind to boot...

[@aguycalledlucas]

😂

[@RoyArmy-WREW918]

Went and bought both before video was halfway through, so ... Big Thank you for finding these, the USB Tester is much, much needed ...

[@temporarilyoffline]

Glad I could help

[@don_n5skt]

One of the biggest dilemmas that I had when moving. What are all these cables and what can I get rid of and what should I keep. I got both devices and am going to start going through my cables and hopefully thinning them out. It does not solve one of my problems. A well made USB C cable that is 10+ feet needs to have a higher than normal guage wire so that you do not lose current going over 10 feet that you would going over 3 feet. This has caused me issues with tablets that I like to rapid charge but won't over a 10 foot cable. Anyway, for the car device, wonder how this would work on the car charge port built into a solar generator? That might be a good experiment.

[@temporarilyoffline]

That was the first way I tried it was plugged into a solar generator - would give you 2 more USB ports to charge more devices!

[@don_n5skt]

@@temporarilyoffline Giving you a PD port where there was not one before, yes. ;)

[@HamRadioCrusader]

TREEDIX! Now there is a name I never thought I would be saying out loud! This is an AWESOME device. I gotta get one.

[@temporarilyoffline]

I really wanted to say it more often in the video. What a crazy name.

[@regularguy519]

😂

[@KK7LXU]

Solid video! I only wish it also had a rudimentary test for VBUS & GND resistance too - this is an area of USB-C cable design that has been routinely abused by cheap cable vendors and can put harsh limits on functional cable lengths for USB2 data.

[@temporarilyoffline]

You are correct!

[@the_rzh]

The BitTradeOne AUDUSBCIM cable checker 2 will measure cable impedance . It's more expensive though, around $60 vs less than $20 for the Treedix.

[@temporarilyoffline]

@@the_rzh awesome, thanks for the tip.

[@NovemberOneOscarGrouch]

That small USB car charger is neat. I'd be curious to know if the light is on at all times it's powered, and if so, what is the draw?

[@temporarilyoffline]

Its on all the time... dunno the draw, but all the current car chargers are like that unfortunately. Not really a big deal if you drive regularly, but coming back from deployment to find your car dead because the phone charger was lit up is a problem.

[@deankq4adj125]

Great video T.O., I am always trying to figure out if a cable is charge only or if it transmits data too!

[@temporarilyoffline]

Better to know then to guess!

[@tacolover619]

With USB C - While using USB-C, try twisting your cable around. I have a cable that everything is lit both sides except D+- on one side, but when I twist the cable, it flips D+- from A to B

[@temporarilyoffline]

I have seen that too!

[@HammockRadio]

I got the same tester a while back and it's great to finally find and label the cables for what they are. I just wish they printed each cable type light reference on the back instead so it's easier to decipher between thunderbolt, lightning, and USB3.2 etc. Mine didn't have a manual, so I had to track them down and make my own reference chart. Anymore, if I buy a USB3 data cable, I just make sure its USB-IF certified.

[@temporarilyoffline]

For the price difference, I don't know why they make different cables like that. Would save us all some troubles!

[@ricsip]

I dont understand why the hell no one (literally no one ever) provides the god damn true technical specs of these usb cables. Even worse, why is it allowed to skip most of the wires from a god damn cable, and still allowed to call it a usb cable.. I would blame those idiots in the USB-IF that they screwed up this entire Type-C more than anybody else in the IT ever screwed up.

[@Hamradio101]

Yeah great vid Steve bought one of these cable testers a couple of years ago for around $2

[@temporarilyoffline]

$2? Sweet!

[@Bluescout612]

Eye opening for sure and something I will get

[@temporarilyoffline]

Awesome!

[@ronwolenski-n8wcr]

Great little and handy tester, at a good price. Now throw away those questionable cables. You know you will just get more.

[@temporarilyoffline]

its a revolving door...

[@KB0OTY]

Thanks for putting this out there. I bought one of these and it arrived today. Now I have about 40 usb cables in my trash can lol.

[@temporarilyoffline]

I struggled with it, but eventually gave in and tossed them. My big take away was to just get one cable for each kit and not have any spares at all.

[@temporarilyoffline]

And side note: It's KB0OTY, long time no see ... How you doin?

[@KB0OTY]

@@temporarilyoffline Thanks, I'm doing well. Life got overwhelming so I have been in SWL mode for a few months now.

