Why Wouldn't GAN Charger Work in Japan?

CaptainAwesome on 06/11/2022 - 16:38

I recently went to Japan and took my international adapter and my GAN charger with me, thinking I shouldn't have any issues with the GAN charger. When I got to my hotel, the GAN charger didn't work. Thankfully the international adapter has a couple of USB-A ports, so I could charge through there. However I can't figure out why a GAN charger wouldn't work in Japan.

I was thinking maybe with the voltage but it's rated for 100v-240v with Japan's electricity being 100v. Maybe with the frequency but the GAN charger is 50-60hz.

When I came back to Australia, I plugged my international adapter in and plugged the GAN charger in and it worked fine.

Product used is a Zyron Tech 65w https://zyrontech.com.au/collections/gan-charger/products/65… bought from an OzB deal earlier this year.

Electrical & Electronics GaN Charger USB Charger

Comments

  • FromAtoZ on 06/11/2022 - 16:49

    Thanks. About to bring the same charger to Japan in a fee weeks time.

    • CaptainAwesome on 06/11/2022 - 17:41

      If you could take it with your international adapter, that would be really good. Maybe something isn't quite right for me. Thinking back now I should've tried a random appliance in the hotel with Japan plug through my adapter to see whether it worked.

      • FromAtoZ on 11/11/2022 - 19:15

        Will do and report.

      • FromAtoZ on 29/11/2022 - 07:21

        Hi, am here to report that the GAN works for me.

        Right now charging iphone 14 in Tokyo. The GAN charger is plugged into the international adapter, usb-c to lightning cable.

  • apple2016 on 06/11/2022 - 17:10

    Would be intrested to know too. Technically i dont see a reason why it should not work.

  • CyberMurning on 06/11/2022 - 17:16

    Duh i have the same and going overseas soon…. (not japan)…

  • harshbdmmaster718 on 06/11/2022 - 17:26
    -1

    Just my theory. But usually I know most power devices have a switch to change between 100v and 240v.
    Your PC is an example, there is a physical switch.

    Maybe with these compact chargers there is an internal switch that changes the voltage when you first plug it in. So if you plug it into the higher voltage (240v) it automatically switches to be compatible with 240v. And maybe because it's an auto switch if you plug it into 100v afterwards it doesn't change back.

    So with my theory, even if you bought a dual voltage support GAN charger in Japan, if you use it all the time in Japan there is no problem. But if you were to bring it to Australia, plug it in, then return to Japan it may stop working as well?

    • SBOB on 06/11/2022 - 18:03
      +3

      So with my theory, even if you bought a dual voltage support GAN charger in Japan, if you use it all the time in Japan there is no problem. But if you were to bring it to Australia, plug it in, then return to Japan it may stop working as well?

      thats not how power supplies capable of handling 110-240v work. They don't just lock onto the first voltage they see and are unchangeable
      They just use a wide range switch-mode power supply, which converts down to DC, and the duty cycle changes based on the incoming voltage.

      google 'how do switch mode power supplies work' if you want to improve your 'theory'

      • harshbdmmaster718 on 06/11/2022 - 18:31
        +1

        Ok you know more about electronics then I do then.

      • Jetilingo on 07/04/2023 - 18:04

        Wow, you made him delete his account with facts and logic, please enjoy some oz bargain silver

  • SBOB on 06/11/2022 - 18:04

    100V/60Hz is Japan's power standard.
    While that charger does state 110-240, there's usually some small margin around they they work
    Most likely the 100V was outside the switch mode power supplies operating range.

  • GordonD on 06/11/2022 - 18:22
    +3

    The expected tolerance in mains power is 10 percent plus or minus the nominal voltage.

    In the US the nominal mains voltage is 120V. So a device intended to work there will work with mains voltages as low as 108V.

    In Australia the nominal mains voltage is 230V. So A device intended to work here will work safely with mains voltages up to 253V.

    So a product designed to work in the US, Australia, and all the countries with voltages between those two will work and work safely with mains voltages between 108V and 253V.

