Unsafe Power Adapters What exactly makes them unsafe?

Unsafe Power Adapters What exactly makes them unsafe?
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In this video I am looking at a bunch of power adapters that don’t have safety listings at all and in general are built down to a price first. There are various models and these change on a regular basis.
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Baseus 100W Adapter: amzn.to/3KQznYN
Hyphen-X 100W Adapter: amzn.to/3wqq6AV
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[@ewicky]

I would love to watch a video from you with advice on identifying adapters' safety listing or lack thereof. I have a drawer full of adapters and would gladly recycle any that are unsafe. But I'm unsure of all the different logos and the basics of spotting obvious fake logos.

[@AllThingsOnePlace]

Yeah, someone else was also commenting on that. I want to do videos on that.

[@donquixoteupinhere]

@@AllThingsOnePlace +1 from me :)

[@kjracing007]

Excellent explanation. Even I have no idea about PCB board, I understood everything and now I am a much wiser buyer. Thank you so much!!

[@AllThingsOnePlace]

Glad it was useful!

[@Nil-js4bf]

There's a flood of different "brands" of GaN chargers and for the average consumer, it's impossible to distinguish between them apart from Amazon reviews, which are apparently gamed as well. This channel looks like it provides great material. If only you had the capacity to test more adaptors and spread the word to force companies to improve their products. I heard LTT wanted to start something along these lines (but questionable whether chargers will be a thing they test) and it can't come soon enough.

[@AllThingsOnePlace]

Thanks! By the time I get a new charger in, it seems like there are already 5 more on the market. The LTT thing is 'labs' and partially is what I am doing also, it would be amazing to be considered a competitor of them, ha. I think LTT needs some electrical engineering skill at some point to focus on this type of work. They could also use the rating system (PQS). I know they spent $130k from a recent video on the Chroma brand gear to do this type of power testing so they could do it. I think their focus is more on PC power supplies though. In terms of my capacity, yeah, I work full time so this is certainly a side line (and a costly one at that).

[@jeffjohnson5352]

Very good video and very interesting to see the ways in which these little devices can be unsafe. I was a bit confused by the inclusion of the UGreen adapter in the tables toward the end of the video. Its numbers look good and I think you rated this adapter quite favorably in an earlier video, but you stated that they all were all bad except one, and didn't mention that the UGreen was actually decent.

[@AllThingsOnePlace]

Ah, yeah, I was trying to show UGREEN as a good example. The 'all but one' was the FONKEN, not counting things already done, that was a bit confusing. The general idea is that when devices don't have a listing corners are cut, is a listing required to make a good adapter, no, but it gives me some comfort that someone at least tried at some point.

[@NicksStuff]

I would love to watch a more in-depth video including demonstrations. Like the suppression capacitor to reduce EMI (why do shady adapters have these? If they don't care about the safety aspects, why bother with EMI?): you could show its impact by showing harmonics on the scope (?) with and without it

[@AllThingsOnePlace]

Thanks! Yeah, I need to get more of that going. I think in many cases they copy the reference design, it says add this part of this value they add this part of this value, sometimes not a safety rated one since the chip makers datasheet won't specify that. I actually don't think a single one of my EE books says anything about safety ratings or designing for safety come to think of it. So, whack in anything sounds good, carboard and copper tape will do the trick. I don't really have a good way of measuring the EMI emissions from these either.

[@Mike0193Azul]

Learn so much from these videos and respect the recommendation to seek out recycling centers rather than most KZbinrs who just say to throw out e-waste and plastics. 💚

[@AllThingsOnePlace]

Yeah, some companies seem to be doubling down on the packaging. UGREEN, ANKER are making the boxes bigger and adding even more single use plastic to everything they sell. It was very interesting opening the bought in the EU power adapters, legit ones, and the packaging was all paper and cardboard, all easily recyclable.

[@targaR32]

How would you recommend confirming that a product's safety listing is real? Thanks for another awesome video :)

[@AllThingsOnePlace]

There are databases of safety listed products where people can’t check legitimacy but it isn’t easy. I should make a video going through the process.

[@bikemmm6167]

Keep up the great work, thanks. If possible positing twice a week may make this channel more popular.

[@TheSclare]

I agree.

