I have the usual failing of a USB cable near to the plug.
Strain has worn out the plastic cover.

Heat shrink cable might fix it, but the on line details suggest a
shrinkage ratio of 3:1 and I don't think a sleeve which will fit over a USB
C plug will shrink down to grip the cable tightly.

I tried to look up wrap around heat shrink (assuming it is the equivalent
of self amalgamating tape) but couldn't find any much below £100.

Any advice?

Thanks



Dave R

--
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David <[email protected]> wrote:

I have the usual failing of a USB cable near to the plug.
Strain has worn out the plastic cover.

Heat shrink cable might fix it, but the on line details suggest a
shrinkage ratio of 3:1 and I don't think a sleeve which will fit over a USB
C plug will shrink down to grip the cable tightly.

I tried to look up wrap around heat shrink (assuming it is the equivalent
of self amalgamating tape) but couldn't find any much below £100.

Any advice?

You can get 4:1 heatshrink, might that be enogh?

... or you could just use normal self amalgamating tape couldn't you,
that's pretty cheap.

--
Chris Green
·

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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On 19/07/2025 20:42, David wrote:

I have the usual failing of a USB cable near to the plug.
Strain has worn out the plastic cover.

Heat shrink cable might fix it, but the on line details suggest a
shrinkage ratio of 3:1 and I don't think a sleeve which will fit over a USB
C plug will shrink down to grip the cable tightly.

I tried to look up wrap around heat shrink (assuming it is the equivalent
of self amalgamating tape) but couldn't find any much below £100.

Any advice?

Just spend a fiver on a new cable. I buy USBs in packs of 5 and discard
ones that wear out

Thanks

Dave R

--
"It was a lot more fun being 20 in the 70's that it is being 70 in the 20's" Joew Walsh

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On 19/07/2025 22:38, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

On 19/07/2025 20:42, David wrote:

I have the usual failing of a USB cable near to the plug.
Strain has worn out the plastic cover.

Heat shrink cable might fix it, but the on line details suggest a
shrinkage ratio of 3:1 and I don't think a sleeve which will fit over
a USB
C plug will shrink down to grip the cable tightly.

I tried to look up wrap around heat shrink (assuming it is the equivalent
of self amalgamating tape) but couldn't find any much below £100.

Any advice?

Just spend a fiver on a new cable. I buy USBs in packs of 5 and discard
ones that wear out

These days I buy the type with the fabric looking braiding as the outer covering. They seem to last a lot longer.


--
mailto : news {at} admac {dot} myzen {dot} co {dot} uk

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

David <[email protected]> wrote:

I have the usual failing of a USB cable near to the plug.
Strain has worn out the plastic cover.

Heat shrink cable might fix it, but the on line details suggest a
shrinkage ratio of 3:1 and I don't think a sleeve which will fit over a USB
C plug will shrink down to grip the cable tightly.

I tried to look up wrap around heat shrink (assuming it is the equivalent
of self amalgamating tape) but couldn't find any much below £100.

Any advice?

Thanks

Dave R

I’ve found you can stretch heat shrink when a room temperature - I use a
pair of smooth, pointed, pliers in most cases. When you heat it later, you find it will shrink back to size as if it would have if you had not
stretched it first- at least if it can.

Ideal for fitting over a connector etc already on a cable or accommodating
a wide range of diameters.


Obviously there are limits, if you stretch it too far it will split -
either during the stretching or when you try to shrink it. Also, while you
can gain on the range of diameters, there are limits.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 19 Jul 2025 19:42:18 GMT
David <[email protected]> wrote:

I have the usual failing of a USB cable near to the plug.
Strain has worn out the plastic cover.

Heat shrink cable might fix it, but the on line details suggest a
shrinkage ratio of 3:1 and I don't think a sleeve which will fit over
a USB C plug will shrink down to grip the cable tightly.

I tried to look up wrap around heat shrink (assuming it is the
equivalent of self amalgamating tape) but couldn't find any much
below £100.

Any advice?

I wouldn't try to mend a broken wire at this point, but if the cable
works OK, I add a dab of hot melt glue, tapering it down along the
wire. It's somewhat flexible, so it works as a strain relief.

--
Joe

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On Sat, 19 Jul 2025 22:14:54 +0000, Brian wrote:

David <[email protected]> wrote:

I have the usual failing of a USB cable near to the plug.
Strain has worn out the plastic cover.

