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Does anyone have pictures of the internals of the charger for the official Nexus One car dock?
The reason I ask is because I'm thinking of buying the car dock and hiding the charger out of view. The problem is that where I'm wanting to put it, there is not enough room to install a 12v outlet alone, much less the outlet and the charger, so I'm wanting to hard wire it all, but need to know how much room the internals of the charger are going to take up to see if it will fit where I want to put it.
i ran into a similar problem to you. I ended up not bothering to pull apart the 5v regulator as it appeared to be glued together. unless someone was very determined to get it apart you you not find anybody who has. I ended up buying a cigarette lighter socket and sticking it and the regulator in my fusebox out of the way.
if this isn't an option you can you any standard microusb charger cable as long as it is rated for 1 amp. I'm pretty sure all 1 amp chargers have the signal pin shorted to the power pin to indicate to the device they can pull 1 amp as opposed to 500ma. If you get one that can be taken apart that would work for your project.
Best of luck with your install! I've hardwired 4 different gadgets into my car and love how clean and tidy everything is. just one cable dangling in my car is too much. please post pics if you get it tucked away as you want, i'd love to see how it works out!
Sounds like space is at a premium. Another option is to hard wire in a Belkin USB charger which is heaps smaller. Then just run a USB charge cable from it to the car dock. Check out the harness I made up in the center bottom pic to get an appreciation of how small it is. Downside is the Belkin Micro USB only puts out 1A as compared to 2A from the genuine charger. So the car dock may struggle a bit.
logger said:
Sounds like space is at a premium. Another option is to hard wire in a Belkin USB charger which is heaps smaller. Then just run a USB charge cable from it to the car dock. Check out the harness I made up in the center bottom pic to get an appreciation of how small it is. Downside is the Belkin Micro USB only puts out 1A as compared to 2A from the genuine charger. So the car dock may struggle a bit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I like your setup, I may do something like that myself, but not for the project at hand, but rather just to have a 1amp USB charger for whatever.
Now as for the original project itself, what I'm wanting to do is mount the car dock in my 98 Chevy Blazer right below the review mirror. My Blazer happens to have the Temp. and millage computer readout right above the review mirror mounted to the headliner. There's plenty of places to hook into a switched 12v line in the housing for the millage readout, but as I stated before, it's not enough to house the entire car charger and/or and 12v socket.
I'd prefer to use the original charger that comes with the dock so as to not starve it of power. I'm hoping it's just a small circuit board with wires running to the various connectors. I guess I'll just have to buy it and check it out myself. I don't want anyone to ruin theirs just to satisfy my curiosity, not that I would expect anyone to do that to begin with.
Hi guys.
I have a bit of a tech question in regards to the charging dock for my sony xperia z.
I know how these smartphones can chew a lot of power and can go flat pretty quickly. so i charge the phone from a 240v power supply which has a 5v usb output rated at 2.1 amps. I know it charges faster than using the official charger which is rated at 1.5 amp as i have done my tests at work where i have the equipment to do so on my desk. I understand that it might reduce the life of the battery and probably not recommended as the battery is a lipo (kaboom).
I haven't seen one docking station out there which will charge at 2.1 amps!! So i bought 2 cheap knock-off charging docks off ebay in the hope i could use the charger with the 2.1 amp output. Both docks rated at 1 amp input and output. I was curious as to why they had a 1 amp input. So i opened it up and found a circuit. I redrew that circuit on paper so i could see what was happening. It is a simple circuit with a mosfet and transistor, which no matter what current you put through it, it will only allow up to 1 amp to pass through. Now why would they have that in there? Is it to make it usb compliant? why not just have a straight through connection to allow for higher current charging? Or do the charging pads on the side of the phone only support up to 1.8 amps (like the original sony dock) but they decide 1 amp is safe enough in case they have a faulty unit or whatever...i don't know.
I know it might seem like a stupid question but this raises another. Does the 2 charging pads on the side of the phone link directly in-line with the usb micro port for charging? or does it have its own regulation as well?
Basically what I want to do is modify the dock so it is a straight through connection, bypassing the circuit in the dock so i can plug my 240v mains adaptor to usb which outputs 2.1 amp so I can get that faster charge. My worry is if those charging pads will handle that sort of current or damage its regulator if it has one or even the usb micro regulator if it has its own? I know people say "it will only draw what it needs"......That statement is only true to those devices which have no battery and rely solely on a power adaptor. If the device has a battery, it will take what it is given, unless there is some sort of regulation to prevent over charging. Like I said, I have done my testing.
