I got one off ali express after seeing it on this channel a while ago. It was a bit cheaper, but took a while as everything over on that site. It does everything I need and then some
@@ThinKkBIGG The Fnirsi FNB58 has some advantages like USB-A male but Power-Z has the advantage of USB-C male. Why do we have to choose? Why not both? And can it please be retractable? I'd like to travel with these, but the exposed male connector isn't the best for durability and physical safety. It is useful to test USB outlets on buses, trains, public places, hotels, cars or just for your curiosity. Or when someone has a cable and something isn't working and you can figure out the problem right away instead of having to speculate. Just a very useful (and interesting) thing to bring.
Picked up a PowerZ (the new version) off aliexpress for $47 last year before black friday and have had good service from it. I have been happy with my purchase and would buy another one should something happen to it. The graph for power is nice, as is being able to save the power data for charging/discharging power banks and doing capacity tests. It has also been good for resetting a slightly dodgy power supply that gets "stuck" sometimes by having the PowerZ request all the PD modes available as that resets things for that particular power supply.
Yeah, no sense buying it off Amazon. ChargerLab spreads FUD that they're fake on Ali, but they are the real deal. It's half the cost or less on Ali depending on coupons.
Recently bought the non-Bluetooth version of the Fnirsi FNB58, it arrived yesterday. I really love it, it tells me every little detail about all my various chargers which is great. I used this video as a reference before buying, so thank you for the info! Time to protocol-check every single charger I come across 🙃
I recently bought a few of the Fnirsi FNB58 models to distribute across my kits. I haven't used any of the more advanced features yet but it's nice to have them on hand. Managed to find them for around $32/ea by patiently watching eBay. It's nice to be able to watch devices charge and compare current draw to what the device reports as charge level. Lots of devices 'simplify' their charge state reporting, saying 100% when they aren't really, so it's useful to be able to verify that and get a better understanding of battery bank SOC reporting and the like.
PowerZ is the one I carry. The power measurements and ability to easily read emarker is all I need. Ive used it with the desktop software but typically i have it with me in the markets when im evaluating cable vendors and I just power it from a battery. I had an issue with a unit after about 1 year and I took it to their office in Shenzhen and they evaluated it and swapped it out on the spot. If I ever break it or lose it then I will buy another one with no thought needed.
A USB powered nightlight is usually enough to keep them on with low power waste. Some powerbanks these days also have a "low current" mode that you can turn on. My Anker has you double click the on button and one of the LEDs changes color to let you know it won't auto-off. You wouldn't know that by looking at it, gotta read the manual.
Hi, great explanation. Good comparison video as I have some of them like: Power-Z KM003C, Atorch, AVHzY CT-3, Essager small type C and others. Actually I use them for many tests, protocols, power measures and that kind of things.
@@AllThingsOnePlace As a good and useful tool there must be more and more. Any tech guy has more than one screw driver so there always be a difference between them. This is how it is - more tools, more good choice, more headache ;)
The CaberQU are for testing cables, which is a bit different from what these power-meters test, even the ones that detect the E-Marker (e.g. the CaberQU test all the pins/wires for connectivity). Cheap-ish devices which can conveniently test the cable _resistance_ are very rare, that BLE CaberQU appears to be one of them, the other one I know of is the BitTradeOne Cable Checker 2, it's pretty nifty.
I have a power z meter and can also attest that mine is accurate to within 0.5-1% across the power range. It's got a bunch of features that for most would be overkill, but it is nice that it has them even if it is pricey in comparison.
I own a couple of the smallest one, I use them just to understand how many watts are being pulled/delivered. As devices usually don’t tell you how quickly they are charging and with what mode
its a big shame, that for example android smartphones that support all of these quick charge and fast charge protocols, dont expose a god damn statistics (hidden under developer mode, I really dont care tbh) about the active charging specs. No, you have to buy one more dedicated gadget, just to know what the hell is happening between the charger and the device. Disgusting and annoying.
@@ricsip Because too many people have the attitude of "whatever, I just want it to work". But continue to care about it and talk about it and the importance of it it will spread. Tat and videos like these are a good influence on these things.
I particularly like the tables for comparison. For my application - standby current measurenent of USB powered microcontroller modules - current resolution and accuracy are most important. Your video was very helpful. Thanks a lot!
I am working on some battery powered sensors, and uA level accuracy would be amazing. Would allow me to program changes, then instantly see the sleep mode power consumption so I can predict how long the battery will last between charges without having to leave it running for a day to measure the battery afterward. Especially as there are many different sleep modes and issues that can cause significantly higher than expected current consumption when programming microcontrollers.
@@AllThingsOnePlace True, but an inline sensor that just connects between my laptop and my PCBs would be way easier. when powering from usb, it can be tricky to find somewhere to insert a resistor without hacking up a usb cable
I use the ubiquitous Ruideng stuff for verifying rough power draw on devices. Occasionally also have to use them to outsmart cheap devices that don’t put the right resistors on their USB CC lines. But sometimes it’s nice to just get a rough idea of how much current a USB device is pulling with little effort.
I have seen that Atorch here in my local E market but the name is HiDance, it is light gray in color and is sold for just 6 US $. The best option for me here is the FNIRSI 58.
When doing the thermal test with several meters in series, the first meter closest to the power source will have a different voltage drop than the last one closest to the negative. So, while current may be equivalent across the series, voltage varies for each meter. Thus skewing the results.