Heat shrink cable might fix it, but the on line details suggest a
shrinkage ratio of 3:1 and I don't think a sleeve which will fit over a
USB C plug will shrink down to grip the cable tightly.

I tried to look up wrap around heat shrink (assuming it is the
equivalent of self amalgamating tape) but couldn't find any much below
£100.

Any advice?

Thanks



Dave R

I’ve found you can stretch heat shrink when a room temperature - I use a pair of smooth, pointed, pliers in most cases. When you heat it later,
you find it will shrink back to size as if it would have if you had not stretched it first- at least if it can.

Ideal for fitting over a connector etc already on a cable or
accommodating a wide range of diameters.

Obviously there are limits, if you stretch it too far it will split -
either during the stretching or when you try to shrink it. Also, while
you can gain on the range of diameters, there are limits.

Thanks.
Very useful!

Cheers




Dave R

--
AMD FX-6300 in GA-990X-Gaming SLI-CF running Windows 10 x64

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On Sat, 19 Jul 2025 22:38:57 +0100, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

On 19/07/2025 20:42, David wrote:

I have the usual failing of a USB cable near to the plug.
Strain has worn out the plastic cover.

Heat shrink cable might fix it, but the on line details suggest a
shrinkage ratio of 3:1 and I don't think a sleeve which will fit over a
USB C plug will shrink down to grip the cable tightly.

I tried to look up wrap around heat shrink (assuming it is the
equivalent of self amalgamating tape) but couldn't find any much below
£100.

Any advice?

Just spend a fiver on a new cable. I buy USBs in packs of 5 and discard
ones that wear out

Tried that.
This is a fast charging cable for my phone which uses an obscure protocol. Realme Pro 6.
The cable I bought claimed to be fast charging but wasn't.

This is why I am contemplating repairing the original to hopefully make it
last longer.

Normal USB cables aren't worth the hassle.

Cheers



Dave R



--
AMD FX-6300 in GA-990X-Gaming SLI-CF running Windows 10 x64

--
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On 20/07/2025 14:05, David wrote:

This is a fast charging cable for my phone which uses an obscure protocol. Realme Pro 6.
The cable I bought claimed to be fast charging but wasn't.

This is why I am contemplating repairing the original to hopefully make it last longer.

Ah yes. I am not sure that any *full* USB cable would not work, only
'charging' cables that carry only power and no data, will not

AFAIK there are no electronics *inside* the cable...

--
Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's
too dark to read.

Groucho Marx

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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David wrote:

I’ve found you can stretch heat shrink when a room temperature - I use a pair of smooth, pointed, pliers in most cases.

I've got a pair of Hellermann fanny-stretchers somewhere ...

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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On 2025-07-21 10:26, Andy Burns wrote:

David wrote:

I’ve found you can stretch heat shrink when a room temperature - I use a >> pair of smooth, pointed, pliers in most cases.

I've got a pair of Hellermann fanny-stretchers somewhere ...

Wedding pliers, our wireman called them...

nib

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 20/07/2025 08:52, Joe wrote:

On 19 Jul 2025 19:42:18 GMT
David <[email protected]> wrote:

I have the usual failing of a USB cable near to the plug.
Strain has worn out the plastic cover.

Heat shrink cable might fix it, but the on line details suggest a
shrinkage ratio of 3:1 and I don't think a sleeve which will fit over
a USB C plug will shrink down to grip the cable tightly.

I tried to look up wrap around heat shrink (assuming it is the
equivalent of self amalgamating tape) but couldn't find any much
below £100.

Any advice?

I wouldn't try to mend a broken wire at this point, but if the cable
works OK, I add a dab of hot melt glue, tapering it down along the
wire. It's somewhat flexible, so it works as a strain relief.

Sugru is good for that too ... but not cheap, I usually only use it when applying extra (tapered) strain relief to Power Supply cables and the like.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 20/07/2025 14:14, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

On 20/07/2025 14:05, David wrote:

This is a fast charging cable for my phone which uses an obscure
protocol.
Realme Pro 6.
The cable I bought claimed to be fast charging but wasn't.

This is why I am contemplating repairing the original to hopefully
make it
last longer.

Ah yes. I am not sure that any *full* USB cable would not work, only 'charging' cables that carry only power and no data, will not

AFAIK there are no electronics *inside* the cable...

