USB cig lighters - $2.31 shipped

[alia176]

I don't know how good quality these are but for that price, you can buy five!

DealExtreme: $2.31 500mA Car Cigarette Powered USB Adapter/Charger (DC 12V/24V)

 

[Beowulf]

And when the kiddies need to warm their hands

-Mike-

 

[pappy]

I don't know how good quality these are but for that price, you can buy five!

DealExtreme: $2.31 500mA Car Cigarette Powered USB Adapter/Charger (DC 12V/24V)

So, what would I plug into this? My mouse? Keyboard? Everything else I have uses USB for data transfer ... camera, gps ... and wouldn't draw power from it.

So, cute product, but why?

 

[BionicCruiser]

I have something very similar now for my MP3 player. that's all I use it for.

 

[Beowulf]

So, cute product, but why?

You haven't bought new electronics lately have you?

Many vendors have "standardized" on +5v USB charging. Cell phones, iPods, headphones, BT accessories. Much better than the 3v/6v/9v/12v wall warts with the dozens of different tips. There are a few different USB tips though; micro USB, mini USB, so you still have different cables to keep track of.

The only problem that I see with the one Ali posted is that it is only 500mA. My cell phone requires 1000mA.

-Mike-

 

[SteveLCetc]

Power ratings are variable in terms of time. Ratings are usually set considering continuous duty at standard temperature and pressure (aka STP). They don't necessarily mean it will catch on fire, usually it just means fry the circuit, but you never know... These days these cheap little units don't have fuses or circuit breakers.

A couple of things you can do to increase the power handling capacity of a charger or inverter is first, to ensure there is plenty of air circulation around it - if not the ambient temperature inside the unit will decrease the heat transfer rate away from the criticial component. Another thing that helps is to have the unit you need to charge powered off when you plug it in, and leave it off as long as practical so the current into the unit is only used for charging rather than charging *and* running the unit. Leaving it off for just a few seconds or minutes helps a lot to soak up that initial power surge. I have been running the same 75 watt inverter to a 150 watt laptop charger for a couple of years now.

 

[alia176]

all of my electronics stuff that I own are USB chaged. So things like the digital camera, my iphone, wife's Pearl, both bluetooth ear pieces are all charged from this type of plug. Each car has one so we can charge items as needed.

Like I said previously, I don't think the quality is all that good for the cheap USB cig lighter chargers but it's good for some stuff. PDAs like my iphone and Mike's unit require 1amp so this one is not going to work but for most things this might work out fine.

 

[SteveLCetc]

Then again it might just take longer to charge Mike's unit as it will only put out limited current. The 1 amp rating could well be to meet a spec of time required to fully charge the unit.

 

[Beowulf]

Then again it might just take longer to charge Mike's unit as it will only put out limited current. The 1 amp rating could well be to meet a spec of time required to fully charge the unit.

I'm using a Palm Pre PDA and it won't work on anything less than 1000mA... and yes, I've tried. It must have some internal circuitry that measures the incoming current and refuses to work if it doesn't have what it needs.

I also have an inductive charging stand that won't work with the same 110v USB charging unit (1000mA) that was used to charge the phone. The only way I could make it work was to use the Palm 110v --> USB wall plug and cable.

-Mike-

 

[Cruisergreg]

Many vendors have "standardized" on +5v USB charging. Cell phones, iPods, headphones, BT accessories. Much better than the 3v/6v/9v/12v wall warts with the dozens of different tips. There are a few different USB tips though; micro USB, mini USB, so you still have different cables to keep track of.

Yeah, I wouldn't call anything standardized with USB connectors. My iPod takes USB 2.0, my phone takes Micro USB B, and the bluetooth takes Micro USB "A". It's a pain to have all those cables floating around, especially the Micros because they look alike (at first glance) and I'm always trying to force the wrong one into something.

 

[pappy]

[LUDDITE ON]

Thank you Greg. I have several devices that use "USB" type cables and they are all different. The only standard device is my GPS and it doesn't charge from the USB, just moves data. My camera and phone both use something different and the camera doesn't charge from the USB. Gawd knows what tip my phone has. I do have an old Motorola bluetooth earpiece that is a standard USB, but I hate that thing. My Plantronics is a round plug. I hate it too. Give me a cord for the phone ... at least I can talk for hours and the battery in the cord won't die and I don't need to remember to charge it. Show me the practical value in all these techo-geek toys. They are nothing but trendy and cute, and a way to part you from your money.

There is value to being a Luddite. Mike, let me know when companies start to agree on a standard and I'll come out of my cave. In the mean time, I have no use for those USB cig lighter chargers, let alone more than one. Besides, my cell phone charger plugs into the same socket that USB cig lighter charger plugs into. The 12V socket is already an industry standard.

[LUDDITE STILL ON AND DAMN PROUD OF IT]

where is that soapbox smilie?

 

[Beowulf]

Mike, let me know when companies start to agree on a standard and I'll come out of my cave.

That's why I put standardized in quotes. There is an old saying in the IT industry... We love standards because there are so many to choose from.

The good news is many companies have migrated to a "standard" on one end of the plug; USB, and they have migrated to a "standard" voltage (+5v). The current and the other end of the plug are variables though they are using one of the various "standard" USB sockets.

We are closer but there may never be single charger "standard" because companies make a lot of money selling guys like Greg a cable for USB-mini (A), then a USB-mini (B), and a USB-micro, and so on. But I'll be happy to shout down your cave hole when there is a single charging & data cable.

-Mike-