I've had the Klein one for years. I honestly only bought it because it was a name brand that I had some good experience with and was in stock locally, lol I really have only ever used it for testing older battery banks that don't have a built in screen to see what the battery capacity is and what kind of output it supports. Overall happy with it
Yeah, it works, it matches accuracy of the other instruments in the same class. It does have that retail friendly package and name. It will drop a bit of voltage is all.
This is a great video. Lots of great info and testing. I would've loved timestamp sections and a bit more tidy structure, but the video is still great. I also like line graphs (or even bar graphs) that show more than one type of results so that you can judge different products against each other better without going back and forth between multiple graphs. A line graph where products are along the x axis and different colored points for each metric per device along the y axis makes you able to get the bigger picture. :) Just suggestions, even if it doesn't materialize I'd continue to watch these videos as they're great. It's also great content to send to friends and family to help them pick products. Please don't dumb down the technical stuff though. I think this kind of stuff can still be accessible for non-technical people while also catering to technical people. And the knowledge is important to spread, because awareness of technical aspects of products will better regulate quality in products. The more people who know, the more will it matter to manufacturers! The reason companies often don't care or take it serious enough, is because too many people have now idea about this stuff. And even technical people lack sources of good sources like these for the many products on the market! You are truly making a geniunely meaningful impact on the world. This is great stuff.
Thanks for watching! Yeah, I usually come up against a time constraint in terms of production for youtube. It's a get it close enough and send it, system. Otherwise nothing ends up getting released. But yeah, I plan to get this data online so people can generate their own graphics and conclusions at a more reasonable pace. Plus I an add to it anytime that way.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but when a tester needs to draw power as well as measure an accurate reading acting like its invisible. Does that mean there is code in place to know how much power the device is going to use, and adds that on top of the readout so it shows what a device or cable would be drawing without being plugged in?
Yeah, the devices do use a small amount of power. Depending on where they measure, there will be some inaccuracy in the measurement. The power Z and Fnirsi allow external power. There is also burden voltage inherent in all of them. They do not correct for any cabling or external connections.
06:21 To get to the review/testing. Looking at the UNI-T UT658Dual for adapter and cable testing mostly. I like the looks of the Klein but it's not worth the extra cost and the UNI-T has a larger display as well
Thanks for this! I have a couple and just have no knowledge on whether they are accurate or not. Would love to see you test the usb c cables that have built in wattmeters. Since I always get different results between the standalone meters and the built in cable ones
Great video. I have the Plugable one. Mostly bought out of curiosity, but it has been useful to see what cables and charger blocks have developed faults - confirming that a MacBook and Pixel phone were not the source of charging issues.
Thank you for this. Perhaps I've missed a lot in this market, but it's hard to believe that Ruideng (RD Tech) wasn't included here as they basically invented the category of premium USB meters. Not a complaint, just surprising that they may no longer be considered the standard.
FNB58 has some issues with PD. It usually goes into PD detection loop unless it’s powered via the micro usb port. Software updates are a must although PD detection loop is a hardware issue by the looks of it.
The simple little inline meters are about $5 last I checked. I put them everywhere which really diminishes the amount I use the fancier meters. Those small ones also fit many places the bigger ones don’t. I use the Power Z mostly to read cable eMarkers. That function is at least as important as testing the bus configuration and actual current and voltage. The eMarkers of most cables I have purchased differ somewhat and from the marketing literature claims.
Thanks. Everyday life is an important use-case for these. Many USB-C gadgets can charge or be charged, so a direction arrow is important. Also, small is good, but not so small that it needs two extra cables just to function! So, I like the J5Create cable / meter. Mine has held up for almost two years, but Amazon ratings indicate some QC problems. (So, buy early and test it!)
I'm using YZXStudio ZY1280E. It seems they're one of the earliest makers of similar meters. ATORCH is actually the brand! The one you have is ATORCH AT085. Perhaps MakerHawk simply resold it without bothering to rebrand it.
Thanks! Yeah, it was incredibly hard to find models, brands or anything on most of these meters. The atorch is quite well made. I tore it down already.
I don't know about the POWER-Z but the FNIRSI is offering much more than just measuring voltage/power. The most amazing feature it has is that it can be used as a PPS PD trigger to get whatever voltage you want. Also it does way way more, like USB cable testing, mode to measure exact battery capacity, oscilloscope like interface, etc.
@@AllThingsOnePlace I find the Fnirsi works best if you power it externally via the PC port. If you don't do that you sometimes get it rebooting if you try doing stuff like protocol detection. I guess that depends on the behaviour of the PSU under test, but it's a useful feature.
@@turbinia interestingly the Power-Z KM003C has a large capacitor, that enables it to stay on if USB power is interrupted, or for 4 seconds after you unplug it. I think that may cause it to draw a significant surge of power at startup though ...
I wish you included those fancy cables with the voltage display on the USB C side. Was considering one of those. Know a youtuber who replaced all his USB charge cables with those.
They're basically the real tiny one with a usb cable. They do consume power, and introduce some loss. I tested a couple of them in the usb cables list.
which one would you get? the power z 003 or the FN58? lets say the price is not that important, does the power z offer anything that the FN58 does not? thanks for sharing!
I think the power z is maybe a little better on the software side. They're both kind of translation issue riddled pieces but I had a better time with the power z software. The menu I found to be a bit easier to navigate and use on the FNIRSI though. I found getting the FNIRSI to be a pd trigger much easier. In terms of power measurement, they both should be externally powered for the best results. It comes down to opinion.
