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Car Charger Needed

I have tried using a cheap car-lighter-USB adapter, which has 1000mAh written on it... but it still doesn't do the job. (GPS+Data+Screen on)...
The battery does not charge, but it looses power.
Well, I only payed £2.90 for it (transport included) on e-bay...
I am looking for a more expensive one, but I need to make sure it does the job...
Can anyone recommend one?
Later update:
My cheap charger from e-bay, started smelling of burnt plastic. When I opened it up, I sau that the spring that was pushing the Vcc contact was touching the plastic case, which started to melt...

I had one sent to me by mobiles.co.uk which is labelled as a carphonewarehouse one.
Seems to charge it OK when using copilot.

i bought the original HTC car charger for 20euros, and i think its the best (although a bit expensive), since the charger is really small and neat with white led HTC letters, and you can remove the usb to micro usb cable to use it in a pc (i have never tried that though).
I looked for a standalone cable and usb adapter and the price would be almost identical with the OEM charger, so i think its the best deal.
Cheers,
T.
thats the charger:
htc cc-c200
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"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
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Maplins (in the UK) do a very small USB car charger that works well in my Audi A5 and my Mazda MX-5. Good tight fit and the packaging states input of 12-24V DC and output of 5V DC at 1 Amp.
Maplins code A50JK. Currently on special offer at £5.99 each instead of £8.99.

Thanks for that. Have you used it with a Desire?
For now I've ordered a miniUSB-female -> USB female adapater, and will try to use it with the car-charger of my SatNav which has a miniUSB plug... and outputs 1.2A
I don't think the higher current will damage the battery, especially that the phone will be always ON. Anybody knows different?

zonkkk said:
Thanks for that. Have you used it with a Desire?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes although not with GPS etc switched on (I have Satnav built in on both cars). I just need Bluetooth on for hands free.

zonkkk said:
Thanks for that. Have you used it with a Desire?
For now I've ordered a miniUSB-female -> USB female adapater, and will try to use it with the car-charger of my SatNav which has a miniUSB plug... and outputs 1.2A
I don't think the higher current will damage the battery, especially that the phone will be always ON. Anybody knows different?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You should always buy ones that can supply higher currents. If a charger/power supply can supply higher currents (at the same voltage as required), it is a good thing. Thats why most of the time, more expensive ones can supply higher currents and cheaper ones cant cope when the current demand is high.
It is the voltage difference you should avoid. But if the voltage is same ie 5 volts in this case, then just go for one that can supply higher current.
hope that helps.

The reason I was asking is because I remember reading somewhere that charging a battery with low current is healthier for the battery, so I am not too keen on using something that outputs higher current than the original charger...

REB1 said:
Maplins (in the UK) do a very small USB car charger that works well in my Audi A5 and my Mazda MX-5. Good tight fit and the packaging states input of 12-24V DC and output of 5V DC at 1 Amp.
Maplins code A50JK. Currently on special offer at £5.99 each instead of £8.99.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have one of these, but got it from ebay for £3 Just need a right-angled usb to micro usb cable now to make it even more low profile.
Si

Hey was just looking on ebay and came across this
sorry i just found out i cant post links but its ebay number 170450658461.
It says its rated at 5v +/-5% and 1.5A so should be plenty, also worth noting this is a dual charger, so i can charge my phone and perhaps have my proper sat av going if i want or ipod or what have you.
might order it for £2.30 delivered

I bought this one from local Maplin store last night
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=267947
Has a retractable MINIusb lead and a standard usb socket to plug your micro lead into. Can charge 2 devices at once too.
Seems to work fine although not had a chance to test it with the phone under constant drain (satnav) yet. 1A output should be enough though.

zzleezz said:
I bought this one from local Maplin store last night
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=267947
Has a retractable MINIusb lead and a standard usb socket to plug your micro lead into. Can charge 2 devices at once too.
Seems to work fine although not had a chance to test it with the phone under constant drain (satnav) yet. 1A output should be enough though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is the retractable miniusb lead able to plug directly ito the desire? if it is, do you think its long enough?

Afc, the retractable lead is miniusb not micro so no it won't. I've heard there are mini to micro converters so that would let you use it that way, not searched for them yet so no idea where from.
The retractable lead is 75cm long. I suppose it depends where your accessory socket is and where you mount your phone in your car. For me that would be fine, socket is just at bottom of dash and phone mounted on a vent holder (cheapo Tesco one for now) in my ferrari enzo (its the one that looks a lot like a Ford focus )

I am using my original Satnav car charger (rated 1.2 A).
This has a miniUSB connector, so I bought a miniUsb female -> USB female adaptor, and shorted the data lines together. And I am using a USB to micro USB cable to connect to the phone.
Now it works like a charm. Charges about 5% of battery for every 20 minutes of use with GPS + NAVIGATION + DATA + SCREEN FULL BRIGHTNESS on.
I don't know why I didn't think about it before buying the cheap car-charger with a USB port from ebay (the one that started melting, and wasn't even charging properly with everything on even if it was rated 1000mA).
Maybe this may be of use to someone...

