Passthrough electricity while plugged?

[frazam]

I noticed my passthrough having a slight static charge when plugged. The metal body gets a slight rough feeling when it's plugged in, and is smooth to the touch when not plugged. Is this normal? Should I have it checked or something?

Also, what does it mean when it is flashing? When I plug it into a USB car adapter (5v, 2amp output) it just flashes. It worked when I just bought it, but now the PV just flashes and doesn't work. This is the second time actually, first time I was able to replace it... both worked the first time I used it, but after a few days the light just flashes. The PV works fine with the wall outlet though. Does the flashing mean I am not getting enough power? What is the problem here? Thanks!

 

[the_austrian]

Does your passthrough have a battery or not? If not, it might not get enough power because the car limits it? You might want to check it with a multimeter or switch to a passthrough with an included battery.

Regarding the static charge: I recently noticed that when I charge my iPhone4 there is some static charge on it as well. (I absentmindedly touched the antenna with my lips and it tingled). So it might be normal - maybe someone else has an idea why this is.