I was just hoping someone out there might have some more knowledge on this, specially in regards to the charging pads on the side of the phone. I don't particulaly want to ruin my $700 phone
Hi,
have you actually tried to do the modification? I was thinking about the same thing...
EDIT: SCROLL DOWN TO POST #12 WHERE I SHOW YOU HOW TO BUILD YOUR OWN FULL-1900 mAh CHARGER!
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=43663686&postcount=12
-=========================================
Has anyone used this particular item before? Or can recommend a similar hard-wire unit that operates at 2A to 3A?
http://www.amazon.com/DROK-Converter-Connectors-Adapter-Recorder/dp/B00D6B6CJI
I'm thinking about getting one for my SUV and Motorcyle to charge the S4 at normal 1900 rates like the OEM wall-charger. Get that FAST charge.
Yes, I know about cig lighter chargers. No, that is not what this thread is for.
hello did you buy it?
CZ Eddie said:
Has anyone used this particular item before? Or can recommend a similar hard-wire unit that operates at 2A to 3A?
http://www.amazon.com/DROK-Converter-Connectors-Adapter-Recorder/dp/B00D6B6CJI
I'm thinking about getting one for my SUV and Motorcyle to charge the S4 at normal 1900 rates like the OEM wall-charger. Get that FAST charge.
Yes, I know about cig lighter chargers. No, that is not what this thread is for.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have this hardwired into my WRX:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/CDL-WaterPr...35?pt=US_Power_Inverters_&hash=item1c34627e83
I ran it off the clock circuit (my clock is dead anyways) but any switched 12v source will do. It charges my car integrated Nexus7 without any issues, and at the faster rate.
I have another powering a servo and an aux USB port, but unfortunately I ran so much wire to get it into the center console by the handbrake it charges at USB rates.
paolopaulpaul said:
hello did you buy it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not yet.
Caferacer said:
I have this hardwired into my WRX:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/CDL-WaterPr...35?pt=US_Power_Inverters_&hash=item1c34627e83
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow, that's a great price! Does it charge at ~1900 rates? Here is an app that will tell you the charging rate:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ccc71.bmw&hl=en
Just bought this one for $9 shipped.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-waterpr...34?pt=US_Power_Inverters_&hash=item3a7a051922
It's a waterproof box so it'll be better on my Motorcycle. I'll let you guys know how it works out by next week sometime.
There was a thread somewhere that explained why some chargers won't do the 1900mah charge. He figured out where and what size resistors to put across the wires to enable it. I think it was in a car dock thread, I'll try and find it.
Sent from my de-Verizonized Galaxy S4, CleanRom style! (using Tapatalk beta 4)
CZ Eddie said:
Not yet.
Wow, that's a great price! Does it charge at ~1900 rates? Here is an app that will tell you the charging rate:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ccc71.bmw&hl=en
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That app won't show the mA on my N7 but does show it charging near the same % as a fast charger.
MonkeyTime said:
There was a thread somewhere that explained why some chargers won't do the 1900mah charge. He figured out where and what size resistors to put across the wires to enable it. I think it was in a car dock thread, I'll try and find it.
Sent from my de-Verizonized Galaxy S4, CleanRom style! (using Tapatalk beta 4)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's the shorting/grounding of the data pins that activates 'fast charge' mode on some phones. Nexus 7's and my E4GT (Sprint S2) when I used it didn't require the pins to be shorted to charge faster. Mostly it was the charger (duh) and the quality/length of the cable that affected the charge speed. As well, most of the heavy 1A plus chargers short the data pins in the charger itself so you can use any cable. I believe the S4 doesn't require it as well, but don't have any data to confirm it.
The way I wired mine was to sacrifice a USB female port from a USB extender, and attached the power leads and shorted the data leads. Figured it couldn't hurt. The converter doesn't care if it's putting out 500mA or 3A. It's not intelligent like some chargers in what current it doles out.
