Database Develop

[Q] Is the Nook charger special?

I haven't seen a thread that addresses this specifically:
After reading the threads in this section, it seems that the consensus is that the "fast charging" aspect of the NC is based on extra pins in the special NC cable. When connected to any charger with 1.9amps or greater, you will get the fast charge.
My experience is different.
Using the OEM NC cable:
1. Connected to OEM charger, stock ROM - settings say charging, flashes an icon with charging percent on connection and removal
2. Connected to OEM charger, CM7 - settings say Charging (AC).
3. Connected to 2.1 and 2.0 amp chargers, stock - settings say Not Charging.
4. Connected to 2.1 and 2.0 amp chargers, CM7 - settings say Charging (USB)
Using the generic microusb cables (2 or 3 tried):
1. Connected to OEM charger, stock ROM - Can't remember, but not going back to stock!
2. Connected to OEM charger, CM7 - settings say Charging (AC).
3. Connected to 2.1 and 2.0 amp chargers, stock - settings say Not Charging.
4. Connected to 2.1 and 2.0 amp chargers, CM7 - settings say Charging (USB)
This seems to imply that the OEM charger is required to really use the extra pins in the NC OEM cable. Can anyone test and confirm this?
Alan

The nook charger puts out almost 2A of power, where normal usb chargers and ports on computer only put out 500mA. The cable that the nook comes with has some terminations in it that allow the nook to tell when it is connected to the nook charger. It will charge at a much faster rate when using the combination of the charger and cable that came with the nook. Replace either the cable or the charger with anything else and you get low power charging mode which is very slow.

Nook Charger
I keep seeing reports of people getting a fast charge using various other equipment, as long as the chargers are rated >= 1.9A.
Can anyone confirm or deny this? Any testing?

As long as a charger puts out near 2A of current, it should work. The charger itself is just a four pin USB charger. The cable itself... lots of pins in the connector to the NC.

FrayAdjacent said:
As long as a charger puts out near 2A of current, it should work. The charger itself is just a four pin USB charger. The cable itself... lots of pins in the connector to the NC.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's what everyone's been saying, but it doesn't work that way in my testing. I have tried 3rd party chargers that output 2.0 and 2.1A, using the OEM cable. None of them are recognized as an AC charger. If we knew how the NC knows when it's connected to the original charger, we could find a way to modify something available at WalMart to quick charge our NC's. There's plenty of Ipad chargers (2.1A) available. The one I have doesn't work, though.
Alan

Update to my previous post:
When I got home from work I tested my ipad charger (2.1A) with the nook color cable and it seemed to act like the nook charger. I did not think any charger but the nc one would work, but it seems it does.

I am jealous. My Ipad charger (OEM) paired with the nook cable shows Charging (USB) under Settings --->About Tablet--->Status. I would love know how to get it to say Charging (AC) .
Alan

Keep your eyes open people...as soon as I return to work and have extra cash I plan on ordering and tearing down a charger and cable. Many have noticed poor quality in the chargers..I'm gonna try to engineer an open DIY charger and cable replacement with better filtering components. Hopefully will be creating a thread with full details in 3 weeks...
Sent from my NookColor using Tapatalk

deadbot1 said:
Keep your eyes open people...as soon as I return to work and have extra cash I plan on ordering and tearing down a charger and cable. Many have noticed poor quality in the chargers..I'm gonna try to engineer an open DIY charger and cable replacement with better filtering components. Hopefully will be creating a thread with full details in 3 weeks...
Sent from my NookColor using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
YAY! I have my soldering station warming up.
Cheers,
kev

yep, this is overdue...plugged in last night...almost burned my hand after an hour of charging. I keep my charger by the bed and the hum is just annoying when I'm feeling a bit restless.

Is there a way to identify problem chargers?
There must be some real inconsistency in the charger build quality. I've never noticed mine gets more than just a tiny bit warm and no humming. I wonder if there was a bad lot of them made? I was trying to look at the charger to see if there is a lot # or such, but can't tell what half the darned thing says. I'm posting a pic of the text on my charger in the hopes we can figure out if there is some way to identify problem chargers.
Edit: My nc came from WalMart.

