On 02/10/2013 09:27, Malcolm G wrote:

How many, if any, are used to power something that could alternatively
be powered from a USB port on the computer? Could these be replaced by a
single powered USB hub and appropriate USB cables?

iPads, iPhones, Android phones and my bluetooth speaker system all
spring to mind for this treatment.

I think some stand alone charges supply more current than the PC would,
so you might find a powered hub meant things took longer to charge.
(Depending on the device this may be a good or bad thing)

Other than the charges supplied with devices (e.g. iPad charger), I have
two sources that supply 2A + 1A USB output. One is a simple USB charger
with two USB sockets - one will provide 2A. The other a portable LiIon
battery pack - again 2A + 1A. (My car USB charger only has 1A + 1A.)

There are some quite fancy USB chargers around now, for example:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/09...ry_pi_usb_hub/

So no need for slow charging. In fact a powered hub such as above could
provide more power than a typical PC USB outlet.

--
Rod

On Wednesday, October 2, 2013 11:41:36 AM UTC+1, Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 11:06:52 on
Wed, 2 Oct 2013, Tim Watts remarked:

I did think that USB plates in the wall might be an idea - but will USB be
around as long as 13A sockets?

Change them back to 13A sockets if they become redundant.
But what is likely to replace it? If anything it's getting more common,
with rechargeable boosters, car-lighter adapters and even wall-warts,
all having USB output sockets.
(But my brand new cheapo solar panel mobile-booster has a proprietary
co-ax output; go figure).

What will replace it... something faster, more powerful, cheaper and with no unplug-without-unmount issues.


NT

In article , rbel ?@?.?
writes
On Wed, 2 Oct 2013 17:52:21 +0100, "Bert Coules"
wrote:

At the risk of inciting yet more sarcastic replies, when I saw the subject
heading I thought it might be a mistyping for "Wallmarts".

I apologise for assuming that it was now in common parlance given the
nature of this group.

Although it's not a term I use, it is very common here.

Bert has clearly been neglecting his duty to keep up with group
parlance. I can't imagine what he's been up to, perhaps real DIY :-?
--
fred
it's a ba-na-na . . . .

On Wed, 2 Oct 2013 02:53:57 -0700 (PDT), Halmyre wrote:

I can never work out which of the buggers is supposed to power what. I
wanted to power up an old ADSL modem/router and I've got a boxful of
adapters and I don't know which one is for the router.

Hopefully the kit has some marking either on the label or moulded
into the case next to the power socket giving the voltage, current,
polarity and AC/DC. You just need to look for a wart that matches.
Voltage, polarity, AC/DC need to match, current just needs to be the
same or higher on the wart.

Yes, labeling is agood idea but when you have a nice new toy to play
with you don't want to faff about labeling the wart... B-)

--
Cheers
Dave.

On Wed, 2 Oct 2013 11:41:36 +0100, Roland Perry wrote:

I did think that USB plates in the wall might be an idea - but
will USB
be around as long as 13A sockets?

But what is likely to replace it? If anything it's getting more common,
with rechargeable boosters, car-lighter adapters and even wall-warts,
all having USB output sockets.

Just buy a 2 A USB Charger and plug it in. Most stuff these days
comes with a USB charging lead just swap about as required. What
happened to that agreed "standard" that all mobile phones etc would
have the same small USB socket...

What I hope will replace it is a "charge pad", just put your item on
the pad and it gets charged via some induction method. Ideally said
pad could charge as many things as will sit on it simultaneously, the
devices will have to handle how much charge they take.

--
Cheers
Dave.

Graham. wrote:
I don't think they come under the remit of BS1363, for one thing,

Something that is intended to plug into a BS1363 socket has to comply to BS1363.

JGH

Andy Burns wrote:
http://www.thinplug.com/web/images/header_bg.png

God, I'd hate to use a plug like that, I need the cable to be flush
with the wall, dammit. As soon as any furniture goes anywhere near
that (and its US/etc similar cousins) it'll be snapped off, or the
cable trodden on and snapped.

