As of last Monday, all of my daily-driver tech is finally on native USB-C. I cannot express how convenient this is without writing an entire essay. It’s like all of those clunky universal AC adapters from the 90’s but better in every conceivable way.

I just plugged my laptop charger into my phone and my phone charger into my laptop. Both were just like “okey-dokey! 👍 Charging.”

The only negative is that it’s still a little annoying checking specs to be sure the PD chargers support the full 5, 9, 12, 15, and 20 volt options as well as finding reliable vendors of 100W, e-marked cables. Hopefully that improves in the future.

Still, it’s better than carrying around discrete chargers for everything. My travel bag feels at least 5 pounds lighter.

If anyone can recommend any high-wattage 12-24v DC power-delivery adapters that can output 20v, please do (i.e. cigaratte-lighter plug style for a car). The best I’ve found so far is a 45w one that will charge my laptop, but only if it’s asleep or off.

  • laser@slrpnk.net
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    1 year ago

    To add a little bit of solarpunk to this: I’m charging my battery stack via solar power with a dedicated USB c in/out slot. It is smart connector indeed.

    • Admiral Patrick@dubvee.orgOP
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      1 year ago

      Nice. I’m in the “thought experiment” phase of doing something similar.

      All of my servers, except my storage, are USFF PCs which can easily run from a PD trigger adapter. I’ve been tempted to power those through some 12v PD adapters and run them from DC fed from a solar-charged battery bank.

      • laser@slrpnk.net
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        1 year ago

        I will have to google a few things here but that sounds next level. But quite fittingly, I will connect a Pi soon, running Mastodon as a test

      • laser@slrpnk.net
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        1 year ago

        I have a Chinese brand, ordered from Hanoi, so nothing special. In fact, I’m still chasing connecting cables. A bit annoying.