• TacoTroubles@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    The worst is the whine from cheap chargers and power banks. Ive resorted to buying a few of my coworkers new/ better chargers in order to give myself some peace.

    • kieron115@startrek.website
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      1 day ago

      Try firing up a CRT display. I’m 40 and I can still hear that fucking electronic whine from several rooms away.

      • TacoTroubles@lemmy.world
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        1 day ago

        Ah, the first time I started hearing things my family couldnt, I’d complain or at least take note of it, and they’d look at me like i was growing a second head.at least CRTs also had a nice warm hum to go along with the whine.

    • azertyfun@sh.itjust.works
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      1 day ago

      The trick is to put a tiny dummy load on the USB charger. Just buy the cheapest USB cable, cut the end off, and solder (or twist) a resistor between red and black. Boom.

      Had a whiny USB power strip at my office desk that stopped whining when my phone was plugged in. Small resistor took care of that perfectly, cheaply, and nondestructively. Got a kick out of confused colleagues asking why I had a dangly cable plugged in with nothing but electrical tape on the end.

        • azertyfun@sh.itjust.works
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          13 hours ago

          USB is 5V so I suppose a 10 mA draw (500 ohm resistor) would be sufficient. 20ohm would be 250 mA/1.25W which is certainly overkill for a dummy load. I don’t recall exact values but mine barely needed any load to shut up.

    • Leon@pawb.social
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      2 days ago

      I’ve a friend who has nothing but IKEA TRÅDFRI lightbulbs. Each and every one of these has a subtle coil whine, and stepping into his home is like stepping into a rainforest, but unpleasant. He doesn’t hear a single peep from them, but to me it’s hella grating. The noise changes depending on what light it’s emitting, as well as the brightness. The worst is when the light is off.