Recharge From Audio Jack?

[Fred.Amoson]

I saw this product today:

https://www.inflightpower.com/products.asp

Would someone smarter than me please discuss why this will or won't work?

Thanks

 

[maor]

i don't think its good...
see what it does is send power to where power is sent to...
it could porbley damage some stuff

 

[picbits]

It appears to take the low level audio signal (< 1 volt and a few milliamps), store it, boost it to a higher voltage then use its stored charge to power the unit connected for a short period of time.

It should work fine but I dont think you'd get a lot of watt hours from one.

 

[ronsimpson]

Cute! Did I read that right? Recharging batteries from an airplane headphone jack.
I think you could get more power form placing a solar cell near the overhead light. For a while we sold a hand crack generator (the same size) that generated MORE power.

 

[Fred.Amoson]

Cute! Did I read that right? Recharging batteries from an airplane headphone jack.
I think you could get more power form placing a solar cell near the overhead light. For a while we sold a hand crack generator (the same size) that generated MORE power.

That was my general feeling on the product. Just making sure I wasn't crazy.

Thanks!

 

[Sceadwian]

It really depends on the capabilities of the headphone driver on the airplane. Headphones are usually 16+ ohms (from the few I've checked), if the charger supplies only a couple ohm load to the audio jack much more current than you'd expect could be available. "Line out" jacks have a peak to peak voltage of 800mv's acording to 'standard' but headphone drivers could easily put out 2+ volts peek to peek and are able to drive DC loads so presenting a low impedance load to the driver you'd be able to draw power off.
Next time you go on a flight jack a handheld scope into the audio port and present a low impedance load to it, see what you can get. The drivers are obviously capable of outputing enough current to drive every headset on the plane in parallel so I wouldn't discount being able to use it to draw power. Though you may kill the volume to other users.

 

[JimB]

Some aircraft entertainment headphones have a noise cancelling feature which will need a small amount of power.
I guess this thing is using that power to charge w.h.y.

JimB

 

[xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

This seams like a fairly pathetic-power device. I cant imagine anybody charging anything from this, although it has got a nice idea. I wouldnt buy it, thoguh.

 

[rupertherbert11]

I think recharging batteries from earphone jack is not a good idea.
because the internal circuit of the amplifier provides only the very less amount of power (rarely 25mW) in normal. hence it can capable of deliver few millivolts or few milli amps only. Then think of the battery capacity. It can capable of deliver huge amount of power compared to the headphone jack. So rechargin batteries with the help of any circuits will take a long time. Like in the case of airoplane it affects the volume the audio in the others jack because of its excess power requirement.

 

[Hero999]

I don't think it'll work.

I thought headphones on a play all have individual amplifiers as nois cancelling wouldn't work with a single distribution amplifier.

Even so I can't even think of how pathetic the output power much be, I wouldn't waste my time. Don't some airlines provide laptop charger sockets that give 12V, wouldn't that be a more sensible option?

 

[Ambient]

I would not plug in a o-scope while on the plane. Our equipment is completely alien to the general public, and if a passenger is paranoid and sees you plugging in some weird device they are gonna freak out and we will all hear about it on the news. Too risky with the way air travel is nowadays. I wonder if you could actually get through security with it.

 

[audioguru]

I would not plug in a o-scope while on the plane. Our equipment is completely alien to the general public, and if a passenger is paranoid and sees you plugging in some weird device they are gonna freak out and we will all hear about it on the news. Too risky with the way air travel is nowadays. I wonder if you could actually get through security with it.

This guy is an electronics research engineer who designed the inverter that blows up. He looks like the people who blow themselves up.
Can you see him connecting an o-scope in an American airplane?

 

[JimB]

I don't think it'll work.

Neither do I.

I thought headphones on a plane all have individual amplifiers as noise cancelling wouldn't work with a single distribution amplifier.

Each seat has its own controls for the entertainment system, several channels of video and control of sound volume.

Don't some airlines provide laptop charger sockets that give 12V, wouldn't that be a more sensible option?

Yes, but usually only in business class.

JimB

 

[Hero999]

I've never flown before so I wouldn't have know, I was just guessing but it turns out I'm right!

 

[JimB]

I am a reasonably frequent flyer, so far this year I have flown 28 sectors, (as best I can remember).

JimB