Caferacer said:
shorted the data leads. Figured it couldn't hurt. The converter doesn't care if it's putting out 500mA or 3A. It's not intelligent like some chargers in what current it doles out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yours is the second post I've seen where someone has shorted the data pins on a charging-only setup. Is there a reason for doing that?
Ehh, n/m. I remembered the "Google before you ask" mantra...
This explains it nicely:
http://forums.androidcentral.com/samsung-galaxy-s3/194362-wont-charge-over-usb-car.html
MichaelBR said:
There are some reasons why it won't work, and some ways to solve it. First, let's understand how it works:
The USB cable has four pins. The inner two pins are where the data goes through. THe outer, power.
When the USB cable is plugged in to a computer, the data pins are connected normally and the phone knows it can only draw certain amount of power
When the cable is plugged in to a charger, the two middle pins are shorted, and the phone knows that it's NOT going to be sendind/receiving data, so it can draw as much power as it can. That's why it charges faster with the charger than when plugged in to a computer
Most chargers short the two pins. Some cables have a switch to do that.
There are different cable cauges as well, with different power capacities.
Some USB chargers, notably car chargers and some low-end (i.e. not good brand) chargers that don't draw from the car/don't give the phone as much current as it needs.
So, if any of below, the phone won't charge, or won't charge fast enough. Or, worse: it may appear as charging, but actually losing battery charge!
Cable too long or incorrect gauge
Middle pins not shorted for some reason
Charger doesn't deliver enough current
And the solutions are:
Don't use cable extensions, cables that are too long. Stick with the cable that came with the phone or with the charger
Get a good car charger, that delivers the right amount of current
I imagine you just got the cable from your original wall charger and plugged it in to the car charger. If you did that, then chances are the cable is OK, and the charger is the culprit. If this is the case, then get a better charger. Check how much current that charger can deliver. Check how much current your device actually needs.
Hope this helps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
CZ Eddie said:
Yours is the second post I've seen where someone has shorted the data pins on a charging-only setup. Is there a reason for doing that?
Ehh, n/m. I remembered the "Google before you ask" mantra...
This explains it nicely:
http://forums.androidcentral.com/samsung-galaxy-s3/194362-wont-charge-over-usb-car.html
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To be clear, there is no indication it is *required* for the S4. Mine quick charges just fine without shorted data leads. However I did this because my friends have a variety of phones and it only took a few minutes to do.
Caferacer said:
That app won't show the mA on my N7 but does show it charging near the same % as a fast charger.
It's the shorting/grounding of the data pins that activates 'fast charge' mode on some phones. Nexus 7's and my E4GT (Sprint S2) when I used it didn't require the pins to be shorted to charge faster. Mostly it was the charger (duh) and the quality/length of the cable that affected the charge speed. As well, most of the heavy 1A plus chargers short the data pins in the charger itself so you can use any cable. I believe the S4 doesn't require it as well, but don't have any data to confirm it.
The way I wired mine was to sacrifice a USB female port from a USB extender, and attached the power leads and shorted the data leads. Figured it couldn't hurt. The converter doesn't care if it's putting out 500mA or 3A. It's not intelligent like some chargers in what current it doles out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Caferacer said:
To be clear, there is no indication it is *required* for the S4. Mine quick charges just fine without shorted data leads. However I did this because my friends have a variety of phones and it only took a few minutes to do.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
While I agree with what you posted in general terms, below is the link to the thread I was talking about. He did some testing and found the pins aren't just shorted, but shorted w/ 82K resistors to get the maximum charging current.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2274321
Will it damage the phone to have a 3A charger plugged into it? Also If it does not damage would it be able to run the camera as a "blackbox" and not die? I currently have a 2a charger and when i use the black box software it dies after about an hour or so.
SUCCESS!
I got the little black box in from eBay.
Gave it a quick/test wire setup. This is NOT indicative of the end result which will be soldered & have shrink tubing, etc.
Okay, first I grabbed my stock S3 data/charge cable.
Snipped off the standard USB end.
Cut off the ends of the pin 2 & 3 wires since they were not being used anymore (data pins).
Then attached the red (power) from the S3 cable to the yellow (power) lead from the little black box. And did the same for the black (negative) leads.
Then hard wired the red & black from the little black box to my motorcycle battery terminals.
On the first test, I only got 460mAh.
Then I decided to short the 2 & 3 pin wires (green & white) on the S3 cable together (attach them to each other). This gave me 1120mAh!