Update on the maplin charger I mentioned earlier. 40 min journey the battery lost 5% charge going to buy a converter for my tomtom charger I think. Another 10 quid down the drain.

zzleezz said:
Update on the maplin charger I mentioned earlier. 40 min journey the battery lost 5% charge going to buy a converter for my tomtom charger I think. Another 10 quid down the drain.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, can confirm this charger does NOT supply enough to even keep the Desire running while using Sat Nav :-(
Kev

hi i've got this usb car charger, is this strong enough to charge the phone with the screen and gps on
USB Car Charger

kevwright said:
Yep, can confirm this charger does NOT supply enough to even keep the Desire running while using Sat Nav :-(
Kev
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you short the data pins on the Maplin charger then it provides enough charge to keep everything going.
It's actually the phone that's the culprit. It will only take 500ma when on charge via usb, but will take about 900ma when on ac. By shorting the data pins on the charger you fool the phone in to believing it is on AC charge, so it takes more from the charger. If you're going to short the data pins on a charger you must make sure its rated at least 1A.
I have the Maplin charger (the one that Reb1 posted an image of on page 1) and can confirm that shorting the data pins works.

Aaahhh, interesting post!
Have soldered the centre pins on my maplin charger (the dual one with the retractable lead) will test it as soon as I need to drive some distance.
Assuming it works thanks very much
*update*
Soldered the 2 centre connections together on the back of the usb socket in my car charger. Took it for a 30 minute triip this evening, had navigation software running, music playing, gps, WiFi, 3g - the lot. Gained 10% charge when I arrived! Stunned and very gratefully for the advice, thanks mate

zzleezz said:
Aaahhh, interesting post!
Have soldered the centre pins on my maplin charger (the dual one with the retractable lead) will test it as soon as I need to drive some distance.
Assuming it works thanks very much
*update*
Soldered the 2 centre connections together on the back of the usb socket in my car charger. Took it for a 30 minute triip this evening, had navigation software running, music playing, gps, WiFi, 3g - the lot. Gained 10% charge when I arrived! Stunned and very gratefully for the advice, thanks mate
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hhhm didn't realise that editing my last post would not mark it as unread. Important info above that I'm sure people would like to read so bumping with this post.

USB vs. AC Charging and battery life

A few days ago while driving home from work, the TB tells me that even though it is connected to a USB power source, it doesn't have enough juice to keep on going and that I should switch to AC power. I was rarely (if ever) using the AC adapter. I always plugged the phone into a USB port on my home/work computer or into the dual USB adapter I have in my car. I started charging with the AC adapter at night and noticed a significant improvement in battery life.
I can't really say that the power source was the key factor, since I was experimenting with kernels, ROMS, and SetCPU profiles/smartass governor on a pretty consistent basis. In any case, I'm pretty sure it made a big difference... something did, anyway... I can easily get through the day now.
Then I stumbled on a dual-USB-A to mini-USB cable from a 2.5" Antec HD enclosure and figured I'd give it a shot (with a mini->micro adapter). It was necessary for the enclosure when you tried to use a 7200 RPM drive because a single USB port didn't deliver enough power alone. I decided to plug in my old Droid and see if it worked. When it did, I crossed my fingers and plugged in the Thunderbolt. Seems to be running fine. I've been taking the cable with me between my car, home, and work computers and have noticed faster charge times, less of an immediate drop-off when disconnecting.
I found what appear to be the same cables online if anyone is interested in testing. They are made by StarTech and compusa.com apparently has the cheapest prices (~$4/ea). The part numbers are USB2HAUBY1 / USB2HAUBY3 / USB2HAUBY6 for the 1ft/3ft/6ft respectively. I'm wondering if anyone else could try my experiment w/a more stable platform (i.e., not changing ROMS/kernels/etc.). I figure now that the initial "I can't stop playing with this phone" phase has worn off, we should be able to measure the difference with more typical usage patterns.
FWIW, I have no intention of ever using a single USB-A to micro-USB cable to charge this thing again (except w/the AC adapter). Anyone charging via USB should definitely consider it.

LOL I just started a thread about this here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1022400 not 6 hours ago! Nice to know the cables would work. I figured if I ran two in paralell it might do the trick.

Weird, I've yet to have a cable that told me it was not strong enough.. Multiple cables used in my car (has a usb port), home and work computers. Guess I've gotten lucky.

thats interesting, i kno for sure that using a/c is by far the best solution as it lasts longer, stronger charge, and charges MUCH quicker, i usually only use regular usb as a last resort, but i think u made a pretty damn good discovery! im definitely looking into this

The chargers that came with the phone are 1Amp supplies... Standard USB is only .5Amp, so far 1Amp is the largest draw on a USB 2.0 standard... While when USB 3 hits, that will have higher current capacity than 2.0, so it looks as HTC has designed the phone for USB 3.0
Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk

I don't remember what the exact error message was, but I was at about 7% when I got to my car... I tried to use the phone for navigation and after a few minutes it told me that I needed to switch to AC power.
My thinking is that when the phone is running, active, and the screen is on, it is drawing too much power from the USB power source to allow the battery to fully recharge. This is probably why my experience with the battery has been abysmal. I was using a single USB cable plugged into my computer or a cigarette/USB car adapter 90% of the time.
But if the AC power supply pushes 1A and each USB port can push up to 500mA, the Y adapter should come pretty close to matching the performance of the AC adapter. I'd guess that AC would be the best option, but I'd prefer to have the USB connection w/the computer.
Sorry nerozehl / mods for not adding onto another thread, but I wanted to get the poll going to see how people are typically charging.

scottt732 said:
I don't remember what the exact error message was, but I was at about 7% when I got to my car... I tried to use the phone for navigation and after a few minutes it told me that I needed to switch to AC power.
My thinking is that when the phone is running, active, and the screen is on, it is drawing too much power from the USB power source to allow the battery to fully recharge. This is probably why my experience with the battery has been abysmal. I was using a single USB cable plugged into my computer or a cigarette/USB car adapter 90% of the time.
But if the AC power supply pushes 1A and each USB port can push up to 500mA, the Y adapter should come pretty close to matching the performance of the AC adapter. I'd guess that AC would be the best option, but I'd prefer to have the USB connection w/the computer.
Sorry nerozehl / mods for not adding onto another thread, but I wanted to get the poll going to see how people are typically charging.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds like you have Power Save set to ON for the error message...

