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Wondering about recycling of electronic power adapters
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Siwastaja:

--- Quote from: Konkedout on January 03, 2025, 09:10:56 pm ---I do not like USB-C so much because it seems too small and flimsy.  Maybe good for a smartphone but not so much for bigger things such as a laptop.

--- End quote ---

Remember - both in theory and in practice, smaller connector is more reliable. The larger it is, the more lever action it causes, and the more stress there is. I would say not to worry, USB-C is the result of 30 years of engineering a more reliable connector and so far the track record is pretty good.
wilfred:
I have one of those cheap egg cookers that boil a quantity of water to time the egg cooking cycle and when the water runs out the thing trips a thermal switch and sounds a buzzer. But the buzzer failed and barely made a squeak. The buzzer is 240V and whilst I could have made a rectified DC filtered circuit to run a DC buzzer, which is what it does inside the buzzer, I decided to gut a 240V AC to 5V USB phone charger and attach a 5v buzzer, which I already had, and put that into service.
 
So there's one use for an old power adapter.
Konkedout:

--- Quote from: BILLPOD on January 04, 2025, 02:20:35 pm ---Good Morning  Konkedout,  Nice collection of 'Coax/Barrel' adapters you have;  I have a smaller collection that often come in handy.
      I have to mention an observation I made concerning your photo of the sink with an electrical outlet very close.   A GFCI would be something you should consider for that outlet, unless of course there is one upstream, in which case...
never mind. :popcorn:

--- End quote ---

As for the GFCI:  We do have one or two in the house, and this one in my photo may well be downstream of one of those.  I find that the wiring in this house is a bit squirrely in that there is much of this that I do not know before there is a problem.

Recently I was amazed that GFCIs were $20 US for 2 of them.   At that price, economizing in their use (doing a lot of sharing) makes no sense to me.  For maybe $100 you could have one by every sink etc. and that is a drop in the bucket for the price of a house.
Konkedout:

--- Quote from: Siwastaja on January 05, 2025, 10:53:24 am ---
--- Quote from: Konkedout on January 03, 2025, 09:10:56 pm ---I do not like USB-C so much because it seems too small and flimsy.  Maybe good for a smartphone but not so much for bigger things such as a laptop.

--- End quote ---

Remember - both in theory and in practice, smaller connector is more reliable. The larger it is, the more lever action it causes, and the more stress there is. I would say not to worry, USB-C is the result of 30 years of engineering a more reliable connector and so far the track record is pretty good.

--- End quote ---

I respectfully disagree.  IMO you are confusing length with size in other dimensions.  I think the older barrel connectors are very good.  But if you think of a 100W capable cable, it is too easy to accidentally apply a large force in the wrong direction, especially when powering a larger device such as a laptop.

I saw some other post referring to laptops that were trashed due to a broken USB-C connector which was the only input power port.  And now I just found this:
https://community.frame.work/t/usb-c-longevity-is-becoming-a-big-problem/32547

I recently bought a new Rigol oscilloscope.  I am amazed at its capability for $800 US.  But it is powered by a USB-C connected power adapter.  What do you know, the horizontal "trigger" options do not include ("Line" or "Mains")!!
Hmmmm.  I wonder why that is.   ::)  (I am kidding.)
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