{"id":27087,"date":"2022-10-27T18:26:52","date_gmt":"2022-10-28T01:26:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.podfeet.com\/blog\/?p=27087"},"modified":"2022-10-30T17:22:19","modified_gmt":"2022-10-31T00:22:19","slug":"satechi-4-port-ucb-c","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.podfeet.com\/blog\/2022\/10\/satechi-4-port-ucb-c\/","title":{"rendered":"More USB-C Charging Ports with Satechi GaN Charger"},"content":{"rendered":"

I bought my first USB-C Mac in 2015 when the MacBook Adorable first came out. That was seven years ago and I’ve been a huge advocate of USB-C ever since. I’ve gotten into flame wars on the topic as recently as this week from people clinging to the old and undeniably irritating USB-A connector.<\/p>\n

These people don\u2019t love USB-A either, but they make the valid point that a lot of devices are still USB-A so there\u2019s a need for those ports on our devices.<\/p>\n

My approach has been to only buy devices with USB-C whenever possible. If that option isn\u2019t available, I keep a pile of chicklet-sized USB-A to USB-C adapters in my desk drawer and in my travel bag. They\u2019re inexpensive and easy to carry so I can easily dedicate them to each device who’s manufacturer insisted on living in the past.<\/p>\n

At my desk, I have a CalDigit TS3+ dock that provides a plethora of ports for my computing needs. The back connectors are pretty much fully-populated, and on the front, I keep the single USB-C and USB-A ports open for the occasional need to transfer data or charge a device.<\/p>\n

That sounds ideal, but it\u2019s not. My 14\u201d MacBook Pro wants a 97W power supply but the TS3+ only provides 87W of Power Delivery. The front USB ports on the dock, under certain conditions, complain like Scotty saying, \u201cI\u2019m giving her all she\u2019s got, Captain!\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Hyper
Hyper Juice 100W USB-C GaN Charger<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A few years ago I purchased the Hyper Juice 100W USB-C GaN Charger<\/a>for $99. It isn’t all USB-C though. It has two USB-A and two USB-C ports on the front, and a flip-out US wall power plug.<\/p>\n

I plugged it into a power strip next to my desk and with a bit of a reach, I am able to plug in two USB-C devices and the occasional USB-A device. It’s great for travel because I could charge my laptop with it and still have 3 ports open. The 3 ports are open, but I can’t really charge much there because my laptop eats up most of the juice.<\/p>\n

Instead, for travel, I continued to carry my much tinier, dedicated 65W GaN charger from Eggtronic. I know it\u2019s counter-intuitive that I use a 65W charger when I just finished saying 100W was barely enough. If there’s only 65W available, my laptop will still charge but it just charges more slowly. Even with my 16\u201d Intel MacBook Pro, it easily charged overnight which is all I need.<\/p>\n

Even at home, the Hyperjuice GaN Charger wasn\u2019t ideal. Because of the flip-out power design, it took up three spots on my power strip, and more importantly it had those old-fashioned USB-A adapters. I found I had to buy chicklet-sized USB-C to USB-A adapters to be able to charge my modern devices with it. Also, reaching way over to the table next to my desk to get to the messy power strip was accidentally giving me a stretch of my obliques and no one wants accidental core strengthening.<\/p>\n

\"Satechi
Satechi 165W USB-C 4-port PD GaN Charger<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

My new solution is much more elegant and meets my needs perfectly. It\u2019s the Satechi 165W USB-C 4-port PD GaN Charger<\/a>, recommended to me by friend and NosillaCastaway Norbert Frassa. This charger cost $120 and is available for the US, EU, AU, and UK.<\/p>\n

The Satechi charger provides a massive amount of power at 165W guaranteeing that I can charge my laptop and three other less-power hungry devices. I\u2019ll come back to some detail on how that works.<\/p>\n

The main reason I bought it is that all four of the ports are USB-C. Instead of a flip-out power port, it has a normal power cord out the back. That\u2019s a trade-off you may not want to make but with my setup, it freed up two power ports on my power strip.<\/p>\n

The Satechi charger comes with a little stand so it can sit vertically on my desk and stay firmly in position as I plug and unplug devices. No more oblique exercises are required to add and remove cables!<\/p>\n

One of the delights of the Satechi charger is that you can mix and match the ports to different power requirements and you don\u2019t have to read tiny labels to see which one provides how much power. Instead, the power you can consume through it simply depends on how many devices you connect.<\/p>\n