Saturday, July 19, 2014

Samsung Travel Adapter fakes

Wanted to buy original Samsung Travel Adapter with current rate 2A.
It turns out that is not so simple... because most of them are fakes on market even if sold as super original.

Fake adapters
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2622889
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wi-b9k-0KfE

Andvanced reading
http://www.righto.com/search/label/power%20supply
A dozen USB chargers in the lab
Tiny, cheap, and dangerous: Inside a (fake) iPhone charger

One I've ordered via Groupon.
Seller was some local site buy2: Genuine Samsung Charger, proposal was like on this page - http://www.buy2.co.il/o/7cf4afaf-1671-448c-a655-e8aefd5c9b68
I paid 59 NIS and wet to pickup it from Hertzliya.
When I came to the shop, I told that it looks like fake adapter: letters jumping. At home I've checked idle voltage, it was above 5.3V. So I've opened a case at PayPal (as I paid with them). Time passed, no answer from seller, PayPal returned me my money.





The second I bought from eBay, seller neq-trade from Germany. Listing not more exist after I opened a case for fraud item. ~57 NIS with postal delivery.

Look closely to the following pictures


On second picture you can see wry USB port.
And highlights from first one

SIN insted of S/N
Серийныи > Серийный
произ8одства > производста
сдеЛано > СДЕЛАНО

Waiting for an answer from seller.
UPDATE (2014-07-26)
Seller send another picture of adapters he sell, that are also fakes because of wrong text on them.
END OF UPDATE (2014-07-26)

UPDATE (2014-08...)
Seller refused to admit that it was fake and I escalated the case to eBay review.
They did full refund on behalf of seller :-)

Now, let's look how original label should look like.

1. From Samsung shop in Netanya's Poleg mall, ignore model difference. Costs ~130 NIS (with cable).



2. From Bug electronics shop. Sells in original Samsung packaging, cost 89 NIS.
Perfect text alignment!


Update (2015-04-25)
One of fake adapters few days ago stopped working.
Let's openup!

Board connects to mains with this contacts.

That is already rusty!

Very simple design. Main components:
Top left - fuse 250V 2A
Caps looks good, holds capacity. Thanks that its rated to 105C, surprised :-)
DB1 - MB6F - diode bridge - tested, good
IC1 - DK112 - controller
IC2 - CDT817C - optocoupler
T1 - Transformator
D1 - RS1M - diode - tested, good
D2 - SS54 - schottky diode - shorted! need to replace, ordered on eBay


Typical application for DK112 (but 12V 1A power supply).

Some original boards I found on net below.


Left - original, Right - fake