Next I took the tin-foil and wire braid from the S3 cable and tied them together with the negative lead on the S3 cable. This gave me 1220mAh!
Still not satisfied, I then cut down the 5' S3 cable and made it a 1.5' cable.
AND THIS RESULTED IN A FULL 1920mAh!!!! Right on.
That is exactly the same mAh as the stock S4 wall charger & cable combo give me. Very stoked about this. So now I'll do a nice clean install on the bike and then duplicate it for my car dock sometime soon. FULL CHARGE AHEAD!
Crxdc said:
Will it damage the phone to have a 3A charger plugged into it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, it will be fine. The phone only draws 1900mAh. If the phone were drawing 3000mAh then there might be a problem.
All done and installed now. And working great!
Negative battery connection (I forgot to shrink tube it but will do that later).
Braided negative wire (~16 to 18awg?) running under gas tank to front of bike.
I wish I would have waited till I got black zip ties in. I hate white zip ties.
The braided wire at the right side of pic that goes up above the gas tank is the pos/neg wire lead that plus right into the phone.
2A inline fuse connecting via blade connector (sorry MC) to a previously used power-on-ignition wire.
This goes to (+) on the little black box.
Note the shrink tube over the braid over the crimp connector (wire goes to top-right of screen).
Phone sitting next to the phone dock I made out of a holster that came with my phone case.
You can see the braided/shrink tubed MicroUSB connector already plugged into the phone.
It's not showing a charge though, because the ignition key is not turned on.
Phone is inserted into stable dock (it will never fall out unless I crash hard).
Ignition is turned on and battery is charging!
And proof that it's charging at the full 1900mAh. Success!
CZ Eddie said:
All done and installed now. And working great!
Negative battery connection (I forgot to shrink tube it but will do that later).
Braided negative wire (~16 to 18awg?) running under gas tank to front of bike.
I wish I would have waited till I got black zip ties in. I hate white zip ties.
The braided wire at the right side of pic that goes up above the gas tank is the pos/neg wire lead that plus right into the phone.
2A inline fuse connecting via blade connector (sorry MC) to a previously used power-on-ignition wire.
This goes to (+) on the little black box.
Note the shrink tube over the braid over the crimp connector (wire goes to top-right of screen).
Phone sitting next to the phone dock I made out of a holster that came with my phone case.
You can see the braided/shrink tubed MicroUSB connector already plugged into the phone.
It's not showing a charge though, because the ignition key is not turned on.
Phone is inserted into stable dock (it will never fall out unless I crash hard).
Ignition is turned on and battery is charging!
And proof that it's charging at the full 1900mAh. Success!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awesome.
Hard wire phone charger and Bluetooth Receiver to car battery plan...
Hello,
I'm planning to install the following in my car along with new stereo head unit:
1) CraigsDocks Samsung Galaxy S4 docking charger, with USB power out
2) Rocketfish Bluetooth Music Receiver (with aptX), with DC 5V power out (connected to 3' 5V to USB power cable)
Plan to use this to convert (found on EBAY - I can't post links here in XDA yet/new user): Dual USB Cable Connectors Power Adapters 8-22V 12 V to 5V/3A DC Volt Converters... to connect directly to my car battery to power both the Samsung charger and the Rocketfish.
I'm new at this and I'm wondering if you all think this will work, or if I'm missing any steps, or if there are other better suggestions?
Thanks for your help!
ebrowni said:
Hello,
I'm planning to install the following in my car along with new stereo head unit:
1) CraigsDocks Samsung Galaxy S4 docking charger, with USB power out
2) Rocketfish Bluetooth Music Receiver (with aptX), with DC 5V power out (connected to 3' 5V to USB power cable)
Plan to use this to convert (found on EBAY - I can't post links here in XDA yet/new user): Dual USB Cable Connectors Power Adapters 8-22V 12 V to 5V/3A DC Volt Converters... to connect directly to my car battery to power both the Samsung charger and the Rocketfish.
I'm new at this and I'm wondering if you all think this will work, or if I'm missing any steps, or if there are other better suggestions?