JGH

wrote:
Something that is intended to plug into a BS1363 socket has to comply to BS1363.

Not according to
http://www.fatallyflawed.org.uk/

Owain

"Nightjar" wrote in message
...
On 02/10/2013 08:44, harryagain wrote:
"Nightjar" wrote in message
...
On 01/10/2013 18:10, rbel wrote:
...or at least the area around my desk.

Having bought a new desk I decided to sort out the mare's nest of
cables that had accumulated behind the old one over the years. I was
amazed to find that I had 8 wall warts just for this relatively small
area. This does not include the 7 chargers used elsewhere in the
building for mobiles etc.

I would be surprised if you were unusual in that. I can't get through
the
tangle of wires to count them, but I know I have 2 x 6 way and 1 x 4 way
socket strips in use and the computers and monitors only take one of
those
sockets, to feed the UPS.

I really wanted to rationalise the various extension strips I have
under the desk and arrange to put the sockets somewhere more
accessible. The only options I can think of at the moment are either
two 6 gang switched extension leads fastened to one end of the desk or
four MK 3 gang switched socket outlets recessed into the end panel of
the desk. At least these would cover current needs and allow for a
couple of spare outlets.

IME, no matter how many sockets you have, you will always need more.

Colin Bignell

They are the ideal way to start a fire. Especially the way some people
use
them.
Some are outright dangerous. All sorts of fakes out there too.



They are not a problem if you know what you are doing though.

Colin Bignell

They are a problem.
It have a switch to turn the lot off when not needed.
Leaving them turned on is foolish.

In message , at
13:13:15 on Wed, 2 Oct 2013, remarked:
I did think that USB plates in the wall might be an idea - but will USB be
around as long as 13A sockets?

Change them back to 13A sockets if they become redundant.
But what is likely to replace it? If anything it's getting more common,
with rechargeable boosters, car-lighter adapters and even wall-warts,
all having USB output sockets.
(But my brand new cheapo solar panel mobile-booster has a proprietary
co-ax output; go figure).

What will replace it... something faster, more powerful, cheaper and

Ah, that's replacing the data-transfer aspect. It's possible
wifi/Bluetooth has gone a long way towards that already. But there's
still a need for a power-socket.

with no unplug-without-unmount issues.

Doesn't seem to bother my printer, USB keyboard or 3G dongle. My
external HDD connects by gig-ethernet.
--
Roland Perry

In message o.uk, at
22:54:41 on Wed, 2 Oct 2013, Dave Liquorice
remarked:
What happened to that agreed "standard"

It's a European standard, not worldwide.

that all mobile phones etc would have the same small USB socket...

Quite a lot of them do (although Nokia not always).

iPhones seem to be a big exception (despite being USA-based they did
agree to comply, initially), but Apple always does want to be
inconveniently different!
--
Roland Perry

On 02/10/2013 00:40, Graham. wrote:
On Tue, 01 Oct 2013 21:25:08 +0100 (BST), "Dave Liquorice"
wrote:

On Tue, 01 Oct 2013 21:06:24 +0100, alan wrote:

Just watch for the spacing of the sockets on the cheaper extensions.
Many wall warts are wider/longer than a standard plug.

Not many are wider these day with the demise of the iron transformer.


Longer can be a problem, quite a few have the outlet wire coming from
the end adjacent to the earth pin not from the L & N pin end like a
normal flex.

I have a theory about that. I think the Chinese have the idea that our
13A socket is normally mounted earth pin downwards.

If you are unconvinced, look at the label orientation on these warts.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/g3zvt/1...4683/lightbox/

Perhaps the Chinese mount their OWN 13A sockets that way up? After all,
while far from universal, they are one of the Chinese standards. (So I
have read - never actually been there!)

