Reddit reviews Anker 40W 5-Port USB Wall Charger, PowerPort 5 for iPhone XS / XS Max / XR / X / 8 / 7 / 6 / Plus, iPad Pro / Air 2 / mini, Galaxy S9 / S8 / Edge / Plus, Note 8 / 7, LG, Nexus, HTC and More, Black (AK-A2124111)

I mostly use the Apple Pencil with Notability or LiquidText. I use Goodnotes a little. Some of my professors use Google Drive, so I need to use those apps from time to time. I also like Outlook for email, iBooks and Kindle Reader for different texts. Duet Display turns my iPad into a secondary screen for my MacBook Pro. I use Scanner Pro to turn all my syllabi and other handouts into PDFs. iStudiez Pro helps keep my schedule in order, and Quizlet helps me study. I use Affinity Photo for processing my Nikon RAW files ( I let my Adobe CC subscription lapse, I just don't find myself using my dSLR that much lately.) I also use a MIDI keyboard with Garage Band and Pro Metronome for piano practice when I don't have access to a real piano/piano lab/practice room.

I keep games and other entertainment apps off the iPad since I'm trying to study and don't want to make it any easier for me to goof off.

Case, Screen Protector, Apple Pencil sleeve, tether to keep my adapter on my cable, stand, keyboard, and holder for using my iPad as a second screen for my MacBook Pro. I also use Anker cables, charger port, and portable charger.

Just get a pocket wifi. My wife and I had one for 11 days when we were there and even forgot to drop it in the mail before security. Had to express post it back afterwards but they didn't even charge us any fees.

We were able to use both phones, a tablet in the evenings and use the wireless to transfer photos from our camera to our phones seamlessly. If I remember correctly it only cost us 70$ CAD. We used Japan-wireless and Softbank.

Coverage and speeds were excellent. I could even stream Plex from my home server in Canada to our tablet at bedtime. TV there SUCKS.

The only viable counter is having another device to charge but keeping a pocket wifi charged is way simpler than dealing with 2-3 plans for T-Mobile and/or SIM swapping.

Get an Anker 5 port charging brick. It was invaluable for our trip.

Japan-wireless

Anker 5 port USB charger

I tend to use devices like these to bulk power a cluster of Pis. Probably much easier (and quieter/cooler/more energy efficient) than adapting a PC power supply.

I have 5 Raspberry Pi 3s doing Docker cluster work with one of these connected to a UPS. Anker also do a 5 pack of short micro USB cables super cheap you can use to keep the cabling tidy.

I carry an Anker 5 Port Wall Charger when I travel so I can keep the devices charged, but any USB wall charger should work.

I don't have a pic, but there are several like mine.

3d printed Pi stack

3d printed Anker stack(compatible with above stack)

Tiny switch 5V

Anker USB power brick

Then just a handful of 1ft ethernet cables and 1ft USB cables. You can buy the USB to Barrel power cable for the switch, or if you are comfortable with a soldering iron, make one yourself.

I use one of these: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00VH8ZW02/

I've had no issues when I've used it to charge.

At the moment I've got two charging cradles (for my extra batteries), LG Urbane charger and a iPad charging dock connected to it. No issues.

I would get some good quality cables if you've not already. I got an Aukey(another good brand) 5 pack from Amazon.

I have one of these on my desk:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00VH8ZW02/

Which is quite similar to what you linked to, but a bit less powerful, 40W. (5v8A)

Yours is 60W (5v12A).

At all times, mine is powering a Pi3 running OwnCloud (which is powering a magnetic disk drive off its USB port). I also use it to charge my phone, power several other single board computers, charge batteries, etc. It works perfectly, and would even say that everyone who tinkers should have one of these. Works great!

it's not quite as simple as just pulling the +5 volts and Ground off of the 4 pin molex and connecting it to a micro USB to plug into the Pi.

You'll have to jumper a couple pins on the big 20-pin Motherboard connector in order to get the PSU to power up, etc.

