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What USB / Data Cable? Tried cheaps ones and they don't last...

Hi All
Basically the title explains it all really.
I got myself a couple of cheap USB cables to charge my Desire Z and for data transfer use and they were ok for a while but now they only want to charge unless I manage to find the exact sweetspot of the connector/lead and hold it there, which is getting harder and harder.
Can anyone recommend any decent quality but reasonably priced leads I can get?
BTW I'm in the uk, so uk sellers would be best.
Thanks

I got some blackberry cables and they are sturdy as all hell, plus long too, and affordable and everywhere lol

HTC OEM cables seem sturdy. I have some older ones (although they are Mini-USB, not Micro-USB) that are as old as 4 years, and they still work.
You can find the HTC OEM cables on eBay for as cheap as $4 with free shipping in the US. I would imagine at least some of those vendors also ship to UK.

I like the several Nokia-branded cables I have lying around from old phones. They seem to be a sturdy cable, but somewhat more flexible than thick/sturdy cables tend to be.

I have a nokia cable I got from a market stall type bricks and mortar shop (only way I can describe it). It has a clip built in to hold it when its coiled up, very robust and cost me 7 quid ish. Can't really remember the price exactly as it was a couple of years ago.
Sent from my HTC Vision using xda premium

killj0y said:
I got some blackberry cables and they are sturdy as all hell, plus long too, and affordable and everywhere lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I 2nd that! Been using blackberry cables for years (both mini and micro USB) and I have yet to break one.

thanks for the ideas guys I shall check out blackberry leads, got to be better than the flimsy ones I got before.
I did look for HTC ones but with postage from htc it was going to cost something like £17...

Another vote for the Nokia cables.

Default HTC cable, seems very hard to break

I'll also throw Asda in the mix. I have an Asda cable that's been brilliant.
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App

HTC OEM cables seem sturdy. I have mine now for about a year, and its working properly.

BEST cable I ever used was one I bought from the DOLLAR TREE here in california. it's very sturdy and the micro usb's connection is still tight. It's made by "E Circuit" and is in a blue and white bag. i have no qualms with this cable. If you don't have a dollar tree or your dollar tree doesn't carry them PM me and I'll send you one.
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virtualflyer said:
Default HTC cable, seems very hard to break
Click to expand...
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+1 Very robust

picked up the atrix 2 car dock at at&t for $40

ok, was bummed to find out that both my car chargers didn't work with the atrix 2, so i picked up the car dock today at the at&t store for $40. i'll preface this with the fact that this dock is $99 at motorola, $59 from amazon, but only $40 from at&t.
this is probably the best accessory purchase i have ever made for any device i have ever owned, lol. seriously. it's well constructed, sticks firmly to the windshield (can also mount to dash), the dc plug has 2 ports on it, the usb cable also carries audio and has a 3.5mm jack plug, the dock can accommodate a small case, the usb plug on the dock can be removed and flipped for the 4g and it charges, lol
some pics i took of it tonight
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for $40, you can't go wrong. at&t wanted $30 for one of the generic dc plug with a coiled cable things, so for $10 more and 60% less than what motorola wanted and $20 cheaper than amazon, i couldn't pass on the deal.
if you're looking for a car charger or vehicle mount solution, pick this up before at&t realizes their price point is off, lol

You think it would work with the commuter case or not?

Hmm, I almost pulled the trigger but I've already got a gps that does all of that

JRW 28 said:
You think it would work with the commuter case or not?
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not sure, if you look at this pic
you can see the insert used to fit a phone without a case, if the commuter is about that thick, then it should work

I have the commuter case and it doesnt work with the hard shell but you can easily put it in there with the silicone case still on it not too much of an inconvenience only takes me about 10 secs to get off the case and put it back on.

I picked mine up today and It works with the Red speck case they sell. its a nice fit too. Im going to look at the multimedia dock and see if it also fits with the speck case.

I've asked this in another thread, so I'm sorry if I'm coming across as annoying...
Can someone who has the car dock and a multi-meter check the resistance value between the usb pins (specifically between pins 4 & 5)? I've made my own dock (I realize I could have bought the dock, but I like making things like this, and I think it turned out fairly nice) but it's still missing the audio out through the usb. I'm still working off the assumption that the car dock mode is triggered via a specific resistor value on the ID pin and the audio out is with pins 2 & 3 (pin 5 is the common ground).
Again, sorry for bringing this up again in another thread, but I still haven't gotten anyone to make the measurement yet.
Thanks!

