Originally Posted by
oshelef
I have recurring problems using AC power ports on airplanes in that my power plug seems to be loose or not engaging the mechanism somehow.
Often I can get it to work, at least briefly, by various reinsertion, rotations, and jiggling of the cable. If I'm lucky this lasts a while, but often not.
On my most recent flights I grabbed an alternate cable with no difference.
Have I just been unlucky and sat in worn out ports some how? Would I be better off with some sort of 3prong converter? (My cable uses the standard 2 prong, unpolarized plug.) Try yet another cable? Some technique I don't know?
The contacts for the U.S. plugs are often worn out. The universal sockets that they use on airplanes are not designed for the hundreds of plug/unplug cycles that they receive.
The UK contacts in those universal sockets are more robust and since they are rarely used they are usually not worn out. I put a UK power plug onto a three outlet U.S. outlet power strip (cut off U.S. plug and attach a UK plug).
You can buy a three outlet power strip at a U.S. Ikea (item 00086428) or on Amazon (item
B08NWZXT5F) for about $2.50. Order U.K. plugs from Aliexpress.com (item 10000172493923).
I can't post a picture of it but you can see it at the imgur web site. It is imgurDOTcomSLASHN2zctQ5DOTjpeg .
With three outlets I can share the power outlet with someone else since there are usually only two per row.
Of course you can also use a U.S. to U.K. power adapter put the U.S. two prong plugs tend to fall out of those as well.
Or you can buy a power strip with a UK plug, on Aliexpress one of them is item 4001159318984 and has two universal outlets and four USB outlets (not QC).
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