This video is great! I've been shopping for a good tester and this helps a lot. This may be a dumb question, but can the USB-C testers be used to test USB-A devices if using USB A to C cables/adapters? And if possible, does it add too much resistance or have other consequences? Thanks!
Yeah, so you can power the USB C testers with a USB A to C adapter, I'm actually powering the whole chain starting with a USB A port, it's being powered from a lab power supply too. The adapters that have both do state not to use the two port types on one device though, you do need to use an adapter cable. The cable connections adapter is short and low resistance though so will have minimal impact on readings, of course you will always have some impact on the readings.
Can you connect a bunch of probes via USB for basic board testing in the field or do you have assemble them to get something you don't get off the shelf, does it have to be a hack.
I'm not sure what you mean. They make breakout boards for USB if you want to scope the data pins, slow data specifically, I haven't seen one with high speed data connections for users to probe around.
@AllThingsOnePlace It can mean carrying less to do more from less without having to pack a whole case or storage unit full of kit when you can carry miniature test kits around rather than reference or portable lab equipment in scenarios you really have to carry little. There should be more USB scopes or multimeters for the sake of the topic.
I'm surprised none use a hall effect sensor to avoid 'burden' voltage losses altogether, it would be sensitive to orientation and external magnetic fields though. Also it would need to cal itself at power-up so that's another switching element with 'V-on' losses and.. oh maybe that's why..
Another commenter talked about how complicated it would be to implement, but yeah, the ACS715 or whatever the model is would make a difference in many of these. The atorch (and 100's of other brands that are the same thing) uses a mere 1 milliohm current shunt, yeah, it's junk at low current, but that's actually lower than the cheaper hall effect options although they'd be a bit more accurate. The hall sensors do tend to be worse generally versus a resistor and an op amp, but you get isolation too.
Ive had the 240w plugable one for awhile and i wanted one that would log information so I bought the finrisi one on prime day, good to know it was a good choice
Power-Z km002c is listed as the modelname to be displayed in this video. However on Chargelabs page, I only see the km003C. Is that a newer model / has more features and automatically costs more? Anyone having real-life experience with the differences between these 2?
Your fnirsi was using a very out of date firmware (especially visible due to lack of spaces between words). Perhaps it will show better/worse values after an update? It will definitely detect more USB charging protocols after an update though!
Thanks. Yeah. I figured that. I only did the update with the power z. It’s a first pass at this kind of video so leaving some room for future videos. It is quite an amazing tool though. I did tear down the atorch and it is impressive.
I have different one cheap usb meter - voltage and current measurement is quite good but measuring energy is out of the window - it's not even close, like 4-5x less then it should be.
I have an Kowsi YFFSFDC meter and also a Kovol 120 Watts usb charger. It makes me wonder that it says the power on 20v is 110 Watts, I wonder if its really 110 or if its off by 10 watts
This is awesome, I'm new to this channel subbed for more future interesting & educative vids Please can you do a power bank comparison for 2024, best value for money Powerbanks from 20k mah up, e.g between iniu, anker, romoss, biolite, ravpower, mophie, poweradd etc Thanks Cheers!
Oh shit, I bought Plugable... I wish your video existed before. Thanks for the video!!! Huge fan of you. From what experience, how bad is USB on power extensions? I ordered Belkin 8 Socket 2m USB A & C Surge Protected Extension Lead which is all white. It should be high quality?
The plugable wasn't bad, it did what it claimed. The main issue I have with the USB power in the extension cords is they don't bother with some of the efficiency standards, so sometimes the USB adapters built in are lesser quality versus a dedicated adapter. I haven't looked at a Belkin though, hopefully a little better.
I have the Power Z. Very good for the hardware IT guys. Laptops all going to USB C for charging leaves us with a lot of bad cables and bad ports. Educated opinion - USB C Is a bad hardware decision and I wish we weren’t so deep into it and could change. Opinion aside, it’s nice to know when and what a laptop is requesting for power and if the cable is able and willing to supply.
@@AllThingsOnePlace also. I think the only thing not mentioned in this video is the directionality of these testers and how limiting it can be. The Klein for example is only one way and if it makes the test useless in a lot of scenarios. The plugable’s bidirectionally and rotating screen makes it a great pocket tool.
Could there be something better than USBC? Yes obviously. But would I ever go back to the absolute mess that was everything before it? No, absolutely not. I think that having a naming convention that was easy to read and understand would help a lot.
@@thefuzzbl you don’t see the problem with having a port that can do anything from 5w to 240w and 0 data to 40GB data? All through a flimsy port that and cable end? It would be nice but 99% of cables out there support minimally viable speeds and watts so you never know what you’re gonna get. Don’t even get me started on naming.
Also some of those cheap cables either are not wired for being reversible or it break in one of the sides. And then you wonder what is wrong and is it the port or the cable.
Yep, it’s not perfect as mentioned they have some power consumption that changes between different voltage settings but it is close enough in many cases to call it the same.
