Quality USB-C Panel Mount?

rayra

Expedition Leader
Looks nice but is only 18W, insufficient for most laptops.

A.
Heh. That's hardly something to fault it for, given their meant for phones / phablets. Want to full-juice a running laptop, wire up an inverter.

auxbatt061 inverter fitted.jpg
 

2Jeeps&PatriotX1

Active member

So I ordered this and just received it today. Was I suppose to receive only the 1 usbc to usbc or was there supposed to be the USB to usbc? Package was sealed and wasn’t sure the box was misprinted as it does say 2 different cables.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

hour

Observer
Related, but I received one in the mail the other day and finally got around to testing it out. 20.2v coming out of a very standard common polarity barrel jack, 2.1x5.5mm. Inside the black box is a usb pd trigger which has a button to adjust the voltage. These are just shipped at 20v which is perfect for my use, and I didn't mind paying a couple of bucks more for something in an enclosure.

I have a portable battery pack in a knock off pelican case that has a solar charge controller inside. I'll just install a robust 2.1x5.5mm panel mount female jack with weather resistant cap and connect to solar inlet. Charge via reasonably small panel, my macbook charger at home, or from a USB PD car charger thanks to this little cable (which must have 20v output option, two of my three pd car chargers do not - doh). $7.75 on ebay/ali and even amazon if you'd like to get it in a few days vs a month. 'USB PD TRIGGER' + 20v, or DELL, or 2.1x5.5 should produce. Or spend less than half that for the board alone.

I predict we'll all soon be blessed by a ton of PD tinker boards and diy lantern / boombox / general pack builders will have a lot to play with. The wall warts and car chargers are now extremely affordable and having a reliable way of negotiating voltage from one is a game changer for me.
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hour

Observer
FWIW, just charged my 90ah lifepo4 pack up to 100% using the above dongle thing. I set my Victron charge controller to a max of 4a charge current and it resulted in 68w of power being delivered to the battery using a macbook 87w usb c charger. I used a medium grade 6.6ft long USB C cord which I just learned has a max rating of 20v 3a, which explains why it was getting warm. The gizmo itself was cool to the touch. I'd get a shorter and thicker USB C cable for long term purposes, but I won't need to with the below...

So this will definitely work for charging my portable lifepo4 32ah 12v packs-output 20v and step down via charge controller or buck module. I once again found myself looking for a powerful USB PD car charger and I don't really want the bulk of a cigarette lighter style one. So here's what I just ordered, figured it might be useful for people wanting to do the same. This evaded all my searching for days, weeks. 20v, 4.5a out. Having a large brick makes me feel more comfortable with pulling say 60w from it continuously, versus doing the same with a cig lighter style compact unit. Of course it's totally effed if I damage the usb C bit.. but I plan to lop off the cig plug, wire to my fuse panel, and tuck the brick out of sight.

7105nZFRc7L._SL800_.jpg
 

jeegro

Adventurer
FWIW, just charged my 90ah lifepo4 pack up to 100% using the above dongle thing. I set my Victron charge controller to a max of 4a charge current and it resulted in 68w of power being delivered to the battery using a macbook 87w usb c charger. I used a medium grade 6.6ft long USB C cord which I just learned has a max rating of 20v 3a, which explains why it was getting warm. The gizmo itself was cool to the touch. I'd get a shorter and thicker USB C cable for long term purposes, but I won't need to with the below...

So this will definitely work for charging my portable lifepo4 32ah 12v packs-output 20v and step down via charge controller or buck module. I once again found myself looking for a powerful USB PD car charger and I don't really want the bulk of a cigarette lighter style one. So here's what I just ordered, figured it might be useful for people wanting to do the same. This evaded all my searching for days, weeks. 20v, 4.5a out. Having a large brick makes me feel more comfortable with pulling say 60w from it continuously, versus doing the same with a cig lighter style compact unit. Of course it's totally effed if I damage the usb C bit.. but I plan to lop off the cig plug, wire to my fuse panel, and tuck the brick out of sight.

7105nZFRc7L._SL800_.jpg

Nice find! I've also been searching weeks for something like that. The only piece left of the puzzle for me is a USB-C flush panel mount (to fit a ciggie hole). Do you know of one?

I've only been able to find this: https://www.usbgear.com/CG-U3CMCF20-PM.html
 

carbon60

Explorer
Not exactly. That has a built-in charger (with low output) and not a fan of the voltage display. Just looking for a simple panel-mounted usb-c plug to hook up to the charger that Hour posted.

Though I would happily take a charger in that form factor, as long as it was high output!

A.
 

hour

Observer
Though I would happily take a charger in that form factor, as long as it was high output!

A.

Yeah, me too. I guess I could extend the longevity of the USB C end of this charger (which I just received today, amazing next day delivery) if I found a female to panel mount. That'd mean the charger's plug wouldn't get disconnected really ever, but I do wonder about voltage drop. Highly doubt that'd be a problem using a panel mount extension like was posted - for laptops and stuff. My USB-C to 2.1x5.5 PD trigger thinger might stop doing its thing if the voltage goes too low.

I can't find any USB-C panel mount female to female offerings anywhere. They make female to female couplers which would allow the panel mount thing you posted to work with the charger I posted, but that's one more dinky Chinese item to bank on. Ad states 3A max :| . In fact, the 20" panel mount extension you posted only states '5V3A' so I have no idea how to interpret that and scale for 20v charging.

s-l1600.jpg
 

dreadlocks

Well-known member
5V@3A(5*3)=15W.. 15W@20V(15/20)=0.75A.. DC cabling meets amperage limits before voltage limits, usb-c's higher volts allows more wattage with same or less amps.

USB-C Socket Durability is an order of magnitude better than USB-A if built to spec.
 

hour

Observer
5V@3A(5*3)=15W.. 15W@20V(15/20)=0.75A.. DC cabling meets amperage limits before voltage limits, usb-c's higher volts allows more wattage with same or less amps.

USB-C Socket Durability is an order of magnitude better than USB-A if built to spec.

So if it handles 3a @ 5v, does that mean it handles 3a at 20v? Or more? Or less? I'm thinking both carbon60 and I are wanting to run in excess of 60w / 20v@3a to make use of the large power supply capable of 20v @ 4.5a.

I'd put more faith in the 20" panel mount extension posted being to spec than a $5 thing from eBay, but I'm mostly used to reading stories of USB C to USB C cables - never looked in to couplers.
 

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