Author Topic: EEVblog #388 - Fake Apple USB Charger Teardown  (Read 44279 times)

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Online tom66

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Re: EEVblog #388 - Fake Apple USB Charger Teardown
« Reply #50 on: November 24, 2012, 01:41:08 am »
It seems the majority of the population don't like either of the two parties.

However, we're drawn to decide which one to vote, because they're less evil than the other party. We are constantly voting red or blue. You are either supporting the red team or blue team. Neither brings much progress, just more fighting with the other side.
 

Offline BravoV

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Re: EEVblog #388 - Fake Apple USB Charger Teardown
« Reply #51 on: November 24, 2012, 08:51:29 am »

...<snip>.... a problem created by the importing countries and consumers. 

The reason we have retailers shelves full of Chinese made crap is because we the consumers demand it.

...<snip>..

We are happy to remain oblivious to all the factors that contribute to our being able to buy junk at low low prices. 

...<snip>..

It's not China's fault it's ours!

Well said UV !  :-+

Sometimes its so funny to read people are complaining bout this thing like there is no bodies of authority at their own country say like import customs & inspection, import control and etc. Heck, its even easier to elect/vote for their own gov or political representative that will enforce a full embargo on everything produced from China if needed.  ;)

I guess all of this noises its just the matter of the need for whining.  :-DD

Online tom66

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Re: EEVblog #388 - Fake Apple USB Charger Teardown
« Reply #52 on: November 24, 2012, 12:24:26 pm »
Thing is -- it's virtually impossible to avoid stuff made in China. But I do my part by rarely buying new, always buying used or faulty. My monitor (thrown out by my workplace) and computer have most parts made in China, but repaired in UK :D.
 

Offline iloveelectronics

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Re: EEVblog #388 - Fake Apple USB Charger Teardown
« Reply #53 on: November 24, 2012, 01:00:50 pm »
Quote from: Uncle Vernon
There are / have been / and hopefully will be Chinese readers and participants on this and other forums. if those guys cannot cope with some Wun-Hung-Lo references that is tough, it's a big bad world no PC required. It is an entirely different matter however to see reader comments like "all Chinese are thieves", that is truly ignorant and offensive.

I am Chinese and I don't have a problem with the one hung lo references. I simply take it as a general term for the low quality low standard manufacturers which certainly are in no shortage in China.
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Offline ptricks

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Re: EEVblog #388 - Fake Apple USB Charger Teardown
« Reply #54 on: November 24, 2012, 02:07:20 pm »


I am Chinese and I don't have a problem with the one hung lo references. I simply take it as a general term for the low quality low standard manufacturers which certainly are in no shortage in China.

Have you seen any changes in the labor in China ? I am wondering how the increase of jobs and people now having more money to improve their lifestyle is changing what manufacturers have to pay for labor .  As a population gains experience and knowledge it becomes harder to tell them , this is all you can get.
 

Offline iloveelectronics

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Re: EEVblog #388 - Fake Apple USB Charger Teardown
« Reply #55 on: November 24, 2012, 02:45:08 pm »

Have you seen any changes in the labor in China ? I am wondering how the increase of jobs and people now having more money to improve their lifestyle is changing what manufacturers have to pay for labor .  As a population gains experience and knowledge it becomes harder to tell them , this is all you can get.

Well, I live in Hong Kong so I'm not entirely sure of the changes in labour in mainland China. But as far as I know wages have been increasing and margins shrinking (rather quickly) for the factory owners. Plus the Chinese currrency is slowly creeping up in value so I imagine at some point down the road Chinese products won't be as cheap as they are today. Whether that will mean a shift to a more quality centric production for a premium I'm not sure.
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Offline LEECH666

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Re: EEVblog #388 - Fake Apple USB Charger Teardown
« Reply #56 on: November 29, 2012, 10:54:08 pm »
FUUUUUUUUUUU----

So basically I made a follow up video trying to see how these type of junk chargers behave under load (fairly limited test with my limited equipment) but I forgot to select the right audio source on my capture tool. So I got two nice mute videos of me fiddling around on my bench. :(

Guess I have to retake the video and post it here later.

*SIIIIIGH*
 

Online EEVblogTopic starter

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Re: EEVblog #388 - Fake Apple USB Charger Teardown
« Reply #57 on: November 29, 2012, 11:08:05 pm »
So basically I made a follow up video trying to see how these type of junk chargers behave under load (fairly limited test with my limited equipment) but I forgot to select the right audio source on my capture tool. So I got two nice mute videos of me fiddling around on my bench. :(

Been there, done that  ;D
Or have the 3.5mm external mic plug not fully inserted and you get massive 50Hz hum over all your audio.
Why not just do a voice-over? No need to reshoot the video.

