USB power meter recommendations

General
1

I am thinking about buying one of those USB power meters, which I have seen people here in the forum use.

What should I look for if I want the most versatile model ? Any specific model recommendations ?

I see some are with PD and I also find its nice to have many connector options USB-A/USB-C/micro USB.

And some are with app connectivity by Bluetooth, sounds also like better display and perhaps more features ?

And can they stop charging after limited time or when battery is 90% full or after set amount of mA etc ?

Summarizing how many mA was charged, is that standard ?

2

I use this

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3

Thanks :+1:
Which features do you like about it ?
I think it doesn’t have PD and 24V max, while some go to 34V ?
On the positive side, it’s under the toll-free limit :ok_hand:

4

What do you need a value over 24 volts for?
Do you want to measure or control charge?
This is an accurate measuring instrument. The rest I think is unnecessary Chinese glamor. 90% charge is like Chinese IP68
Any limit is only worth something if you measure between the charge controller and the battery. Here you measure at the charge control input.

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5

I guess the higher voltage may be hit on the PD interface, when charging a computer ? I don’t know these standards very well, that’s why I seek information. And I think, when buying one anyway, why not get one that measure it all…

6

I have tried a couple and found this one to be the best of those. It will allow you to connect by a standard USB (plugged directly into power device), Micro USB or Type C USB to provide power. It has an easy to read screen and has BT capability. It has five different display screens of information. I purchased it from BangGood. Here is the link for specs. Voltage range 4.5-24V.
(https://www.banggood.com/UM-24-USB-2_0-Tester-Ammeter-Voltmeter-Coulometer-Capacity-Mobile-Power-Supply-USB-Tester-p-1301988.html?cur_warehouse=CN&rmmds=search

USB tester

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7

Can it cut off power on criteria ?
Did you try the UD18 or UD24 ?

8

It does not have the ability to stop a charge. Only the device controls the charge circuit. I did not try those models.

9

USB chargers normally are limited to around 5 volts unless they are a fast charger and those will run up around 9 volts. I’ve bought USB volt / amp meters for less than $2 that work fine. Those cheaper ones toggle the display back and forth every few seconds between Amps and Volts. A couple bucks more will get you one that shows both at the same time. Laptop power supplies for charging a laptop are not USB and are not relative to the USB meters that will be used between a USB charger and a phone or watch. Now USB-C is a bit different and can go up to around 20 volts in some cases but I doubt you will see use for that in any watch or most cell phones.

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10

I own this one, which is cheap and has bluetooth connectivity: https://a.aliexpress.com/_mN2q2v7

It works very well, I’m quite happy with it!

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11

here is a table of all charging standards

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12

I bought the Atorch T18, and it (finally) arrived today, after a long time travel, then held back by customs (even though under the free max amount), and postal service claiming they couldn’t deliver because of incomplete address (while the address label was perfect on the package I received)
I chose it because it has power cut off after selected min charging level and time, so it can switch off the power when changing has ended. And it has a phone app for basic display and programming settings.

IMG_20210112_200740
IMG_20210112_2007402829Ă—4610 1.94 MB

13

i use it is 2 tester its versatile

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