Author Topic: Recommended Power supply?  (Read 4861 times)

Robski

Recommended Power supply?
« on: February 03, 2018, 07:19:01 am »
I have tried searching but not had much success (probably asking the wrong question) sooooo.....

I power all my USB devices (PAW and 2 tablets) in the aircraft from an Anker Powerdrive 5 as originally recommended for PAW. I chopped the plug off and wired it into a dedicated circuit breaker in the RV. Works brilliantly.
I have a number of chums who also use these successfully, often as a 'fix' for PAW reliability (brown-out) issues.

All hunky dory so far.

Trouble is I now have a new plane to plumb another PAW into and the Powerdrive 5 is no longer available. What is the new recommended alternative?

I would like one with a lead (I can cut off) as fag lighter connections are so unreliable, and I don't want to fit such a socket in the new plane.

Apologies if this is covered elsewhere and I haven't found it. If so please point me there.
Rob
If the good Lord had intended man to fly He would have given him more money.

PaulSS

Re: Recommended Power supply?
« Reply #1 on: February 03, 2018, 08:14:37 am »
I've bought one of these and intend to use it for a permanently mounted PAW, as well as other user units (iPad Mini etc). These have been designed by one of the clever chaps who frequent this forum and, from my reading, designed to specifically ensure they're not noisy.

I cannot report on the operation since I am yet to install it (in fact, yet to get my aircraft) but they certainly seem to do all the stuff that I think we'd normally want them to and I reckon you'd get plenty more support buying one of these than a dodgy one from China (other dodgy countries available).

http://www.charge4.co.uk

I got the Charge4 with the EFTE aircraft grade cable so I can wire it in to the aircraft power.
« Last Edit: February 03, 2018, 08:19:15 am by PaulSS »

Robski

Re: Recommended Power supply?
« Reply #2 on: February 03, 2018, 09:56:30 am »
The Anker unit is not a cheapo Chinese noise box - it is a well manufactured high output current USB supply from a US company. They are very good and at a fraction of the price of the ChargeN devices were a lot of people's USB supply of choice.

They seem to have discontinued it in favour of all-in-one plug-in ones. I have one of them for the car, and very good it is too, but fag lighter plugs always rattle loose in a plane in my experience, especially with 3 20AWG USB cables hanging out of them.

If all else fails I may have to tear an 'all-in-one' Anker apart to make a 'wire-in'able one.
Rob
If the good Lord had intended man to fly He would have given him more money.

PaulSS

Re: Recommended Power supply?
« Reply #3 on: February 03, 2018, 10:22:57 am »
Quote
The Anker unit is not a cheapo Chinese noise box

Sorry, I never meant to infer they were. What I was trying to say (obviously badly) was that since your choice of unit was no longer available, the Charge4 etc is a good product and superior to any cheap Chinese knock off. By being no longer available the Anker would not be included in that list.


exfirepro

Re: Recommended Power supply?
« Reply #4 on: February 03, 2018, 02:16:05 pm »
Hi All,

Very disappointing to see that Anker seem to have discontinued the Powerdrive 5, it was a good reliable unit. I had recommended it to a couple of PAW users just the other day, as an alternative to the ‘cigarette lighter type’ Powerdrive 2’s which I use in the car. In the plane I have personally been using one of Jeremy Curtis’s Charge4’s for well over a year now.

Regards

Peter

AlanG

Re: Recommended Power supply?
« Reply #5 on: February 03, 2018, 03:17:53 pm »
Hi all

Having looked on Anka's home website i don't see anything about the Powerdrive 5 being discontinued and seems to be available to order.  Maybe the UK supplies have been exhausted by eager PAW users.
Happy to be corrected if I've missed something obvious.

Alan


JCurtis

Re: Recommended Power supply?
« Reply #7 on: February 03, 2018, 06:14:39 pm »
The Anker unit is not a cheapo Chinese noise box - it is a well manufactured high output current USB supply from a US company. They are very good and at a fraction of the price of the ChargeN devices were a lot of people's USB supply of choice.

Charge2 & Charge4 are designed and made to meet the aviation technical standards (ETSO-C71) and have been tested as such, that's why they can be installed into an EASA aircraft.  Unfortunately designing to meet a technical standard doesn't make them the cheapest, but they are when compared to other products designed for use in aircraft.
Designer and maker of charge4.harkwood.co.uk, smart universal USB chargers designed for aviation.  USB Type-A and USB-C power without the RF interference. Approved for EASA installs under CS-STAN too.

Robski

Re: Recommended Power supply?
« Reply #8 on: February 05, 2018, 11:28:58 am »
Thanks for the links, Paul.

I wasn't meaning to denigrate the ChargeN devices, just point out that they are overkill for a permit aircraft when an Anker unit works very well.

Found a solution now - made a very secure 'fag lighter socket' to shove an Anker Power 2 in.
Rob
If the good Lord had intended man to fly He would have given him more money.

rogellis

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Re: Recommended Power supply?
« Reply #9 on: February 05, 2018, 01:51:47 pm »
.
While the Anker cigarrette lighter USB is a nice unit, it is far too big and heavy to fit in a ‘Unit PAW’ box (run from a battery).     Until Anker come up with a small dc converter with two wires in and two wires out, I have gone for this unit.  It seems to work well, without interruptions, and I have not noticed any RF on a small radio (I do not have an RF tester).

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01KFBF1S4

It is doing the job, and fits in the protective ‘Unit PAW’ box (a small electronics project box, with everything stuffed in it). 
Unless anyone has any other suggestions.

Rog

https://image.ibb.co/db531H/IMG_0857.jpg
« Last Edit: February 05, 2018, 01:56:32 pm by rogellis »

Robski

Re: Recommended Power supply?
« Reply #10 on: February 10, 2018, 01:08:58 pm »
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01KFBF1S4
I tried something similar to run Skydemon / Nexus 7 tablet in the RV6 a few years back but found it to be very noisy and made a dreadful earth loop when trying to hook the audio alerts from the tablet to the headsets.

Hope you have better luck.
Rob
If the good Lord had intended man to fly He would have given him more money.