Depending on how much you want to DIY and the budget, it would probably be easier to get one of the multi-USB charger / power supply deals like those from Anker that give you 30-40 Watts across 5+ USB ports on the one supply.

https://www.amazon.com/Anker-Charger-PowerPort-Multi-Port-Samsung/dp/B00VH8ZW02/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1481076935&sr=8-7&keywords=anker+charger

Anker is your friend.

I use Anker IQ 40W/8A 5-Port USB Quick Charger with this charging dock.

Note that this is for my Anker Powerbanks for my TPCast. My banks are Anker PowerCores 20100mAh and they last about 5 hours and take about 8-8.5 hours to fully charge back from dead. I have two batteries that I keep in the charging dock at all times, to ensure I never run out of power.

I've used all sorts of things to charge my AIOs. Phone wall charger, phone car charger, iPad charger, portable USB power brick, a JobRocker, computer USB port, etc. They all work just fine.

SHITEDIT: Just for kicks, I decided to try and remember all the various USBs I've used. In no particular order:

• iPhone wall charger (1A)
  
• iPad wall charger (2A)
  
• Android wall charger
  
• Nitecore UM20 USB port
  
• A Job Rocker
  
• A Mophie
  
• USB port on my laptop
  
• USB port on my desktop
  
• This awesome Anker 5-port deal (Seriously, this charger kicks ass. I plug my AIOs and phone into it every night)
  
• An AmazonBasics dual USB car charger (which seems to be discontinued now)
  
• The integrated USB port in a Nissan XTerra.
  
  

The ipad chargers work great, just make sure to get a high quality micro-usb cable to hook up to it.

Otherwise the anker usb wall chargers have been perfect for me, and allow me to charge all of my devices at once, with a single charger: http://www.amazon.com/Anker-PowerPort-Charging-Multi-Port-Charger/dp/B00VH8ZW02

> USB power receptacles

I've installed a few of these, and in my opinion they just aren't worth the extra cost. Since he's building the house mostly to his own desire, I'd say just plan on having outlets in areas where devices will need to be charged and use something like an Anker in areas where multiple devices or guests will need.

What power supply are you using for the PI's. I keep getting low voltage dropouts on mine.

I would suggest a multi-USB charger, such as this. However, your suggestion can charge things that don't use USB.

I always like Anker chargers. They make really good ones that have smart voltage systems in them that can up the amps depending on how much the devices draws. They also have a new Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 charger if needed.

I just hope the previously linked 5 port charger gets updated with quick charge support.

As for anything USB-C related look at the reviews of Benson Leung, he is a google employee who does some great reviews testing cables and other items to make sure they follow usb-c spec and they actually work well.

I've been using this Anker 5-port charger. I've had it about a year and it's great. I use it with iPhones, iPads, iPods, Kindles, even a fitbit. It charges fast and reliably with no heat buildup. The cord to the wall is about 5 feet long, too, so you can plug it in behind furniture or just generally have more flexibility with placement. Can't recommend it enough.

I love these Anker 5-port power supplies: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00VH8ZW02/

I can run multiple Pi's off a single outlet this way.

This one will charge PS4 controllers and the PS Gold Headset. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00VH8ZW02/

It was working having flashed raspbian straight to the cards. This was actually working for me for quite a while. Somewhere along the way it stopped working. I dont know if it was a kernel update, a docker update, or something else. While things were "just working" I stopped building images for a while, and ran into this issue when I tried to update some stuff.

So this is occuring with raspbian and hypriot being flashed directly to the card. df output seems to show that there is plenty of space, so its not the "NOOBS using up all the sd card space, use raspi-config to expand :

>$ df -h

>Filesystem Size Used Avail Use% Mounted on

>/dev/root 29G 1.1G 26G 4% /

>devtmpfs 427M 0 427M 0% /dev

>tmpfs 431M 0 431M 0% /dev/shm

>tmpfs 431M 12M 420M 3% /run

>tmpfs 5.0M 0 5.0M 0% /run/lock

>tmpfs 431M 0 431M 0% /sys/fs/cgroup

>/dev/mmcblk0p1 64M 31M 34M 48% /boot



It seems to be less about disk space, and more about IO errors. Or in some cases, network errors. Trying to install a bunch of php stuff results in item 7 and 13 failing on "no space left!" but then continues on to item 43 with no issue. i dont think it would be able to continue on if there was actual disk space issues. (On some occasions it will just flat out say IO error: ERROR: http://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main: IO ERROR )

But it seems highly weird to me that several raspberry pi's would go out at the same time, only having issues with docker, but it seems equally odd that I'm the only one having issues with it.

