Database Users

car chargers

what car chargers will work with our phone? I saw someone had used a charger from a razr, but when I went to the store to check them out, the usb cable wouldn't fit, and I wasn't going to try to for the thing on there. Any ideas please?

I use a mini USB cable to the phone with a usb car charger.

You should look again. I use 2 old Razr chargers (1 home & 1 car) and they both fit perfectly. My old Htc diamond and touch pro chargers work too.

ryan5943 said:
You should look again. I use 2 old Razr chargers (1 home & 1 car) and they both fit perfectly.
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Depends on what razr you had. I think they changed the port to a micro usb in one version.
Like railstop said, find a GENERIC USB car charger. If you can find one that is just the car charger plug with USB port(rather then a non-detachable cord) then that is even better b/c you can plug any usb cable into it. USB A -> mini .... USB A -> micro ... USB A -> iPod
It doesn't matter. If you get the generic then you can also plug in any device that will charge off your computer.

If the charger is marked 1 A, it'll charge faster. Some of the mini USB chargers, for phones or BT headsets only charge at 300mAh or 700mAh. They'll charge, eventually, but a lot slower.

smarcin said:
If the charger is marked 1 A, it'll charge faster
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Good point. Some devices(not the hero) will complain that the charger is not compatible but 95% of them will still charge. They just throw up that warning b/c they will charge slower.
If you are constantly using GPS then you will want to hunt around for a 1 amp version because even with a 1A charger the hero's battery can't keep up with the drain of GPS and data for the navigation.

I too am using an old Moto car charger(not Razr). Just look for any USB mini car charger, don't get suckered into Sprint approved accessories. If you have an extra miniUSB cable, it may be better to get a generic USB car charger, so you can switch out when you get a new phone.

centran said:
Good point. Some devices(not the hero) will complain that the charger is not compatible but 95% of them will still charge. They just throw up that warning b/c they will charge slower.
If you are constantly using GPS then you will want to hunt around for a 1 amp version because even with a 1A charger the hero's battery can't keep up with the drain of GPS and data for the navigation.
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i went out and bought a generic moto charger that has the different adaptors on it, but it's charging slow as ****, to the point of pretty much not even seeming to charge. I also had a griffin usb charger that was doing the same thing. :grr:

Could a charger above 1000mA damage the phone? I have two gps mini-usb car chargers rated for 1500mA and 2000mA.

vashing said:
Could a charger above 1000mA damage the phone? I have two gps mini-usb car chargers rated for 1500mA and 2000mA.
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No it wont matter. The phone will just draw 1 amp, the ratings are just maximums.

abr27440 said:
No it wont matter. The phone will just draw 1 amp, the ratings are just maximums.
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Thank you.

Lost my charger. Which one to buy?

Self explanatory really. I realise any micro USB charger will fit, but I've read that of the voltage / amperage doesn't match, it can fry the phone. How true that is I don't know, but I don't want to risk it. I asked LG, and they directed me to their spares and accessories website. Initially it looked promising, but it turned out the website was terrible, was no info about anything.
I've had a look to find other 5V 1.2a (the specs of the charger that comes with the phone) micro USB chargers, but not had much luck. Any chance anyone could send me a link to a charger that matches the nexus charger? That would be very much appreciated.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app

I read something that said if you use a charger with a higher amp, that won't cause any problems at all. Is that true? So I could use a 5V 2a charger with the nexus 4 (the original charger was 5v 1.2a)?
The reason I'm so concerned is that when I use my HTC Desire charger (5v 1a), the screen stops working properly. I used it all the time when I first got my phone and the battery in the phone died, and I had to get it replaced. I don't want that to happen again, so I don't want to use a charger with different amp output.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app

phil35 said:
I read something that said if you use a charger with a higher amp, that won't cause any problems at all. Is that true? So I could use a 5V 2a charger with the nexus 4 (the original charger was 5v 1.2a)?
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Yes, that's true. The phone will only draw the current that it needs. A 2A charger won't "push" the whole 2A to the phone, the phone will just "pull" the 0.8A or so that it needs.
Sent from my Nexus 4

Order the Nexus 4 Wireless Charging Orb - Comes with Wall Charger & USB Cable (probably way Google doesn't just sell the Charger/Cable - to push the Orb)

steviewevie said:
Yes, that's true. The phone will only draw the current that it needs. A 2A charger won't "push" the whole 2A to the phone, the phone will just "pull" the 0.8A or so that it needs.
Sent from my Nexus 4
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Exactly. The amperage rating is what the charger can output based on demand of its load.
Sent from my Nexus 4

USB Charging / Car Charging

I've just upgraded to a sexy Xperia Z but have a few charging related issues.
I discovered that it will not charge on my work PC (older USB 1.0) but its fine with USB 2.0...
However it will not charge in my car charger, cheap USB cig adaptor and usb cable that came with the phone, I can charge my old S2 using this but not the xperia z.
Can anyone advise why or what i can do? I don't want to purchase anything to find out it won't work..