FWIW: 'Active' USB cables - with serious electronics inside the cable -
are a thing, but not something the average consumer would be likely to
come across.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 21/07/2025 14:48, jkn wrote:

On 20/07/2025 14:14, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

On 20/07/2025 14:05, David wrote:

This is a fast charging cable for my phone which uses an obscure
protocol.
Realme Pro 6.
The cable I bought claimed to be fast charging but wasn't.

This is why I am contemplating repairing the original to hopefully
make it
last longer.

Ah yes. I am not sure that any *full* USB cable would not work, only
'charging' cables that carry only power and no data, will not

AFAIK there are no electronics *inside* the cable...

FWIW: 'Active' USB cables - with serious electronics inside the cable -
are a thing, but not something the average consumer would be likely to
come across.

I got interested and dug a little deeper.
Active cables are usually to boost bandwidth.
Adaptive charging is a process engaged in by charger and device and
therefore must be independent of the cable except in respect of there
being enough pins connected..


. BUT th
--
"First, find out who are the people you can not criticise. They are your oppressors."
- George Orwell

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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On 21/07/2025 14:00, jkn wrote:

On 20/07/2025 08:52, Joe wrote:

On 19 Jul 2025 19:42:18 GMT
David <[email protected]> wrote:

I have the usual failing of a USB cable near to the plug.
Strain has worn out the plastic cover.

Heat shrink cable might fix it, but the on line details suggest a
shrinkage ratio of 3:1 and I don't think a sleeve which will fit over
a USB C plug will shrink down to grip the cable tightly.

I tried to look up wrap around heat shrink (assuming it is the
equivalent of self amalgamating tape) but couldn't find any much
below £100.

Any advice?

I wouldn't try to mend a broken wire at this point, but if the cable
works OK, I add a dab of hot melt glue, tapering it down along the
wire. It's somewhat flexible, so it works as a strain relief.

Sugru is good for that too ... but not cheap, I usually only use it when applying extra (tapered) strain relief to Power Supply cables and the like.

If the cable is for high power charging, I'm not sure ant kind of repair
is a good idea.
If one of the cores is broken, a connection made by holding the two
broken ends together will not carry current as well as it should -
probably create a local hot spot.

--
Sam Plusnet

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 20/07/2025 14:05, David wrote:

Any advice?

Just spend a fiver on a new cable. I buy USBs in packs of 5 and discard
ones that wear out

Just spent £2.99 on three 3m length USB cables from Amazon https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0F32Z78KS (price now gone up to £3.99)

which is a bit of a bargain, but, yeah, not for your phone.

Tried that.
This is a fast charging cable for my phone which uses an obscure protocol. Realme Pro 6.

That protocol is Dart / VOOC / SuperDart

ChatGPT tells me it uses extra pins, and thicker wire.

What Are Dart / VOOC / SuperDart?
Protocol Brand Usage Max Power Voltage & Current
VOOC OPPO ~20W 5V / 4A
Dart Charge Realme (VOOC clone) ~30W 5V / 6A
SuperVOOC OPPO ~65W+ 10V / 6.5A (or similar)
SuperDart Realme ~65W+ Similar to SuperVOOC
All of these protocols are based on low-voltage, high-current charging,
which keeps the phone cooler compared to USB Power Delivery (PD) or
Qualcomm Quick Charge (QC), which typically use higher voltages (e.g.,
9V, 12V).

The cable I bought claimed to be fast charging but wasn't.

This is why I am contemplating repairing the original to hopefully make it last longer.

Normal USB cables aren't worth the hassle.

--
Adrian C

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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On Mon, 21 Jul 2025 14:00:56 +0100, jkn <[email protected]> wrote:

Sugru is good for that too ... but not cheap, I usually only use it when >applying extra (tapered) strain relief to Power Supply cables and the like.

man oogoo

... the diy open-source sugru substitute: silicone sealant and starch.

Thomas Prufer

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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On 19/07/2025 22:57, alan_m wrote:

On 19/07/2025 22:38, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

On 19/07/2025 20:42, David wrote:

I have the usual failing of a USB cable near to the plug.
Strain has worn out the plastic cover.

Heat shrink cable might fix it, but the on line details suggest a
shrinkage ratio of 3:1 and I don't think a sleeve which will fit over
a USB
C plug will shrink down to grip the cable tightly.

I tried to look up wrap around heat shrink (assuming it is the
equivalent
of self amalgamating tape) but couldn't find any much below £100.

