I dont mind if your product has a low life expectancy, but please dont make your product lower my life expectancy..

"Probably not as dangerous as a power supply, because this looks dangerous and that doesn't." Love that.

Brilliant analysis. I remember a colleague who designed a transformer for a product I was working on. One day, I saw him carefully unwinding a transformer. I asked what he was up to. "I validated the samples the company sent us, I'm now validating one of the production transformers they sent us to make sure they are to the same standard". Turns out, production samples and production run parts don't always conform to the same specification :) That was 25 years ago, looks like the same holds true now. Shame, because I agree, it looks like they did a good job on the other parts of the build.

i know nothing about electrical stuff, but your channel is sooo fun to watch.

It could be a feature, it charges your phone, and then charges you when you are ready to get your phone.

I think this is the rare case where china actualy under rates the output of a device. This company is just to modest.

..I really like how he talks to us respectful, like we understand everything even though many of us are here to learn like myself.. it adds to the learnig experience with positive thinking.. thanks professor

high end looking product.. quality looking circuit.. faulty transformer.. really?

CSI: Clive's Serious Investigation, exposing shocking events!!!!

Dual purpose device for charging and electrotherapy lol

15:53 Very pleased to see your mighty beard getting involved there.

"You damaged your product. Your warranty has been violated." - chinese seller on Aliexpress about this video

Wow, well, you called It Clive, you fucking called it. It's finally happened, a mains output USB charger.

Sir, I know little about electronics but your presentation is so well done that I found myself following along quite well. You explain things in details easily understood even by a novice. If you haven't thought about it and looking for a revenue stream I'd suggest calling local litigators and offering your services as an expert in the field for testimony. Having many lawyers in my family I know how valuable these experts are.

That's a pretty glamorous knife you have there.

Thank you for NOT cutting the video short, your suspicions are confirmed!

Thanks again Clive, very entertaining video. Didn't quite know exactly how close to death I was but glad to be shot of it!

I love the understatement of the year, "A wee bit dangerous"... If the amperage is high enough, and the mains certainly qualify, it's potentially lethal!

Why would 37 people dislike this? Do they work at the transformer factory?

This was the first Big Clive video that I ever viewed. Been a fan ever since.

For some reason seeing you slicing the paper off the transformer was oddly satisfying.

The thing actually fed live 230V through the USB ports? That "cheap pink USB charger from china" song (or whatever it was called) that Clive made certainly comes to mind...

This is better than those dime a dozen reality tv, pawnshop-vision crap Discovery channel tries to push

Cut to view of beard full of bits of yellow tape.

Cool teardown Clive. And thanks to the guy for sending it in (I'm also I'm glad you're unharmed). The few times I have had a belt from mains electricity has taught me not to take everything for granted.

I have no idea what you talk about in these videos because I'm hardly an electrician, I hardly know anything about electrical besides the basic plug wiring and ohms law... However, I am deeply interested in your videos and have been subscribed for a while. Keep it up! :)

We are so proud of this product.

Clives Channel: 98% of people here enjoy either the destruction of electronic devices, or like his voice, the other 2% are probably other electricians :P

I love watching you work. It's like watching my buddy's dad work who's also an electronics engineer (retired from Delco). It's like each one of your fingers is it's own individual arm...

These analysis videos of yours where you just try to find where the fault lies and your thoughts about it are some of my favourite videos 😊 love a good puzzle and your methods of investigation!

I can't tell you how enjoyable it is for me to hear your voice with your accent describing electronics issues and theory. Greetings from Canada, keep up the good work!

I am new to electronics and have been watching your videos for a while now. This is the first one that I was glued to the screen. rewinding and pausing the whole time trying to see what the issue was. I have been meaning to say thanks for a while for your information and videos. I have learned a lot from you and others but you bring a lot of entertainment along with it. I'm from Connecticut, US. Thank you from here.

I'd be really interested to see you teardown some Anker gear. I have always found they work well and the build quality is good, but I've never seen inside any of them.

had a good chuckle when you felt the need to shout "sorry!" to your hypothetical neighbors that were disturbed. Sooo British I love it

I like how you don't skip to key points and show us the whole investigation. I do watch videos that are quick and dirty but sometimes it's nice to sit back and watch a nice long, detailed autopsy.