This: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00VH8ZW02/ is the USB hub im using to power them. is there something with this that could potentially have caused permanent damage?

You already got a very vague answer and a very technical answer, so I'll try to split the difference and just talk about functionality:

The main difference between a cheap charger and an expensive one will be power/charging speed. Many modern cell phones have various forms of "quick charging" technology, and cheap chargers will not support that. They usually push out less current in general, due to the cheaper components. Enough to charge a phone, but only slowly, and cheap chargers can't charge things like newer USB-C powered laptops or Nintendo Switches at all. Not enough power.

Beyond that, "build quality" may differ, but that's a pretty nebulous concept. Most USB chargers are just some electrical components wrapped in a plastic shell, so there shouldn't be a lot of mechanical difference between them, to the extent that it would cause one to fall apart before another.

Design and features might be different. For $30 ($23, actually, at time of writing), you can get a charger with multiple ports and a detachable power cable (gives better access to the ports doesn't block power outlets). Those can be useful additions.

Voltage fluctuation is not something I'd worry about. Modern electronics can deal with a lot of variation on the charging input. I've never heard of a cell phone being harmed in any way by minor fluctuations in voltage from the charger.

Waste heat could be an issue. Generally, a more expensive charger, from a more reputable brand, will be more likely to be tested thoroughly and less likely to produce more heat than is safe. It's definitely not a common thing for USB chargers at any price range to overheat to a dangerous degree, but if any one were going to, it would be a too-cheap-to-be-true no-name gas station one.

Overall, I think a charger is something you can afford to be frugal with, as long as you're fine with very slow charging. Just check that your bargain basement charger doesn't get uncomfortably hot after a charging session.

On the other hand, if charging your phone as quickly as it's capable of is important to you, you're going to want to stick to the OEM charger that came in the box, or a splurge on a third party charger that is highly rated.

Funny you say that. I've got one of the current model 5-port chargera, which is supposed to output 2.4A per port. When running a Pi from it on a 6' USB cable, I was getting the brownout indicator with nothing else running from the charger.

Likely a voltage drop issue, not insufficient current, due to cable resistance. I realize it'd be better to use a power brick that compensates with a mild overvoltage.

Found this gem on Amazon and I'm quite happy with it: Anker 40W/8A 5-Port USB Charger

I'm sure the power isn't super clean but it seems to power on one RPi 3 running tasks as well as a few RPi Bs quite nicely.

I'd like to hunt for something with more power and more ports instead of getting more of these USB power hubs.

Reading all these people who use their USB ports to charge their phones/controllers makes me wonder if they ever considered buying this. I have one at my desk and another near my bed. While gaming I can charge my pro controller, phone, headset, watch, and another item if need be at the rate the device is intended to charge at. One of the best investments I've ever made.

A powered USB hub is a very reasonable approach. Depending on what peripherals you want to add you may want more power per port. I actually like having these around in general: http://www.amazon.com/Anker-PowerPort-Charging-Multi-Port-Packaging-/dp/B00YRYS4T4/ or http://www.amazon.com/Anker-PowerPort-Charging-Multi-Port-Charger/dp/B00VH8ZW02/. However, I haven't tried one with the PI, just other devices. I have one coming in if you want to wait for me to try it.

The Anker PowerPort 5 has a 5ft power cable. So you could put the block on your night stand and use a stock cable from the anker to the phone? Pro: you got more usb charging ports Con: its 23$,

Sorry for being a broken record but I have a question about charging my switch. Can I plug the USB2/USB-C into this...