Any advice?

Just spend a fiver on a new cable. I buy USBs in packs of 5 and
discard ones that wear out

These days I buy the type with the fabric looking braiding as the outer covering. They seem to last a lot longer.

I was in Halfords yesterday and they seem to sell this type of
USB cable with a variety of fittings (USB-A to USB-C and others.

Not stupidly expensive either.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 25/07/2025 00:32, jkn wrote:

On 22/07/2025 12:02, Thomas Prufer wrote:

On Mon, 21 Jul 2025 14:00:56 +0100, jkn <[email protected]> wrote:

Sugru is good for that too ... but not cheap, I usually only use it when >>> applying extra (tapered) strain relief to Power Supply cables and the
like.

man oogoo

... the diy open-source sugru substitute: silicone sealant and starch.

I am aware of this, and normally would be quite keen ... but I am a bit nervous about the evolving of acetic acid next to electronics.

Hot snot

--
"Women actually are capable of being far more than the feminists will
let them."

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 22/07/2025 12:02, Thomas Prufer wrote:

On Mon, 21 Jul 2025 14:00:56 +0100, jkn <[email protected]> wrote:

Sugru is good for that too ... but not cheap, I usually only use it when
applying extra (tapered) strain relief to Power Supply cables and the like.

man oogoo

... the diy open-source sugru substitute: silicone sealant and starch.

I am aware of this, and normally would be quite keen ... but I am a bit
nervous about the evolving of acetic acid next to electronics.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On Thu, 24 Jul 2025 16:52:50 +0100, Andrew wrote:

On 19/07/2025 22:57, alan_m wrote:

On 19/07/2025 22:38, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

On 19/07/2025 20:42, David wrote:

I have the usual failing of a USB cable near to the plug.
Strain has worn out the plastic cover.

Heat shrink cable might fix it, but the on line details suggest a
shrinkage ratio of 3:1 and I don't think a sleeve which will fit over
a USB C plug will shrink down to grip the cable tightly.

I tried to look up wrap around heat shrink (assuming it is the
equivalent of self amalgamating tape) but couldn't find any much
below £100.

Any advice?

Just spend a fiver on a new cable. I buy USBs in packs of 5 and
discard ones that wear out

These days I buy the type with the fabric looking braiding as the outer
covering. They seem to last a lot longer.

I was in Halfords yesterday and they seem to sell this type of USB cable
with a variety of fittings (USB-A to USB-C and others.

Not stupidly expensive either.

Just not fit for my needs.

Fast charging requires a specific cable design.

Cheers



Dave R


--
AMD FX-6300 in GA-990X-Gaming SLI-CF running Windows 10 x64

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On Mon, 7/21/2025 12:53 PM, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

On 21/07/2025 14:48, jkn wrote:

On 20/07/2025 14:14, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

On 20/07/2025 14:05, David wrote:

This is a fast charging cable for my phone which uses an obscure protocol. >>>> Realme Pro 6.
The cable I bought claimed to be fast charging but wasn't.

This is why I am contemplating repairing the original to hopefully make it >>>> last longer.

Ah yes. I am not sure that any *full* USB cable would not work, only 'charging' cables that carry only power and no data, will not

AFAIK there are no electronics *inside* the cable...

FWIW: 'Active' USB cables - with serious electronics inside the cable - are a thing, but not something the average consumer would be likely to come across.

I got interested and dug a little deeper.
Active cables are usually to boost bandwidth.
Adaptive charging is a process engaged in by charger and device and therefore must be independent of the cable except in respect of there being enough pins connected..

. BUT th

https://www.totalphase.com/blog/2020/10/what-is-e-marker-how-does-it-work/

"What is an E-Marker

An E-Marker (electronic marker) is a chip that is used in the latest
USB connector iteration, USB Type-C, to communicate between
power source and power sink devices.

The chip is used to communicate with connected devices to ensure
safe data and power delivery to and from the source and sink.

The E-Marker provides the cable characteristics including the cable length,
the maximum supported current and voltage, the type of USB signal, the
vendor and product ID, any alternate mode support, and much more.

An E-Marker is required on all USB Type-C cables that support
5 amps and/or exceed 60 watts of power carrying capability.

USB Type-C cables that are expected to have data transfer rates above 480 Mbps,
or High-speed USB 2.0, are also required to have an E-Marker chip embedded in
the connectors of the cables. Applications that exceed 480 Mbps fall in the
USB 3.1 realm, meaning any USB 3.1 cable is going to, with very minimal exceptions,
be required, by the USB-IF community, to include an E-Marker in the Type-C cable.