If you ever come with a similar fault in the future you might consider using a razor blade or a scalpel to cut the pcb traces going to the secondary one by one. That way you could identify the exact windings that are short circuit. Only then remove the transformer and you will know where to look, even if the fault disappears. Enjoy your teardowns, excellent work. Cheers.

Lord the way you cut toward you... too brave!

Clive, will you follow me around and narrate my life please?

Congratulations Sir. I have a PhD in electrical engineering, an ex-wife and three children with degrees in electrical engineering. I wish I was half the engineer you are.

Always fascinating to watch your autopsies and experimental circuit builds. Takes me back to highschool

i swear if i never see yellow tape again, i'll die a happy man

"AvE would be proud of me here" ahah love it

Haven't a clue about how these things work but I still found myself glued to this video, eager for what the autopsy revealed. Just subscribed :)

I didn't know that I needed this kind of video in my life... That was enthralling. I was fullscreen and still found myself leaning towards the screen. Thanks!

Got notification on phone for new Clive video. Keywords jump to my eyes. "Horrific", "fault", "electrocution". ....oh this gon be good.

I must say, Clive, I admire your thoroughness and dogged determination along with your calm analytical narrative style. It's as though you're investigating with us instead of merely lecturing us.

Fantastic video. Wish I would have found your channel a long time ago because every video is a learning experience. Please keep doing what you're doing, because you are a real asset to KZfaq!

Clive, always enjoy your vids. Love to see a guy with experience go through these things :)

Watched this one all to the end conclusion. Loved it,reminded me of when I used to unwind electro speaker magnet coils from old valve radios hoping that that break was just under the surface and the Yussss when it was!

If you were in Canada, saying CSA would have been totally fine, since it is the Canadian Standards Association, which certifies electrical products.

Always a pleasant end to the day when Clive derogatorily analyses a dodgy Chinese appliance for our entertainment. Thanks, big man!

I really like your videos ... and I love the problem solving process you take during the investigation.

Congrats on 100k subs clive!

sometimes i do question myself what am I doing here at 4am watching 30min of a fault hunt but then again it was pretty good.

This has convinced me it is time to invest in a USB tester with digital read-out, and a mains socket tester incorporating lights. Your investigations are extremely fascinating, and I would add, in many cases, life saving. Well done!

Absolutely love what you are doing. I never miss any of your videos.

The quality of that unit actually looks pretty good. Its a shame that a single component failure inside could kill you!

Superb analysis!!! Quite simply excellent.

Surely ... Clive Scene Investigation !!! Thorough, informative, and oddly fascinating :-) Thank you Clive!!

I'm studying electrical engg now, but coursework makes it really easy to just get lost in the math. It's thanks to you (I also enjoy EEVblog!) to help reignite the practical joy of EE!

I don't normally like these types of channels but you got a new sub :) like how you explain everything as you go.

You're right BigClive, we want you to show us everything.

When Big Clive goes to find Waldo, he doesn't just find him, he finds his whole family, his friends, dog, and all the places they have been in last year.

I like the pace and the genuine troubleshooting of this video.

Well done Clive - for saving lives!

AvE would indeed be proud of you breaking it open lol!

Greetings from the ever so hot Mohave Desert! I have one of those deals hanging from an outlet in our RV charging most all my chargeable crap. It has done a nice job for the past 3 years, so perhaps I got a good one, or just got lucky. Thanks for the video, I always enjoy your atopsy of dead or dying electriconic devices. Learn a lo from your channel, just wish you had more time to make more vides each week so I could learn faster. Thanks a million for the great education, and for keeping my intrest in electronics on the cutting edge. My good wife of 48 years wanted me to pass on her thanks for putting me to sleep so she can play her games on her machine, for when I am asleep, my computer is pretty much still, and the internet is all hers! Your soothing voice has a tenancy to make a fellow nod off if he isn’t paying close attention.

I was an electronic tech and worked for engineering for 11 years. After I watch your videos I started dissecting everything I sell now looking for bad quality.

That really is too bad. They even used polymer caps on the output, where you pointed out where they are next to the heatsink. They will have a much longer life expectancy in such a situation than electrolytic caps. So, they tried and it isnt a bottom dollar design.It just looks like whatever machine was wrapping that transformer maybe had some protrusion or something?

