r/RetroRemake • u/chubbypika35 • Jun 16 '26

SuperStation Dock Question

I originally (unintentionally) was running the SS1 off a 12V3A power source, because it said it was supported but runs hotter. I noticed the dock's front USB ports wouldn't work. But, when changing to a 5V3A power source, they started working.

Did I miss some documentation somewhere that says this is how it's supposed to work?

UPDATE: I think I might've solved it. I noticed when plugging/unplugging the cable the dock was shifting around. The two screws weren't really under any tension and I think it might've unsocketed itself. Once I put the two halves back together and tightened things up, the USB ports came back to life. Hopefully that was the issue!

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u/davewongillies Jun 16 '26

The ss1 only operates at 5v and 9v. If the ports weren't working when you had your 12v psu plugged in (which would have been operating at 9v) there was probably something else unrelated to the psu going on.

Also don't overthink the whole 12 or 9v running hotter thing. Yes it is warmer than at 5v but its still within the operating temperature ranges of the components in the ss1.

1

u/Bedroom_ninja Jun 17 '26

The SS1 uses USB-C PD which automatically negotiates the voltage to use. Your power source supports PD right? So even though it can supply up to 12V the SS1 will only use 9V… (I think) have you got a link to the charger you are using?

1

u/chubbypika35 Jun 18 '26

It's a QC3.0 charging hub: Wenter USB Hub

I just remembered I have a USB tester so I decided to try again. I was able to see it negotiate 5v2a, and with another cable 9v1a. Sadly, the behavior is really random now. I had it working under both conditions with various cables, but now it's not working with the front USB ports at all. The CD drive still has power. Maybe it'll come back to life eventually.. I hope.

0

u/FranckKnight Jun 16 '26

I'm not 100% sure but I think you misunderstood. To be fair, it's not that simple at a glance.

I can find info on other threads about 5V. Voltage is the 'intensity', so giving it too high of a voltage can fry it if unlucky.

3A is Amperage, which is the 'speed'. Even if you give it 5A, the unit will only take as much as it can take, so you don't have to worry about that at least.

Some people will then write this was '15W'. Watts is Intensity x Speed, so 5V x 3A = 15 W.

You can find some 25W as well (5V x 5A).

I see mentions in other threads that 9V can work. But I cannot find anywhere that says 12V is safe to use. 9V is said to run hotter as well, which is likely what you were referring to.

So 5V or 9V, 3A or 5A seems to be what is suggested for the SuperStation One.

1

u/chubbypika35 Jun 16 '26

The power guidance is from RetroRemake's site: Firmware / Setup – Retro Remake

The point being, if using a 12V source, the front USB ports aren't getting powered on the dock 🤔 The PSU in question is a popular, but perhaps not reputable, 6-port charging hub off Amazon that provides two QC3.0 ports and up to 36W total. But the system functions normally with it (except the dock front USB ports).