59 of 59 people found the following review helpful:
Not so MINI, but a good surge product overall.
I've been searching for a product that can extend the outlet on my bathroom for the electrical products that I use. I finally came across this Belkin mini surge protector and features:
- 3 AC power outlets
- 2 USB outlets ONLY for charging (not data transfer) at 5V / 500mA at each port
- Surge protection on all 5 outlets
- 918 Joules...
51 of 57 people found the following review helpful:
Both USB ports don't work at the same time
I bought this product because I'm a gadget freak, and many gadgets can be powered over USB. I planned on using one USB port for an iPod cable and the other with a USB-mini cable, mainly to charge my iPhone and G1. The extra 3 outlets were a nice extra.
However, the first time I plugged in the Mini Surge and attached my iPhone and G1, the iPhone started power...
I've been searching for a product that can extend the outlet on my bathroom for the electrical products that I use. I finally came across this Belkin mini surge protector and features:
- 3 AC power outlets
- 2 USB outlets ONLY for charging (not data transfer) at 5V / 500mA at each port
- Surge protection on all 5 outlets
- 918 Joules Energy Dissipation
- 125V / 15A / 1,875W Continuous Duty Electrical Rating
- 36,000A Maximum Spike Current
- Lifetime Warranty on product
- USD75,0000.00 connected equipment warranty
- 360 degree rotating plug lockable into 4 possible positions
Simple, elegant design in a smooth plastic casing of white and light grey colour. Once plugged, the green LED light will indicate if the power source is grounded.
The box comes with one USB to mini-USB cable to get you started in charging your USB devices as well.
DO NOT throw the prong cover that initially comes attached to the surge protector prong. As the manual states (for those who still care to read the User Manual these days), you can use this plastic prong cover to help further balance the device against any surface. You do this by inserting the plastic prong cover on the bottom of the surge device via a small notch. Also, the plastic cover is handy to use when traveling. Before dumping the surge protector along with your other devices, cover the prongs to prevent it from scratching other objects.
The prongs can be rotated 360 degrees loosely. However, there are 4 positions that enable you to lock it so it doesn't flail along clumsily in any direction. You do this by pressing into the rear a "release button". It's not a raised button, but a flat plastic portion that you have to press hard in order to release the lock. It's quite difficult (at least with the model I received) at first and feels like I'm going to break the plastic button. But I guess if this is normal then it can be construed as a safety measure so it doesn't easily rotate with a simple touch.
IMPROVEMENTS:
The term "mini" is subjective. It isn't really that compact as I would assume from seeing the photo. It is small, yes. However, as a surge protector that can take 3 AC and 2 USB outlets, I will give Belkin the benefit of naming it a mini device.
I would STRONGLY prefer the re-design of the spacing on the AC outlets by allowing larger plugs connected side-by-side. As it is right now, only normal AC plugs and not block-style plugs are allowed without loosing all three outlets. So my proposal is to delete the middle AC outlet and move it to the end-cap of the device (opposite to the 2 USB outlets). As of now, there is nothing there so rather than cramp the 3 AC plugs, then move the third at the end and thus allowing for block-style plugs to be used and still retaining the 3 AC functionality.
OVERALL:
I would not hesitate to recommend the purchase of this surge protection for compact spaces as well as travel purposes especially with the lifetime warranty and amount of protection is offers.
Take note of the selling price Amazon and the others are selling this at. It's ridiculous to see the selling price of this exact device can range anywhere from USD10 to USD30.
Lastly, BE AWARE of the SPECS so you know if the USB device you are plugging is capable of being charged.
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I bought this product because I'm a gadget freak, and many gadgets can be powered over USB. I planned on using one USB port for an iPod cable and the other with a USB-mini cable, mainly to charge my iPhone and G1. The extra 3 outlets were a nice extra.
However, the first time I plugged in the Mini Surge and attached my iPhone and G1, the iPhone started power cycling without end. I tried plugging in one first and then the other, and vice-versa, but it would always make the iPhone freak out. So pretty much, you can't use both USB ports at the same time, which completely removes any benefit I wanted from this.
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I bought this changer thinking that it has two USB ports, it should be able to charge two USB devices... Well it does not, if you are hoping to charge two devices at once... Keep looking...