--
Rod

In article ,
polygonum wrote:
On 02/10/2013 00:40, Graham. wrote:
On Tue, 01 Oct 2013 21:25:08 +0100 (BST), "Dave Liquorice"
wrote:

On Tue, 01 Oct 2013 21:06:24 +0100, alan wrote:

Just watch for the spacing of the sockets on the cheaper extensions.
Many wall warts are wider/longer than a standard plug.

Not many are wider these day with the demise of the iron transformer.


Longer can be a problem, quite a few have the outlet wire coming from
the end adjacent to the earth pin not from the L & N pin end like a
normal flex.

I have a theory about that. I think the Chinese have the idea that our
13A socket is normally mounted earth pin downwards.

If you are unconvinced, look at the label orientation on these warts.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/g3zvt/1...4683/lightbox/

Perhaps the Chinese mount their OWN 13A sockets that way up? After all,
while far from universal, they are one of the Chinese standards. (So I
have read - never actually been there!)

Insofar as 13A was the Hong Kong standard, they are a Chinese standard.

--
From KT24

Using a RISC OS computer running v5.18

On 03/10/2013 07:19, harryagain wrote:
"Nightjar" wrote in message
...
On 02/10/2013 08:44, harryagain wrote:
"Nightjar" wrote in message
...
On 01/10/2013 18:10, rbel wrote:
...or at least the area around my desk.

Having bought a new desk I decided to sort out the mare's nest of
cables that had accumulated behind the old one over the years. I was
amazed to find that I had 8 wall warts just for this relatively small
area. This does not include the 7 chargers used elsewhere in the
building for mobiles etc.

I would be surprised if you were unusual in that. I can't get through
the
tangle of wires to count them, but I know I have 2 x 6 way and 1 x 4 way
socket strips in use and the computers and monitors only take one of
those
sockets, to feed the UPS.

I really wanted to rationalise the various extension strips I have
under the desk and arrange to put the sockets somewhere more
accessible. The only options I can think of at the moment are either
two 6 gang switched extension leads fastened to one end of the desk or
four MK 3 gang switched socket outlets recessed into the end panel of
the desk. At least these would cover current needs and allow for a
couple of spare outlets.

IME, no matter how many sockets you have, you will always need more.

Colin Bignell

They are the ideal way to start a fire. Especially the way some people
use
them.
Some are outright dangerous. All sorts of fakes out there too.



They are not a problem if you know what you are doing though.

Colin Bignell

They are a problem.

Only if misused.

It have a switch to turn the lot off when not needed.
Leaving them turned on is foolish.

Mine are all of good manufacture, switched and protected by 5A fuses,
both in the strip and in the plug feeding them. Not that much of what I
have plugged in ought to be switched off at any time.

Colin Bignell

On Thu, 03 Oct 2013 08:08:50 +0100, charles
wrote:

In article ,
polygonum wrote:

Perhaps the Chinese mount their OWN 13A sockets that way up? After all,
while far from universal, they are one of the Chinese standards. (So I
have read - never actually been there!)

Insofar as 13A was the Hong Kong standard, they are a Chinese standard.

All the sockets I've seen in HK are mounted the same way as in the UK


--

In article , Roland Perry
writes
In message o.uk, at
22:54:41 on Wed, 2 Oct 2013, Dave Liquorice
remarked:
What happened to that agreed "standard"

It's a European standard, not worldwide.

that all mobile phones etc would have the same small USB socket...

Quite a lot of them do (although Nokia not always).

iPhones seem to be a big exception (despite being USA-based they did
agree to comply, initially), but Apple always does want to be
inconveniently different!

Did somebody say kerchiiiing!

Cost of iPhone £450
Cost of proprietary accessories required to let it connect to the real
world £180
--
fred
it's a ba-na-na . . . .

In message , at 09:56:04 on Thu, 3 Oct
2013, Jethro_uk remarked:
I just received a new router, courtesy of BT. ****ing power adapter has a
3" bulge *below* the mains pins. The previous one had a 2" bulge *above
the pins. Of course the new one won't fit in the power socket, as the
bottom fouls the floor. I would move the power strip up, but then the PSU
for my VOIP phone will foul the desk.