Due to my crappy battery life I use this method.
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ddgarcia05 said:
Due to my crappy battery life I use this method.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is that the new cold fusion charger I heard about?
Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk

EDD Skitz said:
Is that the new cold fusion charger I heard about?
Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Two words. Flux Capacitor

You think that guy has any problems with his battery going dead???
LOL

Dnakaman said:
You think that guy has any problems with his battery going dead???
LOL
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what battery? it was destroyed just looking at that thing...

kierandill said:
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Click to collapse
Get it to 88 mph and you can go back in time!

kierandill said:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What the heck is a jiggawatt!!!
Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk

very often when using your car charger and navigation, the phone uses more battery than the car charger can replace, so the battery will drop even while plugged in charging. a imagine USB would be similar, since usb is 0.5 amps, while A/C is 1amp. i went to radio shack and got a 1.3 amp charger for my phone, and when plugged in in my car it pulls around 800mA during charging. so its just about close to good enough.

RogerPodacter said:
very often when using your car charger and navigation, the phone uses more battery than the car charger can replace, so the battery will drop even while plugged in charging. a imagine USB would be similar, since usb is 0.5 amps, while A/C is 1amp. i went to radio shack and got a 1.3 amp charger for my phone, and when plugged in in my car it pulls around 800mA during charging. so its just about close to good enough.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now you risk the overcharging/overheating...Keep an eye on that temp

scottt732 said:
I don't remember what the exact error message was, but I was at about 7% when I got to my car... I tried to use the phone for navigation and after a few minutes it told me that I needed to switch to AC power.
My thinking is that when the phone is running, active, and the screen is on, it is drawing too much power from the USB power source to allow the battery to fully recharge. This is probably why my experience with the battery has been abysmal. I was using a single USB cable plugged into my computer or a cigarette/USB car adapter 90% of the time.
But if the AC power supply pushes 1A and each USB port can push up to 500mA, the Y adapter should come pretty close to matching the performance of the AC adapter. I'd guess that AC would be the best option, but I'd prefer to have the USB connection w/the computer.
Sorry nerozehl / mods for not adding onto another thread, but I wanted to get the poll going to see how people are typically charging.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Turn off 4G and drop the screen brightness to 50% orless and the draw should be low enough for USB charging. If you are using a car adapter, get one of the high current ones that output 1A. You can get a nice widget like 'Battery monitor Widget' which will show you if your charger is keeping up or not. If the widget displays a value that is green, the charger output is exceeding the draw from the phone by the value shown in the widget.

magneticzero said:
Now you risk the overcharging/overheating...Keep an eye on that temp
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No need to worry, battery only draws what power it needs, anything higher just doesn't get pulled. Been using it a year now

EDD Skitz said:
What the heck is a jiggawatt!!!
Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it is the energy produced every time jay-z opens his mouth

Nexus 5 Car charger problem

Hi everyone,
So I bought a Belkin 2.1A car charger from ebay for my Nexus 5 like this one:
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}
But during my various car trips using Google Maps sat nav I've noticed that the battery percentage was going down rather than up. I was very suprised as I thought that 2.1A would be enough to handle the battery consumption while also charging the device. After checking the stock AC charger I have noticed it's only rated for 1.2A, so the car charger charging problem surely must be another I thought.
By looking on the internet I've read that people were having charging issues because the device was recognizing the charger as an USB port so charging was limited to only 0.5A.
After a bit of further searching I found that the stock AC charger uses a shorted circuit on the data pins to make the phone recognize it as an AC charger. I went back to the car and tried the stock cable on the Belkin charger and in Settings->Battery it showed Charging (USB). Ok I said, then this must be the problem, I ended up building my own "Fast charge" cable by shorting the data wires on the Micro USB side. Trying again this time the phone showed as Charging (AC). I since tried the charger but without any success, the percentage was still going down while in use.
Today, I went into the Electronic lab of my University, and I've tried to check the Amps that were going through the phone (I have seen some videos on youtube of apps that show charging amps, but they all looked very wrong, like 8Amps or more). I believe I have finally found the reason of the slow charging or not charging:
The charging current is only 0.2A, far less than an USB port, and far far less of what is required to charge the phone wile the sat nav is going. I have tried both fast charge and stock usb cables but it still displayed the same exact current.
I don't know what to do next? Have any of you had any success in charging while using the sat nav (and 3g, bluetooth, nfc, ecc)?

Please forgive me if I am not understanding your post.
iltrevi said:
The charging current is only 0.2A...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because it's defective?
iltrevi said:
I have tried both fast charge and stock usb cables...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What about a different charger?
iltrevi said:
Have any of you had any success in charging while using the sat nav (and 3g, bluetooth, nfc, ecc)?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have used several different chargers without issue.

