back to article Cheap chargers claimed to put gadget fans at risk

Buying an unbranded power adaptor may save you a few quid, but it could end up costing you dear, Trading Standards officers claimed today. cheap_chargers Trading Standards has recalled all unbranded console chargers, including this one marked only 'DE62347066' The Buckinghamshire division of the government-backed consumer …

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  1. Tim
    Coat

    how long have they been dangerous for?

    I have had "third party" chargers for years, always plugged in (not green i admit) and never had any problem with them. They cant ALL be bad. Also, the big companies havent exactly been free from the odd fire in power supply or battery, so nobody's perfect.

    Mine's the Nomex one!

  2. Haku
    Boffin

    USB charging

    I rarely ever bother usng the official charger that comes with the device when it needs 5v, opting for USB charging either with a homebrew or pre-made lead.

    The great thing about USB charging is that you don't have to carry around a lump of plastic often bigger & heaver than the device it charges. Retractable cables being the easiest to carry around.

    It's very easy to make your own USB charging lead for mobile phones (and other 5v requirement devices that don't need more than 500mA) especially when there aren't any official or 3rd party ones available - just buy the cheapest car adaptor you can find, snip off the cigarette lighter plug and and solder on a USB plug.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Down

    Misleading headline?

    Either they're looking for chargers sold for Nintendo handhelds, or they're looking for chargers sold for a significant range of gadgets and portable devices. You can't have both, nor can you reasonably suggest that "gadget fans==Nintendo handheld console owner". Could we have an internally consistent article please?

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Up

    Not worried.

    I bought this power-brick for my ADSL router from the local market for two quid three months ago, saving twenty quid over the OEM price and I've had no pro^%$$.Error: Carrier Lost.

  5. Tim Bates
    Stop

    Take it seriously - it may cost your life

    I can tell you from experience that you really can't muck around with cheap plug packs. I had one supplied with a brand name product that nearly killed me...

    I was 1mm from touching the live pins on the inside of a cheap plugpack. The casing had fallen loose, which meant it felt normal as I grabbed it, but fell to bits in my hand. At the time, I was leaning on the metal rack it was installed in, so one arm on grounded metal and the other 1mm from live 240V pins (helpfully with my thumb next to one and my finger next to the other).

  6. Mike Dayoub
    Flame

    I blog these charger fires

    Blogged a ton of charger fires on my website, SmokeShutoff.com

    Haven't found a manufacturer to build my power strip with smoke detecting shutoff, which would be ideal for protecting against these kinds of charger fires. Just mount the strip above the recharger and if any smoldering starts, it shuts off the charger and sounds an alarm. I don't have any patent protection in UK, so contact me if you want design files and want that market -- I just want to see the product built.

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