That's what I was talking about earlier. What you need (sadly) is one
power strip each way up...
--
Roland Perry

On 03/10/2013 00:36, wrote:
Graham. wrote:
I don't think they come under the remit of BS1363, for one thing,

Something that is intended to plug into a BS1363 socket has to comply to BS1363.

Parts of BS 1363, not all of it. Much of 1363 isn't relevant: fuse
holder, cord attachment, temperature rise at full load, etc.

Wall warts principally come under a relevant product safety standard,
such as BS EN 60065 for AV equipment, BS EN 60950 for IT equipment and
61558 for generic PSUs. These standards require the wart to comply with
the dimensional requirements for the relevant mains plug (BS 1363 for
the UK and Ireland). There are also requirements that are not in (or
different to) BS 1363, mainly relating to mechanical strength and the
strain imposed on the socket.

--
Andy

fred wrote:
In article , Roland Perry
writes
iPhones seem to be a big exception (despite being USA-based they did
agree to comply, initially), but Apple always does want to be
inconveniently different!

Did somebody say kerchiiiing!

Cost of iPhone £450

Cost of *making* the new iPhone 5c using Chinese labour. USD 173 plus
change. They sold 9 million units on the first day they were available.

http://www.fool.com/investing/genera...-to-build.aspx

Cost of proprietary accessories required to let it connect to the real
world £180

Cost of making proprietary accessories. A tenner.

I suppose they have to pay for the flashy showrooms and the adverts somehow.

--
Tciao for Now!

John.

On 03/10/13 14:18, John Williamson wrote:
fred wrote:
In article , Roland Perry
writes
iPhones seem to be a big exception (despite being USA-based they did
agree to comply, initially), but Apple always does want to be
inconveniently different!

Did somebody say kerchiiiing!

Cost of iPhone £450

Cost of *making* the new iPhone 5c using Chinese labour. USD 173 plus
change. They sold 9 million units on the first day they were available.

http://www.fool.com/investing/genera...-to-build.aspx


Cost of proprietary accessories required to let it connect to the real
world £180

Cost of making proprietary accessories. A tenner.

I suppose they have to pay for the flashy showrooms and the adverts
somehow.

Exactly.

What costs is R&D and marketing. Not what's 'inside'

But that is true of many products in the consumer/mass market area.

And indeed in many others too.




--
Ineptocracy

(in-ep-toc-ra-cy) €“ a system of government where the least capable to
lead are elected by the least capable of producing, and where the
members of society least likely to sustain themselves or succeed, are
rewarded with goods and services paid for by the confiscated wealth of a
diminishing number of producers.

On Wednesday, 2 October 2013 00:34:56 UTC+1, Graham. wrote:
On Tue, 1 Oct 2013 15:08:30 -0700 (PDT), wrote:



Dave Liquorice wrote:

Longer can be a problem, quite a few have the outlet wire coming from

the end adjacent to the earth pin not from the L & N pin end like a

normal flex.



I'm sure BS1363 requires the flex to exit on the opposite side

to the earth pin. Bang goes your house insurance.



JGH



I don't think they come under the remit of BS1363, for one thing,

where's the fuse? You hope the thing has appropriate protection but

how can you tell what's inside a sealed one without an x-ray machine?

You cut it open :-)

In message , at 14:21:56 on Thu, 3 Oct
2013, The Natural Philosopher remarked:

Cost of iPhone £450

I think he means "retail price".

Cost of *making* the new iPhone 5c using Chinese labour. USD 173

What costs is R&D and marketing. Not what's 'inside'

Amortised over tens of millions of units - "not a lot".
--
Roland Perry

On 03/10/13 15:07, Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 14:21:56 on Thu, 3 Oct
2013, The Natural Philosopher remarked:

Cost of iPhone £450

I think he means "retail price".