Desktop Docks work w/case, two flavors

These just arrived:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CEISG3Y/ref=oh_details_o03_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00C4CVTDY/ref=oh_details_o03_s00_i02?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Black one for me (dark S4), white one for wife (white S4).
Her's has a switch on the back to choose between for charge mode (via micro-usb) vs. audio out mode (via 3.5mm audio cable), mine has a slot to charge a spare battery in the back. It doesn't charge when set to audio-out. The white one came w/two USB cables - one for a power adapter, one for computer.
Our S4s fit easily into the dock w/their cases on (we're using the slim TPU-like cases that Costco includes w/the phones), with some wiggle room on each side and front-to back. The micro-USB connection is tight enough that you have to use two hands to put it in or take it out, which I prefer for safety/stability. (There are comments in the reviews regarding cases the docks work/do not fit.) The docks come w/their own 1.5A charger and cable, but we just connected the micro-USB charging cord that Samsung provides w/the phones to the back of the docks.
The docks come w/an insert that you can leave in for a phone w/out a case, or remove if you are using a case.
The two docks look pretty much exactly the same except for their configuration for battery charging vs. audio out/charge switch, but they come from two different suppliers and have different names. But the source manufacturer certainly looks like it's the same.
For $25 we're pretty happy, takes up very little space on the nightstand, appears to be well enough made, and the fit is good w/the case on, which has always been an issue w/other phones we've owned, not fitting, or not fitting well w/a case on. Would buy these again...
Dock w/charge and audio-out modes (via switch on back)
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Dock w/extra battery charging slot
What's in the box:

I got this one...... http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00CMNJ6LM/ref=mp_s_a_1_12?qid=1374109340&sr=8-12&pi=SL75 works awesome audio out and charges at the same time also [a second skit to charge your spare battery....I don't think it'll fit with a case though
Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

butch87402 said:
I got this one...... http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00CMNJ6LM/ref=mp_s_a_1_12?qid=1374109340&sr=8-12&pi=SL75 works awesome audio out and charges at the same time also [a second skit to charge your spare battery....I don't think it'll fit with a case though
Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
Click to expand...
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Yeah, the main point of this thread was that these docks work w/out having to remove the case, which for many of us is a must. Taking the case off and putting it back on every day gets very annoying, very quickly.

Naztech Wireless Ultra Charging Pad (45 degree)

After trying out wireless charging with $5 puck off eBay I wanted to get myself something better. My requirements were: black, small, tilted and usb connector compatible stand. (So for me Tylt Vu is too long plus it doesn't have usb connector)
I decided to go with "Wireless Ultra Charging Pad" from Naztech (ordered from eBay for $50 + $15 shipping).
I received the charger just yesterday. Fortunately for me, the charger looks really similar to the render and I like the design. It looks like it was made for S5 - the optimal position is right in the middle. (I'm no expert but based on the positions I tried it looks like a 1-coil charger.)
Unfortunately the excitement got away quickly thanks to:
LEDs - It has two LEDs: red one (always on) and green one (for charging). The green one is lit when phone is charging. When charging finishes, it starts blinking. I was aware of them and they look discreen but I just hate leds, especially blinking ones which are not mentioned in description of $60 product and they cannot be turned off (well, black tape to rescue).
Beep - It beeps when charging starts. I read that Tylt Vu also beeps but do they really have to? I wouldn't buy it if I knew it is such long and high beep (again, it's not listed in product description). The worst is that the charger has no screws so muting the beeper isn't so easy.
Slipping - I have geniune back cover with QI receiver from Samsung but the 45 degree rubber pad just isn't able to hold the phone and it is traveling down with the speed of 1-2 cm per 5 minutes. This makes me very angry. S5 is listed as compatible. When I put there only the back cover itself it was also slipping (I'm not sure if I will bother uploading it). I also tried my tablet without Qi - LG G Pad 8.3 which has aluminium back but even this didn't help.
No response - Before ordering from eBay I was unable to use 20% discount from Naztech shop. I sent them email asking for help but never received a reply.
The only good thing is that I decided not to order two pieces (one for home, other to work). I'm afraid I will not be returning the charger because shipping would cost me significant amount of the charger cost and time. Also the eBay seller undervalued the package so I better don't want additional charges or other issues when sending it back.
Here are some pics:
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Working attempt to stop the slipping (used some rubber bands):
I might also end up replacing the rubber pad with something better...