[@AllThingsOnePlace]

Yeah, I tried for a bit, I couldn’t quite get two done a week with work. This video took months to finish (started in December). I also want to improve quality and graphics. As the channel grows I will keep making more efforts though. I write down all the suggestions! I need to do some polls to figure out which thing should be next.

[@bikemmm6167]

@@AllThingsOnePlace I think a review the apple 140 watt usb c PD 3.1 power adaptor would be great to see next :) All of your content is great. Also is three prog over two prong and advantage in the power adaptor space?

[@utubemouse]

Subscribed. Thank you for the helpful tutorial.

[@AllThingsOnePlace]

Thanks for the sub!

[@sivap1981]

thanks for great videos , would you mind reviewing Primecables GaN adapters (68W or 100 W) . Thanks again

[@AllThingsOnePlace]

Thanks for the suggestion, it is on the list, it is a long list.

[@abhi211-T]

Bit late to this video (thanks for making it btw!), I was wondering if you have or are planning to review and tear down any Ldnio or tynex chargers. I’m particularly thinking of getting their 65 watt non-gan charger, I wonder if these desktop usb c chargers with shotgun connectors are better quality/less likely to burn your house down than the “travel” type ones in this video due to less size constraints.

[@AllThingsOnePlace]

It is something to check out. Thanks for the suggestions. Yeah, these were mostly the cheapest options of power adapters also sadly all still available under a constantly shifting brand name soup.

[@malk2good]

very informative and useful are GME power adapters safe? not sure if you used or have any but i have one and wondering whether it's good or not it has CE and GS listings on it but not sure if they are real or not

[@AllThingsOnePlace]

I haven't tested any of those so not sure. You have to check if the CE mark is real or not. The database is a mess but technically it should be in the EU database. But it is still a self certification so value may be limited. The GS listing I'm not sure on.

[@fedeskate85]

Hi, new subscriber here! I'm looking for a multiport 100W charger for my macbook pro 14 as a backup (mine comes with the 67W charger). In my country we use 220V / 50Hz btw. I saw you gave a good grade to the Baseus one, but looking up in amazon some reviews says that it stopped working after some months, so now I'm in doubt. What would you recommend? I saw the anker 736 too, which gives me more confidence because of the brand but I don't know...

[@AllThingsOnePlace]

Yeah, any charger is going to have a certain failure rate. Baseus is a newer brand so certainly will have some issues. I beat the one up I have pretty bad and I have been using this adapter daily so far no issues on mine but yeah, small sample size. The Anker having stronger brand recognition is one thing but also they've been making power adapters for longer so they have some knowledge on what works and what doesn't. I give out the information, it is up to you to decide. I say don't buy the ones in this video at least (I stuck the 20W UGREEN in here too but it was actually good for the power class). The Anker 736 is middle of the road. It is great if you are charging higher power use devices (laptops). If you are charging a phone it's a waste. I don't see any reason NOT to buy the Anker though.

[@fedeskate85]

@@AllThingsOnePlace Thanks for the reply!

[@jackbrown107]

Better anker.

[@jameshelton8311]

Thank you for all of the great info that you share! Do you have a video with any tips on how to tell if the safety logo is legit on a charger? I bought a cheap charger that has the CE logo on it, and I'm not sure I trust that it's legit after watching several of your videos.

[@AllThingsOnePlace]

Yeah, I think it would be a good exercise to walk through finding some of this information. It is so difficult to find anything. The EU database is not very user friendly.

[@judal58]

I have the voltme revo 100 and it is the only 100W charger that said it is using GaN III technology, I would like to see it disassembled and analyzed like this

[@AllThingsOnePlace]

I have that one on the list for at least testing. I can do a teardown also.

[@JasonRasmussen]

I just bought one and it is UL certified.

[@JasonRasmussen]

​@@AllThingsOnePlaceUnless I missed it, I can't find any Voltme reviews or teardown. They seem well built and are UL certified. I'd like to get your take on the Voltme products as they seem to be an up and comer in the realms of other quality name brand chargers.

[@ishinfinity3336]

Thank you for your work and explaining so well ^_^

[@AllThingsOnePlace]

Thanks. It is a confusing topic and you can’t tell from the outside.