PhilipTD said:
Please forgive me if I am not understanding your post.
Because it's defective?
What about a different charger?
I have used several different chargers without issue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It could be the charger that is detective, but after all thats what im trying to find out, or is it a compatibility issue with nexus 5? If the charger was defective wouldn't it be not charging at all?
Different charger? I don't have a different charger, that's why I bought this one, why shouldnt this be working if there's stated 2.1amp
OK thanks for advice, but I'd like to get this working, have you had any experience with this charger as well?

Never used that charger.
A defective charger may very well be slow, rather than dead.
I just thought that it might be a good idea to test a friend's charger in your car in order to eliminate the possibility that the socket/feed is malfunctioning. Or, even better, would be to use a current tester on the socket.
Ma, che ne so?

I'm using exactly the same Belkin charger in my Ford and it works properly while navigation is on. However, I don't charge and keep navigating frequently so can't shed more light on this!

I have had quite a few car-chargers (mostly cheap ones) , and the amount of current they provide compared to what they promised varies alot.
Haven't tried the belkin one, as I needed more than 1 usb port.
Currently i'm using
...://dx.com/p/star-go-st-06-aircraft-shaped-5v-4100ma-usb-4-port-car-charger-black-12-24v-290123#.UxSYQ3VdWlg
And it charges my nexus 5 with screen always on and my Samsung tab 3 running sygic.
(even need 10 posts for a link...)

I've been testing chargers extensively. What I have seen is actually scary.
The worst one was sold on ebay and was marked as a 3.1A capable device. When I hooked it up to a 12V source and connected the output to a scope I saw a triangle like DC output varying between 4.7 and 5.7Volts which is out of USB specs, meaning could damage your device.
The 2 other ones that I own are a lot better after modifying capacitors etc. but I gave up on that front.
I also tested a Belkin marked one that was supposed to be able to provide 1A but it only managed 0.8A and after 15min it died. Fake, no doubt about it.
Since I had a cigarette lighter plug in my drawer I made my own charger that is very DC clean and can provide more than enough juice to charge.
I use these modules http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/7V-24V-to..._Measurement_Equipment_ET&hash=item4179d0059e
You can connect the 2 middle pins and my N5 draws 1.4A peak.
To be sure there is a 2A fuse in the cigarette lighter plug and a Transient-voltage-suppression diode connected over the 5V USB output so in case the convertor goes belly up and goes to 12V the 5.8V diode will kill the fuse in an instant.
That convertor is extreemly clean stable and has a very high efficiency so it will not even get close to getting warm when charging high speed.
Some people spend a fortune on cases and screen protectors but want the cheapest possible 12V to USB. I made this for like 6€ or $9 and I guarantee you nothing comes close that is on the market.

lukesan said:
To be sure there is a 2A fuse in the cigarette lighter plug and a Transient-voltage-suppression diode connected over the 5V USB output so in case the convertor goes belly up and goes to 12V the 5.8V diode will kill the fuse in an instant.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you put the 2A fuse in the car fusebox? or between the jack and your converter? Had not thought about making one myself

bakxsteen said:
Did you put the 2A fuse in the car fusebox? or between the jack and your converter? Had not thought about making one myself
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is a 2A fast (snelle ) fuse in that cigarette lighter plugin itself. So the module is capable of delivering 3A constant at 5.1V. Since the N5 nor a Note 3 will go above 2A charging, and the efficiency is >85%, I am secure on that front.
Since I see you are from Delft there should be an action shop in your area. They sell 2 port 2.1A capable car chargers (black and white) for like 3€ which are actually not bad at all. I only insist on those diodes that you can buy on ebay. They cost a couple of € but rather that than smoke out of your device.
I have about 8 of those modules now since they are so universal.
A couple of examples. An old laptop charger 15V 6A, cut the connector and hooked up the modules got all my usb devices charged in Africa.
1 is hooked up to a RC helicopter batt that is mounted on my bike and delivers around 11.1V and then goes to that module so I can charge and use GPS on the bike for hours.

Cheers for the info, coincidentally I have been looking for a way to power my raspberry pi in my 12-volt speaker set. This will make that a lot easier as well.

lukesan said:
I've been testing chargers extensively. What I have seen is actually scary.
The worst one was sold on ebay and was marked as a 3.1A capable device. When I hooked it up to a 12V source and connected the output to a scope I saw a triangle like DC output varying between 4.7 and 5.7Volts which is out of USB specs, meaning could damage your device.
The 2 other ones that I own are a lot better after modifying capacitors etc. but I gave up on that front.
I also tested a Belkin marked one that was supposed to be able to provide 1A but it only managed 0.8A and after 15min it died. Fake, no doubt about it.
Since I had a cigarette lighter plug in my drawer I made my own charger that is very DC clean and can provide more than enough juice to charge.
I use these modules http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/7V-24V-to..._Measurement_Equipment_ET&hash=item4179d0059e
You can connect the 2 middle pins and my N5 draws 1.4A peak.
To be sure there is a 2A fuse in the cigarette lighter plug and a Transient-voltage-suppression diode connected over the 5V USB output so in case the convertor goes belly up and goes to 12V the 5.8V diode will kill the fuse in an instant.
That convertor is extreemly clean stable and has a very high efficiency so it will not even get close to getting warm when charging high speed.
Some people spend a fortune on cases and screen protectors but want the cheapest possible 12V to USB. I made this for like 6€ or $9 and I guarantee you nothing comes close that is on the market.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Very interesting! Can you post some picture of the actual charger you made? How did you add the transient voltage suppression diode?
Btw I will try to short the data pins also on the USB side and see if it makes any difference, apparently things like this one short both sides: http://www.amazon.co.uk/PortaPow-Fa...8&qid=1393861403&sr=8-12&keywords=fast+charge

