Is there a USB powered Smart Switch?

[Harry Bloomfield]

I've just added a couple of Hotel type bed headlights, which include a USB socket, which are live all the time - great for charging a phone, but....

I don't like charging my phone to 100% all the time, what I was doing was plug the mains to USB charger into a smart switch, which switched on for a couple of hours each night, a regime which charged the phone to 80% each night. I can plug the entire light into the smart plug, but then there would be no lights available.

Is there such a thing as an inline USB smart adaptor, which can be plugged into a USB socket, powered from the socket, controllable via Alexa, to switch it's output on and off please?

 

[jado84]

Sonoff makes one that's on Amazon (https://amzn.eu/d/gd8Jutg) - it's usb A on both ends, despite the fact it has "micro USB" in the name. I've never used it but it claims Alexa compatibility.

Worth noting this is 5V 1A only so your phone will charge slowly with this (better for battery life, but you'll find you need to charge it for longer). QC and PD both have significantly more complicated negotiation so you may struggle to find a smart switch that supports them.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Sonoff makes one that's on Amazon (https://amzn.eu/d/gd8Jutg) - it's usb A on both ends, despite the fact it has "micro USB" in the name. I've never used it but it claims Alexa compatibility.

A bit too expensive, for what it was at near £28, so I didn't buy, but kept my eyes open for cheaper alternatives. Which I found today - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/304878924660 £7.07 delivered, and the same item.

 

[Lower]

Does the phone not have a smart charging feature that only charges to 80%?

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Does the phone not have a smart charging feature that only charges to 80%?

Yes, but the 80% is easily confused, by irregular use and charging. It was still showing 78% last night, so I left it on the sofa, this morning and it was still showing 71%.

 

[robinbanks]

My Vodafone contract included free battery replacements (iPhone).. never leveraged it because after 3 years the battery was still 87% - perhaps the iPhone's "hold at 80% and only charge to 100% just before you need it" works well (5W slow wireless charger probably doesn't hurt either)

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

My Vodafone contract included free battery replacements (iPhone).. never leveraged it because after 3 years the battery was still 87% - perhaps the iPhone's "hold at 80% and only charge to 100% just before you need it" works well (5W slow wireless charger probably doesn't hurt either)

I wrecked this Iphones first battery, by storing it on it's charging stand, all the time, when at home. My regime now, it to put it on the stand each evening, but the stand only becomes live for a couple of hours, during the night, controlled by a Smart Plug.

That entire system was recently replaced by a unit, which has a choice of two types of light, and includes a USB charger outlet, all in one. So the problem now, has become one of no lights working, with the Smart Plug off. I think I might have solved that, using the inline USB Smart, so only the USB is switched.

 

[robinbanks]

It only needs a couple of hours? Wow.. Took about 5h for my Qi pad to charge the phone yesterday

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

It only needs a couple of hours? Wow.. Took about 5h for my Qi pad to charge the phone yesterday

It's usually just a top-up needed, not a full charge from empty.

 

[jj4091]

A bit too expensive, for what it was at near £28, so I didn't buy, but kept my eyes open for cheaper alternatives. Which I found today - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/304878924660 £7.07 delivered, and the same item.

Do you mind if I ask what model I-phone you are pairing with. I have been trying to pair the e-welink app on an I-phone 7 for a similar device to yours without success but it worked ok on a later model phone. Just wondered if this device might have the same problem.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

It's an Iphone SE, the older, first version of the SE. The native Apps I have on it, for the devices, are e-welink and Tuya (or something like?). Once connected, I could then integrate them into Alexa.

 

[jj4091]

Thanks Harry so they are probably the same age as apparently they were both brought out the same year. I wonder why yours will pair using
e-welink and mine will not.

 

[robinbanks]

Is the iOS the latest it can be? Got your Bluetooth enabled? Does your Bluetooth still work? (Could be a hardware issue in the phone ..) If they're pairing over wifi, are the devices in the same wifi network and does the network allow clients to communicate with each other? Not all do by default; often a router setting

 

[jj4091]

Is the iOS the latest it can be? Got your Bluetooth enabled? Does your Bluetooth still work? (Could be a hardware issue in the phone ..) If they're pairing over wifi, are the devices in the same wifi network and does the network allow clients to communicate with each other? Not all do by default; often a router setting

Thanks Robin but I think it must be something to do with the e-welink app because I have just managed to pair a different device using a different app. So do not now think it is a phone problem. Have given up on the cheap and cheerful device and gone for something else. Still confused as to why it worked on the later model iPhone though. Yes the IOS is updated.Blue tooth is on and presume it works as this latest app needs it.

 

[robinbanks]

Was the earlier phone limited in the version of iOS it would upgrade to? (I.e. out of support and maxed out at eg iOS12 whereas the rest of the world has moved on..)

Just wonder if the Bluetooth stack on the older phone had some issue that the newer phone/software resolved

Hey ho, software is the most complex thing we ever engineer so..