You can spend numerous hours designing and laying out a proper SMPS with the best engineers just to have it all killed by penny pinching part pickers without your knowledge also i may add that that adhesive foam on the bottom is BAD ... its not conductive but it will track fairly well, carbonize and short after some time ... especially if any contaminates got under it ... if you have to use one place it on the LV side to prevent tracking or place the adhesive side on the case it self

I've always had trouble with understanding wiring diagrams to an extent but you make it look so easy.

why was i recommended this and why did i watch the whole 28 minutes of it?

At the point where you removed the transformer and lost the fault, wouldn't a megger check have been prudent, as it would probably have broken down the insulation again? Great videos, Clive, keep up the good work.

Spoken like a real pro at 18:09. Fantastic video! Great debugging skills, Sir!

Took me 2 videos to subscribe.... love your curiosity and drive to get to the meat of the matter (thats one way to put it) love from Mexico have a great day...

returning to amazon. "slightly used". xD

"Morbidly fascinating"

not something that would normally interest me being that I'm more on the network administration side, rather than the engineering domain, but your videos truly fascinate me. I've subscribed as a result

Thanks for your videos. I find I can't help watching because A: You explain stuff really well and B: Your accent and voice is so appealing to me. Wish you been all my teachers, I would have listened to every word Ha ha.28 mins spent on something I will never do, just because your voice You captivates me :-).

In Canada we have a CSA which may actually do just what you did. The Canadian Standards Association does product safety testing, like UL.

I actually enjoy the struggle to bust things open.

You mentioned AvE, you immediately get my subscription. Nice tear down and investigation!

Great video, I love the investigation as to what failed. I agree about the older type transformer types with seperated windings.

Hi, Clive. Great video as always. Must point out out that under safety testing there must be creepage and clearance distances between primary and secondary circuits. I did see holes in the PCB usually to increase creepage distances, however putting a foam sticker over them will cancel the reason for the holes reducing the creepage again. Also if this foam is hygroscopic would fail the flash test after the humidity test.

they are now advertising these as having an any theft feature you touch my iPad and you die.

"probably got some filtering if it's got any quality at all", is now on the list of favorite quotes when troubleshooting deadly electronic fails.

I now almost nothing about electronics but I find it interesting. I mainly watch cause your voice is awesome.

Nick is lucky to still be with us...

Any chance you could do a teardown of one of the Anker Chargers of this style?

I don't understand the technical stuff, but i like it when you open things up

Have you every considered doing somewhat of a tutorial series, or a video like this where you go in depth on what the terms that you say mean to help let other people who don't know what is going on in the video to learn. Loving the vids!

I was cringing when you were trying to open up the yellow thing with the knife. I've cut myself like this so many times

I really don't know why I keep ending up here, but at least your videos are interesting.

wow that was a tough find wasent it buddy lol good job investigating on your part dang i learn so much from you i used to be in the dark so bad . but you are pulling me into the light . keep up the good work .

Great work. I believed CSA investigation, although I thought it odd with a European outlet. Formerly known as Canadian Standards Association, now CSA Group, began as Canadian Engineering Standards Association in 1919, a standards organization in Canada that does electrical certification. There are others, but it's the first symbol I look for on a piece of electrical equipment to see if it's certified.

Clive you need to do this in a live stream. Not because I feel that the youtube community would benefit, but for your own safety! That way if you electrocute yourself we can call to get you help! :-) I can picture it now, "Ring RIng - Ah yeah Mrs Clivedotcom? This is KZfaq calling, he did *it* again... We are watching the paramedics live and everything seems ok. As they carried him out Clive wanted us to remind you to let the dog out before going to the hospital and to pack a sandwich for him. Oh and Mrs CliveDotCom, the KZfaq community would like to know if you could possibly do a short Q/A on the stream tonight? Thanks!

Transformer, you are the weakest link. Goodbye!

I know AvE would be proud, I love watching his vids, too. As a side note, I subbed. Totally into these types of videos, lol

Excellent presentation! Thanks, much and keep up the great work.

"Next-life expectancy" LOL! Near-death experience!