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VH8ZW02/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_CNwVAbTYRHXGW

...And safely charge/play my switch off the dock? Anker seems to be a good brand and they claim to have "PowerIQ" that aparently "detects your device’s specific charging requirements". Anybody know if this is a safe option for charging my switch? Thanks in advance!

How about the Anker 5 port charger, which has 5 ports just for charging and no data ports. Or, if you still need some for data, the Anker 10 port hub, which has 3 purely charging ports and 7 data ports.

I have a 5 port Anker and none are quick charge ports. Here is a link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VH8ZW02/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_xf7tybMBBFTEH I've been using the Anker output charger as my main charger since I got it about a month ago and both anker and Microsoft cables charged my device. Eventually my original Microsoft cable stopped working so I relied on the anker cable with anker output. And then just recently, the anker stopped working. Since they swapped out my original Microsoft cable with theirs, that cable also works with the anker.

I read a few posts here on reddit saying that the original output charger we have puts out less than what the S3 can get so that's why I got something with a higher output. Although, I don't think they recommended this one specifically. Should I not be using this one?

I just have trouble wrapping my head around the fact that just suddenly those cables and even with the original output charger don't work on my surface (although they still charge my Samsung phone). In other words, did the anker break the cable? Which doesn't make sense because it still works to charge my Samsung. I'm at a loss!

If you're ok with micro USB recharging, you can't beat the price on the Eagle Eye X2R. Combine with some good protected batteries and a 5-port charger and you're set.

This aught to be able to handle it with ease. There's a 6-port version at 12A if you feel uncertain.

To answer your original question...

I have 4 Pi's running on this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VH8ZW02/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_5vP8BbDPSQJR0

Great way to power them all without tying up a bunch of outlets.

1. That's a lot of pants. See if you can bring it down to 1 pair of chinos, 1 pair of jeans, and 2 pairs of shorts. Pick the most versatile pairs. I'd drop a pair of CDBs and add another pair of sneakers. Remember that CDBs don't work with shorts, and you'll be able to travel with the bulkiest pair of shoes on your feet. If you're gonna do laundry, you might as well drop the number of shirts too. Bring PJs and a microfiber towel if you're staying in a hostel.
   
   
2. I like a jacket like this for summer wear, because it is decently warm, very breathable, and can be packed tightly. If you're looking for something special to add to your stuff, I recommend waiting until you're already there. Your money might be better spent on food, gifts, etc.
   
   
3. Shoot for carry-on luggage only. I know it's tough to pack, but it is soooo much less stressful flying without worrying about your luggage. Depending on how you want to do it, either a suitcase like this or a hiking backpack would be a good fit. I prefer the suitcase, even though you'll have to drag it on on some bumpy cobblestone roads. With the suitcase, you get to have the smaller backpack as well, meaning extra space and an everyday bag if you want to carry it everywhere. Don't keep anything you want to keep in the front pocket of your Everlane bag, it's a super easy pickpocket pocket.
   
   
4. Make sure you've got sunglasses and a hat, you'll probably be outside a lot. Get something like this to go along with this, and keep an extra battery like this if you think you'll be using a lot of juice on your phone taking pictures, etc. A small umbrella might be useful depending on where you go, and can be stored in the water bottle pocket of your backpack. Download maps ahead of time with google maps and use Mapway Limited apps to navigate transit offline.
   
   
5. Dress how you want, DGAF. Staying away from branded stuff can help you blend though. Killshots scream American to me, but I don't know their reputation in other countries. Targets tend to be the fannypack tourists that are obliviously standing in front of major attractions.

or one of these https://www.amazon.com/Anker-5-Port-Charger-PowerPort-iPhone/dp/B00VH8ZW02/ref=sr_1_3

Pretty much any that fit will work - there have been some clever "universal" designs but I've not tried them since I have a (very old) assortment of old-style plug adapters.

Another strategy to think of might be to forgo all the separate wall warts etc. and get a single multiport charger + plug adapter and just carry usb cables so that you can charge multiple devices.

Anker PowerPorts are my go-to for this and you can get a non-fancy (no USB-3 etc) model for about $24. So if I'm bringing a boatload of toys I'll just bring the multiport plus USB cables so my wife and I can charge our phones/tablets etc. all at once.

