World’s First 25W Waterproof Phone Charger

Based in Tampa, Florida, AquaAmp has released a series of rugged marine phone chargers, both wired and wireless, with outputs of up to 25W.

Showing for the first time at Metstrade was AquaAmp, and last week we described their revolutionary SeaSocket ‘cupholder’ 12VDC outlet. The development team of Robbie Wellden and Ryan Pickren had several other new chargers on their stand, most of which could be customised to match a boat builder’s branding.

The mobile phone is now part of almost everyone’s life, but as these portable computers have become more powerful, so they need regular charging. They also need more watts to top up with, so AquaAmp has developed a range of rugged, waterproof chargers. These are designed to sit on any flat surface, and feature a strong magnet encapsulated into the composite body. Additional spring-loaded jaws are also available for installations on small, fast boats that expect to be bounced around a lot.

The new chargers are certified to the new Qi2.2 wireless charging specifications, a universal standard that has been in development for several years. Under the guidance of the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) Qi2.2 offers 25W of charging, stronger and more precise ‘snap on’ magnetic alignment, better thermal control and universal compatibility. The standard is also backwards compatible to work with older Qi and Qi2 chargers, so existing equipment remains usable.

“The traditional generation of wireless phone chargers struggle to keep up nowadays,” Robby Wellden explained. “They usually output around 15W, so we developed a series of chargers that output 25W, with everything certified to the new Qi2.2 specifications. We have a proprietary process for installing the magnets to make them superstrong. The chargers are available in different form formats for all the various phone types, and there is a power outtake to run various other low-power devices. For higher outputs, the charger can trigger a relay and can also be shown as an icon on the MFD to show the phone is charging. We wanted this wireless charger to be more than just an isolated device – it can be tied into the boats systems in different ways.”

For the wired charging of phones and other devices, AquaAmp has chosen an equally rugged form factor. “To provide the cheapest domestic technology, there has almost been a race to the bottom,” Wellden said. “We have gone the other way and developed products at a higher price point, but with a good look and feel. The chargers still have a strong magnet, along with a spring-loaded clamp, and thanks to an electronic ‘brain’ we can now offer 100W from 12VDC system. Usually, only a 24VDC system can provide that much power”.

The power sockets are all waterproof and can also form a data link to other pieces of equipment on board. Connecting and uploading music to a Fusion stereo, for example, was just one application. A retractable USB cable system was also on show and appeared to act a bit like a multi-port hub for a home computer. Tough, waterproof leads can be pulled from the dispenser and retracted again at the push of a button. With both USB-A and USB-C leads available, boat owners can charge and operate devices like tablets and laptop computers from the 12V supply.

“When it comes to power electronics, I think the marine industry has lagged behind other sectors,” Wellden said. “However, we want boatbuilders to have the best, so when the Qi2.2 specs for a 25W charger were released, we had our first marine product to market within 3 months.”

Ryan Pickern said that AquaAmp is happy to work with boat builders to design a phone holder or DC outlet to match the style of the boat. The units are based on a standardized electronics module, but the surrounding bodywork, clamps and even styling can be adapted accordingly.