About a month ago I was approached by CentyLab LLC, a boutique producer of USB power devices. They had a new product, called the PocketPD, that transforms a USB power charger into a bench power supply. They wanted to expand into the amateur radio community and I agreed that this would be a great product to share. After playing around with the PocketPD for a couple of weeks, they couldn’t have been more right. This thing is amazing.
This Tiny Gadget Turns USB-C Into a Power Supply!
So what makes the PocketPD work?
PD or Power Delivery is a standard built into USB-C chargers that allows the device being charged to request a voltage or current higher than the 5.1 volts traditionally delivered via USB. This means digital devices with larger batteries can charge faster and phones can stay cooler during charging as they don’t have to do any voltage conversion inside the device.
PD or Power Delivery has fixed voltage levels, but an extension of PD is PPS or Programmable Power Supply. The device being charged can request from a PPS equipped charger any voltage or current necessary. This is what Pocket PD leverages.
The tiny microcontroller in the PocketPD allows the user to select any voltage or current from the charger, between 3.3 – 20 volts and up to 5 amps. That power can be output to either banana plugs or Anderson Powerpoles on the PocketPD. Which means with this small controller, and a USB-C power block, you now have a precision bench power supply.
This tool is invaluable to electronics hobbyists and students as it can power your electronic projects. As a ham, it can charge batteries and run low power transceivers. As for myself, I occasionally have a need for a variable power bench power supply, but I really don’t want to invest in something bigger and takes up space on my bench. The PocketPD is perfect for me.
PocketPD – USB-C Power Supply: https://www.tindie.com/products/centylab/pocketpd-usb-c-power-supply-hardwarev11/
Pre-Order the PocketPD on Crowd Supply: https://www.crowdsupply.com/centylab/pocketpd
The key is the correct USB-C power charger
The biggest problem I had with the PocketPD is finding compatible USB-C power chargers. If you already own a newer iPhone, Google Pixel, or USB charging laptop, you may already have a compatible charger. The cool thing about the PocketPD is that you can plug it into the device, it will read its capabilities, and report the power modes on the screen. For example, I plugged a 50000 Mah power bank into the Pocket PD and it told me it had PPS, or programmable power, up to 11 volts. That was an unexpected surprise to me. I can now use that power bank, and the PoclketPD, to power my (tr)uSDX QRP transceiver.
When searching for a power supply, look for the following: PD 3.0/3.1 and PPS. GaN III technology is another clue. If the product description lists the DC voltage outputs, look for something like: USB-C1/C2 Output 3.3v-21v~3a. That indicates the USB-C port can deliver variable voltage output.
Compatible USB-C PD/PPS power blocks
128W USB C Wall Charger,GaN III 3-Port Fast Charging Station: https://amzn.to/4qy7FpA
UGREEN Nexode 140W GaN USB C Laptop Charger: https://amzn.to/43HwwNX
Anker 737 Power Bank, 24,000mAh 3-Port Laptop Portable Charger: https://amzn.to/43vvy7u
One last note, you are going to be pulling some power over your USB-C cable, so make sure it is properly rated for the expected current draw. I like Anker cables, and this is the one that I am using: https://amzn.to/4oGi2WC
Finishing Up
The holiday season is fast approaching, which means my annual ham radio gift guide will be soon coming out. Is there a particular item you’d like to see under the tree this year? It’s never too early to drop a hint, so share your wishes down in the comments below.
We may or may not be camping this weekend. It looks like the weather is holding and if the temps are nice enough and rain stays away, we will try to sneak in one last adventure.
Finally, Daylight Saving Time ends this weekend. Be sure to set your clocks back an hour Saturday night. Although I think the only clock in my house that’s not automatic is the timer on the stove. The good news is that Parks on the Air late shift for me now starts at 6pm local time instead of 7pm. I see some evening POTA operations in my future.
I hope to get you in the log soon
Michael
KB9VBR
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