Cost of *making* the new iPhone 5c using Chinese labour. USD 173

What costs is R&D and marketing. Not what's 'inside'

Amortised over tens of millions of units - "not a lot".

IF the sales are achieved. AND te R&D costsd are notmassive to begin with.

Investment in large LCD plants used to produce LCD screens is only
JUST beginning to be overtaken by net cashflow some 15 years later..

a billion investment in R&D that onlt results in ten million sales is
still $100 per unit. plus the cost of borrowing it to start with.


And marketing..sheesh 90% of the cost of many products is in te marketing.

--
Ineptocracy

(in-ep-toc-ra-cy) €“ a system of government where the least capable to
lead are elected by the least capable of producing, and where the
members of society least likely to sustain themselves or succeed, are
rewarded with goods and services paid for by the confiscated wealth of a
diminishing number of producers.

"Nightjar" wrote in message
...
On 03/10/2013 07:19, harryagain wrote:
"Nightjar" wrote in message
...
On 02/10/2013 08:44, harryagain wrote:
"Nightjar" wrote in message
...
On 01/10/2013 18:10, rbel wrote:
...or at least the area around my desk.

Having bought a new desk I decided to sort out the mare's nest of
cables that had accumulated behind the old one over the years. I was
amazed to find that I had 8 wall warts just for this relatively small
area. This does not include the 7 chargers used elsewhere in the
building for mobiles etc.

I would be surprised if you were unusual in that. I can't get through
the
tangle of wires to count them, but I know I have 2 x 6 way and 1 x 4
way
socket strips in use and the computers and monitors only take one of
those
sockets, to feed the UPS.

I really wanted to rationalise the various extension strips I have
under the desk and arrange to put the sockets somewhere more
accessible. The only options I can think of at the moment are either
two 6 gang switched extension leads fastened to one end of the desk
or
four MK 3 gang switched socket outlets recessed into the end panel of
the desk. At least these would cover current needs and allow for a
couple of spare outlets.

IME, no matter how many sockets you have, you will always need more.

Colin Bignell

They are the ideal way to start a fire. Especially the way some people
use
them.
Some are outright dangerous. All sorts of fakes out there too.



They are not a problem if you know what you are doing though.

Colin Bignell

They are a problem.

Only if misused.

It have a switch to turn the lot off when not needed.
Leaving them turned on is foolish.

Mine are all of good manufacture, switched and protected by 5A fuses, both
in the strip and in the plug feeding them. Not that much of what I have
plugged in ought to be switched off at any time.

Colin Bignell

Five amps. Good for 1500W. You think you can't start a fire with 1500watts?
Smoking used to be the main source of fires. Then it was chip pans/other
cooking
Now it's electrical wiring/flexes

On 03/10/2013 15:46, harryagain wrote:
"Nightjar" wrote in message
...
On 03/10/2013 07:19, harryagain wrote:
"Nightjar" wrote in message
...
On 02/10/2013 08:44, harryagain wrote:
"Nightjar" wrote in message
...
On 01/10/2013 18:10, rbel wrote:
...or at least the area around my desk.

Having bought a new desk I decided to sort out the mare's nest of
cables that had accumulated behind the old one over the years. I was
amazed to find that I had 8 wall warts just for this relatively small
area. This does not include the 7 chargers used elsewhere in the
building for mobiles etc.

I would be surprised if you were unusual in that. I can't get through
the
tangle of wires to count them, but I know I have 2 x 6 way and 1 x 4
way
socket strips in use and the computers and monitors only take one of
those
sockets, to feed the UPS.

I really wanted to rationalise the various extension strips I have
under the desk and arrange to put the sockets somewhere more
accessible. The only options I can think of at the moment are either
two 6 gang switched extension leads fastened to one end of the desk
or
four MK 3 gang switched socket outlets recessed into the end panel of
the desk. At least these would cover current needs and allow for a
couple of spare outlets.