Replace the usb cig adapter to a newer one. If it doesn't work return it get your money back
Sent from my C6603 using Tapatalk 2

vaders said:
I've just upgraded to a sexy Xperia Z but have a few charging related issues.
I discovered that it will not charge on my work PC (older USB 1.0) but its fine with USB 2.0...
However it will not charge in my car charger, cheap USB cig adaptor and usb cable that came with the phone, I can charge my old S2 using this but not the xperia z.
Can anyone advise why or what i can do? I don't want to purchase anything to find out it won't work..
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You need to get a high amperage charger, the default is 1.5 amps, so look for 1.5 - 2 amps car charger, otherwise your phone will drain faster than you charger can supply. Especially if you are using the phone as in car GPS or similar
USB charge is normally around 0.7 of an amp, so will be hit and miss if you charge or not. You can also get cables that cross over some pins to gain close to 1 amp

danw_oz said:
You need to get a high amperage charger, the default is 1.5 amps, so look for 1.5 - 2 amps car charger, otherwise your phone will drain faster than you charger can supply. Especially if you are using the phone as in car GPS or similar
USB charge is normally around 0.7 of an amp, so will be hit and miss if you charge or not. You can also get cables that cross over some pins to gain close to 1 amp
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Try TomTom dualcigcharger it's pretty good
Sent from my C6603 using xda premium

[Q] Recharge time > 8 hours?

Hey all,
I've been using my N10 for a week now and am wondering why and if it's normal for the tablet to require 8+ hours to recharge?
I'm plugging it into the wall using a generic USB cable and non-Samsung power block. Should that matter at all?
Signed 'confused...'

Yes, the charger matters. The stock wall charger is at 2Amps, while a normal USB connection is at 0.5Amps, for example. All devices will charge more slowly on lower amperages, but since the battery of the Nexus 10 is so huge (9000mAh - about double your average laptop), charging it from 0 to 100 will be dreadfully slow, if you're not using a proper charger.

1. Are there other wall chargers with higher Amp output that are safe to use w/ the N10?
2. Is there any long term damage to the battery using a higher or lower Amp charger?

Another issue is if the charger is made for an Apple product it doesn't short the data pins so the Nexus doesn't see it as a high amperage power supply and only pulls .5 amps.
Use the OEM Samsung charger or get one of these:
Ventev r2200 AC Travel Charger, Dual 2A USB Port 110-220v With MicroUSB Cable
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BSC7FW0/ref=cm_sw_r_an_am_ap_am_us?ie=UTF8
And if you want a it to charge even faster, use a pogo cable.
Original Pogo Cable for Google Nexus 10 (25% Faster Charge) - MAGNECTOR
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00D7NZLK6/ref=cm_sw_r_an_am_ap_am_us?ie=UTF8
Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2

garberfc said:
1. Are there other wall chargers with higher Amp output that are safe to use w/ the N10?
2. Is there any long term damage to the battery using a higher or lower Amp charger?
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Higher than 2.1 amps? Not commercially that I'm aware of, though you could always jerry rig some contraption to deliver more.
The problem is, however, that the device will not draw the extra power. A device will draw the power it can use, and no more. I haven't tested what the draw is on my Nexus 10, but on my Note 2, it never draws more than 1.8 amps (although that reading may be a little inflated and it really only draws 1.5 amps). I suspect it's more or less the same with the N10 and the stock USB cable and Samsung 2.0 amp charger. So if you went nuts and jerry rigged a 50 amp power supply to the device, it would still only draw 1.5 amps.
Note that the draw can be affected by the USB cable you use. I've seen some USB cables draw less than 500mA where the stock Samsung USB cable draws 1.8 amps.
Bottom line is that you're not going to find a wall charger above 2.1 amps as far as I know, and even if you did, it wouldn't charge the Nexus 10 any faster. The problem is what you identified in your original post -- using some plain vanilla 500mA (0.5 amp) micro USB charger that you've had lying around the house for the past several years and assuming that it should charge just as well as the stock Samsung charger. It won't, as you discovered -- the N10 will only draw about a third of what it's capable of drawing from such a charger.
Be careful buying 2.0/2.1 amp chargers from Amazon or wherever, particularly if they're identified as Samsung chargers. They're almost always counterfeit, and no better than the 500mA chargers I mentioned above.
You might also want to look into the POGO charger cable because it allows the Nexus 10 to draw virtually the full 2.0 amps from the charger rather than 1.5.

