Safe 5V power adapter for use with USB hub

[Kiriakos GR]

Are you aware of the differences among a product labelled as switching mode power supply from the product labelled as switching mode 5V charger?

Are you aware of hidden high risks?  Of what it can go wrong when using unreliable power adapter this powering sensitive electronics all in a chain with your motherboard USB ports?

Instead writing a lengthy article so to explain of why poorly manufactured power adapter these explode, short-circuit with out obvious reasons, they could cause overvoltage and destroy USB port controller, kill your motherboard and burn many USB devices, what I will do this is an offering of practical advices which every one can use.

First of, if you get from eBay an low cost USB hub this including power adapter as is the small one this pictured in my pictures, simply get a hammer and make it a flat shaped art.
 
A proper switching-mode power supply this should have a weight of no less than 80 grams.
This is the economy proper made ones and their weight this includes necessary in size transformer and switching noise elimination filter.

The inappropriate switching mode power supply this is just 29 grams with out the weight of the cable.

Why selecting a 2A 5V switching mode power supply?
If you use a single USB HDD enclosure (160 to 500 GB HDD) this will feel happy by requiring 450~800 mA (Min/Max) for reliable operation.
One double in available wattage switching-mode power supply this will work cooler when feeding power to USB hub this powering a single USB HDD.
Second advantage this is that now you can connect two USB-HDD storage devices in that hub and you may use them simultaneously.
 
Generally speaking proper sizing method so you to calculate how much wattage you need for single USB hub port, this is 1A per port (PSU named specification).
 
Second reason that you have to worry about other than the quality of the 5V power supply this is the build quality of your external USB hub.
You may test both by running windows HDD Error checking tool for bad sectors,  this will require continues HDD operation for 45 to 90 minutes according to HDD size.
By doing that with out anything failing this translates that you do have reliable hardware links in the specific USB chain. 

I am using WD Elements SATA 2.5" USB 2.0 HDD enclosure with a high performance WD Scorpio ML80 WD1600BEVS Hard Drive.
My requirement this is connecting this HDD with my desktop PC USB ports, only the ports at the back of my motherboard these are capable to deliver enough power.
And the connection of short length USB HDD device at the back of my computer this is trouble which I wanted to avoid.

My successful testing of this DYS122-050200W-2 and it build quality, it did filled me with enough confidence so to use it when I need to use my WD Elements SATA 2.5" USB 2.0 HDD at my Four ports external USB hub.
 
DYS122 this were tested for 90 minutes (HDD constant activity) and it did get warm to 30 Celsius with 22 Celsius indoor temperature.
This is another good performance indicator in my eyes.

WD Elements SATA 2.5" USB 2.0 HDD enclosure teardown / what’s inside
FAKE USB3.0 HUB (True USB2.0) USB\vid_05e3&Pid_0610 Rev_9223