iltrevi said:
Very interesting! Can you post some picture of the actual charger you made? How did you add the transient voltage suppression diode?
Btw I will try to short the data pins also on the USB side and see if it makes any difference, apparently things like this one short both sides:
HTML:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/PortaPow-Fast-Charger-iPhone-Blackberry/dp/B00GC4AJOU/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1393861403&sr=8-12&keywords=fast+charge
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Difficult to show since it is sort of build in the car.
The module is plug and play. Hook up + and - (screwdriver thing so no soldering required) and the USB connector is already on the pcb board. Extreemly easy. Plug and play.
The diode is not big at all and is soldered on the back of the pcb. There are soldering points.
After that mod, diode and shorten data leads, I use that yellowish heat resistant tape around the pcb so it does not touch any metal parts or shorten anything. I've been using it in Arizona summer weather conditions and it is perfect.

lukesan said:
Difficult to show since it is sort of build in the car.
The module is plug and play. Hook up + and - (screwdriver thing so no soldering required) and the USB connector is already on the pcb board. Extreemly easy. Plug and play.
The diode is not big at all and is soldered on the back of the pcb. There are soldering points.
After that mod, diode and shorten data leads, I use that yellowish heat resistant tape around the pcb so it does not touch any metal parts or shorten anything. I've been using it in Arizona summer weather conditions and it is perfect.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, thanks. I think if I can't get another car socket charger to work this will be the path I will take.
Anyway I just tried shorting the USB side to see if this made any difference to the Belkin charger but it looks like nothing changed. I also tried shorting both data sides all together but that didn't change things either. I'm guessing the charger could be actually defective, I will try to get a replacement and see if that works better.
Why doesn't Google makes it own car charger and avoids all this messing about to find one that works.

iltrevi said:
Why doesn't Google makes it own car charger and avoids all this messing about to find one that works.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You would think it would be in their interest as well, I imaging a lot of people will blame the phone.

bakxsteen said:
You would think it would be in their interest as well, I imaging a lot of people will blame the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is another nice tool that I use. http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Portabl...uter_Power_Supply_Testers&hash=item485a80ba76
You don't see if the output is clean but you get a good view on what is going on and the Voltage and Current readout is pretty accurate.
Just added 2 pics. This one I use when cycling. You can see an added resistor but it has no use since it ups the Voltage to 5.2V (just a test thing). On the back you can see that the data lines are connected and that special diode is soldered over the 5V pins.
The reason why this one isn't fully insulated with tape is that this one is my test one so I leave it open to test.
No need to fully insulate it since it goes in a weatherproof non conductive bag with the battery.

bakxsteen said:
Cheers for the info, coincidentally I have been looking for a way to power my raspberry pi in my 12-volt speaker set. This will make that a lot easier as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol, actually I have one of these modules connected to my Harmon Cardon speakers which are connected to my flatscreen.
My Raspberry is on 24/7 for like 10 months now. No stability, heat issues at all.
Just another thing which is extremely important is the USB cable itself. I've seen some really strange things.
For example now I am testing an Anker 40W 5-port USB charger that I bought on Amazon. It features 'smart' technology to see what is connected and then place everything in quick charge.
I found the idea super, but they've already had to refund me after a couple of tests.
The thing is right in front of me now and I have that USB tester thing to measure current and 3 different cables. 1 HTC, 1 from a Jawbone headset and a Sony one. The original cable is at home.
Ok so the phone was at 60% batt which means it should still charge at full speed if possible. The HTC and Jawbone cable on the Anker did not pass 0.8A and the Sony (looking at it now) 0.92A. Voltage seems like 5.08V which is measured at the adapter and not the phone.
So 1 get that USB tool thing for a couple of € $ and actually see what is happening instead of guessing. I am really happy with it.
If you want me to do any tests of have questions feel free to ask. We, and I, can always learn from each other and there is no such thing as a stupid question to me.

lukesan said:
Just another thing which is extremely important is the USB cable itself.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe USB cables and USB cables impendance as I've read somewhere are important only when charging the device with the data pins "enabled". As for Galaxy SI and SII chargers which used a fixed micro usb charging cable which was very thin, I belive that once data pins are shorted it doesn't matter anymore if you are using a very thick top quality cable or a ebay chinese cable, the phone will always pull as the same current.
Anyone correct me if I'm wrong.

iltrevi said:
I believe USB cables and USB cables impendance as I've read somewhere are important only when charging the device with the data pins "enabled". As for Galaxy SI and SII chargers which used a fixed micro usb charging cable which was very thin, I belive that once data pins are shorted it doesn't matter anymore if you are using a very thick top quality cable or a ebay chinese cable, the phone will always pull as the same current.
Anyone correct me if I'm wrong.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I also did some tests on that front. Supplying 5V and putting a resistor 5.1 Ohm on the other side so it draws approx 1 Amp. It's very scary to see some cables go flat on their belly.
I had one which measured about 4.3V with that resistor on the other side, so massive loss in the cable and/or connector. If you take into account that the charging circuit efficiency is also not 100% it can have a big effect on the charging speed. Remember these batts at 100% charge are at 4.2V.
The S1 charges at about 0.65A and an S2 at 0.7A max (limited by the charging circuit) so using these devices as GPS in the car is tricky since screen and gps app on .... and you are at approx these values.
I was thinking about buying my own connectors and soldering 2 'thicker' cables to the connectors. You can shortcut the data-lines on the micro usb so no harm done when plugging into a pc. But how far do I go in this I ask myself.