JasW said:
Higher than 2.1 amps? Not commercially that I'm aware of, though you could always jerry rig some contraption to deliver more.
The problem is, however, that the device will not draw the extra power. A device will draw the power it can use, and no more. I haven't tested what the draw is on my Nexus 10, but on my Note 2, it never draws more than 1.8 amps (although that reading may be a little inflated and it really only draws 1.5 amps). I suspect it's more or less the same with the N10 and the stock USB cable and Samsung 2.0 amp charger. So if you went nuts and jerry rigged a 50 amp power supply to the device, it would still only draw 1.5 amps.
Note that the draw can be affected by the USB cable you use. I've seen some USB cables draw less than 500mA where the stock Samsung USB cable draws 1.8 amps.
Bottom line is that you're not going to find a wall charger above 2.1 amps as far as I know, and even if you did, it wouldn't charge the Nexus 10 any faster. The problem is what you identified in your original post -- using some plain vanilla 500mA (0.5 amp) micro USB charger that you've had lying around the house for the past several years and assuming that it should charge just as well as the stock Samsung charger. It won't, as you discovered -- the N10 will only draw about a third of what it's capable of drawing from such a charger.
Be careful buying 2.0/2.1 amp chargers from Amazon or wherever, particularly if they're identified as Samsung chargers. They're almost always counterfeit, and no better than the 500mA chargers I mentioned above.
You might also want to look into the POGO charger cable because it allows the Nexus 10 to draw virtually the full 2.0 amps from the charger rather than 1.5.
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Listen to this guy.

@JasW - Wow, thanks for the information / education. It makes a LOT more sense now.
Thanks again, F

@Gearhead_ENG - Thanks for the links! I'm going to go home and scrounge through all my old chargers and see if I have more 2Amp chargers. If not, I'll be following the links again to purchase...

Charging speed question (amps related)

So we just upgraded to Note 3 from our galaxy 3 (wife and I)...
I noticed the charger is a 2 amp charger compared to the SGS 3's 1 amp.
I started reading some threads here and found out the USB 3.0 cable will not charge the phone faster unless it's plugged into the computer.
Apparently the PCM also limits the phone to charging at 900ma. (not verified)
so I'm curious now.... at what amps does this phone charge? I'm trying to get a spare charger to keep in the car, and also trying to get a usb car charger if I can benefit from the 2.1 amp one instead of the 1 amp one that's in there now....
Can anyone tell me if I should get a 2.1amp charger or stick with 1 amp chargers as the spares if it'll still charge at 900ma?
I'm using USB 2.0 cables btw. (unless I can charge faster with the USB 3.0 when plugged to a car charger or the wall, which I apparently won't from my research here)
While I await for responses, I will plug the charger into my voltage/amp reader and we'll see how much power is being drawn, which might give an idea as to how many ma it's charging at.

For whoever that wants to know this information, these are my findings from my meter that is able to measure how much power is being drawn (kill a watt P3)
with the stock charger and USB 2.0 cable (3.0 made no difference) the phone will charge at 900ma with the screen on. If the phone is shut off, or screen is off, it goes to 1500ma. Very steady at those.
with the SGS3 charger that I had, it's a constant 900ma whether screen is on or off... (1.0 amp charger)
now I guess I will have to see if this is the case with any 2.1 amp charger, or if it's specific to samsung's charger with snapdragon's quick charge feature. I believe only certain chargers allow use of this.

I don't know, I'm getting 1800mA by using stock wall charger with USB3 cable and 450 with USB2 cable. I know GS3 would charge at faster rate when using original Samsung wall charger and cable, which had data lines shorted, not sure if it's the same with Note3.
I don't remember for sure, but I think charging rate from computer was pretty much the same 450mA regardless of USB3 or USB2 port or cable. I remember this because I was surprised they didn't take advantage of higher power ratings with USB3, but maybe it was just my particular setup. I used application that shows charging rate, so all is with phone on, but it makes perfect sense, about 2 hours from 0 to 100% charge, if you allow some extra time for trickle charge at the end, losses and usage.

pete4k said:
I don't know, I'm getting 1800mA by using stock wall charger with USB3 cable and 450 with USB2 cable. I know GS3 would charge at faster rate when using original Samsung wall charger and cable, which had data lines shorted, not sure if it's the same with Note3.
I don't remember for sure, but I think charging rate from computer was pretty much the same 450mA regardless of USB3 or USB2 port or cable. I remember this because I was surprised they didn't take advantage of higher power ratings with USB3, but maybe it was just my particular setup. I used application that shows charging rate, so all is with phone on, but it makes perfect sense, about 2 hours from 0 to 100% charge, if you allow some extra time for trickle charge at the end, losses and usage.
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and how did you measure this 1800mA?

razorseal said:
and how did you measure this 1800mA?
program is called galaxy charging current, you can get it in the play store.
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You can't compare that app to a meter that shows you the actual current being drawn
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk

why not? How do you think your meter is working? Phone has similar IC. How did you come up with your numbers first of all? I thought you plug Kill a watt into outlet and it shows what the charger is using at 110v and at about 10 watts(or is it 220-240v for your location), your unit maybe at the limit of accuracy, since the amperage would be somewhere around 100mA, where your device is designed more for larger power consumption like fridge or TV running 300-1000watts and few amps. Is your unit somehow capable of measuring what the charger is outputting and if so, how?
BTW you can't get more than 900mA from PC even over USB3, thats the max limit.
I checked again: galaxy S3 wall charger is giving me 600mA, Note3 charger with USB2 cable gives me 1200mA and Note 3 charger with USB3 cable pumps out 1800mA, computer USB gives 450mA regardless of computer port, but there is something wrong with the USB3 cable that I got, is not connecting properly and I have to wiggle it to connect so maybe bad cable is the reason I don't get higher charge rate from PC USB3.