AC Powered USB Hub as a Charging Device?

double b26

double b26

New Member
im wondering if i could buy a 4-port usb hub, with an external power supply, and use it for charging mp3 players and other devices that charge via usb. it wouldnt be connected to a pc or anything, but just powered up so i could charge things with it. would that work?

im planning on buying my nieces and sister mp3 players for christmas. they have a computer, but its not on all the time. im looking for something that could charge at least 2 devices at once, so the girls wont be fighting over a single charger. i found this belkin dual usb charger at newegg. i have an identical one, but got it on closeout for $6. $30 is more than im paying for the mp3 players (a piece), so im looking for a cheaper route. i found this usb hub for just $15. if it could be used as a charging device, it would work out great!

thanks!
 
I run my Zune threw a 4 port USB 2.0 works awesome, I also run a external hard drive with a Memory card reader and a keyboard. So you'll be fine
 
thanks for the replys...

just in case i wasnt real clear before, i am wanting to use the usb hub only to charge stuff. it will not be connected to a computer, just plugged into the wall to supply power. as for the belkin dual usb charger.. well, that one is mine. i was looking for something similar, but can find anything under $30. that is a bit out of my price range, so im looking for a cheaper solution. i have two ideas:

1. (ac powered usb hub) - in theory, if the hub is powered by AC, then it should be able to supply the 5.5v needed to charge usb devices. of course, it wouldnt be good for data transfer, since it wont be hooked up to a pc.

2. (usb ac adapter to non-powered hub) - the other idea (and i think someone hinted at this in one of the posts above) is to pick up a single-output usb AC adapter (like this), and run a device-powered usb hub from it (like this one). together, it would give me a way to charge multiple devices from an AC source.

so, thats where i stand. all in all, i think a cheap AC powered hub would be the cheapest solution. that is, if it will work. what do you folks think?
 
I can't say for sure since I've never used it that way before, but I used +12V to USB adapters (for the car) and it charges my devices fine, so I would imagine it would but again I can't say yes or no for certain.
 
i hear ya. myself, i dont see why it wouldnt work. i mean, if it has power running to it, it should supply power through the ports. sure, it might not have data transfer cables connected, but it should still power up and everything. i guess ill give it a shot... just wish i could test the theory before i spend my money. oh well, if i go through with it, ill post back with the results.
 
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