Resurrecting this thread because I'm having a similar issue, I have a Belkin 2.1Amp charger that's capable of charging an iPad at 2.1 amp (and I've tested it in the past and it charges appropriately, and is able to charge an iPhone very rapidly as well) as well as another 1A USB charger and the Nexus 5 barely charges with either-it charges very slowly even when I have GPS shut off-I've charged it for an hour before and it'll maybe get 10% which is absurd. It's pretty clear that whatever high-amp pinning they have is meant more for iPads and the Nexus 5 isn't seeing these chargers as high speed chargers, does anybody know of a charger where they've had good success with the Nexus 5 to rapidly charge it?

Case with Qi coil built in?

Is there a case available with a Qi coil built in, so I can slot in the 6P into the case which will have a type C connector on the bottom and will allow me to charge the phone wirelessly? This would be a good solution to avoid wasting my investment in my Qi desk chargers and Qi car docks.

I've not seen one but that would charge very slowly. Probably not a problem for an overnight charge but you would never be able to quickly burst charge your phone with Qi.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

i am not sure but i don't think it's possible. the phone itself would have to be qi compatible in the first place so.... yea

Do you mean a case like this http://www.nillkin.com/uploads//2015041619382673499.jpg

tokenbest said:
i am not sure but i don't think it's possible. the phone itself would have to be qi compatible in the first place so.... yea
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It very easily possible that a company can create a case with QI wireless built in. They currently make several different modes for the iphone. Welcome to xda
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0... 6 wireless&qid=1444225047&ref_=sr_1_3&sr=8-3
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0... 6 wireless&qid=1444225047&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1

2swizzle said:
It very easily possible that a company can create a case with QI wireless built in. They currently make several different modes for the iphone. Welcome to xda
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0... 6 wireless&qid=1444225047&ref_=sr_1_3&sr=8-3
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0... 6 wireless&qid=1444225047&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I see what you are talking about/referring to now. Didn't think that would work. would be cool as well but did not use any wireless charging before so i guess i shall stick to the conventional wire charging

tokenbest said:
I see what you are talking about/referring to now. Didn't think that would work. would be cool as well but did not use any wireless charging before so i guess i shall stick to the conventional wire charging
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've only used wireless charging for the last two years, so going back to the cord is going to suck for me...
Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

Basically I just want a case with a Qi coil built in and this coil has a USB-C connector that you plug in the 6P, like someone mentioned they make cases like this for the iPhone so it is possible, if you search for "qi chip micro usb" on Amazon you will see the adaptor for example. I would like either an adaptor or a case with the coil built in so I can just slide the 6P into a connector that is built into the bottom of the case. Charging time is not an issue because this is for overnight charging and for when the phone is docked on my Qi car dock during navigation.

hithereperson said:
Basically I just want a case with a Qi coil built in and this coil has a USB-C connector that you plug in the 6P, like someone mentioned they make cases like this for the iPhone so it is possible, if you search for "qi chip micro usb" on Amazon you will see the adaptor for example. I would like either an adaptor or a case with the coil built in so I can just slide the 6P into a connector that is built into the bottom of the case. Charging time is not an issue because this is for overnight charging and for when the phone is docked on my Qi car dock during navigation.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There will be a Qi sticker that will fit under a case.

Just curious to those who uses the wireless charging since i have never used it before..
How long does it take to charge your phone using a wireless charger? (Any fast charging wireless charger out there?)
And does it consumes more power to charge a phone because they may be less efficient than normal cable charging?
Thanks

tokenbest said:
Just curious to those who uses the wireless charging since i have never used it before..
How long does it take to charge your phone using a wireless charger? (Any fast charging wireless charger out there?)
And does it consumes more power to charge a phone because they may be less efficient than normal cable charging?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Fast wireless charging is only on the new Samsung phones. The Nexus 6 I have now will charge at 1A via qi so it charges kn about 3 hours but that's fine when I goto bed at night. Wireless charing is less efficient because you lose more power due in the form of heat which is why the speed is limited more than a cable

tech_head said:
There will be a Qi sticker that will fit under a case.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's what I'm looking for, a wireless charging receiver to be placed inside the case.

tokenbest said:
Just curious to those who uses the wireless charging since i have never used it before..
How long does it take to charge your phone using a wireless charger? (Any fast charging wireless charger out there?)
And does it consumes more power to charge a phone because they may be less efficient than normal cable charging?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Takes a while. It's best for overnight charging or just trickle charging on your desk. If you're in a pinch and need juice, plugging it into just about anything would be faster. Most have a max output of 1A at 5V, so 5 watts, the input usually 2A at 5V, so 10 watts input. Samsung just came out with a faster wireless charger that has a freaking fan inside of it. Not sure of output and what the hardware requirements are for it. May be limited to S6 Edge+/ Note 5. It's purely a convenience. I never used it until my Nexus 6. For me its more of a pain in the arse since the nexus 6 has a curved back. Having an easel type would be best. It's harder to get it just right on the flat hockey puck looking chargers. Unfortunately for me, I have 2 hockey pucks... But the Samsung one I have has a larger pad so it works first time most times.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