The AVHzY/WITRN C5 is great as well, especially for its (discounted) price. AVHzY’s usb testers have been popular for quite some time (rightfully so) but I do think most testers are made by the same OEM as they all look and behave very similarly. 😂
As somebody who tests a lot of cables and chargers, I feel the FNB58 and KM003C are both worth having, but the KM003C is stupidly overpriced. The FNB58 does 96% of what the KM003C can do, at half the MSRP. Honestly, if FNIRSI released an upgrade to the FNB58 that had a male USB-C connector instead of USB-A, I'd be perfectly happy. I've had the FNB58 for a year, and recently 'upgraded' to the KM003C. For most people, the lower cost of the FNB58 makes it a far better option. I feel its UI is also better in most areas. Going with the KM003C is worth it only if you want to do a deep dive into USB PD communication with its PC software, or want a device to be as utterly transparent as possible. I will say it's more 'one touch' than the FNB58 for testing a power supply's capabilities, but reading e-markers on the FNB58 is easier. 5:11 Also, I think you need to upgrade the firmware on your FN58. Mine presents a much more readable statement here, although I have the blue Bluetooth-enabled model. That Atorch model looks attractive. I have some of their other products, and they've all been basic but good. I may have to pick one of those up.
Yeah, the firmware does need to be updated, I updated the firmware on the KM one. Thanks for sharing! Yeah, the power z chargers are expensive but capable. In reality, they're still very cheap for the function they provide.
There are oddball charging protocols that claim things like 300 watt charging for phones... it's a bunch of hype and non-sense but hence the 12 amp capability.
@@AllThingsOnePlace if you look up the part number you can find a datasheet that shows it has proper PD negotiation all the way to 48v. I agree that it's likely an engineering sample. Only one I've seen in the wild.
I usually enjoy this channel but this was a bad review. What about different wattages? What about max wattages? This is one for the clicks and revenue.
The Power Z has made so many tests trivial it doesn't leave my bag. Good to know it's accurate enough too
Yeah, that’s my go to most of the time.
I got one off ali express after seeing it on this channel a while ago. It was a bit cheaper, but took a while as everything over on that site. It does everything I need and then some
@@AllThingsOnePlace I thought the FNB58 was a better value and could test cables with multiple connector types....
@@ThinKkBIGG The Fnirsi FNB58 has some advantages like USB-A male but Power-Z has the advantage of USB-C male. Why do we have to choose? Why not both? And can it please be retractable? I'd like to travel with these, but the exposed male connector isn't the best for durability and physical safety. It is useful to test USB outlets on buses, trains, public places, hotels, cars or just for your curiosity. Or when someone has a cable and something isn't working and you can figure out the problem right away instead of having to speculate. Just a very useful (and interesting) thing to bring.
This is surely one way to give consumers more power to test the quality of the charging devices they buy. Love to see this!
Thanks! Yeah, it's a bit of a mess of a video but yeah, round 1.
@@AllThingsOnePlace Can't wait for round 2.
You absolutely aced this video. Very informative, unbiased, and to the point without sacrificing quality
Thank you!
Right on time! I was planning on buying one but there are so many, I didn't know which to choose.
Thanks!
The subject and your work should have millions of views , thanks.
All hail the algorithm.
I am so glad UA-cam recommended your channel this is awesome!
Picked up a PowerZ (the new version) off aliexpress for $47 last year before black friday and have had good service from it. I have been happy with my purchase and would buy another one should something happen to it. The graph for power is nice, as is being able to save the power data for charging/discharging power banks and doing capacity tests. It has also been good for resetting a slightly dodgy power supply that gets "stuck" sometimes by having the PowerZ request all the PD modes available as that resets things for that particular power supply.
Yeah, no sense buying it off Amazon. ChargerLab spreads FUD that they're fake on Ali, but they are the real deal. It's half the cost or less on Ali depending on coupons.
It's amazing how useful those things can be.
Yes! I use that same trick, too! I noticed that some charger/device combos didn't work, and when I would out the Power-Z in-line, they would work.
Recently bought the non-Bluetooth version of the Fnirsi FNB58, it arrived yesterday. I really love it, it tells me every little detail about all my various chargers which is great.
I used this video as a reference before buying, so thank you for the info! Time to protocol-check every single charger I come across 🙃
hahaha nice.
I recently bought a few of the Fnirsi FNB58 models to distribute across my kits. I haven't used any of the more advanced features yet but it's nice to have them on hand. Managed to find them for around $32/ea by patiently watching eBay. It's nice to be able to watch devices charge and compare current draw to what the device reports as charge level. Lots of devices 'simplify' their charge state reporting, saying 100% when they aren't really, so it's useful to be able to verify that and get a better understanding of battery bank SOC reporting and the like.
What I bought one for $15
@@SharvilSawargaonkar Really? If so, congrats on the find. Where did you get it, eBay, AliExpress?
@@neverendingstudent banggood others are banned here in india
Nice.
PowerZ is the one I carry. The power measurements and ability to easily read emarker is all I need. Ive used it with the desktop software but typically i have it with me in the markets when im evaluating cable vendors and I just power it from a battery. I had an issue with a unit after about 1 year and I took it to their office in Shenzhen and they evaluated it and swapped it out on the spot. If I ever break it or lose it then I will buy another one with no thought needed.
Oh, nice! Yeah, can't beat that for customer service!
A feature to prevent a powerbank from auto shutting down would be nice.
Mm, yeah. Daisy chain enough of them together and it’ll use enough power to keep it on.
A USB powered nightlight is usually enough to keep them on with low power waste. Some powerbanks these days also have a "low current" mode that you can turn on. My Anker has you double click the on button and one of the LEDs changes color to let you know it won't auto-off. You wouldn't know that by looking at it, gotta read the manual.
