V = I * R

Now that I have your attention, and if you are wondering:

V=Voltage
I= Current
R=Resistance

… and that is the basis for electricity theory.

(If you want to add to that, A=W/V where A= Amps, W= Wattage and V again = Volts).

Why bring this up now, if at all? Just for a bit of background and hopefully, allow the stuff later in this piece make a bit more sense.

You may not know it, but the reason we use AC domestically as against DC, is mostly down to the great Tesla – and I don’t mean the vehicle being flogged by the seemingly slightly unhinged. Mr Musk, but the scientist Nicholas Tesla, who invented a motor running on AC power.

Y’see, up until then, most electricities being used were DC based, invented by one Mr Edison, him of light globe fame, but the drawback of DC power was transmitting it over distances and AC overcame that.

Another household name today, a certain George Westinghouse saw the benefits of AC power and championed it, and despite Edison’s best efforts, it finally won the day, hence its almost universal use.

Well, not quite, today at any rate.

You may be as surprised to know as I was when I discovered during my short stint during the pandemic as a casual at the local Jaycar store just how much stuff is available to run DC power – 12v in particular.

Lighting systems, fridges, freezers, ovens, kettles, power tools, medical devices, entertainment systems and of course tablets, smartphones and even computers can all be run on 12v. You can even turn 12v DC into 240AC by using an inverter, but this can get a little expensive if you need some really hefty grunt.

This leads me neatly onto USB chargers and these have become an almost indispensable items these days, used for charging anything from smartphones to tablets, watches to cameras and drones to earbuds and headphones.

But there appears to be a little confusion as to what the different ratings might mean with some purporting to charge at 100W, others at 65W, and down to 30W or less. Then there is the difference between USB-A, USB-C PD, and USB-C QC. And different amperages put out.

One such beast is the Verbatim GaN 100W charger which has 4 charging ports (GaN by the way is Gallium Nitride technology designed to delivery high power and efficiency with less heat).

With this unit, you get 3 USB-C PD ports and a single USB-a QC 3.0 port letting you simultaneously power or trickle charge three devices (via the PD = Power Delivery) and Quick Charge (QC) for a fourth device such as a smartphone say.

The first two USB-C PD ports put out 100W up to5A, the third 65W up to 5A and the USB-A QC at 30W max. This info might be important depending on what your device is expecting.

Note that only devices that support the QC specification will actually take advantage of this. Other devices that do not support QC charging will only draw the power they NEED to charge as against the charger feeding them its full power in one go. That assumes of course that what you are charging is of reputable quality – if not, then all bets are off and you may get the ubiquitous giant kaboom….

There is also a note of further caution to be offered here and that concerns lithium batteries. We have all read of late, horror stories about lithium batteries catching fire. At best, they go up in smoke and at worst, take the family home or car or both with them.

Rule #1: If a lithium battery or device containing them such as Powerpacks appears swollen, discard of it – properly. Check your local council to see what facilities they have in place – don’t just chuck ‘em in the bin. Bunnings stores all have a recycling bins at their front door, and I believe Battery World, ALDI and IKEA also offer the service. Other major stories vary from location to location, so best double check.

Rule #2: Most manufacturers claim you should not be able to overcharge a lithium battery, however the truth is less than clear, with many stories of lithium batteries in a charger catching fire. It’s best to be safe and once the light little changes colour signifying a full charge, remove the battery.

Rule #3: Keep batteries in a safe place, and if in doubt, put insulation tape over the terminals and keep separated in zip lock bags, or you can buy special bags just for this purpose.

Back to the Verbatim charger; the fact you can charge multiple devices from a single power point is a major bonus. To buy 4 separate chargers with same specs will set you back more than the asking price of $115 (seen at Officeworks) and of course is a damn sight more convenient.

I routinely have up to 8 devices recharging at any one time – cameras, GoPro batteries, gimbals, headphones, portable lights, smartphone, tablets, drone batteries and so on, so units such as this are a major benefit in time and power point saving. Instead of having a bank of power boards I can now use just a single 4 point board and a couple of these units to satisfy my needs.