tokenbest said:
i am not sure but i don't think it's possible. the phone itself would have to be qi compatible in the first place so.... yea
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why would it ?
The coils create the current via induction, you can charge or power anything with a +/- terminals, as long as you feed the +/- correctly via the USB port or directly soldered to the batter terminals its will charge due to having a small amount of electricity to supply it.
There is no need for magical software to control it, you can try for your self, wire a LED to a QI coil and put it on a charger and boom the LED lights up.
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2swizzle said:
It very easily possible that a company can create a case with QI wireless built in. They currently make several different modes for the iphone. Welcome to xda
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0... 6 wireless&qid=1444225047&ref_=sr_1_3&sr=8-3
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0... 6 wireless&qid=1444225047&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Am I missing something here or what ... You have to keep something plugged in to use this? So if you want a quick charge you have to unplug it, then replug it to use a wireless charger?
Wow... Kind of defeats the purpose if so
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

Bigal77 said:
Am I missing something here or what ... You have to keep something plugged in to use this? So if you want a quick charge you have to unplug it, then replug it to use a wireless charger?
Wow... Kind of defeats the purpose if so
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think think it defeats the purpose at all. I think most of the time the Qi would be plugged in but occasionally pulled out when you needed a large, quick charge. It would help if there was a place to retract or dock the Qi cable and I'd also be a bit concerned about the overall thickness.

NCguy said:
I don't think think it defeats the purpose at all. I think most of the time the Qi would be plugged in but occasionally pulled out when you needed a large, quick charge. It would help if there was a place to retract or dock the Qi cable and I'd also be a bit concerned about the overall thickness.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With 3450mah...I think I'll be fine with a 20 minute quick charge.
I plug in every night anyway... Not really for me.... Especially with reversible cable.I guess I understand goggles reasoning. I prefer finding solutions for all day battery life then laying it flat to charge wirelessly. At 5 or 6 sot time were almost there for the heaviest of users
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

hutzdani said:
Why would it ?
The coils create the current via induction, you can charge or power anything with a +/- terminals, as long as you feed the +/- correctly via the USB port or directly soldered to the batter terminals its will charge due to having a small amount of electricity to supply it.
There is no need for magical software to control it, you can try for your self, wire a LED to a QI coil and put it on a charger and boom the LED lights up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This means you would have to open your brand new Nexus 6P in order to install it. Not saying it wont work but I think this means loosing your warranty tho.
My opinion is that one is better off getting a compatible wireless charging phone instead of going through the trouble.

Bigal77 said:
With 3450mah...I think I'll be fine with a 20 minute quick charge.
I plug in every night anyway... Not really for me.... Especially with reversible cable.I guess I understand goggles reasoning. I prefer finding solutions for all day battery life then laying it flat to charge wirelessly. At 5 or 6 sot time were almost there for the heaviest of users
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I could probably drain in and still only get 3 hours SOT knowing me... I used to get 5 hours SOT kb my Nexus 6 until I started syncing my emails and other stuff ontop of having my AW wath paired to it all day.

[email protected] said:
This means you would have to open your brand new Nexus 6P in order to install it. Not saying it wont work but I think this means loosing your warranty tho.
My opinion is that one is better off getting a compatible wireless charging phone instead of going through the trouble.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Or maybe you won't have too open your phone after all... I think I understand the concept now! :good:

[SPAM] rapid charger that actually works for the Nexus 6p!!

Just like everyone else I've been searching for a good aftermarket charger for my phone. I purchased the Choetech rapid adapter along with the cable (sold separately) and it works beautifully.. The Nexus 6p shows rapid charging on the home screen and Ampere showed the same.
How does that compare to the OEM charger that came with the Nexus 6p? The OEM charger charged at 2920ma, while the Choetech adapter and cable charged at 2840ma. So as you can see it's right on par with the OEM charger.
Build Quality:
The build quality is exactly what you expect to received from Choetech. The body of the charger is similar to the OEM charger with smooth sides and flat top and bottom. There's branding on the the front as you see in the pictures, with specifications information next to the electrical prongs. As for the cable there's more Choetech branding on each end, but it's not intrusive and blends in with the cable. The cable material is thick which is a very good thing, as it should be able to provide adequate power and durability. I'm very happy with this cable and plan to buy another soon. Here's my setup and I did a quick video review as well. Be warned I've read reviews showing that some users received a 2.4v model only... If you watch my videos you will clearly see my charger says 3A/5V and it charges at that speed.
<MODERATOR EDITED - SPAM REFERRAL LINKS DELETED>

The quality on this cable is durable. It does pull 3A, as described, without any issues. charged my phone from 17% to 100% in
1 hour 20 min. It charges just as fast as google's provided cable.
and for the USB type-A to type C cable is also reliable. Checkr app tested and confirmed it is safe for the 2.4A (slower)rapid
charging if the power adapter can support upto 2.4A.
I will recommend this to anyone who wants a spare cable for USB-C just like me. leave one at home, and take this with me
anywhere I go to charge the device.
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Is it just me or does that cable appear to struggle to charge as well as OEM? Your comparison graph shows the goggle cable working consistently better and the choetech cable never reaching the current the oem cable does.
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

conceyted said:
Is it just me or does that cable appear to struggle to charge as well as OEM? Your comparison graph shows the goggle cable working consistently better and the choetech cable never reaching the current the oem cable does.
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, if you see the graph more closely my phone had less battery percentage for the Google's cable. I believe hungrier the battery, faster it takes. You will never see full capacity current draw at higher battery percentage.