Thanks for your help!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Looks good to me. :good:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dual-USB-Ca...064?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item51af639938
ebrowni said:
Hello,
I'm planning to install the following in my car along with new stereo head unit:
1) CraigsDocks Samsung Galaxy S4 docking charger, with USB power out
2) Rocketfish Bluetooth Music Receiver (with aptX), with DC 5V power out (connected to 3' 5V to USB power cable)
Plan to use this to convert (found on EBAY - I can't post links here in XDA yet/new user): Dual USB Cable Connectors Power Adapters 8-22V 12 V to 5V/3A DC Volt Converters... to connect directly to my car battery to power both the Samsung charger and the Rocketfish.
I'm new at this and I'm wondering if you all think this will work, or if I'm missing any steps, or if there are other better suggestions?
Thanks for your help!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just realize that if you wire it to your batter there will be a small draw from the converter and chargers even when not in use. If you let your car sit for a week or long weekend you might come out to find the battery dead. I personally wouldn't wire anything directly to the battery, especially since you didn't mention an inline fuse. Find a switched 12v lead inside the car. Not only does this protect your phone, charger, and car, but it also means you don't have to run anything through the firewall, which is a pain.
You can either tie into the cig lighter wiring, or find something else (I used my clock circuit since it runs to a 10A fuse and is switched).
Caferacer said:
Just realize that if you wire it to your batter there will be a small draw from the converter and chargers even when not in use. If you let your car sit for a week or long weekend you might come out to find the battery dead. I personally wouldn't wire anything directly to the battery, especially since you didn't mention an inline fuse. Find a switched 12v lead inside the car. Not only does this protect your phone, charger, and car, but it also means you don't have to run anything through the firewall, which is a pain.
You can either tie into the cig lighter wiring, or find something else (I used my clock circuit since it runs to a 10A fuse and is switched).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your clock circuit is switched?
I agree with the firewall being a pita, but I'm not a huge fan of tapping on to other circuits either. With nothing charging, what would be drawing any current? If there's anything, it would have to be minimal. It also allows you to charge a phone/device with the car not running, sometimes very handy (and a modification I've made before for just that reason). An inline fuse is also a must, good point!
Sent from my de-Verizonized Galaxy S4, CleanRom style! (using Tapatalk beta 4)
MonkeyTime said:
Your clock circuit is switched?
I agree with the firewall being a pita, but I'm not a huge fan of tapping on to other circuits either. With nothing charging, what would be drawing any current? If there's anything, it would have to be minimal. It also allows you to charge a phone/device with the car not running, sometimes very handy (and a modification I've made before for just that reason). An inline fuse is also a must, good point!
Sent from my de-Verizonized Galaxy S4, CleanRom style! (using Tapatalk beta 4)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, my clock circuit has a switched lead to wake up the clock as well as a hard wired lead to retain the time. Both run to the same 10A fuse.
There is a small transformer in the converter and the receiver bluetooth will stay on. They have a small energy draw which is not negligible over a long period of time. At the very least I would include a dash mounted switch to completely shut the charger and receiver off. For instance I have a bluetooth OBD adapter (Not too much unlike your bluetooth receiver) that drained a 2 year old car battery over a week I left the car sitting while I was on vacation. For day to day driving it's not a problem but my OBD adapter isn't hardwired and I can just remove it when I know the car will be sitting.
Thanks
Caferacer said:
Just realize that if you wire it to your batter there will be a small draw from the converter and chargers even when not in use. If you let your car sit for a week or long weekend you might come out to find the battery dead.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oooh, good point! Makes sense to me. I have never done a mod to my car's audio system so I'll be paying a professional installer. I'm so glad to have this information before I shop around at the good places here and get some offers!
Thank you!
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.
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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
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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?
After my disastrous experience with Seidio I'm thinking to order the Otterbox Defender and the ProClip car mount (designed specifically for the Defender case) I'm thinking about is available with or without a built in male mini USB for charging. I already have an Incipio Quick Charge 2.0 12v car charger the 12v accessory outlet USB plugin which I could use with the USB end of the ProClip cable.
Trying to think this through I'm wondering if anybody sees a distinct advantage or disadvantage to having the built in mini USB on the phone cradle.
For the way I normally use my phone in the car I don't usually run the battery down to the point charging is necessary although I do charge it. My vehicle's 12v accessory outlet is located on the passenger side of my console low to the floor (terrible location) so I can't unplug the charger while driving unless I was at a stoplight or pulled over. With the built in mini USB the only way to disconnect it is either take the phone out of the cradle which I wouldn't do while driving or disconnect the USB/12v accessory plug (or pull the USB cable out of the plug).