[@robertmeyer4744]

Love that cable tester. I have a bunch. some bad. I have that tester in my cart. and that car charger PD 45 watt . I have bigger ones 65W and 100 watt. NY got hit with heat wave. past 3 days so far . 92/98/93 . and muggy. some power grid trouble. fixing gas generators and electric lawn mowers and busy changing bad outlets that run AC units. if 20 amp circuit I put in 20 amp good commercial rated outlet. they hold up. most newer homes have #12 wires. better for AC . waiting to get paid so i can pay bills and get the cable tester. Heat slowing people down. even me. hard to fix stuff in the shop being so muggy ! I do have AC running on costumers generator. had to load test . 73's

[@temporarilyoffline]

Good luck getting back up and running!

[@victorcharlie7491]

How convenient is that! Nice, I like it, tnx Man!

[@temporarilyoffline]

Fits right in the box of USB cables to always be at the ready - that's how I should have ended the video... with keeping all the cables anyway 🤣

[@Jack-tr1jm]

Great video! I always learn from your channel. Just ordered both. Looking forward to testing my collection of mystery cables soon. Thanks Steve!

[@temporarilyoffline]

Glad to help Jack!

[@TheTdub]

Great video, very informative. Can't wait to get one, or two.

[@TheTdub]

If you buy 2 you save 8%, couldn't pass that deal up. 😉

[@temporarilyoffline]

Good deal!

[@lavenderlilacproductions]

Schroedinger's USB cable: it is simultaneously right side up and upside down until you try to plug it in, at which point the probability function collapses into the opposite of how you are trying

[@temporarilyoffline]

50% of the time its wrong 100% of the time.

[@thuff3207]

Very cool and this is very useful.

[@temporarilyoffline]

Glad you think so!

[@borjaruiz1941]

Two aux chargers and one tester ordered right away!!!! Awesome video!! 6:50 isn't that a micro USB? Mini is a bit bigger.

[@KK7LXU]

Yep it's the SuperSpeed (USB3) microUSB receptacle

[@temporarilyoffline]

Good deal - I always get them confused. I go by shape and they disappear so quick from usefulness... USB-D will be out soon enough I'm sure.

[@iowahank1]

Finally I'm ahead of you. Bought mine 6 months ago LOL.

[@temporarilyoffline]

What else did you get... I'm running low on video ideas...

[@NovemberOneOscarGrouch]

That's a really neat cord tester. I'll definitely add that to my cart. Thanks T.O.

[@temporarilyoffline]

Glad it helps!

[@haxwithaxe]

I call power only mini USB cables that size 70cm dipoles in waiting

[@temporarilyoffline]

Exactly!

[@P.SeanCoady]

Every geek going to have to have one.

[@temporarilyoffline]

Exactly. I'm waiting for the 3d printed belt holster.

[@bryantwalley]

15:30 Thunderbolt cable may have A and B data? The ends are the same as USB-C.

[@KK7LXU]

The provision for being able to use both the "A" and "B" side of the USB2 D+/D- positions is available for USB-C products which have a "captive cable" (a cable that has one USB-C connector and is either permanently attached or has a non-USB connector on the opposite end). In the past, these signal positions have been used for vendor-specific functions which utilized e.g. I2C/TWI or UART to accomplish. Note that the standard USB-C cables do not include 2 independent USB2 differential pairs which would connect at both of those A/B positions for USB2, so a purpose-built captive cable is necessary. The common practice in the majority of products is for the USB2 A/B positions to be shorted together on the PCB.

[@temporarilyoffline]

you got it.

[@angelscomputers]

Man, I love you but sometimes I hate you. Just last night I said "I need to stop watching KZbin and buying so much cr@ap", next day BOOM, KZbin send me a Subscriber notification just for the exact device I was needing so bad the other day while running through a ton of USB cables that were giving me issues. My wallet hates you so bad bro. Hahaha, thank you, buying one right away and disappearing from internet so I dont go broke...Actually, will be cool a tester that test the speed of the cable too! dang it!

[@temporarilyoffline]

I know the feeling... how do you think I wound up with one?

[@angelscomputers]

@@temporarilyoffline LMAO, so you are sharing your problems like a virus huh 😂

[@angelscomputers]

Hey, just to beat you I just bought it with the clear case for $2 more! Lol

[@temporarilyoffline]

@@angelscomputers I didn't see that until I was making the video. You win!

