Charging From Inverter Melted USB Cord?

[csp99]

Hey guys,
Newbie here and I suspect what caused my issue was me not being careful with the USB adapter I was using, but wanted to ask in case there's something I might be missing.

I was plugged into my (new) Victron Phoenix 12/500 with a quality 12/3 outdoor extension cord, and plugged into that was a little USB adapter going to a DJI drone. I have used the same stuff to charge various phones and other USB devices with no issues, though I can't recall if I had ever used that particular adapter to charge this drone before. After a few minutes it started smoking, with damage to the drone and the end of the cable that was plugged into it. No visible damage to the adapter (threw it out anyway) or extension cord and, even though it's melted, I've since been able to charge the drone without issue.

Any thoughts on what might have happened here? I had probably used that cable and adapter a few hundred times without issue (but again, maybe not with the drone..) so the inverter makes me a little nervous.

 

[sunshine_eggo]

If the inverter is putting out the requisite 120VAC at 60Hz, it's not the inverter.

USB chargers are INSIDE the DEVICES. The adapter/cable only provides 5V and and up to X Amps.

Given the location of the damage, I would conclude it's a bad connector (cable end)/connection (loose, dirty or debris)/device charger (internal charger fault).

I would not conclude it is the device the farthest away from the event. Most "bricks" can accept a wide input. I have a little Samsung USB brick in my hand, and it can take 100-240VAC and 50-60Hz.

 

[Rednecktek]

That's the USB connector that fried. It looks like there was something conductive inside the drone's jack that was shorting the pins in the cable head, or the cable head was damaged internally.

Your inverter is fine, the power brick and cable should be chucked in the trash.

 

[csp99]

Thanks guys, much appreciated.