This thing is for charging only, and according to the description has some kind of smart detection of Amperage which means everything charges as fast as possible.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GTGETFG/
I have a ton of USB ports, but most of the time they're in use, not for connectivity, but for charging.
Can I get something like this in Australia without spending at lot of money?
The issue with this one, and the cheap one I have, is the total load can't exceed 2.5A. Which is about what an Ipad draws.
On my one you can only expect one or two devices to actively charge at once.
Lots of options over at Dx, not sure if any of them any good though.
These looks like the same sort of thing, free shipping but US plug.
http://www.dx.com/p/orico-dcp-6u-bk-multifunction-480mbps-us…
http://www.dx.com/p/4-port-usb-power-adapter-charger-with-us…
http://www.dx.com/p/orico-dch-4u-4-port-usb-charger-power-ad…
Or more here - http://www.dx.com/s/usb%2bhub
No specification on amperage whatsoever == indicator of a dodgy product.
Be aware that many cheap multi-port USB chargers fail at outputting a clean power supply and will eventually ruin your phone batteries in the long run. In the worst case scenario, it may pose a fire hazard.
My LG optimus 4x HD's battery started to swell by about 1mm when I used it with a cheap $5 USB charger, I noticed it after a month when the back cover of the phone no longer clicked in properly.
Do not charge your gadgets on a cheap chinese power supply, most of them will wreck your devices. Only go for branded PSU's.
http://www.dx.com/p/4-port-usb-power-adapter-charger-with-us…
^ this one is 10W, 5V/2A
Though I agree that some cheap power supplies have been know to cause problems, but alot of the 'known' brands are made in china.
Does paying twice as much for something always make it better?
Usually for sites like Dx, I go for products that have had alot of positive reviews, in the case of USB hubs there isnt alot of feedback, so kind of going in blind.
Does paying twice as much for something always make it better?
Not better. Safer.
There's 230v coursing through the USB charger. You definitely wouldn't want a cheap generic charger plugged into your mains — it could overheat, short out, start a fire or kill you. Wouldn't it make sense to make the product as safe as possible, since it is after all, a product that supplies electricity?
but alot of the 'known' brands are made in china.
With extremely varying degrees of product quality control — you no doubt will know this if you've bought enough stuff from Deal Extreme and know just how crap some of their stuff may be.
Some of their USB chargers have been produced in a way that's illegal — like skipping transient filtering parts entirely, or sloppy soldering work that puts two terminals of the power supply about 1mm apart — a short circuit waiting to happen if the power arcs across. These would fail product testing right away and would have to be under Aussie law, a recalled product due to the safety risks it poses.
This is a far cry compared to a genuine Apple charger which is made exactly to safety standards, yet still assembled in China.
http://www.dx.com/p/4-port-usb-power-adapter-charger-with-us…
^ this one is 10W, 5V/2A
The OP's Anker product is 40v/8A, meaning that it can in theory charge 4 tablets at once (assuming each tablet takes 2 amps of power each.
The DX one only does 5v/2A, significantly less powerful and can only charge 1 tablet (assumed 2 amps total) despite having multiple USB sockets.
most definitely, i'll suggest a good reliable adapter for charging tablet and phone. It's nothing but 10 dollars more which is a far more valuable investment if the cheap one blows your devices one day.
Sweet. Tnx for the detailed post. Helps clear up the electrical safety side of things. Last thing u want is to save a few bucks and start a fire or trash your phones and tablets.
Anyone know where I can buy something like this? Anker Desktop USB Charger
Yes, I purchased this same device from AliExpress. No AMAZON seller would ship to Australia.
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/100-Original-Anker-40W-5-Port…
I paid US$40 delivered. The price from this seller has increased a bit. Just search and wait for a seller who is giving a sale.
Please note that ANKER does not have Electrical Safety Approval for Australia.
I also purchased this Griffin PowerDock5 Charging and Storage Device:-
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/310884465190
This device does have Australian Safety Certification, as does the AC Power Supply supplied.
I paid about $115 delivered (I purchased two, so saved on shipping). Again, no AMAZON seller would ship this to Australia.
Now that's an impressive family sized charger. Shame about the inflated price tag of apparent $160+ price tag if/when in gets into Oz although Mwave have it prelisted for a more respectable $129.
I'd prefer a smaller 3-4 port version myself and gotta say I'm quite surprised by the lack of such high current chargers considering our appetite for electronic gadgets.
Edit: The Anker unit seems to be getting bad Amazon ratings due to product failure these past couple of months?
Now that's an impressive family sized charger. Shame about the inflated price tag of apparent $160+ price tag if/when in gets into Oz although Mwave have it prelisted for a more respectable $129.
To clarify. You are commenting on the Griffin 5 port charger stand, and the Mwave listing for same.
http://www.mwave.com.au/product/griffin-powerdock-5-compact-…
I do not think this is a "pre-sale". I believe that it is just 'out of stock'.
It is a pity that no AMAZON seller will ship directly to Australia. The eBay seller(s) who will do so probably buy from Amazon anyway.
The Anker unit seems to be getting bad Amazon ratings due to product failure these past couple of months?
I don't know where you got that idea?
One bad review out of the thousands of 5 Star reviews.
The Amazon ratings for both the Black and the White Anker 40W devices are still an average of 5 Stars.
WHITE
http://www.amazon.com/Family-Sized-Desktop-Charger-PowerIQ-T…
BLACK
http://www.amazon.com/Family-Sized-Desktop-Charger-PowerIQ-T…
Right, my bad. I only took note that the Anker 1 & 2 star ratings were from past few months. Hadn't checked that the unit was obviously only released earlier this year since ALL the ratings are from 2014. Duh :)
If you can't get it forwarded to you using something like shipito.com