[@ishinfinity3336]

@@AllThingsOnePlace slim q tear down? Honestly more interested in the nomad cable test and if the adapters happen to have a different resistance / cause any sort of bottle necking

[@dukibmw]

@AllThingsOnePlace Hello, only charger that i can find 100% genuine is Baseus. U did not say much about it so i have a question. Do you recomend it for using it for Pixel 8? It sad in your sheet that is does not have DOE VI... What is the idle power draw? Thank you so much, your work is great!

[@AllThingsOnePlace]

The Baseus GaN3 desktop adapter does meet the requirement, the wall 100W GaN2 adapter doesn't because of the idle power consumption. It's just over the line.

[@bikemmm6167]

What safety ratings are the best and why ? Also it would be nice to see a head to head comparison of the safety ratings of anker, apple, dell, baseus, power adaptors.

[@AllThingsOnePlace]

Mmm. More ideas. I was thinking of a series on what all the organizations, standards companies, certification listings, etc. are and mean. It’s endless essentially but at least what I know I can make a video for and then can always be follow up videos with more from the feedback. Maybe be an option for a mid-week video.

[@bikemmm6167]

@@AllThingsOnePlace very cool the standards are constantly updating. I have found Dell USB c power adaptors to be very good about listing all their certifications in plain sight.

[@jalendvenn7990]

@@AllThingsOnePlace That would be cool! If that's too much you could also do midweek KZbin shorts? That way its not so much as two full videos a week🤔

[@judal58]

@@AllThingsOnePlace also which protocol is best for

[@whophd]

Hi I’m a new subscriber to your channel! I’d like a video about leakage current - I first noticed it in 2015 when I got my first USB-C powered laptop and touched it. But since then I’ve noticed it on smartphones including via Lightning - even when my partner is sitting on her phone, on her side of the couch, and I’m not touching anything. This all feels new, since 2015! How can it be “fine”??

[@AllThingsOnePlace]

haha, yeah, I tested some of the ones in this video for leakage, they're bad. I have been testing the leakage for anything newer but yeah the US limits are established around a safety limitation, so is it going to stop your heart, no, deal with it... The EU limit is a bit more in line with human reaction to things, but again the focus is safety not comfort.

[@judal58]

👍👍👍👍👍👍 nice work man, keep going

[@AllThingsOnePlace]

Thanks!

[@samis9980]

Hello, I have a question, I have a base model macbook pro 14 and I want to buy an anker 735 powerport iii 65w charger. The problem is, I heard using a third party charger can wear the battery faster. Is that true?? I really want that 3 ports because it's smaller and has more ports, but I'm afraid it'll wear the mac battery faster or even damage it. Thanks for the video btw! subbed.

[@AllThingsOnePlace]

There is some truth to batteries degrading with faster charging. Generally, it is more applicable when trying to charge a smaller battery, like a phone, at a rate more familiar to a laptop. A laptop has a higher voltage, typically 3 cells in series, and more sophisticated charge controller so using a higher wattage charger is a very low risk of causing any harm to the laptop. The laptop will only pull what it needs to charge. Many modern phones will also do this.

[@samis9980]

@@AllThingsOnePlace Thanks for your explanation. Would you recommend anker charger that I mentioned for my macbook? Thanks again.

[@merjaymermanph]

Im using an anker gan 65w for my iphone, ipad , and macbook air. Its okey. This Gan technology will only use the enough watts accepted by your device and it wont overcharge or overheat. When im at home, il stick to my original charger, the one thats in the box. I only use the small Anker for travel, or when im out of town, its like an all in one charger as long as you bring the right cord, specified for your device

[@samis9980]

@@merjaymermanph Got it. Thanks!

[@merjaymermanph]

@@samis9980 welcome

[@mikek5206]

Lmao as a fellow nerd, your calipers are hilarious. Subscribed.

[@AllThingsOnePlace]

haha, yes. I still need to get that video out.

[@dannythemedic]

is there a database?????

[@AllThingsOnePlace]

There is a database. Fairly sparse at the moment but eventually the goal is to have it list everything that plugs in the wall.

[@jean-francoisgagne6332]

@@AllThingsOnePlace Where can we see it ?

[@AllThingsOnePlace]

@@jean-francoisgagne6332 pqs.app/

[@loughrey101]

Would be good to make a video of the safest chargers on the market

[@AllThingsOnePlace]

That is a good idea.

