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Electronics are built with death dates. Let’s not keep them a secret

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Re: Electronics are built with death dates. Let’s not keep them a secret

#281

Post by GravitasFailure »

vladvasiliu wrote: post #212
GravitasFailure wrote: post #154

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, the chargers get expensive, but then again I can power my laptop, portable monitor, keyboard, mouse, phone, soldering iron, flashlight, power bank, and about a dozen other devices all off the same standardized wall wart. It's a pretty good value. With the new PD spec going to 48V 5A I could even power one of my 3D printers off it with power to spare.

Have you been able to find non-manufacturer chargers with a ground connection? Until now, the only USB-C chargers that I've seen with that are Apple, DELL, and HP (haven't come in contact with Lenovo, etc). I was looking to buy a second USB-C charger for my HP laptop, but since it has a metal case, the ground connection is a must for me.

I've never seen a three prong charger for USB C. They probably exist, somewhere, but consumer electronics like that being grounded doesn't seem common.

Re: Electronics are built with death dates. Let’s not keep them a secret

#282

Post by fsflover »

SergeAx wrote: post #251
fsflover wrote: post #244

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Consider GNU/Linux phones, Librem 5 or Pinephone, which are designed to be repairable and have lifetime software updates. The batteries are replaceable and should be available for a long time, too.

I got myself Pinephone (not Pro) in December 2021. It was mostly unusable but very basic functions (make calls, send/receive SMS) out of the box at the time. Telegram client was very slow, Firefox had screen size problems, notifications were a mess. I think I should've tried to install another OS/env image, but alas I had no time for it. It was a nice try though, and I was impressed how far things got in mobile Linux…

I'm using Pinephone with Mobian as a daily driver. Installing Mobian is as simple as writing iso to a microSD card and inserting it. Telegram and Firefox are somewhat slow but generally work reliably. Noscript helps a lot.

Re: Electronics are built with death dates. Let’s not keep them a secret

#283

Post by gbin »

emj wrote: post #235
intothemild wrote: post #222

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I really don't get this. USB-C can on do the following on the same cable at the same time 1. Charge 2. Data 3. Video Your power cable can 1. Charge How is that "orders of magnitude" worse?

The USB-C connector is a lot easier to break than a normal power connector, it's also pretty fidgety to get right when you fix the connection on the laptop side. The fixability can be done better than normal charging ports, I've done a USB-C daughter board swap in about 2 hours of total time (research, ordering, mounting). The normal way though is doing soldering surface mounted USB-C connectors which is not somethin…

I am not sure why this is an issue.

For example my framework laptop USB C ports are replaceable (for the laptop side).

Also you can buy magsafe like connectors for USB C if you have a regular laptop.

Having one USB C charger for my phone, my laptop, my earbuds, my battery and my remarkable is such a life improvement on trip vs the old barrel connectors. It just doesn't even compare. And we just talk about charging here, one of the multiple uses of USB C.

Re: Electronics are built with death dates. Let’s not keep them a secret

#284

Post by Tijdreiziger »

ornornor wrote: post #225
Tijdreiziger wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’d really like to switch from Windows to Linux, but the software situation seems like a real problem. According to ProtonDB, a third of the top 1000 games have issues on Linux, and popular creative software (Affinity, Ableton) is right out.

I use Linux 95% of the time. When a game doesn’t work in Linux, I simply reboot into windows. Same with my CAD package that will never run in Linux (or a VM for that matter).

I did the dualboot thing for a couple of years, but it's a hassle to have to close all your open windows, tabs, documents etc. These days I'd rather just run a single OS.

Re: Electronics are built with death dates. Let’s not keep them a secret

#285

Post by Dma54rhs »

yetanotherloser wrote: post #205
fzzt wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Many LED lightbulbs make claims about their expected lifetime. Except these numbers are often a fantasy. The LED itself may last almost forever, but the capacitors commonly go bad in a year or so. I suspect that would be the reality with a lot of the proposed mandatory labeling for electronics, too.

I'm surprised so many people's experience of LED bulbs is short lifetime. Most of the LED bulbs I ever bought have lasted many, many years. I only had one type ever fail and those looked clearly inferior in build to all the other types. ("free" with some light fittings, not my choice). Took one of those apart, no capacitors in the design any more but dodgy wire connections that creep with the hot-cold on-off cycle in…

Same for me. Using random cheap leds, most of them 5 years old and zero failures.