Dave.
 

Offline LEECH666

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Re: EEVblog #388 - Fake Apple USB Charger Teardown
« Reply #58 on: November 29, 2012, 11:23:26 pm »
I was sure this has happend to you before. I don't really take videos like that that often.

Well anyway I am already done with the retake. Squeezed it into ~7 minutes. Hehe, the first time I am satisfied with the take (no editing needed).
Well I need to reencode this now and then upload it to Youtube. That might take a while.

Cheers,
Florian
 

Offline LEECH666

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Re: EEVblog #388 - Fake Apple USB Charger Teardown
« Reply #59 on: November 29, 2012, 11:52:26 pm »
Still uploading, but here is the link anyway.



I really need to build up a dummy load soon. :S
 

Offline timelessbeing

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Re: EEVblog #388 - Fake Apple USB Charger Teardown
« Reply #60 on: December 01, 2012, 08:53:47 am »
 

Offline LEECH666

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Re: EEVblog #388 - Fake Apple USB Charger Teardown
« Reply #61 on: December 08, 2012, 07:28:11 am »
I cam across another one of these chargers. This model even has a tiny little full wave rectifier on board, but is pretty crappy as well.

Anyway, I know there is another video of Dave encountering a "ChongX" brand capacitor.
Does anyone know which video this is? I can't seem to find it anymore.

Cheers,
Florian
 

Online tom66

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Re: EEVblog #388 - Fake Apple USB Charger Teardown
« Reply #62 on: December 09, 2012, 09:52:13 pm »
ChongX caps are pretty poor, have seen them fail in some cheapo LCD TVs...
 

Offline LEECH666

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Re: EEVblog #388 - Fake Apple USB Charger Teardown
« Reply #63 on: December 10, 2012, 12:48:57 am »
I sometimes rewatch Daves videos just for certain comedic moments. The first "Chong" cap encounter was one of those moments for me that made laugh. That's why I asked for the video.

I remember the part in the video like this: Dave opens a device and comes across the Chong cap and says "Chong, yeah im not gonna trust that one as far as I can throw it." But I might remember it incorrectly.

It's not the charger video, so if anyone knows which video that was in, please tell me.

Cheers,
Florian
 

Offline bitwelder

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Re: EEVblog #388 - Fake Apple USB Charger Teardown
« Reply #64 on: January 16, 2013, 05:38:07 pm »
Here is a link to a very detailed tear down that I found on the web.
This is genuine Apple power supply that is dissected.


http://www.arcfn.com/2012/05/apple-iphone-charger-teardown-quality.html
On the same website/blog I happened to find today a nice comparison of 12 different USB chargers:
http://www.arcfn.com/2012/10/a-dozen-usb-chargers-in-lab-apple-is.html
 

Offline pussyfoot

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Re: EEVblog #388 - Fake Apple USB Charger Teardown
« Reply #65 on: March 25, 2013, 05:41:44 pm »
After watching this video, I now know what a bad USB charger looks like. What I want to learn is what makes a GOOD usb adapter. Is there a schematic with explanation of what makes a good one?  The same would apply to a DC-DC converter for a car. I'll build my own converters if need be, but I don't want to make the same mistakes.
 

Online HKJ

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Re: EEVblog #388 - Fake Apple USB Charger Teardown
« Reply #66 on: March 25, 2013, 07:29:15 pm »
Quote
After watching this video, I now know what a bad USB charger looks like. What I want to learn is what makes a GOOD usb adapter. Is there a schematic with explanation of what makes a good one?  The same would apply to a DC-DC converter for a car. I'll build my own converters if need be, but I don't want to make the same mistakes.

Some of the important things is a good distance between mains and low voltage side, if the PS uses a chip, instead of only a transistor, it will also be considerable better.
I did measure and disassemble on a load of them, you can see the result here: http://www.lygte-info.dk/info/usbPowerSupplyTest%20UK.html.
 

Offline HP-ILnerd

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Re: EEVblog #388 - Fake Apple USB Charger Teardown
« Reply #67 on: March 31, 2014, 02:05:48 am »
Here's a recent injury from my neck of the woods due to a knockoff charger obtained on ebay:
http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/story/25113149/knock-off-iphone-charger-leaves-man-with-electrical-burn-infection
 

Offline FrankBuss

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Re: EEVblog #388 - Fake Apple USB Charger Teardown
« Reply #68 on: May 11, 2014, 01:24:57 pm »
Hackaday featured another counterfeit Apple charger teardown:

http://www.righto.com/2014/05/a-look-inside-ipad-chargers-pricey.html

Very detailed teardown, with measuring the voltage noise, unwinding the transformers and even with a die photo of some very cheap, but interesting, flyback controller IC (at the end of the article).

