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+--- Thread: PinePower 65W GaN Charger, bad EU addapter (/showthread.php?tid=15315)
PinePower 65W GaN Charger, bad EU addapter - talpa - 11-11-2021
Hi I would like to ask if I'm the only one that has gotten a very bad quality US to EU power adapter with the 65W PinePower?
If I slightly jiggle the PSU with the EU adapter connected I hear arcing noises.
Apart from the potential fire hazard the connection is bad enough that even a idle/off Pinecil may loose power.
I verified that the issue is with the adapter by using dirt cheap adapter (from aliexpress) which causes the problem to disappear.
(the generic adapter leaves the mains plug slightly exposed but down two holes.... probably not enough of a hazard for me to prevent me from using it)
Is this a common problem (aka. pine64 might want to increase QA) or have I just been unlucky?
Regards Visti
I also just tried the UK adapter it in conjunction with another adapter (that adapts from multiple standards) it also arcs.
I tried to bend the contacts inside the EU adapter back/up to try to ensure a better contact but it still arcs...
Maybe the issue is with the PSU brick itself, but only when the the US style plug is folded down?
RE: PinePower 65W GaN Charger, bad EU addapter - bharwargl - 11-20-2021
Hey talpa,
I have the exact same problem. It worked flawlessly the first few weeks, but now, when I plug it in with any of the included adapters, it only works as long as I keep pressing down on the charger brick. Using some cheap international power adapter I tested this with all included adapters.
What you estimated in your last sentence seems correct: "Maybe the issue is with the PSU brick itself, but only when the the US style plug is folded down?"
Underneath the US style foldable plug are two spring loaded contacts that press against the pins to allow for the joint to work, but it seems that in the folded position they only make very weak contact, if at all.
To test, I inserted a very thin probe connected to a multimeter into the gap between one of the pins and the case at the joint until it touches the spring loaded contact gently, and attached the other probe to the plug pin and set it to beep when short circuiting.
Then I pushed the folded in US plug connector pin with a thin plastic piece at the joint into the direction of the joint, and only with a little force the multimeter detected a connection between power pin and internal contact.
This seems to me like a manufacturing problem that I cannot solve without taking the charger apart.
I'll try to recreate the setup and then upload a couple of pictures describing the problem further to contact support with.
It's super annoying to use the charger with an external adapter, as I bought it for its compactness over other alternatives