[@HM-vo1jf]

You're brilliant.

[@AllThingsOnePlace]

Haha, I don't know about that, I'm making youtube videos for fun though.

[@ewicky]

What's going on with your MacGyver calipers?

[@AllThingsOnePlace]

Haha. That’s totally going to be a video… actually already have the video, script just needs some final assembly. Basically, it’s a battery charger, calipers were always out of battery. I need to make a PCB for it instead of using the dead bug wiring technique but that’s a project for another day.

[@rubynaeem1868]

review wotobe chargers please

[@AllThingsOnePlace]

I have, wotobeus is the US branding of these chargers.

[@shadowpapito]

Good Job

[@AllThingsOnePlace]

I could make this video 10 times and not run out of adapters that are not well made.

[@joel3683]

@@AllThingsOnePlace Jesus! LMAO that's kinda scary

[@shamalsham]

Promate powercube pd80 charge station.

[@AllThingsOnePlace]

Thanks for the suggestion.

[@dannythemedic]

hmm.. these videos are LPL ish! good!

[@AllThingsOnePlace]

I am not sure what LPL standards for but hopefully it's good!

[@dannythemedic]

@@AllThingsOnePlace oh its very good... check out the channel lockpickinglawyer

[@stellarproductions8888]

When I smell smoke, there's fire, and if you use any of these charge adapters, your house could end up crispyfried. Unsafe is right, one should only buy charge adapters, where you see lots of certifications on them. Plus, one can do their due diligence, and cross reference them, to double check if they indeed earned those ratings, or if the Chinese knock off's, decided to just stamp those labels on to sell a product, cause their dishonest as frickle frackle.

[@AllThingsOnePlace]

Yeah, the dangerous part is these are often the adapters that are available if you need something quick. Last minute forgot your adapter, the service station probably sells some cheap power adapter like this to get you charged up. I also have a few of these that were trade show giveaways and bad news, ha.

[@merjaymermanph]

I just only trust both the Apple original charger or the Anker Gan chargers 😅

[@AllThingsOnePlace]

Not a bad choice.

[@loughrey101]

Belkin is another big and safe charger brand

[@visionofwellboyofficial]

Wow he did better than Diodegonewild

[@AllThingsOnePlace]

That's a tough channel to match, diode gone wild is awesome.

[@visionofwellboyofficial]

@@AllThingsOnePlace I always watch his content, we should too!

[@Stainless316L]

Somebody sadly been killed on the news today. Cheep Chinese usb charger to blame

[@AllThingsOnePlace]

That is scary. Unfortunately, these devices are some of the best sellers too.

[@amateurwizard]

I know it's sort of cringe but I think it would pull more people into the channel. Could you do a brief 'Tier List' of a bunch of these. Personally I like the long form content but it's just a thought.

[@AllThingsOnePlace]

I don't understand. I am assuming not a top 10 kind of thing, I did two of those, they continue to perform better than other content.

[@MeanderingMax]

It really sucks people waste time and materials making these safety hazards :(

[@AllThingsOnePlace]

They're among the best sellers on amazon.

[@MeanderingMax]

@@AllThingsOnePlace Yeah, sales are good when companies selling them (like Amazon) don't care about anything but getting their $ :(

[@asakayosapro]

All these ‘bad’ adapters… One wonders if one can simply get the components out and repurpose them in some other device or circuitry, with the exception of offbrand electrolytic capacitors because apparently capacitor plague is still a thing in 2023… There’s also mosfets to consider. Just because a circuit is ‘designed badly’ doesn’t necessarily mean the individual components themselves are completely unusable.

[@AllThingsOnePlace]

Yeah, the control chips and protocol chips would be prime parts to take out of these cheap adapters if they have them. They are hard to get for hobbyists.

[@VOLTRONDEFENDER4440]

To be safe get a adapter from a reputable brand like Apple, Samsung, Lenovo, hp,IKEA, and Nintendo as they are legitimate

[@AllThingsOnePlace]

Thanks! Ikea just had a recall for unsafe adapters, but at least they owned it.

[@joeking433]

The Chinese just don't give a F. It's been a disaster having them be the world's factory!

[@AllThingsOnePlace]

Yeah. I mean I picked lots of bad ones for this video too. Fact that some are best sellers…