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Just purchased a TS-80 soldering iron and have been incredibly frustrated by the power requirements. While USB-C, the device requires 2A with 9V. Out of four Ty

Just purchased a TS-80 soldering iron and have been incredibly frustrated by the power requirements. While USB-C, the device requires 2A with 9V. Out of four Type C, PD chargers, I don’t have anything capable of this combo. Shopping around for something other than a dedicated QC3.0 charger, it’s been interesting to see how few of the manufacturers publish a convenient and complete set of charging specs. Something like this will certainly come in handy.

simcop2387 8y ago
It's unfortunate but as you've noted, the TS-80 is QC3.0 only. This means you're going to need a dedicated charger (Though I thought the TS-80 shipped with one?). This means that it doesn't support negotiating with USB-PD devices to get the power it needs even though they'd be otherwise compatible. If they had been able to do QC 4 or USB-PD directly then it'd be a lot easier to find compatible devices (QC 4 added compatibility with USB-PD up to 27W).
- borgel 8y ago
  Quite a frustrating limitation!
- voltagex_ 8y ago
  I wonder if it'd be possible to make a QC2/3 -> PD translator? (for up to 12V/1.5A)
  - simcop2387 8y ago
    Not a huge reason why you couldn't. There's some differences in current and voltage resolution; PD does 20mV increments of the voltage and similar for current, depending on the mode you ask for; and QC 3.0 does it in 50mV and 100mA steps IIRC. So you'd have to round up for the current and hope for the best with the voltage which would likely fine, cable losses would be more than the differences in steps. But that could result in less accurate regulation and such on the other end if it jumps too much and causes it to then request a lower voltage until it drops the next step.
  - bb88 8y ago
    Yeah... I just saw the components to build one. If you want to go from PD to QC3, someone has a USB PD sink board that asks for the most power from the PD source and outputs that as a DC voltage. Then, aliexpress sell the QC3 boards that take an input voltage.
sitkack 8y ago
Looks like I'll be sticking with a TS-100 that runs off of a Thinkpad power supply just fine.
- simcop2387 8y ago
  I'd still check out the TS-80, given a good USB battery pack it can be more easily portable than the TS-100 and some of the design changes are really nice improvements on the TS-100. I kind of hope they take them (most the tip design) and spin them into a new rev of the TS-100 for an updated setup. The EEVBlog does a good review of things: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Z9es-D9_8g https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Z9es-D9_8g [TS-80 Review] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEYt2jTTVdE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEYt2jTTVdE [TS-100 vs TS-80 comparison]
chx 8y ago
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Original-Xiaomi-Mi-USB-C-60W-Charger-Type-C-USB-A-6-Ports-Output-Dual-QC/32857580730.html https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Original-Xiaomi-Mi-USB-C-60W... 1×USB-A(Orange): 5V-0.3A/9V -2.0A/12V - 1.5A 1×USB-C : 5V-3.0A/9V - 2.0A/12V - 1.5A it is quality https://lygte-info.dk/review/USBpower%20Xiaomi%20Mi%2060W%20Fast%2BQC%2BPD%20usb%20charger%20CDQ06ZM%20UK.html https://lygte-info.dk/review/USBpower%20Xiaomi%20Mi%2060W%20...
- cerberusss 8y ago
  Awesome you linked to lygte-info.dk! It's one of my go-to sites to find decent tests of chargers. Lots of reviewers simply don't do decent testing like the writer Henrik Jensen does. For instance he does over-voltage testing, which sometimes breaks an otherwise decent-looking charger.

simcop2387 8y ago

It's unfortunate but as you've noted, the TS-80 is QC3.0 only. This means you're going to need a dedicated charger (Though I thought the TS-80 shipped with one?). This means that it doesn't support negotiating with USB-PD devices to get the power it needs even though they'd be otherwise compatible. If they had been able to do QC 4 or USB-PD directly then it'd be a lot easier to find compatible devices (QC 4 added compatibility with USB-PD up to 27W).

borgel 8y ago
Quite a frustrating limitation!
voltagex_ 8y ago
I wonder if it'd be possible to make a QC2/3 -> PD translator? (for up to 12V/1.5A)
- simcop2387 8y ago
  Not a huge reason why you couldn't. There's some differences in current and voltage resolution; PD does 20mV increments of the voltage and similar for current, depending on the mode you ask for; and QC 3.0 does it in 50mV and 100mA steps IIRC. So you'd have to round up for the current and hope for the best with the voltage which would likely fine, cable losses would be more than the differences in steps. But that could result in less accurate regulation and such on the other end if it jumps too much and causes it to then request a lower voltage until it drops the next step.
- bb88 8y ago
  Yeah... I just saw the components to build one. If you want to go from PD to QC3, someone has a USB PD sink board that asks for the most power from the PD source and outputs that as a DC voltage. Then, aliexpress sell the QC3 boards that take an input voltage.

sitkack 8y ago

Looks like I'll be sticking with a TS-100 that runs off of a Thinkpad power supply just fine.

simcop2387 8y ago
I'd still check out the TS-80, given a good USB battery pack it can be more easily portable than the TS-100 and some of the design changes are really nice improvements on the TS-100. I kind of hope they take them (most the tip design) and spin them into a new rev of the TS-100 for an updated setup. The EEVBlog does a good review of things: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Z9es-D9_8g https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Z9es-D9_8g [TS-80 Review] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEYt2jTTVdE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEYt2jTTVdE [TS-100 vs TS-80 comparison]

chx 8y ago

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Original-Xiaomi-Mi-USB-C-60W-Charger-Type-C-USB-A-6-Ports-Output-Dual-QC/32857580730.html https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Original-Xiaomi-Mi-USB-C-60W... 1×USB-A(Orange): 5V-0.3A/9V -2.0A/12V - 1.5A 1×USB-C : 5V-3.0A/9V - 2.0A/12V - 1.5A it is quality https://lygte-info.dk/review/USBpower%20Xiaomi%20Mi%2060W%20Fast%2BQC%2BPD%20usb%20charger%20CDQ06ZM%20UK.html https://lygte-info.dk/review/USBpower%20Xiaomi%20Mi%2060W%20...

cerberusss 8y ago
Awesome you linked to lygte-info.dk! It's one of my go-to sites to find decent tests of chargers. Lots of reviewers simply don't do decent testing like the writer Henrik Jensen does. For instance he does over-voltage testing, which sometimes breaks an otherwise decent-looking charger.