[@temporarilyoffline]

@angelscomputers like a bad tasting drink at a bar: "this is awful, try it!"

[@HamRadioA2Z]

Very cool find!

[@temporarilyoffline]

Came out of one of the live streams... had to get it.

[@Jody_VE5SAR]

@@temporarilyofflineYou're welcome, lol.

[@temporarilyoffline]

@@Jody_VE5SAR You're the best!

[@K3JRZOnTheAir]

I'll hav to pick one up... Thanks for the video!

[@temporarilyoffline]

UBet!

[@GerForever]

USB is evil but this helps!

[@temporarilyoffline]

You got that right!

[@slappomatthew]

I need thanks

[@temporarilyoffline]

Exactly!

[@LifeAtTerminalVelocity]

This is a handy bit to have.

[@temporarilyoffline]

Almost 2 bits

[@thomasflorence6233]

Essential test equipment

[@temporarilyoffline]

You got that right!

[@chuckkostelc4636]

So, why in H E double toothpicks are there so many various "Standard" cables types? It's like RS232 All over again. 25 pin D, 9 pin D, Null modem... Ugh.. de N9RZV

[@temporarilyoffline]

i0.wp.com/imgs.xkcd.com/comics/standards.png

[@stoptheirlies]

I don't fully understand the side A and B led's, shouldn't they be lit on both sides if the signal is going from one plug to the other?

[@temporarilyoffline]

I'm not 100% sure either - I think its "operating as expected", but I'd have to read the spec to be sure. As long as it passes data, I'm happy so far. I haven't found a use case where it was an issue yet.

[@Mcneillkj]

Car charger adapter: How can you get multiple output voltages as called out in the video? I need 9vdc out.

[@temporarilyoffline]

You would need the appropriate "9v PD trigger cable" to make it work. The "device" requests the right power when plugged in. If your device is already USB-C, the plug it in. If not, Amazon will have the cable.

[@temporarilyoffline]

You would need the appropriate "9v PD trigger cable" to make it work. The "device" requests the right power when plugged in. If your device is already USB-C, the plug it in. If not, Amazon will have the cable.

[@eugenecbell]

Keep all the cables. Eventually, they all break and then you need the others for a backup. At some point you have no cables left. Avid that point by keeping all cables.

[@temporarilyoffline]

it really hurt man... really hurt.

[@HarveyTang]

I have a USB A to C cable that I got from Adafruit that shows as having symmetrical GND and VBUS connections and no D+/D-. I can use this cord to connect my laptop and a keyboard and use the keyboard to type on the laptop with no loss of functionality - are the D+/D- pins not required for data transfer over this cable, or am I misunderstanding something about the specification?

[@temporarilyoffline]

You have the same understanding I do... maybe there is some other path for signals to go on, but now we'd need to read the USB and the HID specs to get further info. - head scratcher for sure.

[@tommyandtammy1]

Thanks and God Bless.

[@temporarilyoffline]

Same to you!

[@AgasyMertoglu]

Спасибо за обзор!!!!

[@temporarilyoffline]

You're welcome!

[@gabrielr.acadien7331]

Most USB Cable have fake Ferrite so no Noise Suppressor. It's only plastic. To test with a magnet to see.

[@temporarilyoffline]

Good Tip!

[@ChrisRobinsonKF6NFW]

just got done with this because I was hoping you would hit on one aspect of cables that many seem to not notice. and you kinda did. While it wasnt your goal in any way. data cables have a correct way and a not correct way. there is an up and down on them. besides that, my main point for comment is that with all the dead broken conectores cables, its time to spend the few dollars and order the box of connectors from the Jungle market, and start re-connectorizing all those cables. Some you will find are easy and worth it, others not so much. The true USB-C cables with the 20 wires in it, toss those babies, you will never resolder them correctly.

[@temporarilyoffline]

Its a dilemma... all of it!

[@ChrisRobinsonKF6NFW]

@@temporarilyoffline I do agree. Not all repairs are worth it. Be selective. I keep the repair kits for the field because out in the desert, next day delivery doesnt exist, and so repairs are the only way to keep on the air sometimes, until the delivery guy from the Jungle market can drop the order of next cables to be destroyed by the kids and environment!

[@JustBadMeAndI]

3 diks, hahaha

[@temporarilyoffline]

Right!?!