[DARARepeater] Magic Smoke release, NanoVNA, USB-C charger f

[Jim Bacher - WB8VSU]

Mark, it's the responsibility of the device to tell the computer what voltage and current it needs. So the fault was likely the nanoVNA not telling the computer what it needed and not surviving the higher voltage for the moment or two needed for the computer to adjust the voltage down. 
I never really looked into details, but it's likely done with the data lines at a hardware level not a OS level. For that reason, charge only cable are not a good choice. Charge only cables would be ok if you use them with matched power supply and device. Intermixing of cables and devices is risky. 
The only brands of cables I will use are c2g, Tripplite or manufacture cables (HP, DELL). The reason is they are good RFI wise. Most of the cheap ones are not very good RFI wise. 

Jim Bacher, WB8VSU 
wb8vsu at arrl.net 
https://trc.guru 
 
  On Sun, Nov 10, 2019 at 11:48 AM, George<ewingg at gmail.com> wrote:   <!--#yiv2363124169 #yiv2363124169 p.yiv2363124169MsoNormal, #yiv2363124169 li.yiv2363124169MsoNormal, #yiv2363124169 div.yiv2363124169MsoNormal {margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman", "serif";}#yiv2363124169 a:link, #yiv2363124169 span.yiv2363124169MsoHyperlink {color:blue;text-decoration:underline;}#yiv2363124169 a:visited, #yiv2363124169 span.yiv2363124169MsoHyperlinkFollowed {color:purple;text-decoration:underline;}#yiv2363124169 span.yiv2363124169EmailStyle17 {font-family:"Calibri", "sans-serif";color:#1F497D;}#yiv2363124169 .yiv2363124169MsoChpDefault {font-size:10.0pt;} _filtered #yiv2363124169 {margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}#yiv2363124169 div.yiv2363124169WordSection1 {}-->
George can you get this to the TNG list

  

Mark


Begin forwarded message:


Beware:

Tonight I let the magic smoke out of my NanoVNA by simply using the USB-C charger for my $99 Incite Laptop from Microcenter to charge the NanoVNA.

It really is all Windows fault! I have been updating the new laptop for hours, got bored, decided to work with the NanoVNA, it needed to be charged, so I just unplugged the USB-C charger out of the laptop and plugged it into the USB-C receptacle on the NanoVNA.

The NanoVNA display went very bright and then dead.

I have surmised that not all USB-C are the same or safe or interchangeable.
It cost me about $35 to learn that.
I am really glad it wasn’t my Mac laptop.

I will be quite careful about what USB-C supply I use with USB-C devices in the future.

The NanoVNA comes with a USB-C receptacle and a USB-A to USB-C adapter cord.  USB-A is typically 5 Volts, it turns out the Incite Laptop USB-C charger is indeed 12 Volts, I am guessing/hoping better devices can regulate the USB-C voltage.  It seems some USB-C can go to 20 Volts.

I would be concerned with Raspberry Pi 4 which also have a USB-C receptacle.

Please learn from my lesson.

73

Mark Young
N2OJD

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