Funny enough, I use my FNB58 for that purpose lol. It won’t charge my keychain flashlights otherwise.
The Power-Z thingy has a "resistor jumper" mode that does exactly that for powerbanks/chargers that go off if no current is being consumed
Usually shorting the data lines together will accomplish that.
I'd love a review on the fancy features or the PowerZ and Fnirsi. Like, can you capture PD frames and debug a prototype with them or something?
I haven't tried to use these for that, but it would be interesting to see what they can do.
@@AllThingsOnePlace And I haven't found a video actually showing this, they generally barely graze the surface of what these things can do
Hi, great explanation. Good comparison video as I have some of them like: Power-Z KM003C, Atorch, AVHzY CT-3, Essager small type C and others. Actually I use them for many tests, protocols, power measures and that kind of things.
Yeah, they are valuable tools. It does seem like people who buy one end up with more, ha.
@@AllThingsOnePlace As a good and useful tool there must be more and more. Any tech guy has more than one screw driver so there always be a difference between them. This is how it is - more tools, more good choice, more headache ;)
I mostly use the FNIRSI and Power-Z for checking protocols. FYI There is a Kickstarter for a new BLE caberQU.
Thanks. Mm yeah always more to check out.
@@AllThingsOnePlace Yes, please analyze the BLE caberQU.
The CaberQU are for testing cables, which is a bit different from what these power-meters test, even the ones that detect the E-Marker (e.g. the CaberQU test all the pins/wires for connectivity). Cheap-ish devices which can conveniently test the cable _resistance_ are very rare, that BLE CaberQU appears to be one of them, the other one I know of is the BitTradeOne Cable Checker 2, it's pretty nifty.
I have a power z meter and can also attest that mine is accurate to within 0.5-1% across the power range.
It's got a bunch of features that for most would be overkill, but it is nice that it has them even if it is pricey in comparison.
I own a couple of the smallest one, I use them just to understand how many watts are being pulled/delivered. As devices usually don’t tell you how quickly they are charging and with what mode
Yep, they’re great for indicating what is happening.
its a big shame, that for example android smartphones that support all of these quick charge and fast charge protocols, dont expose a god damn statistics (hidden under developer mode, I really dont care tbh) about the active charging specs. No, you have to buy one more dedicated gadget, just to know what the hell is happening between the charger and the device. Disgusting and annoying.
@@ricsip Because too many people have the attitude of "whatever, I just want it to work". But continue to care about it and talk about it and the importance of it it will spread. Tat and videos like these are a good influence on these things.
I particularly like the tables for comparison. For my application - standby current measurenent of USB powered microcontroller modules - current resolution and accuracy are most important. Your video was very helpful. Thanks a lot!
Thank you for the feedback. I want to make another edition at some point.
something that could be interesting content is to get some of those usb-c cables with the 'watts lcd displays' on them and see how they perform.
Yep, I've done one previously, but yes there are so many of them out now.
I am working on some battery powered sensors, and uA level accuracy would be amazing. Would allow me to program changes, then instantly see the sleep mode power consumption so I can predict how long the battery will last between charges without having to leave it running for a day to measure the battery afterward. Especially as there are many different sleep modes and issues that can cause significantly higher than expected current consumption when programming microcontrollers.
You can always insert a resistor in series and measure the voltage drop of it, calculate current. Just make sure you compensate for burden voltage.
@@AllThingsOnePlace True, but an inline sensor that just connects between my laptop and my PCBs would be way easier. when powering from usb, it can be tricky to find somewhere to insert a resistor without hacking up a usb cable
I use the ubiquitous Ruideng stuff for verifying rough power draw on devices. Occasionally also have to use them to outsmart cheap devices that don’t put the right resistors on their USB CC lines. But sometimes it’s nice to just get a rough idea of how much current a USB device is pulling with little effort.
Yep.
I have seen that Atorch here in my local E market but the name is HiDance, it is light gray in color and is sold for just 6 US $. The best option for me here is the FNIRSI 58.
Makes sense.
When doing the thermal test with several meters in series, the first meter closest to the power source will have a different voltage drop than the last one closest to the negative. So, while current may be equivalent across the series, voltage varies for each meter. Thus skewing the results.
Only two things can play. Current and Resistance are the operators. Voltage doesn't matter. Results are still good.
I've had the Klein one for years. I honestly only bought it because it was a name brand that I had some good experience with and was in stock locally, lol
I really have only ever used it for testing older battery banks that don't have a built in screen to see what the battery capacity is and what kind of output it supports.
Overall happy with it
Yeah, it works, it matches accuracy of the other instruments in the same class. It does have that retail friendly package and name. It will drop a bit of voltage is all.
This is a great video. Lots of great info and testing. I would've loved timestamp sections and a bit more tidy structure, but the video is still great. I also like line graphs (or even bar graphs) that show more than one type of results so that you can judge different products against each other better without going back and forth between multiple graphs. A line graph where products are along the x axis and different colored points for each metric per device along the y axis makes you able to get the bigger picture. :) Just suggestions, even if it doesn't materialize I'd continue to watch these videos as they're great. It's also great content to send to friends and family to help them pick products.
Please don't dumb down the technical stuff though. I think this kind of stuff can still be accessible for non-technical people while also catering to technical people. And the knowledge is important to spread, because awareness of technical aspects of products will better regulate quality in products. The more people who know, the more will it matter to manufacturers! The reason companies often don't care or take it serious enough, is because too many people have now idea about this stuff. And even technical people lack sources of good sources like these for the many products on the market!