IME, no matter how many sockets you have, you will always need more.

Colin Bignell

They are the ideal way to start a fire. Especially the way some people
use
them.
Some are outright dangerous. All sorts of fakes out there too.



They are not a problem if you know what you are doing though.

Colin Bignell

They are a problem.

Only if misused.

It have a switch to turn the lot off when not needed.
Leaving them turned on is foolish.

Mine are all of good manufacture, switched and protected by 5A fuses, both
in the strip and in the plug feeding them. Not that much of what I have
plugged in ought to be switched off at any time.

Colin Bignell

Five amps. Good for 1500W. You think you can't start a fire with 1500watts?
Smoking used to be the main source of fires. Then it was chip pans/other
cooking
Now it's electrical wiring/flexes

The purpose of a fuse in a plug is to protect the flex. I am using a 5A
fuse to protect a 13A rated flex. It isn't going to overheat.

Colin Bignell

In message , at 15:39:32 on Thu, 3 Oct
2013, The Natural Philosopher remarked:
Cost of *making* the new iPhone 5c using Chinese labour. USD 173

What costs is R&D and marketing. Not what's 'inside'

Amortised over tens of millions of units - "not a lot".

IF the sales are achieved.

Which Apple seems very good at doing.
--
Roland Perry

En el artículo o.uk,
Dave Liquorice escribió:

What
happened to that agreed "standard" that all mobile phones etc would
have the same small USB socket...

The wheels grind exceedingly slow, but there does seem to be progress
being made.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/09...rdise_phone_ch
argers/

--
(\_/)
(='.'=)
(")_(")

"Nightjar" wrote in message
...
On 03/10/2013 15:46, harryagain wrote:
"Nightjar" wrote in message
...
On 03/10/2013 07:19, harryagain wrote:
"Nightjar" wrote in message
...
On 02/10/2013 08:44, harryagain wrote:
"Nightjar" wrote in message
...
On 01/10/2013 18:10, rbel wrote:
...or at least the area around my desk.

Having bought a new desk I decided to sort out the mare's nest of
cables that had accumulated behind the old one over the years. I
was
amazed to find that I had 8 wall warts just for this relatively
small
area. This does not include the 7 chargers used elsewhere in the
building for mobiles etc.

I would be surprised if you were unusual in that. I can't get
through
the
tangle of wires to count them, but I know I have 2 x 6 way and 1 x 4
way
socket strips in use and the computers and monitors only take one of
those
sockets, to feed the UPS.

I really wanted to rationalise the various extension strips I have
under the desk and arrange to put the sockets somewhere more
accessible. The only options I can think of at the moment are
either
two 6 gang switched extension leads fastened to one end of the desk
or
four MK 3 gang switched socket outlets recessed into the end panel
of
the desk. At least these would cover current needs and allow for a
couple of spare outlets.

IME, no matter how many sockets you have, you will always need more.

Colin Bignell

They are the ideal way to start a fire. Especially the way some
people
use
them.
Some are outright dangerous. All sorts of fakes out there too.



They are not a problem if you know what you are doing though.

Colin Bignell

They are a problem.

Only if misused.

It have a switch to turn the lot off when not needed.
Leaving them turned on is foolish.

Mine are all of good manufacture, switched and protected by 5A fuses,
both
in the strip and in the plug feeding them. Not that much of what I have
plugged in ought to be switched off at any time.

Colin Bignell

Five amps. Good for 1500W. You think you can't start a fire with
1500watts?
Smoking used to be the main source of fires. Then it was chip pans/other
cooking
Now it's electrical wiring/flexes

The purpose of a fuse in a plug is to protect the flex. I am using a 5A
fuse to protect a 13A rated flex. It isn't going to overheat.

Colin Bignell

Tch. Have you no idea at all?
Over five amps of fault current can flow and start a fire before it blows.
A fuse can't discriminate betwen what is a fault and what is not.
There is no 100% protection of any sort against faults and even 10w can
start a fire.