I just bought this USB-C charger with CC cable.
It's on it's way...can't wait to test it.

You also need to make sure you order the updated version. The first version didn't comply with type c standards.

Might just go with the one on the Google website now, since it's only a few dollars more and it'll probably ship faster. Amazon says it'll arrive after Christmas now.

2swizzle said:
You also need to make sure you order the updated version. The first version didn't comply with type c standards.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What are you talking about? There's only one version. I was the first one on this forum to get it (as far as I know) and it works just like the Google charger.
Sent from my LG-v410 using Tapatalk

sharpehenry said:
The quality on this cable is durable. It does pull 3A, as described, without any issues. charged my phone from 17% to 100% in
1 hour 20 min. It charges just as fast as google's provided cable.
and for the USB type-A to type C cable is also reliable. Checkr app tested and confirmed it is safe for the 2.4A (slower)rapid
charging if the power adapter can support upto 2.4A.
I will recommend this to anyone who wants a spare cable for USB-C just like me. leave one at home, and take this with me
anywhere I go to charge the device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So you're saying the cable for sure goes up to 2.4A? Your pictures aren't showing up - just wanted to make sure.
I asked about USB-A to C before and someone was very adamant in saying, "The USB standard for an in spec Type A to C cable will charge at 1.5A. "

What does Benson Leung say about this product?
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

trama09 said:
So you're saying the cable for sure goes up to 2.4A? You're pictures aren't showing up - just wanted to make sure.
I asked about USB-A to C before and someone was very adamant in saying, "The USB standard for an in spec Type A to C cable will charge at 1.5A. "
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't have quick charger 2.0 brick or equivalent. The most I got is a Samsung brick that goes 2A at the most and I did get near that. When I get a hand on better adapter, I will test it out.

For 3A fast charging speeds, USB C Charger with CC cable is the only way
Well, I'm pretty sure that simply put, A to C reaches only 2.4A at maximum, no matter what wall charger you use. If you want full 3A fast charging speeds, C to C is the only way.
I purchased and tried their USB C wall charger with C to C cable. I wasn't disappointed. They are well built and work fine ... at almost the same fast speed as the OEM Charger.

Subiegsr said:
Might just go with the one on the Google website now, since it's only a few dollars more and it'll probably ship faster. Amazon says it'll arrive after Christmas now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not a fan of the Google charger because it's hard wired. Wires tends to go bad before the block so its a cheaper fix than buying a whole new charger.

plokm said:
I'm not a fan of the Google charger because it's hard wired. Wires tends to go bad before the block so its a cheaper fix than buying a whole new charger.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah didn't think about that. Good call!

plokm said:
I'm not a fan of the Google charger because it's hard wired. Wires tends to go bad before the block so its a cheaper fix than buying a whole new charger.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Odd.. do you mean the model you've got has the cable connected to the charger (i.e not removable)? The international edition (H1512) I got in Hong Kong while travelling is detachable and is type C on either end. I didnt' realize there were variations with the included accessories.

plokm said:
I'm not a fan of the Google charger because it's hard wired. Wires tends to go bad before the block so its a cheaper fix than buying a whole new charger.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed, wires do likely wear faster. But should you expect either to go bad in less than a couple of years if handled reasonably?

st8chic said:
Well, I'm pretty sure that simply put, A to C reaches only 2.4A at maximum, no matter what wall charger you use. If you want full 3A fast charging speeds, C to C is the only way.
I purchased and tried their USB C wall charger with C to C cable. I wasn't disappointed. They are well built and work fine ... at almost the same fast speed as the OEM Charger.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Using a physical power meter I've verified that the Nexus 6P will only charge at 1.5A at 5V with standard 2A/2.4A chargers (I've tried 3-4 different USB A chargers). These are far more accurate than ampere as ampere measures net current, current in minus consumed current, not just the incoming current from the charger.
I'm not aware of a physical device that measures power through a type C cable other than the twinkie device that benson mentions and is several hundred dollars.

jpbl1976 said:
Odd.. do you mean the model you've got has the cable connected to the charger (i.e not removable)? The international edition (H1512) I got in Hong Kong while travelling is detachable and is type C on either end. I didnt' realize there were variations with the included accessories.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think he/she is referring to the extra one you buy from the accessories on the Google 6p site. The one included is a removable USB C-C cord.

NCguy said:
Agreed, wires do likely wear faster. But should you expect either to go bad in less than a couple of years if handled reasonably?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes.....sooner or later you will probably have to replace both. I had good luck with all of my samsung charging blocks never had to replace any of them
---------- Post added at 09:52 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:51 PM ----------
Subiegsr said:
I think he/she is referring to the extra one you buy from the accessories on the Google 6p site. The one included is a removable USB C-C cord.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correct subiegsr I was talking about the Google store ones

ylexot said:
What are you talking about? There's only one version. I was the first one on this forum to get it (as far as I know) and it works just like the Google charger.
Sent from my LG-v410 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you read the Amazon comments so people where saying they received a different model than the one I've reviewed. As for fast charging with the Choetech after day 3 I still have no issues. It charges my phone from 1% to 100% in around 90 minutes.