Re: Electronics are built with death dates. Let’s not keep them a secret

#286

Post by johnwalkr »

vladvasiliu wrote: post #236
dizhn wrote: post #209

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It might need a low amp device to charge. My vape does not charge with my good chargers but it does with older ones and the usb port on my laptop.

Doesn't USB-C have a "basic mode"? As in, if it's unable to negotiate some kind of high-power PD mode, it will just deliver the basic USB2 5V/0.5A? I can charge my Sony headphones with anything from an old USB2 only PC, old Samsung USB-A phone charger to my 65 W HP USB-C power adapter. I don't think they have any kind of PD mode, I think they just expect regular 5V. The specs on the site say "USB charge" and the char…

usbc chargers are not supposed to even have 5V output until a device requests it. For 5V at various currents, “charge configuration” resistors can be used at the device. For higher voltages an active negotiation is required. Cheap devices based on old products often omit the 2 resistors (literally worth under $0.01 each) and this only charge when connected to a usb-a charger, which always has 5v output. Depending on the device, it can be anywhere from easy to impossible to hack in your own resistors.

Re: Electronics are built with death dates. Let’s not keep them a secret

#287

Post by Aerroon »

intothemild wrote: post #254
Aerroon wrote: post #246

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It doesn't matter what other things your charging cable can do if the cable itself is worse at doing its primary job.

Can you define how it's worse at it's primary job? I have two laptops. One with a old school barrel plug and the other with USBC, and the USBC charges faster as it has more wattage. So.. id like to hear how you define worse?

>Can you define how it's worse at it's primary job?

As the GP said: the cables are less robust and break more easily.

Re: Electronics are built with death dates. Let’s not keep them a secret

#288

Post by vladvasiliu »

johnwalkr wrote: post #286
vladvasiliu wrote: post #236

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Doesn't USB-C have a "basic mode"? As in, if it's unable to negotiate some kind of high-power PD mode, it will just deliver the basic USB2 5V/0.5A? I can charge my Sony headphones with anything from an old USB2 only PC, old Samsung USB-A phone charger to my 65 W HP USB-C power adapter. I don't think they have any kind of PD mode, I think they just expect regular 5V. The specs on the site say "USB charge" and the char…

usbc chargers are not supposed to even have 5V output until a device requests it. For 5V at various currents, “charge configuration” resistors can be used at the device. For higher voltages an active negotiation is required. Cheap devices based on old products often omit the 2 resistors (literally worth under $0.01 each) and this only charge when connected to a usb-a charger, which always has 5v output. Depending on…

> usbc chargers are not supposed to even have 5V output until a device requests it.

I did not know that, thanks. I was expecting USB-C chargers to work in "dumb 5V mode" by default. I guess that could be to avoid problems if you connect two chargers together?

Re: Electronics are built with death dates. Let’s not keep them a secret

#289

Post by jen20 »

nikau wrote: post #94
pessimizer wrote: post #58

"Dustbuster" type vacuums, internal unreplaceable batteries that will maybe last two years before they won't hold a charge. Just buy a mini shopvac with an extension cord.

Dyson are the worst, their BMS is terrible and just disables the pack with minimal cell voltage variation.

As much as I dislike Dyson (the man), the batteries are nothing to complain about. I have two cordless vacuums from 6 and 10 years respectively, both working fine with their original batteries, and with replacements trivially available and replaceable.

Re: Electronics are built with death dates. Let’s not keep them a secret

#290

Post by causality0 »

intothemild wrote: post #222
causality0 wrote: post #177

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Personally I hate the trend of only charging over type-c. It's an order of magnitude less robust and far more prone to falling out than, say, a ThinkPad connector. Having the option is nice but I despise having to babysit my $100 Asus charger lest I stomp it flat by accident.

I really don't get this. USB-C can on do the following on the same cable at the same time 1. Charge 2. Data 3. Video Your power cable can 1. Charge How is that "orders of magnitude" worse?

How is that "orders of magnitude" worse?

I didn't call it orders of magnitude worse. I called it orders of magnitude more delicate and prone to falling out than a bespoke laptop charger like a ThinkPad Slim Tip connector. Why bother misquoting me when my comment is right there?

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