I wonder why there is a slot cut at one place in the fake charger, but then they ruined it at another place with just 0.6 mm gap between high and low voltage. They could have produced it even cheaper without any slot cut, with the same non-existing safety.
So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish
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Offline FrankBuss

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Re: EEVblog #388 - Fake Apple USB Charger Teardown
« Reply #69 on: June 28, 2014, 01:26:42 pm »
Some information about quality Apple chargers:

http://www.apple.com/uk/support/usbadapter-european/

I have one of these chargers (I guess it was the standard model in Europe for 3 years) and I will replace it. The problem is most certainly not as worse as the problems in the fake charger, and an important difference compared to fake sellers is that Apple takes responsibility for their products and replaces it, but still not good that even original Apple chargers were unsafe.
So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish
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Offline hikariuk

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Re: EEVblog #388 - Fake Apple USB Charger Teardown
« Reply #70 on: June 28, 2014, 03:47:53 pm »
Some information about quality Apple chargers:

http://www.apple.com/uk/support/usbadapter-european/

I have one of these chargers (I guess it was the standard model in Europe for 3 years) and I will replace it. The problem is most certainly not as worse as the problems in the fake charger, and an important difference compared to fake sellers is that Apple takes responsibility for their products and replaces it, but still not good that even original Apple chargers were unsafe.

All of mine are the 10W modular ones you can change the connector on (A1357), which I really like because they're great for travel - you just switch the wall connector on it.
I write software.  I'd far rather be doing something else.
 

Offline JoeN

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Re: EEVblog #388 - Fake Apple USB Charger Teardown
« Reply #71 on: June 30, 2014, 11:10:28 pm »
This topic just resurfaced over at arduino.cc too.  It resurfaced there because of a very sad story out of Australia of a woman being electrocuted by a bad knockoff charger.  I figured it resurfaced, almost resurrected here, at the same time because of that story.  But, I don't see that story listed here so I will repost it:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2671493/Woman-dies-electrocuted-headphones-plugged-laptop.html

Arduino.cc post:

http://forum.arduino.cc/index.php?topic=251903.0

I hope my cheap-ass Adafruit wall warts are safe.   :-//
« Last Edit: June 30, 2014, 11:16:17 pm by JoeN »
Have You Been Triggered Today?
 

Offline FrankBuss

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Re: EEVblog #388 - Fake Apple USB Charger Teardown
« Reply #72 on: June 30, 2014, 11:43:38 pm »
This topic just resurfaced over at arduino.cc too.  It resurfaced there because of a very sad story out of Australia of a woman being electrocuted by a bad knockoff charger.  I figured it resurfaced, almost resurrected here, at the same time because of that story.  But, I don't see that story listed here
There is already a thread about this here:

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/warning-over-usb-chargers-after-woman-dies-from-apparent-electrocution/

Quote
I hope my cheap-ass Adafruit wall warts are safe.   :-//
Don't turn it on, take it apart, and post pictures :)
So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish
Electronics, hiking, retro-computing, electronic music etc.: https://www.youtube.com/c/FrankBussProgrammer
 

Offline JoeN

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Re: EEVblog #388 - Fake Apple USB Charger Teardown
« Reply #73 on: July 01, 2014, 02:53:49 am »
This topic just resurfaced over at arduino.cc too.  It resurfaced there because of a very sad story out of Australia of a woman being electrocuted by a bad knockoff charger.  I figured it resurfaced, almost resurrected here, at the same time because of that story.  But, I don't see that story listed here
There is already a thread about this here:

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/warning-over-usb-chargers-after-woman-dies-from-apparent-electrocution/

You know what, I did my due diligence before posting that by searching for the keyword electrocution in the search box (top right) and it did not come up, I guess because it is in topic title rather than the text.  I guess I should not rely on that feature, it must have been written by the intern... :--
« Last Edit: July 01, 2014, 02:56:51 am by JoeN »
Have You Been Triggered Today?
 

Offline classical

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Re: EEVblog #388 - Fake Apple USB Charger Teardown
« Reply #74 on: March 29, 2015, 05:14:58 am »
Some measurements and a teardown of a true Apple charger bought from Apple web shop:
http://lygte-info.dk/review/USBpower%20Apple%20USB%20power%20adapter%20UK.html
A very advanced and expensive design.

Btw that website contains a lot of valuable tets of USB chargers, accu chargers, accus and flashlights.
 


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