    Based on what the OP says this product isn't designed to work in Japan where the nominal mains voltage is outside that range. There may be places in Japan where the actual mains voltage is above the minimum the device will operate at. Clearly where he went wasn't one of them.

    • CaptainAwesome on 06/11/2022 - 18:32

      Thanks. In saying that, the product I've got is advertised as 100v. Is that a furphy then?

      • GordonD on 06/11/2022 - 18:38
        +2

        Just because the nominal voltage in Japan is 100V doesn't mean the voltage there, where the OP tried to use the device, was 100V. It could have been up to 10% below that. Which puts it below the 100V that the product is advertised to work at.

        We here in Australia had a nominal 240V mains, until they changed it down to a nominal 230V. But they didn't actually change the actual mains voltage down. So here we're used t the actual voltage nearly always being on the high side of nominal. The Japanese mains is probably below nominal in some places, and above nominal in others. And where its below nominal its below the advertised minimum for that device.

        Now I come to think of it Japan did have a power shortage when they took their nuclear plants offline. Maybe to reduce power consumption they dropped their mains voltage as far as they thought they safely could.

      • trongy on 06/11/2022 - 18:54
        +1

        Since actual domestic power supply voltage varies from the nominal depending on load, it's possible that the voltages you were getting in Japan were actually a little below 100 V.

        Note that Japan is the only country to use 100 V domestic power supply - at least it's the only one on this list: Mains electricity by country. So Japan is at the very limit of the supported range for your power supply. Most electrical equipment will tolerate some small variation outside the stated ranges, but this one might be cutting out as soon as the voltage dips to 99.9 V

  • CodeXD on 06/11/2022 - 19:09
    +1

    Might be worth sending a message to zyron and ask them about this, and whether they have had any other reports of this issue.

  • Jumpingmanjim on 06/11/2022 - 20:14

    Probably worth pointing out that half of Japan is on 50hz and the other on 60hz.

  • ibelievesyd on 17/11/2022 - 00:09

    This charger you mentioned has PSE certification for use in Japan and should have worked with the US pin. Did you use it with a converter or directly with the US pin?

    • CaptainAwesome on 17/11/2022 - 06:55

      This charger did not come with any extra sets of pins. It was just the standard AU one. I needed to use a converter to plug it in.

  • ibelievesyd on 17/11/2022 - 10:27

    That AU adapter is detachable. If you remove the AU adapter, you can use the charger with the fixed (foldable) US pins in Japan

    • CaptainAwesome on 17/11/2022 - 18:59

      How does it slide off? I tried today and seems to be pretty stuck on.
      https://imgur.com/GtzvF2C

    • sickburn on 21/11/2022 - 13:48

      The pins on the Powastone chargers are not detachable, but the pins on the Powerpods are.

    • ibelievesyd on 21/11/2022 - 17:20

      Ohh I thought it was Powerpod 66. This model Powastone 65W has fixed AU plug so will not detach. It should have worked in Japan with the international adapter. Can you please share the link of the travel adapter you used? I reckon your other devices worked fine with that adapter?

  • Gros21 on 18/11/2022 - 13:24

    ive had issues with zyron a dead charger and there replacement never arrived so i dont have much faith in them

    • ibelievesyd on 21/11/2022 - 17:20

      Please message me your order number. Will check and arrange replacement asap.

  • skillet on 24/11/2022 - 13:00

    This is interesting because most switch mode power supply these days are designed for worldwide operation. Perhaps your international adapter wasn't making a good connection with the charger.

  • FromAtoZ on 29/11/2022 - 07:32

    Hi, am here to report that the GAN works for me - same product that the OP used.

    The GAN charger is plugged into the international adapter, usb-c to lightning cable (to charge iphone 14 pro).

    • CaptainAwesome on 29/11/2022 - 10:20

      Thanks. Appreciate your feedback on it. Maybe I've got a dud

      • FromAtoZ on 30/11/2022 - 08:17

        I went to a different region and changed hotel.
        The GAN does not work in this hotel, and now i rely on their usb-wall-socket to charge my gears.

        So weird.

        • shadow131 on 14/02/2023 - 18:48

          Do you mind sharing which region? Thanks!

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