On 05/10/13 08:50, harryagain wrote:
The purpose of a fuse in a plug is to protect the flex. I am using a 5A
fuse to protect a 13A rated flex. It isn't going to overheat.

Colin Bignell
Tch. Have you no idea at all?
Over five amps of fault current can flow and start a fire before it blows.

oin what way is that a conradiction to what he said?

A fuse can't discriminate betwen what is a fault and what is not.

Wow. Your penetrating intellect continues to astound. WD40 has nothing
on you, does it?


There is no 100% protection of any sort against faults and even 10w can
start a fire.

No! Really! even a match can start a fire harry!

I have come to the broad conclusion you are so thick that you cannot
conceive of what intelligence is really like.







--
Ineptocracy

(in-ep-toc-ra-cy) €“ a system of government where the least capable to
lead are elected by the least capable of producing, and where the
members of society least likely to sustain themselves or succeed, are
rewarded with goods and services paid for by the confiscated wealth of a
diminishing number of producers.

On Saturday 05 October 2013 02:06 Mike Tomlinson wrote in uk.d-i-y:

En el artÃ*culo o.uk,
Dave Liquorice escribió:

What
happened to that agreed "standard" that all mobile phones etc would
have the same small USB socket...

The wheels grind exceedingly slow, but there does seem to be progress
being made.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/09...rdise_phone_ch
argers/


It does seem to be converging micro-usb as mentioned in that link. The new
Samsung phones seem to be sporting micro-usb-3 which is a weird socket:

http://i.cmpnet.com/planetanalog/201...82-Figure3.gif

But that contains a full micro-usb-regular socket and will charge from a
regular lead.

I don't like the micro-usb socket though - in practice is is weak for
something that gets knocked and picked up by the cable. I have lost one
Samsung charger due to plug disintegration. It's also fiddly to insert as
there's not much lead-in.

It is unnecessarily small - it could be a little thicker and a lot wider and
still suit any modern slim phone.

The Apple connector (the old one anyone) was better, mechanically.

--
Tim Watts Personal Blog: http://squiddy.blog.dionic.net/

http://www.sensorly.com/ Crowd mapping of 2G/3G/4G mobile signal coverage

Reading this on the web? See:
http://wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index.php?title=Usenet

On 05/10/2013 08:50, harryagain wrote:
"Nightjar" wrote in message
...
On 03/10/2013 15:46, harryagain wrote:
"Nightjar" wrote in message
...
On 03/10/2013 07:19, harryagain wrote:
"Nightjar" wrote in message
...
On 02/10/2013 08:44, harryagain wrote:
"Nightjar" wrote in message
...
On 01/10/2013 18:10, rbel wrote:
...or at least the area around my desk.

Having bought a new desk I decided to sort out the mare's nest of
cables that had accumulated behind the old one over the years. I
was
amazed to find that I had 8 wall warts just for this relatively
small
area. This does not include the 7 chargers used elsewhere in the
building for mobiles etc.

I would be surprised if you were unusual in that. I can't get
through
the
tangle of wires to count them, but I know I have 2 x 6 way and 1 x 4
way
socket strips in use and the computers and monitors only take one of
those
sockets, to feed the UPS.

I really wanted to rationalise the various extension strips I have
under the desk and arrange to put the sockets somewhere more
accessible. The only options I can think of at the moment are
either
two 6 gang switched extension leads fastened to one end of the desk
or
four MK 3 gang switched socket outlets recessed into the end panel
of
the desk. At least these would cover current needs and allow for a
couple of spare outlets.

IME, no matter how many sockets you have, you will always need more.

Colin Bignell

They are the ideal way to start a fire. Especially the way some
people
use
them.
Some are outright dangerous. All sorts of fakes out there too.



They are not a problem if you know what you are doing though.

Colin Bignell

They are a problem.

Only if misused.

It have a switch to turn the lot off when not needed.
Leaving them turned on is foolish.

