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I always thought those little USB power meters were a gimmick until a weird laptop issue in Tampa.
A client brought in a laptop that kept shutting down, and all the usual checks came up clean. On a hunch, I plugged in a cheap Plugable USB-C meter I had in my drawer and saw the power brick was only putting out 18 watts instead of the 65 it promised. Swapped the charger and the problem vanished. Has anyone else found a simple tool that saved you from chasing a ghost problem?
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lucas_grant8315h ago
My buddy in Austin had a similar thing with a flickering monitor. He used a basic Klein Tools outlet tester he keeps in his bag. Found a bad ground in the wall socket that was causing the noise. Fixed the outlet and the screen was perfect.
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brookef7314h ago
Oh man, that reminds me of my old apartment. The lights in the kitchen would dim every time the fridge kicked on. Drove me nuts for months. I finally bought one of those testers and found a loose neutral wire in the main panel. The electrician said it was a fire waiting to happen. Scary stuff.
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