Just installed a set of these tonight. I purposely wired them to a switch
on its own fused link to the accessory battery.

Viva la usb.

--t

On Monday, August 10, 2015, Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@hotmail.com> wrote:

> These USB adapters use various types of voltage reducers, switch power
> supplies, voltage divider circuits etc. The cheapie ones can draw power
> even with no load attached. For voltage divider circuits the no load will
> make them work the hardest. I have learned not to leave them plugged in
> when not in use.
>
> Dennis
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com
> <javascript:;>] On Behalf Of Jim Felder
> Sent: Monday, August 10, 2015 9:55 AM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM <javascript:;>
> Subject: Re: Livin' in the USB fast lane--electrical intrigue
>
> Right now I am going to take another known good (works, and cool to the
> touch while plugged into the house charger) and put it in the camper and
> see what happens.
>
> Jim
>
> On Mon, Aug 10, 2015 at 8:47 AM Rocket J Squirrel <
> camping.elliott@gmail.com <javascript:;>>
> wrote:
>
> > Do you have another iPhone 6 charger cable? There's no reason why the
> > charger and/or the cable should get hot with just the cable, and no
> > phone on that cable, plugged in. Unless it has some kind of internal
> short.
> >
> > Heat = power = current = discharging battery.
> >
> > The LEDs on the voltmeter section shouldn't draw for than a dozen or
> > so milliamps.
> >
> > I'd check that cable, there have been plenty of reports of Apple
> > Lightning cables failing.
> >
> > --
> > Jack "Rocket j Squirrel" Elliott
> > 1984 Westfalia, auto trans,
> > Bend, Ore.
> >
> > On 08/10/2015 05:06 AM, Jim Felder wrote:
> > > Well, it's intriguing to me because I know so little about it.
> > >
> > > I made two changes to my camper on the same weekend. I installed two
> > > (actually four, because each of the USB outlets has a 1 amp and a
> > > 2.5 amp
> > > socket) USB outlets, front and rear, in my vanagon. They have a
> > > pilot led in each, plus the rear one has a voltage indicator that
> > > has old-school
> > LED
> > > numbers.
> > >
> > > I also bought a TDI jetta that weekend and quit driving the camper
> > > on a daily basis.
> > >
> > > I noticed that in two or three days I could not start the car and
> > > needed
> > a
> > > boost. I could see by the LED meter that it was dropping. So, I
> > > added Harbor Freight's cheapest trickle charger (which won't charge
> > > at all, but it will hold a charge in place up to about 13.1 volts).
> > >
> > > After a recent overnight camping trip, I left an iPhone 6 charger
> > > cable plugged into the 2.5 amp socket. When I went to retrieve it I
> > > felt that
> > USB
> > > end was HOT, almost too hot to touch comfortably. I removed the
> > > cable to see if it was the outlet or the cable, and the outlet cooled
> down.
> > >
> > > Is this normal? I think the 1 amp outlet is for phones, and the 2.5
> > > amp outlet is for tablets and such. I have often swapped those
> > > around unthinkingly in the house with their respective chargers and
> > > have never felt a cable get that hot.
> > >
> > > I am trying to figure out what is going on here. I have no problem
> > starting
> > > after using lights and sink camping, and my batter is from November
> > > 2014 and has been taken care of, so while I can't rule out the
> > > battery it
> > seems
> > > OK.
> > >
> > > I would like to know how much current one of these units draws, with
> > > the with out the voltage indicator. I have a spare, I would mail it
> > > to anyone who cares to do the test or I could be walked through it
> > > by someone who knows what they are doing.
> > >
> > > Jim
> > >
> >
>