You are truly making a geniunely meaningful impact on the world. This is great stuff.
Thanks for watching! Yeah, I usually come up against a time constraint in terms of production for youtube. It's a get it close enough and send it, system. Otherwise nothing ends up getting released. But yeah, I plan to get this data online so people can generate their own graphics and conclusions at a more reasonable pace. Plus I an add to it anytime that way.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but when a tester needs to draw power as well as measure an accurate reading acting like its invisible. Does that mean there is code in place to know how much power the device is going to use, and adds that on top of the readout so it shows what a device or cable would be drawing without being plugged in?
Yeah, the devices do use a small amount of power. Depending on where they measure, there will be some inaccuracy in the measurement. The power Z and Fnirsi allow external power. There is also burden voltage inherent in all of them. They do not correct for any cabling or external connections.
06:21 To get to the review/testing. Looking at the UNI-T UT658Dual for adapter and cable testing mostly. I like the looks of the Klein but it's not worth the extra cost and the UNI-T has a larger display as well
Yeah, the Uni-T is the better value for sure.
Thanks for this! I have a couple and just have no knowledge on whether they are accurate or not. Would love to see you test the usb c cables that have built in wattmeters. Since I always get different results between the standalone meters and the built in cable ones
Yeah, I did one in the USB cables list but yeah there are a lot more of them out now.
Great video. I have the Plugable one. Mostly bought out of curiosity, but it has been useful to see what cables and charger blocks have developed faults - confirming that a MacBook and Pixel phone were not the source of charging issues.
Nice. A great use case for these.
What is the sign for charger that have fault?
Thank you for this. Perhaps I've missed a lot in this market, but it's hard to believe that Ruideng (RD Tech) wasn't included here as they basically invented the category of premium USB meters. Not a complaint, just surprising that they may no longer be considered the standard.
Yeah, I have one somewhere. Once I got the Power Z I pretty much stopped using anything else.
FNB58 has some issues with PD. It usually goes into PD detection loop unless it’s powered via the micro usb port. Software updates are a must although PD detection loop is a hardware issue by the looks of it.
Yeah, I had it reset a couple times. I've had the Power Z crash before also. The more complicated they get...
I have fnirsi, bought for mV ripple measure and protocols testing in chargers
it's one of the better ones.
Been waiting for something like this!!!
Thanks for watching.
The simple little inline meters are about $5 last I checked. I put them everywhere which really diminishes the amount I use the fancier meters. Those small ones also fit many places the bigger ones don’t.
I use the Power Z mostly to read cable eMarkers. That function is at least as important as testing the bus configuration and actual current and voltage. The eMarkers of most cables I have purchased differ somewhat and from the marketing literature claims.
mm, thanks! There is certainly more to look at in this field, I just scratched the surface.
Thanks. Everyday life is an important use-case for these. Many USB-C gadgets can charge or be charged, so a direction arrow is important. Also, small is good, but not so small that it needs two extra cables just to function! So, I like the J5Create cable / meter. Mine has held up for almost two years, but Amazon ratings indicate some QC problems. (So, buy early and test it!)
Mmhmm. Thanks for the feedback!
I'm using YZXStudio ZY1280E. It seems they're one of the earliest makers of similar meters.
ATORCH is actually the brand! The one you have is ATORCH AT085. Perhaps MakerHawk simply resold it without bothering to rebrand it.
Thanks! Yeah, it was incredibly hard to find models, brands or anything on most of these meters. The atorch is quite well made. I tore it down already.
Also, you can make a usb to alligator clip cable and use them as general purpose voltage or amp meters!
yeah, I have some of those.
I don't know about the POWER-Z but the FNIRSI is offering much more than just measuring voltage/power. The most amazing feature it has is that it can be used as a PPS PD trigger to get whatever voltage you want. Also it does way way more, like USB cable testing, mode to measure exact battery capacity, oscilloscope like interface, etc.
Yes, I spent some time showing some of the extra features.
@@AllThingsOnePlace I find the Fnirsi works best if you power it externally via the PC port. If you don't do that you sometimes get it rebooting if you try doing stuff like protocol detection. I guess that depends on the behaviour of the PSU under test, but it's a useful feature.
@@turbinia interestingly the Power-Z KM003C has a large capacitor, that enables it to stay on if USB power is interrupted, or for 4 seconds after you unplug it. I think that may cause it to draw a significant surge of power at startup though ...
The Power-Z does all of the same with PD negotiation packet interception and better software + fw support than FNIRSI
@@eugene4350 Thanks! Yeah, I did get the 003 model to check out also. Any tricks or tips for the newer model?
I wish you included those fancy cables with the voltage display on the USB C side. Was considering one of those. Know a youtuber who replaced all his USB charge cables with those.
They're basically the real tiny one with a usb cable. They do consume power, and introduce some loss. I tested a couple of them in the usb cables list.
which one would you get? the power z 003 or the FN58? lets say the price is not that important, does the power z offer anything that the FN58 does not? thanks for sharing!
I think the power z is maybe a little better on the software side. They're both kind of translation issue riddled pieces but I had a better time with the power z software. The menu I found to be a bit easier to navigate and use on the FNIRSI though. I found getting the FNIRSI to be a pd trigger much easier. In terms of power measurement, they both should be externally powered for the best results. It comes down to opinion.
