Power Supply

[Altomar718]

Hi All

Just doing my homework before installing (when they are back in stock!)

I have read in the document of how importance the power supply is to get Rosetta to function correctly and it states 5.2 V - I have got 4 USB out power sockets, but two of them are labelled 5V - Is the .2V going to make a differencing please ?

Thanks in advance

[jeroen]

I did some testings, 5V is fine, more important is that the socket is able to do the 2.1 and not let drop the voltage below 5V.
I tested some Aliexpress sockets that looked to be the same as your picture, during high current drain the voltage dropped below 5.

 

[Ian Melville]

5V is OK but as jeroen says, it must not drop below that when drawing 2.1 amp. Some units are not capable of holding the voltage when both sockets are in use, especially when trying to charge a phone or tablet on the second socket.

Further warning is that that some of these low cost 12v to 5v USB outputs is that they general a lot of electrical noise and are unsuitable as a supply for a PilotAware.

[Altomar718]

Thanks for the answer both of you above - appreciate that. I have actually got 4 sockets, 2 x 5v 1 amp and 2 x 5v 2.1 amp, aslo, 2 x 12v output soclets, but not sure what they put out as I have never used them ..... so for using the USB's plugging the ipad in to say the top one and PAW into the bottom 'might' work. It looks like its going to be a case of try it and see what happens ! - I have also got a Anker 26,800 mAh power bank, so maybe that might be a better bet?

[Ian Melville]

Do you have a link to the panel mounted twin USB socket?

Sometimes there is only one way to find out what works :-) As you already have the kit, it is not going to cost you anything but a bit of time.

[JCurtis]

That looks like one available for various sources.

https://www.lightinthebox.com/en/p/car-motorcycle-truck-cigarette-lighter-power-plug-socket-12v_p2637093.html?prm=1.5.1.44

I’d be interested to see how well it performs under sustained load.

[exfirepro]

Hi Altomar,

You ‘should’ certainly be able to run your PilotAware from one of the 2.1Amp sockets.

The weak point of this type of 2-port power point usually shows if you plug a second ‘power-hungry’ device - such as a ‘flat’ or ‘low charge’ tablet or phone into the same unit as your PilotAware. The pad/phone then tries to draw its maximum charge current from the socket which pulls down the voltage on the other (or both) socket(s).

This is BTW Jeremy’s (JCurtis) area of expertise - he manufactures the Charge2 and Charge4 Aviation Power Supplies, which I and many others use very successfully in our aircraft.

As the guys have said, it’s a case of ‘try it and see’.  If there is an issue it will be indicated in the Status line on the PAW Home Screen - accessed from your browser via 192.168.1.1 - as a voltage error or throttling. If there is a problem, try keeping one of the USB sets exclusively for your PilotAware (i.e. using the 2.1A socket only) and running anything else from the other unit.

Regards

Peter

[Admin]

I would add that maintaining Voltage and Current is only part of the requirement.
Many devices when under loading emit noise which can interfere with the RT and even GPS

Our recommendation has not changed, the reference power supplies we recommend
- Charge 2/4
- Anker

These are known to supply required voltage/current and do not interfere with RT and GPS
This is not to say your device will not work - just that we have not done any testing.

thx
Lee

[exfirepro]

Hi again Altomar,

Although I normally run my PilotAware and other items in the plane on a combination of Charge2 / Charge4 power supplies (as stated earlier), I have for several years used a selection of Anker PowerBanks for ‘out of aircraft use’ or for temporary use in other aircraft. I am therefore keen to collect recommendations (or otherwise) on different Anker Models, or other makes of powerbanks /chargers used or potentially used by PAW customers - especially newer models which incorporate some of the newer charging technologies, and which I don’t personally have access to.

I’ve just taken a look at your Astro E7 on the Anker website. It looks a very high spec unit, which should power your Rosetta without issue, but I am aware that some of the more hi-tech modern chargers - designed to support ultra-fast charging of phones and tablets can in certain circumstances shut down when an attempt is made to use them to power PilotAware. I would therefore be very interested in any feedback you feel able to provide as to how your Astro E7 performs running PilotAware.

Best Regards

Peter

[Altomar718]

Hi Peter - Thanks for your information about power supplies etc. The power bank I have, after reading other on the website etc. I actually tried it with the iPad (Mini 4) - I know its a different device, but when I plugged it in, it charged it from 80% to 100% and ran Sky Demon all day without 'cutting out' ......... I cant tell you if it works with PAW as I am on the waiting list for the new stock when available

Cheers

Chris 

[exfirepro]

Hi Chris,

Many thanks for the reply and update. As I said earlier, from the spec the Anker Astro E7 certainly looks like a good choice - certainly not the ‘cheap option’ but hopefully will do the job reliably. Anker units generally perform very well with a PilotAware, but it will be good to have confirmation as to how the charge control circuitry in your E7 copes with PAW’s distinct Power Requirement Profile. Hopefully you won’t have too long to wait for your new Rosetta. Please do let us know how it performs both with the E7 and your inbuilt supplies once you get the chance to test them.

Best Regards

Peter