Mine are all of good manufacture, switched and protected by 5A fuses,
both
in the strip and in the plug feeding them. Not that much of what I have
plugged in ought to be switched off at any time.

Colin Bignell

Five amps. Good for 1500W. You think you can't start a fire with
1500watts?
Smoking used to be the main source of fires. Then it was chip pans/other
cooking
Now it's electrical wiring/flexes

The purpose of a fuse in a plug is to protect the flex. I am using a 5A
fuse to protect a 13A rated flex. It isn't going to overheat.

Colin Bignell

Tch. Have you no idea at all?
Over five amps of fault current can flow and start a fire before it blows.
A fuse can't discriminate betwen what is a fault and what is not.
There is no 100% protection of any sort against faults and even 10w can
start a fire.

In the real world we deal with what is probable. A 1.5mm three core PVC
flex is rated at 15 amps and will sustain a 50% overload for an hour. A
5 amp cartridge fuse will disconnect the circuit in 5 seconds at the
flex continuous current rating and in 0.4 seconds at its one hour
overload current. As I said, the flex is not going to overheat.

Colin Bignell

On Wed, 02 Oct 2013 08:39:36 +0100, Andrew May
wrote:

How many, if any, are used to power something that could alternatively
be powered from a USB port on the computer? Could these be replaced by a
single powered USB hub and appropriate USB cables?

iPads, iPhones, Android phones and my bluetooth speaker system all
spring to mind for this treatment.

My iPhone is fussy about what the USB cable is plugged into. Not every
USB socket will charge it.

On Wednesday 09 October 2013 07:15 Apellation Controlee wrote in uk.d-i-y:

On Wed, 02 Oct 2013 08:39:36 +0100, Andrew May
wrote:

How many, if any, are used to power something that could alternatively
be powered from a USB port on the computer? Could these be replaced by a
single powered USB hub and appropriate USB cables?

iPads, iPhones, Android phones and my bluetooth speaker system all
spring to mind for this treatment.

My iPhone is fussy about what the USB cable is plugged into. Not every
USB socket will charge it.

As is any device needing lots of amps.

The USB spec says that beyond a nominal current, the device must actively
negotiate with the host for more current.

This is of course impractical for a dumb charger, so Apple and others came
up with a more passive signalling system taht involves putting a 3 resistor
divider between the +ve and -ve supply and connecting DATA+ and DATA- to the
intermediate points as a form of simple signalling that the supply could
provide 1A.

I have no idea if this evolved into a standard across manufacturers (Samsung
certainly do something similar) and how they differentiate a 1A from a 1.5A
from a 2A charger (the 2A is starting to show up the choice of 5V as not a
particularly great idea).


--
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On Wed, 09 Oct 2013 08:08:19 +0100, Tim Watts
wrote:

On Wednesday 09 October 2013 07:15 Apellation Controlee wrote in uk.d-i-y:

On Wed, 02 Oct 2013 08:39:36 +0100, Andrew May
wrote:

How many, if any, are used to power something that could alternatively
be powered from a USB port on the computer? Could these be replaced by a
single powered USB hub and appropriate USB cables?

iPads, iPhones, Android phones and my bluetooth speaker system all
spring to mind for this treatment.

My iPhone is fussy about what the USB cable is plugged into. Not every
USB socket will charge it.

As is any device needing lots of amps.

The USB spec says that beyond a nominal current, the device must actively
negotiate with the host for more current.

This is of course impractical for a dumb charger, so Apple and others came
up with a more passive signalling system taht involves putting a 3 resistor
divider between the +ve and -ve supply and connecting DATA+ and DATA- to the
intermediate points as a form of simple signalling that the supply could
provide 1A.

I have no idea if this evolved into a standard across manufacturers (Samsung
certainly do something similar) and how they differentiate a 1A from a 1.5A
from a 2A charger (the 2A is starting to show up the choice of 5V as not a
particularly great idea).

Interesting - thanks.