This video is great! I've been shopping for a good tester and this helps a lot. This may be a dumb question, but can the USB-C testers be used to test USB-A devices if using USB A to C cables/adapters? And if possible, does it add too much resistance or have other consequences? Thanks!
Yeah, so you can power the USB C testers with a USB A to C adapter, I'm actually powering the whole chain starting with a USB A port, it's being powered from a lab power supply too. The adapters that have both do state not to use the two port types on one device though, you do need to use an adapter cable. The cable connections adapter is short and low resistance though so will have minimal impact on readings, of course you will always have some impact on the readings.
Thanks!
Can you connect a bunch of probes via USB for basic board testing in the field or do you have assemble them to get something you don't get off the shelf, does it have to be a hack.
I'm not sure what you mean. They make breakout boards for USB if you want to scope the data pins, slow data specifically, I haven't seen one with high speed data connections for users to probe around.
@AllThingsOnePlace It can mean carrying less to do more from less without having to pack a whole case or storage unit full of kit when you can carry miniature test kits around rather than reference or portable lab equipment in scenarios you really have to carry little. There should be more USB scopes or multimeters for the sake of the topic.
I'm surprised none use a hall effect sensor to avoid 'burden' voltage losses altogether, it would be sensitive to orientation and external magnetic fields though. Also it would need to cal itself at power-up so that's another switching element with 'V-on' losses and.. oh maybe that's why..
Another commenter talked about how complicated it would be to implement, but yeah, the ACS715 or whatever the model is would make a difference in many of these. The atorch (and 100's of other brands that are the same thing) uses a mere 1 milliohm current shunt, yeah, it's junk at low current, but that's actually lower than the cheaper hall effect options although they'd be a bit more accurate. The hall sensors do tend to be worse generally versus a resistor and an op amp, but you get isolation too.
I Have 3 or 4 of them. I mostly use them to check the condition of the battery cell(s) in power banks.
Nice, yeah that's not a bad use.
Ive had the 240w plugable one for awhile and i wanted one that would log information so I bought the finrisi one on prime day, good to know it was a good choice
Thanks!
I have the HiLetGo and it seems to work fine for basic use and the price is definitely right.
true
11:00 I am assuming that IdlePower was supposed to be mW (not W) 😉
Thanks! Yeah. Good find.
Got one of the many variants of the MakerHawk AT34, does the job I need it to do.
Thanks!
Purchased through affiliate link. Thanks!
Thanks!
Power-Z km002c is listed as the modelname to be displayed in this video. However on Chargelabs page, I only see the km003C. Is that a newer model / has more features and automatically costs more? Anyone having real-life experience with the differences between these 2?
Not sure myself.
This is what i needed, very very informative thanks for the reviews brother. 😏
Thanks for watching!
Your fnirsi was using a very out of date firmware (especially visible due to lack of spaces between words). Perhaps it will show better/worse values after an update? It will definitely detect more USB charging protocols after an update though!
Thanks. Yeah. I figured that. I only did the update with the power z. It’s a first pass at this kind of video so leaving some room for future videos. It is quite an amazing tool though. I did tear down the atorch and it is impressive.
@@AllThingsOnePlacegarbage video and methodology 🐕 💩 😂
I have different one cheap usb meter - voltage and current measurement is quite good but measuring energy is out of the window - it's not even close, like 4-5x less then it should be.
Hell yeah, been thinking about getting one of these for a while now.
thanks for watching.
With FNB28 can I trigger specific mode and then use that for my choice of charging my phone?
It can be a trigger, but the phone will not be happy if you do that, it could damage the phone very easily.
I have an Kowsi YFFSFDC meter and also a Kovol 120 Watts usb charger.
It makes me wonder that it says the power on 20v is 110 Watts, I wonder if its really 110 or if its off by 10 watts
Would have thought you would have bought the atorch crossed shaped one...
I have it, the one I have is broken, DOA.
Please make some teardown of LDNIO usb charger or power strip.
This is awesome, I'm new to this channel subbed for more future interesting & educative vids
Please can you do a power bank comparison for 2024, best value for money Powerbanks from 20k mah up, e.g between iniu, anker, romoss, biolite, ravpower, mophie, poweradd etc
Thanks
Cheers!
Yeah, I need to get the power bank video going...
@@AllThingsOnePlace Thanks, we'll be waiting for it
Can the FNRSI detect PD3.1?
No, it is a 24V maximum device.
That fnb58 is on detection 1.3 now. You’re on 1.0 in this video.
Do they call the firmware version detection? Anyway, yeah, I want to leave some things for more videos.
Oh shit, I bought Plugable... I wish your video existed before. Thanks for the video!!! Huge fan of you. From what experience, how bad is USB on power extensions? I ordered Belkin 8 Socket 2m USB A & C Surge Protected Extension Lead which is all white. It should be high quality?
The plugable wasn't bad, it did what it claimed. The main issue I have with the USB power in the extension cords is they don't bother with some of the efficiency standards, so sometimes the USB adapters built in are lesser quality versus a dedicated adapter. I haven't looked at a Belkin though, hopefully a little better.
Great review! Thanks
Thanks for watching!
I have the Power Z. Very good for the hardware IT guys. Laptops all going to USB C for charging leaves us with a lot of bad cables and bad ports. Educated opinion - USB C Is a bad hardware decision and I wish we weren’t so deep into it and could change.
Opinion aside, it’s nice to know when and what a laptop is requesting for power and if the cable is able and willing to supply.