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I usually stay away from Belkin products, but this thing looks and works great. USB charging works well with our BlackBerry, iPod and Motorola phones. The plug can be rotated 360 degrees, which is a great plus.
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seems like the product died after 3 hours of use. probably the fuse burned out, but there is no way to safe open this device, i just send it back for a refund, but 5/5 to amazon and 1/5 to the product
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I bought this in the hope of reducing the number of items in my travel bag. With two iPhones and several iPods in the family, I am always taking several adapters, splitters, etc. along.
This is an okay unit, but note that it will not charge two iPhones at the same time via the USB ports, or even one iPhone and one iPod. (Two iPod minis seem to work fine.) You can obviously plug the second iPhone in via the 120v outlets, but that kind of defeats the value of the dual USB ports.
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I ordered two of these devices to take traveling with me. I was primarily looking for a way to replace the need for multiple power adapters in my carry-on gadget bag and charge my devices via USB cables. The surge protection and additional outlets were secondary for my needs. With that said, this item may not have been the best choice for me, but from the pictures this 'Mini Surge Protector' appeared to be the answer to my problem.
When I received my package from Amazon I was shocked to see just how big the unit actually was. It weighed 6.6 ounces, and was way too big for my streamlined gadget bag (I travel with a Tamrac Velocity 8x bag 99% of the time). This is more 'checked' luggage friendly than 'carry-on'. Even in a laptop case you're going to need quite a bit of room to fit this unit in.
As for it's performance, it worked just as intended. I had no problems charging my USB gadgets, including my PSP contrary to the previous review on here. For the record, my PSP is the original model and I used a specific charge cable for it (USB to power adapter) as the old PSPs CANNOT charge via USB alone (unlike the new models).
Out of the two units I purchased I did have to return one of the them due to a misaligned USB port. It prevented me from getting a USB cable connected unless I held the cable in place. This may have been fixable, but since I was not happy with the unit I didn't bother trying.
A nice feature of this surge protector is the ability of it to rotate allowing you to align it either horizontally or vertically as not to block additional outlets on the wall.
Had it been smaller and lighter it would've been a perfect addition to any gadget bag, but if you are traveling with minimum available space you might be out of luck. The surge protector is much thicker than the photos let on (check out my user posted photos to see).
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I'm a little disappointed in this product. It's rather large for a "mini" power strip. It's more suited for slipping into your suitcase than a laptop bag. With the non-retractible plug, it's easily three inches thick. Also, the AC ports are normally spaced, so if you have a wide AC adaptor, you'll only have room for two outlets.
The biggest problem is that it won't properly recharge my iPhone 3G over USB. My phone freaks out every time I try to charge it with this strip. You know how the iPhone goes "bleep" when you start to charge it? Well it goes into charge and not charge mode about twice a second -- "bleep!" "bleep!" "bleep!" "bleep!" It charges my Samsung NV20HD digital camera over USB just fine, though.
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Decent unit, seems well made but definitely a few disappointments.
Amazon has 3 copies of this item listed as 3 separate products. The reviews are not consolidated.
The unit is significantly larger than expected. My fault for not observing the listed dimensions, but the pictures give the impression that the device is smaller than it really is.
The swivel plug is nice, but it sticks out from the socket farther than I'd like. Plugging something into the bottom plug can torque the device since the plug has an inch or so of space between it and the wall. So two hands are really needed when plugging items into the device.
The only reason I purchased this item was for the USB ports. I have two normal items plugged into the wall socket but wanted to recharge my PS3 controllers without having to waste electricity running the PS3 itself. Connect the controller to this charger via the USB cable that came with the PS3, no dice. Switched to the thinner, charge only USB cable that came with the charger. That did not work either. I did have my RAZR cell phone handy which uses mini USB for charging. Connected it to the charger with the PS3 USB cable. Did not work. Connected the phone with the charge only USB cable, and it did recharge the phone.
I'd guess that the PS3 is proprietary, but the controller will charge off my laptop. Also makes no sense why a full USB cable would not work. Just because the extra pinouts are wired for data shouldn't affect charging.
The USB spec is for 5V and up to 500 mA of power. I don't know the draw of the PS3 controller, but since it will charge off a PC I'm guessing that the problem is with this charger. Just be aware that USB is not fully compatible.
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