BS Aliexpress USB wall warts... - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: BrianHG
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 01, 2025, 06:38:18 pm
content: Talk about false advertising and sad design:All right boys, what other crap wall warts have you run into?Do good ones actually exist?And how do you know before you buy?

author: tunk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 01, 2025, 08:09:23 pm
content: This not the first video from Diodegonewild about this (about 40):EEVblog member HKJ has also looked at quite a few:https://lygte-info.dk/info/indexUSB%20UK.html

author: John B
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 01, 2025, 09:31:09 pm
content: At this point I stick to buying AC/DC from E14 or Digikey, or if it's a consumer device I buy a well known brand name from a store.There's undoubtedly more markup that way, but I look at it as insurance. I've opened a every cheap ebay supply that failed and they were all horrendous.I consider them a risk to the user, risk of fire, risk to the (usually expensive) connected device.

author: Nominal Animal
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 02, 2025, 12:27:01 pm
content: Here in Finland, I buy mine from reputable brick-and-mortar stores, and use them precisely according to the instructions. That way, if they catch fire, my home insurance will cover it. If they behave oddly, like heat up or generate too much noise, the stores here tend to be responsible and take it back, so a bad product won't be off my pocket.However, Iamwaiting for a Mean Well GST60A05-P1J (PDF specifications) that I bought off AliExpress, Power Wizard Store; Ihopeit is genuine, and that Mean Well having production and sales facilities in Guangzhou and Suzhou in China would not let their brand be misrepresented at AliExpress. I'll have to try and verify it is genuine somehow; at minimum, verify its output is correct wrt. specifications under load and no-load.I would have bought it off a reputable physical store, but the local ones either won't sell to private customers, or tack on 10€+ surcharge on top of shipping costs, more than doubling the price. Shipping costs are the killer here, typically 10€ and up. And if I have to pay over double (shipping included) than the 22€ I paid, I'd rather get a Mean Well NGE65E05-P1J or a GSM60B05-P1J instead, for medical-rated (low-leakage) class II (no ground, suitable for two-pin CEE 7/16 Europlugs).The need for 5V 6A supply is to run my 5V Linux SBCs that can interface to SATA SSDs. In most cases a 5V 4A supply would be enough, but I also have USB devices that may occasionally require a few extra watts, and I want the headroom. ±100mV peak-to-peak noise should be okay for these. I can always add some more bulk capacitance, or perhaps a Chebyshev Pi filter, to the SBC power input.Because it is just to power my Odroid-HC1 SBC, I chose to take the risk.

author: Haenk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 03, 2025, 08:49:48 am
content: I think it's completely reasonable to power your 1500EUR smartphone from a 5EUR noname chinese wall wart.In other news, those QuangFungHungLo reconditioned tires work really well on a Porsche GT.

author: Nominal Animal
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 03, 2025, 09:22:10 am
content: Quote from: Haenk on February 03, 2025, 08:49:48 amYeah, I don't like to read what others post before posting some snarky shit based on my assumptions on what they meant, either.

author: 5U4GB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 03, 2025, 10:27:31 am
content: Quote from: John B on February 01, 2025, 09:31:09 pmYup, I automatically toss anything that connects to mains voltages included with Aliexpress items and replace it with Meanwell or similar.Well, after cracking it open to see how bad it is, and cutting the mains cable to verify that it's genuine aluminium wire being used rather than steel.

author: 5U4GB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 03, 2025, 10:36:06 am
content: Quote from: Nominal Animal on February 02, 2025, 12:27:01 pmIt'll might be a genuine MeanWeil. Or NeamWell. Or MeanWertz (I've actually seen that one, but you needed a magnifying glass to see it, the large logo was the standard MW one). Or something.Having said that, the prices definitely look right for MeanWell, but then they're about the same from known-good suppliers like E14.

author: Haenk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 03, 2025, 12:25:19 pm
content: Quote from: 5U4GB on February 03, 2025, 10:36:06 amChecked some offers in Germany, lowest price is below 16 EUR, sellers seem trustworthy enough to expect genuine products. Shipped, it's around the same as the Aliexpress offers.With these lower price items, chinese shipping costs really can make a difference to some countries though (even though shipping in Germany is not cheap, either).

author: akku46
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: February 08, 2025, 11:59:49 am
content: Quote from: BrianHG on February 01, 2025, 06:38:18 pmAdding weights into a charger to make it feel more powerful in your hands is a whole new level in the fake industry.On another video he also found a fake voltmeter on a charger, it was just a 7-segment display hard-wired to show 5.2 V or so.I only buy chargers and power supplies from reputable stores, and try to select only reputable brands.

author: MrMobodies
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 19, 2025, 09:04:25 pm
content: If I'd not known about the price I'd find the out of alignment and bent plastic pins in the USB A slots the give away but the plastic pins in USB C slot seem to look straight.There something in the appearance about that plastic that gives me an illusion like it is going to melt at no so high temperatures.I remember that specification on the USB A for on an Anker QC3 18w charger.So just compared it and it seems to say the same thing like they just copied it over.

author: bingo600
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 26, 2025, 07:20:53 pm
content: My new favorite "cheap" USB charger is the 3-port IKEAhttps://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/smahagel-3-port-usb-charger-white-60539182/The 1-Port has lousy wattage , so i only buy the 3-port , even fir 1-port usage.

author: SteveThackery
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 26, 2025, 07:47:11 pm
content: Quote from: bingo600 on April 26, 2025, 07:20:53 pmSeconded! I've bought half a dozen recently to keep in stock. They are great. And if you look inside you will be impressed by the electrical safety aspects.

author: bson
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 28, 2025, 06:10:29 pm
content: I usually just skip the total garbage and buy a budget brand like Anker. Although with the current tariffs on China that will probably come to an end sometime soon.

author: SiliconWizard
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 28, 2025, 10:59:52 pm
content: There is good and bad stuff on Aliexpress. The bad stuff can be really, really bad. You can find those cheap chargers with horrific stuff inside. Quite often, not only are they dangerous and do they not meet their advertised specs at all, but to make them feel legit, gluing screws inside or filling with sand is a common strategy to give them some weight.This is nothing new. This has been ultra common for many years.I don't really even blame, people are willng to believe in Santa buying crap at ridiculous prices. Just realize that when buying directly from China without an intermediate, you are effectively the importer of the good and as such are fully responsible for what you imported. If you buy crap that ends up setting your neighbour's house on fire, you may find yourself in a very uncomfortable situation. Just saying.