Yeah, very powerful tools. Yeah, the USB C port is going to be around for a while, it's in laws now...
@@AllThingsOnePlace also. I think the only thing not mentioned in this video is the directionality of these testers and how limiting it can be. The Klein for example is only one way and if it makes the test useless in a lot of scenarios. The plugable’s bidirectionally and rotating screen makes it a great pocket tool.
Could there be something better than USBC? Yes obviously. But would I ever go back to the absolute mess that was everything before it? No, absolutely not. I think that having a naming convention that was easy to read and understand would help a lot.
@@thefuzzbl you don’t see the problem with having a port that can do anything from 5w to 240w and 0 data to 40GB data? All through a flimsy port that and cable end?
It would be nice but 99% of cables out there support minimally viable speeds and watts so you never know what you’re gonna get.
Don’t even get me started on naming.
Also some of those cheap cables either are not wired for being reversible or it break in one of the sides. And then you wonder what is wrong and is it the port or the cable.
What about WITRN U3?
Had to draw the line somewhere, more for another video though...
Ty so much!
thanks for watching.
I’m a little slow 😢 I need something to tell me how much TIME my cable has left, can someone please help ?
cable and time? depending on use case a lot... years. If you bend and twist the cable a lot then less time.
missing the TC66 and AVHzY
Yeah, I didn't get ALL of them. I have more here I didn't include. Video 1 on the topic.
It's a pity you haven't got FNIRSI FNB38. $15 device
Yeah, have to draw the line somewhere on number of devices, leave room for another video too.
good ol multimeters and manual wiring for the dub
Yep.
I have the 15$ finrisi one and it is good
Thanks for sharing.
no ZY1280E ?
Have to have something for round 2.
My head is spinning after watching this one😅😅😅😅😅😅😅
hahaha, yeah, it's a bit over the top.
Power is I2R ain't it so supply voltage level doesn't matter 10:30 comparison of dissipation
Yep, it’s not perfect as mentioned they have some power consumption that changes between different voltage settings but it is close enough in many cases to call it the same.
The AVHzY/WITRN C5 is great as well, especially for its (discounted) price. AVHzY’s usb testers have been popular for quite some time (rightfully so) but I do think most testers are made by the same OEM as they all look and behave very similarly. 😂
There will certainly be a round 2, I tried to pick ones that mostly 'look' different but yeah in terms of operation they're all pretty similar.
11:46 SUMSUNG
ok
As somebody who tests a lot of cables and chargers, I feel the FNB58 and KM003C are both worth having, but the KM003C is stupidly overpriced. The FNB58 does 96% of what the KM003C can do, at half the MSRP. Honestly, if FNIRSI released an upgrade to the FNB58 that had a male USB-C connector instead of USB-A, I'd be perfectly happy.
I've had the FNB58 for a year, and recently 'upgraded' to the KM003C. For most people, the lower cost of the FNB58 makes it a far better option. I feel its UI is also better in most areas. Going with the KM003C is worth it only if you want to do a deep dive into USB PD communication with its PC software, or want a device to be as utterly transparent as possible. I will say it's more 'one touch' than the FNB58 for testing a power supply's capabilities, but reading e-markers on the FNB58 is easier.
5:11 Also, I think you need to upgrade the firmware on your FN58. Mine presents a much more readable statement here, although I have the blue Bluetooth-enabled model.
That Atorch model looks attractive. I have some of their other products, and they've all been basic but good. I may have to pick one of those up.
Yeah, the firmware does need to be updated, I updated the firmware on the KM one. Thanks for sharing! Yeah, the power z chargers are expensive but capable. In reality, they're still very cheap for the function they provide.
I see a KM003C on Aliexpress for around $62, assuming it's legit
@3:14-Real engineers use RPN or slide rules.
I don't think most people know how to use a slide rule.
goated channel 🙏
Ha.
6:30 into oO
ok
Bad USB cables can damage your electronics especially phones and laptop ports
They'd have to be real bad...
There is a camping gear company called Sundick……..go figure.
haha
Ah, why would you need one that goes to 12 Amps?
There are oddball charging protocols that claim things like 300 watt charging for phones... it's a bunch of hype and non-sense but hence the 12 amp capability.
Hey mate, I sent you an email with a link to buy a 48v 5a 240w USB PD power adapter that you may be interested in. Cheers
Yeah, I saw that, looks like maybe an engineering sample or it's a 48V power supply they stuck a USB end on.
@@AllThingsOnePlace if you look up the part number you can find a datasheet that shows it has proper PD negotiation all the way to 48v. I agree that it's likely an engineering sample. Only one I've seen in the wild.
Go do something bmw related mate!
@@murrayallen3684 engine has been at the shop since fuckin January mate I'm trying ahahaha
@@murrayallen3684 Engine shop has been doing valves/guides since January :(
Who tests the testers?
This channel, apparently.
haha
I usually enjoy this channel but this was a bad review. What about different wattages? What about max wattages? This is one for the clicks and revenue.
You realize you can calculate max watts from max amps, right?
Yeah, different devices requiring measuring different parameters. And yeah everything needed to calculate the parameters for other loads is provided.
I was not expecting the idiocracy reference 😂
ha, yeah, I don't even remember what I said, I apparently also deleted the script and notes for this video. Whoops.
@@AllThingsOnePlace8:50, the ass reference.
😮
Ha.
🙂👍
Thanks!