Hacker News Reader

Comment by helterskelter | Hacker News Reader

There's an otherwise decent shortwave radio out there that was originally charged with a micro-usb, then they released a "new" USB-C model...except it will only charge with a 5V brick because they literally just swapped out the ports. Really annoying.

View on HN

Oh man, please tell me it wasn't the CC GP-7. I have the micro version and have been hemhawwing about updating it.

You mean the CountyComm? If so, I'm 99% certain that radio is a rebranded Tecsun PL-360, which is in fact a 5V. I love Tecsun, but why they would cheap out on the USB-C refresh is beyond me.

https://www.tecsun-radios.com/product/pl360-radio-receiver/

Looks more like the 368, but yeah. Good call!

Sounds like the juice may not be worth the squeeze on a USB-C refresh if I have to use an A-to-C cable for it anyway

I'd imagine that a significant portion of the shortwave radio community is capable of soldering in the two resistors.

If the board had unpopulated 0802 pads, I absolutely would be.

Yeah, it's a significantly trickier proposition when the pads aren't there.

The contacts are in the connector, you just need to bring them out and get the resistor on them, which is frankly a pain I shouldn't have to endure when USB-C has been out for 12 years. None of this is rocket science, the manufacturers just aren't feeling the pain.

Is there not enough room for a through-hole resistor to just hang out in the air? Most devices I've opened seem to have more than enough room, so long as one is skilled enough with the small chisel tip.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com