My inclination is to go with a cradle without a mini USB however if someone posts a benefit I haven't thought of to having the mini USB it also makes the aluminum CraigsDock carmount which is only available with a mini USB charging plug a possibility and I like that mount too.
Any thoughts on the subject greatly appreciated!!
mty msi said:
After my disastrous experience with Seidio I'm thinking to order the Otterbox Defender and the ProClip car mount (designed specifically for the Defender case) I'm thinking about is available with or without a built in male mini USB for charging. I already have an Incipio Quick Charge 2.0 12v car charger the 12v accessory outlet USB plugin which I could use with the USB end of the ProClip cable.
Trying to think this through I'm wondering if anybody sees a distinct advantage or disadvantage to having the built in mini USB on the phone cradle.
For the way I normally use my phone in the car I don't usually run the battery down to the point charging is necessary although I do charge it. My vehicle's 12v accessory outlet is located on the passenger side of my console low to the floor (terrible location) so I can't unplug the charger while driving unless I was at a stoplight or pulled over. With the built in mini USB the only way to disconnect it is either take the phone out of the cradle which I wouldn't do while driving or disconnect the USB/12v accessory plug (or pull the USB cable out of the plug).
My inclination is to go with a cradle without a mini USB however if someone posts a benefit I haven't thought of to having the mini USB it also makes the aluminum CraigsDock carmount which is only available with a mini USB charging plug a possibility and I like that mount too.
Any thoughts on the subject greatly appreciated!!
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It seems like you have it mostly covered. However, you stated that you don't really use your battery much while driving-- So i'm just wondering why you would go through all the hassle of trying to figure this out. for myself, personally, I plug in my car charger into the cigarette lighter, and just plug it into my phone before placing on my car mount. But that's just what I do, and is certainly not the only way it can be done. But from what it sounds like, you should be more than okay with your planned idea.
srltzz342 said:
It seems like you have it mostly covered. However, you stated that you don't really use your battery much while driving-- So i'm just wondering why you would go through all the hassle of trying to figure this out. for myself, personally, I plug in my car charger into the cigarette lighter, and just plug it into my phone before placing on my car mount. But that's just what I do, and is certainly not the only way it can be done. But from what it sounds like, you should be more than okay with your planned idea.
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Reason I'm asking for pros/cons on the mini USD built into the phone cradle is I prefer the Craigsdock which only comes with the mini USB. The Craigsdock is milled aluminum vs. the ProClip's plastic, it's universal so I could use it on different vehicles & phones and because its adhesive mounting plate is tiny compared to the ProClip vehicle specific dash mount it would look a lot nicer in my vehicle. The Craigsdock is most likely the last car mount I'd ever have to buy.
What I wasn't sure about is if the phone is left plugged in continually when it's fully charged whether that could cause damage and according to Craig @ Craigsdock it will not.
Below are the links to the two mounts:
http://proclipusa.net/instruction.php?sku=854540
http://www.craigsdocks.com/samsung-galaxy-s3-s4-s5-note-3-4-car-dock/
I decided to go with the Craigsdock and will review it after I've had a chance to use it.
get a wireless charger and dont look back. its awesome. i use an iblason armorbox, an itian wireless charger fixed to the car with 3m scotch outdoor double sided weatherproof tape and the samsung oem qi back. works great.
zurkx said:
get a wireless charger and dont look back. its awesome. i use an iblason armorbox, an itian wireless charger fixed to the car with 3m scotch outdoor double sided weatherproof tape and the samsung oem qi back. works great.
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Reason I'm getting the Craigsmount dock is it will place the phone exactly where I want in my vehicle. Screen will be about 3 inches away from my dash to the right of the steering wheel (not as far away from the dash as the steering wheel is but next to it). Also the Craigsmount will have a cable that keeps the native docking app continually activated. Now all I have to do is figure out how to make the phone's native docking app automatically trigger my Car Home Ultra app and I'm good to go.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KIOSTM4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Absolutely recommend this car mount. And it goes perfect if you have the otterbox defender too!
Never take off my defender when I'm outside, and now when I mount it on my windshield, I never have too.