NZ Power Supply?

[Loaf]

Hello,

Looking for a recommend, cheap microUSB charger / solution in New Zealand. Did some searching on the forum, only useful topic I found had an unsubstantial conclusion. The few links to products I did find didn't have the microUSB cable or cost more than the Pi itself which isn't ideal.

Any good, cheap, stable options? The more I look into powering the Pi, the more contradictory the information gets as people post all sorts of warnings and recommendations about what to buy and what not to buy. Frankly, I'm left confused and nervous about what to spend my money on.

Thanks

[pluggy]

I'm a fan of 'Pi power supplies' sold on Ebay, since if it doesn't work with a Pi you have a valid complaint. The internet has convinced me that NZ uses the same power connectors as Aus so :

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Aus-Power-Su ... 500wt_1414

[Loaf]

Thanks for a reply.

Yes, I am 99.99% sure New Zealand and Australia share the same standard, didn't think of that.

I hate to sound picky but is that product available on an "official" retailers website, rather than eBay?

[pluggy]

In this neck of the woods there are small firms that sell into the electronics/micro-controller world that also deal with the Pi. But I can't find anything for NZ. It probably hasn't reached 'critical mass' over there yet. Many of the firms that deal with the more established 'Arduino' deal with the Pi because they attract the same kind of geek......

[Loaf]

Even if its an overseas company, I'd rather buy from a website than a trading / auction site like eBay.

[pluggy]

Its finding one who stocks ones to fit NZ sockets and who will ship there. I can pretty much guarantee that 98% of the companies that sell over the internet on their own website also sell on Ebay. A vendor on Ebay I've dealt with several time runs a local computer shop. And my distributer of choice for computer stuff (one of the biggest in the UK) also sells stuff on Ebay.

Plan B, find a very reputable dealer who will sell you a Apple, Samsung or Blackberry micro USB charger. They need to be very reputable because of the number of fakes around, especially Apple. They probably won't be cheap though.

[pluggy]

I'm firmly of the opinion that the Pi should have had a 2.1mm DC socket and be supplied with its own power supply rather than trusting to the lottery of using phone chargers. The Arduino had it right.......

[Loaf]

Thanks for your effort.

I did look to see if there was an "official" website for that seller, but it looks like they are using eBay as their primary store.

[Wheel_nut]

Without meaning to cause offence, you are misguided in believing that electronic goods bought from an online shop are of better quality, or even different to those sold on eBay.

The fact is that (almost) all of these products are made in China by small manufacturers who buy components and sub-assemblies from China's industrial infrastructure. Yes, there are a lot of fakes out there but the sad reality is that many of the branded goods are made in the same premises as the fakes.

As has been said elsewhere, the best way to power a Rev 2 (or late Rev 1) RPi is by backfeeding one of the USB Ports from a Hub. This obviates three of the problems inherent in feeding the MicroUSB Socket:
a) Most MicroUSB Chargers being intended for Mobile Phones are rated at 1 Amp or less.
b) The MicroUSB Connector and the cables used are too flimsy to carry the current required without excessive Voltahe drop.
c) There is a 1 Amp PolyFuse on the RPi Board, just inboard of the MicroUSB Socket and this component is known to cause an excessive volt drop, especially if subjected to repeated stress near to its rated limit.

The answer is to use a POWERED Hub which usually comes with a short but robust cable to the RPi. unfortunately, most of these Hubs are suppied with inadequate Power Supplies but because they ise the standard 5.5mm/ 2.1mm barrel connector, you can use a standard PSU rated at 5V, 2A REGULATED.

I hope this helps.

[Loaf]

Without meaning to cause offence, you are misguided in believing that electronic goods bought from an online shop are of better quality, or even different to those sold on eBay.

This has nothing to do with why I don't want to purchase on eBay. I'm not sure where you got that impression from since I haven't even mentioned my reasoning.

The answer is to use a POWERED Hub which usually comes with a short but robust cable to the RPi.

Sounds like overkill, but thanks for the suggestion.