The 510: USB passthrough worth buying?

[mbolack]

So with this, the hub doesn't even have to be plugged into the computer? That would make me feel so much safer! thanks!

[mikea]

So with this, the hub doesn't even have to be plugged into the computer? That would make me feel so much safer! thanks!

Does not have to be plugged into a computer.

I've received e-mail from people using different kinds of devices that they say also work. For example, a Radio Shack AC adapter of some kind. I tried one of those today -- the least expensive they had. No luck, but I clearly got the wrong thing (a charger -- but that doesn't seem to be the right kind of AC device for use with passthroughs). And the guys at the store couldn't figure out what I was asking for. That phrase powered hub doesn't seem to compute. As it were. The reaction I kept getting was: yeah, no problem, the computer powers the hub. No, no, no.... :-)

A couple of people have said they have good luck with a Kensington battery-backed-up powerpack of some kind. That'd be nice, portability-wise. I couldn't find one of those locally, so I just let my impatience get the better of me and got the Belkin hub.

[Surf Monkey]

Practically any USB wall adapter should work. I use my iPhone adapter to run my 801 passthrough sometimes.

[mikea]

Talkin' to myself... (could be worse -- I might try talking to myself, only to find that I'm not listening :-)

> Kensington

I think the model those other folks were telling me about is K38021, available at various electronics outlets. Looks pretty versatile.

[mikea]

Practically any USB wall adapter should work. I use my iPhone adapter to run my 801 passthrough sometimes.

My experience with the units that didn't work suggested that the ones made for charging won't do the job when they have 'smart' circuitry that says: no further power when the connected device is charged. Either that, or the ones I tried just didn't have sufficient output to begin with.

[Shadowdr]

Got replacement batteries from china the other day. It does seem to work much better then the original battery. It had got to a point that it would sometimes not work while pushing the button every time and now every puff is like a fully charged battery. I checked the battery I removed and it was fully charged but just did not seem to work as well as the new ones.

[Linthorn]

Has anyone had any experience with Puresmoker's pass through? It looks like it can handle the power better than the one most complain about. Of course, it is pretty expensive ($35).

[a2dcovert]

Linthorn,

That does look like a much better looking unit than the passthrough I have. The heavy guage wire should help a lot. It makes no since that the passthrough I have doesn't work better. I don't know who made it but the tiny wires are the culprit. There is a 360ma battery in the passthrough. The battery in the 510 battery unit is less than 200ma so the passthrough should work much better?

I don't use mine as much as I wanted to because of the poor performance. I hope my experience with the higher capacity batteries will be like Shadowdr's. I have some 500ma batteries comming from China too.

Kevin

[Corki2]

Can anyone tell me how long it takes to charge the battery in the 510 passthrough? There were no instructions and there is no indicator light. I'm clueless. Thanks in advance.

[BobW]

Can anyone tell me how long it takes to charge the battery in the 510 passthrough? There were no instructions and there is no indicator light. I'm clueless. Thanks in advance.

When I got mine I just plugged it into a powered usb hub(not connected to a pc) and it worked. Used it from about 3pm to 11pm and then went to bed . Left it plugged in till the next day and was about the same.