This makes me very angry, lmao.
There's so much more in life to get upset about. Go outside.

try searching for a charger from yijieneng, i've started a thread on this, it has what you are looking for.

I already got $15 charging orb. Phone sits wonderfully on it and makes no beeps so I ordered another one for work.

moneytoo said:
I already got $15 charging orb. Phone sits wonderfully on it and makes no beeps so I ordered another one for work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you mean the cheap fake nexus orb in multi colour.:fingers-crossed:

kms108 said:
you mean the cheap fake nexus orb in multi colour.:fingers-crossed:
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Click to collapse
I was pleasantly surprised - it doesn't feel cheap at all, it's quite heavy and looks well made, at least the all black version I got ("Made in Korea" ). Also unlike other chargers ($5 puck or this Naztech) it doesn't make any buzzing during charging.

moneytoo said:
I was pleasantly surprised - it doesn't feel cheap at all, it's quite heavy and looks well made, at least the all black version I got ("Made in Korea" ). Also unlike other chargers ($5 puck or this Naztech) it doesn't make any buzzing during charging.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
with most of the chargers, you can just remove the buzzer, but you can't do anything with the phone.
I have about 12 chargers, I change them every few months.:fingers-crossed:

[REVIEW] Fonesalesman Qi Stone Wireless Charger + Fonesalesman Qi Receiver

Fonesalesman Qi Stone Wireless Charger + Fonesalesman Qi Receiver​
This package came few days ago for a review ... so here it goes
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Hardware and Design
The design of this wireless charger is just amazing with the help of Capacitive Touch Sensitive 'Wake' Switch/Button, it looks like a decorative stone that you can place it anywhere in your house.
QiStone+ has a weight of 135g and its dimensions are 105 x 72 x 20mm.
Inside there's a 4,000 mAh Li-ion Polymer battery with Charging Efficiency of 74.7%, recharged through a micro USB port on the back. It also has a USB 2.0 port that can be used to charge smartphones that don’t support wireless charging.
When you touch the fonesalesman logo you wake up the QiStone+ and shows its battery status with a row of four Green LED’s across the product. Placing your smartphone on QiStone+ makes a beep sound which means that the smartphone is charging as it should, but a series of beep sound means that the smartphone should be replaced on the pad. You can always check the Blue LED on the bottom side of the product to make sure if your smartphone is charging.
The QiStone+ comes with a soft little bag that lets you take it anywhere with you. The USB cables inside the box feel so premium compared to other regular USB cables.
No Extra bulk added without case :
No Extra bulk added even with case :
Pricing
The product has a price tag of $79.99 but you can save $25 from Amazon. There are other cheaper wireless chargers in the market but you will lose that premium feeling from QiStone+ and the built in Qi technology.
You can get it from here :
Amazon
QiStone+: wireless charging powerbank | Fonesalesman
Pros :
- Beautiful and premium design
- It’s also a wireless powerbank
- USB cables have a premium feeling
- It comes with a small bag that lets you take it anywhere you want
- Small enough to fit in a pocket
- You can charge the QiStone+ with the KoolPad Qi Wireless Charger
- Lets you charge your device with a case
Cons :
- It has a small 4000mah battery
- Wireless Charger and Charging device do get really hot
- A bit difficult to place it correctly from the first try
- Charging times are a little bit slower compared to Normal AC chargers
Conclusion
Overall QiStone+ is a quality product, it’s small and portable. Let’s you charge your Smartphone without cables anywhere. The only downside is that I had a little bit of trouble trying to place it correctly to the sweet spot it also depends on the Qi Receiver and cases. I wish it had a bigger battery so I can charge my Note 4 at least two times. The fonesalesman Qi Receiver works fine despite that it feels like it has not been placed correctly works like a charm almost every time. Both products come with 2 micro USB slots that can cover and protect from dust your micro USB port from your device since from now on you will charge your phone wirelessly.
(video coming soon)

Thanks for the review. I've been using the FoneSalesMan receiver for a couple of months now, every night and sometimes during the day, and it is excellent. Works great through my UAG case. I'm using the CHOETECH Stadium 3-coil charger which makes placement a bit easier - also it doesn't beep at all, so it's ideal for use in a bedroom at night!
When placing the receiver I didn't use the sticky back to attach it to the battery, just two pieces of sellotape to stick the contacts down - makes it easier to change batteries later.