At least for USBPD then, there is some expectation of an E-Marker
when the cable is going to be used for 100 watt service (100W 20V @ 5A, to 240W, 48V @ 5A).

*******

Let's look at the phone spec.

realme 6 Pro Specifications - realme (India)
www.realme.com › realme-6-pro › specs
90Hz Ultra Smooth Display, 16.6cm (6.6") FHD+ Fullscreen, 64MP AI Quad Camera,
Ultra Wide, 20X Zoom and Macro, 30W Flash Charge,
Fully Charge in 1 Hour.

Charger output power
Information about the electric current (amperes) and
voltage (volts) the charger outputs. The higher power
output allows faster charging.

5 V (volts) / 6 A (amps) <=== in theory, 6A would need an e-marker chip and the
cable might be labeled as "for 100W charging" which
would be 20V @ 5A. That's if this standard was actually
supported by USBPD, which it likely isn't. We need to
ascertain what spec is really involved.

https://www.croma.com/unboxed/what-is-supervooc-charging

Oppo’s SuperVOOC charging technology, also available for OnePlus and Realme devices,
stands as one of the fastest charging technologies currently available to mainstream smartphones.

SuperVOOC or Super VOltage Open loop multi-step Constant-current charging –
yes, that is quite the mouthful – allows you to charge a compatible phone at up to 240W.
With this power output, your phone can go from no charge to full charge in under 10 minutes.
This isn’t just fast-charging, it’s basically magic!

*******

"you’re expected to use only a SuperVOOC-compatible cable"

Well, OK then. In an exaggeration-filled world, these cables are claimed to charge at 10 amps.

The Oppo one, lists 6.5A as the max current, because after all, the USB Type A and USB Type C electrical contacts, must have some kind of limitation for contact resistance :-)

https://www.oppo.com/in/product/oppovooccable.P.P1100022

OPPO Type-C VOOC Cable 1M-DL129

SKU 110110520017
Color White
Input Port USB-A
Output Port USB-C
Rated Current 6.5A（MAX）
Cable Length 1.0M
Support Up to 80W OPPO Reno10 Pro 5G | OPPO Reno11 Pro 5G | OPPO Reno12 5G | OPPO Reno12 Pro 5G | OPPO K13 5G |
OPPO F29 Pro 5G | OPPO Reno13 Pro 5G | OPPO Reno13 5G | OPPO Find X8 | OPPO Find X8 Pro
Support Up to 67W OPPO Reno10 5G | OPPO F23 5G | OPPO Reno11 5G | OPPO F25 Pro 5G | OPPO F27 Pro+ 5G
Support Up to 45W OPPO A3 5G | OPPO A3x 4G | OPPO A3x 5G | OPPO A3 Pro 5G | OPPO A5x 5G | OPPO A5 Pro 5G |
OPPO K12x 5G | OPPO F27 5G | OPPO F29 5G
Support Up to 44W OPPO Find N2 Flip | OPPO Find N3 Flip
Support Up to 33W OPPO A38 | OPPO A59 5G | OPPO A78 5G | OPPO A79 5G | OPPO F21 Pro 5G | OPPO F21s Pro |
OPPO F21s Pro 5G

One picture on that page, depicts a wire configuration with a "fat VCC and fat GND"
wires. This implies it's not necessarily an E-marked cable (if VOOC even used such
a thing). The phone may conclude the cable type, by noting any voltage droop coming from the charger, then reduce the charge rate. (The voltage might be 4.5V at the phone over a thin cable, 4.8V over the VOOC-ready cable, so the phone knows when a thin cable is there.)

Recommendation:

After you have purchased a "fat" cable from the limited number of VOOC
suppliers, *lay the cable straight* between the charger and the device.
Try not to bend the cable, since the "fat" wires put stress on the back
of the USB Type A and the USB Type C, which were not intended for using
host-clamp-sized wiring :-) Lay the cable straight, take good care of it.

The croma.com page, tells you that fast charging at 6 amps, is beating the
piss out of the battery. Which may or may not be important to you. When the phone goes out of software support, I suppose it no longer matters at
that point.

Summary: Apparently this is not a USBPD at all. It's something else.
What the world needs, is yet another standard.

Paul

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