The caveat is that my camera-specific (Nikon/Pentax) battery chargers have yet to go to the dark side and be usable with USB supply which is a pain (and likely a profit center for them), but they all use a standard 2-slot power cord, so I'll just bring that one power cord plus the charger heads that are needed.

Ok. Here we go! It’s impossible to tell you what the best of everything is, since the best for me, isn’t necessarily the best for you. So here’s my setup, and reasons why.

My iPhone XS is protected by one of two cases.

1. Spigen Ultra Hybrid Space Crystal I like this case because it shows off the phone. I use this case as my daily driver. Reason I like it is because it doesn’t yellow over time and is nice and grippy on the sides.
   
2. RhinoShield SolidSuit, Classic Black This case I use for when my phone could potentially get damaged or knocked around. I work Security, so this is the case I use at work. It’s slim but provides great drop protection. It can also accept camera lens attachments.
   
   I use the Spigen Full Coverage Tempered Glass screen protector . It’s the least intrusive screen protector I have used. I love it. Combined with a case, it’s virtually invisible and it covers the entire screen without negative affects on Face ID or screen clarity. They are also cheap.
   
   I have a Apple Watch Series 4 Nike+ and it’s protected by a RhinoShield CrashGuard NX. This is the only case I’ve found that fits, and doesn’t wear or tear like some of the other TPU cases out there. It’s saved my watch many times from hits and scuffs.
   
   I’ve searched long and hard for a screen protector for my Watch I like, and ill be honest, I haven’t found a single one that doesn’t peel, and if it doesn’t (like glass) it will crack or chip. Many non-glass screen protectors distort the hell out of the display. In other words, screen protectors for the watch just aren’t worth it.
   
   In the car, I use Anker PowerLine II USB to Lightning Cables. These cables are bulletproof. They have always maintained a great connection for me, they are braided and have been super durable when shoving them into small spaces like behind headliners, plastic trim etc in the car. The PowerLine v1 has a rubber coating instead of a braided line if you want a more subtle look.
   
   For charging, beside my bed I have the Bestand 3 in 1 Qi Charger.
   It charges my watch, AirPods and iPhone. It does require a multi USB port charger to power everything, so I use an Anker 40W, 5 port USB charger. This is perfect because I just have another long Anker PowerLine II cable going to the other side for my wife (she only has an iPhone).
   
   I also carry a genuine Apple USB-C to Lightning cable and a Anker USB C Power Delivery 30W charger in my “Go Bag” just in case I need to quick charge my iPhone on the go.
   
   I hope this helps!

I use this. Works.

http://www.amazon.com/Anker-Charger-PowerPort-Multi-Port-Samsung/dp/B00VH8ZW02/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1464904663&sr=8-5&keywords=anker

Let me clarify. I even had an electrician come to both my home and office to verify there was no surge/electrical problems with my outlets.

Here is a list of the products I have purchased that either completely failed (won't charge, etc) or had partial failure such as at least one USB port go bad:

• Anker PowerCore 13000 Portable Charger stop charging after 3 months, used only four times.
  
  
• Anker 6ft Nylon Braided USB Cable with Lightning Connector [Apple MFi Certified] stopped working within 2 months VERY light use
  
  
• Anker 36W 3-Port USB Car Charger PowerDrive+ 3 for iPhone 6/6 Plus/6s/6s Plus, iPad Air 2/mini 3, Galaxy S7/S6/S6 Edge and More two USB chargers went bad within 6 months
  
  
• Anker 40W/8A 5-Port USB Charger PowerPort 5, Multi-Port USB Charger for iPhone 6/6 Plus, iPad Air 2/Mini 3, Samsung Galaxy S6/S6 Edge and More THREE usb ports went dead within 4 months, used daily
  
  Check my user history regarding buildapcsales. If I see something positive I definitely give it props, e.g. the Corsair 750D case recently posted, and when I see some potential problems I chime in as well.
  
  As for Anker, fuck them.