Well there is a difference in the markings at least...The area circled in red...On mine it is R1101.
Still made in China
Edit: BTW my unit came from Walmart. Not sure if there would be any accounting for things like that.

deadbot1 said:
Keep your eyes open people...as soon as I return to work and have extra cash I plan on ordering and tearing down a charger and cable. Many have noticed poor quality in the chargers..I'm gonna try to engineer an open DIY charger and cable replacement with better filtering components. Hopefully will be creating a thread with full details in 3 weeks...
Sent from my NookColor using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds great. The simple tests I have done have yielded more quetions then answers.
Looking forward to your data.

ive noticed i cant transfer data on anything other than the nook cable.

The NC cable is special. It wont fit other devices.
described over here....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nook_Color
Charging the NC on a regular microUSB means much longer time.

swaaye said:
The NC cable is special. It wont fit other devices.
described over here....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nook_Color
Charging the NC on a regular microUSB means much longer time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, this much is well known...my plan is to find out if there are "brains" in the charger or if it's just a high amp USB adapter. If the latter is true( which I suspect), then it's easy peasy to make a high power port( or just buy a quality one). If it has special circuitry...then I get to try and replicate it( with better parts) and release the plans so others can make DIY replacements.
Edit: I'm willing to bet that the extra pins in the cable are just to increase contact surface...to handle the higher amperage.
Sent from my NookColor using XDA Premium App

boogerboy72 said:
ive noticed i cant transfer data on anything other than the nook cable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is totally wrong, since other cables WILL transfer data just fine. I use an LG Micro USB cable from my old dare, and am able to ADB push, install, etc just fine.
As it is, the large end of the Nook's USB cable is normal; this means that if the nook is communicating, it is doing so over the standard USB data ports, and not through some special connection. Keep in mind that some of the extra pins from the micro side are for the status light that is built in.

Hmm R1102 here showing 1.9A output
I'm curious.. some people have talked about warranty replacements. What R versions are those?

Divine_Madcat said:
That is totally wrong, since other cables WILL transfer data just fine. I use an LG Micro USB cable from my old dare, and am able to ADB push, install, etc just fine.
As it is, the large end of the Nook's USB cable is normal; this means that if the nook is communicating, it is doing so over the standard USB data ports, and not through some special connection. Keep in mind that some of the extra pins from the micro side are for the status light that is built in.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm....hadn't thought of that...that charger almost has to be dumb...just higher output...the smarts all have to be in the USB/power management chip in the nook. Those extra pins must be for the led and maybe a few for handling the higher amperage. Need to check out the spec sheet for that chip again...
Sent from my NookColor using XDA Premium App

Why does it HAVE to be dumb? I mean, the charger needs to do nothing more than respond to a ping, saying "Hey, im a Nook charger, take me for a 1.9A ride!". I guess that makes it dumb, but no reason said technology won't be in the charger.

Knock-off Chargers

I am hesitant to buy something like this since I have read that the USB Micro on the NC is non-standard.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Barnes-and-...?pt=US_Tablet_Accessories&hash=item19c71f2149

You're smart to worry about these. This one is a simple microUSB cable, not the Nook Color compatible cable which has a longer tip. It will still allow you to transfer data and trickle charge but because of the shorter tip it will not allow a quick charge.
The part that is also important is the plug/brick you plug this cable into. You have to make sure it outputs 1.9 amps so that it is capable of quick charging your Nook Color if you have the correct cable to use. Most usb plug/bricks (like the ones for your phones) will only output about a quarter or maybe half of that. Some Apple iPad/iPhone usb plug/bricks will put out more though.

sjmoreno is right, be wary on these. It shows it is shipping from the inside the United States, but that doesn't mean much as they buy these in bulk from China at a lower price and raise it a bit here. I have ordered a few of these micro USB cables from china eBay listings with varying luck. Some will actually fit, and others won't - some charge REALLY slow and I actually had one that melted on me because it was pulling too much current.

Hey,
If you are still under warrantly, you can call B&N or chat with them on the website and get a new cable, adaptor or a power kit with little or no trouble. Just tell them your current one is not working. You can also go to a Barnes and Noble store and speak to one of the nook guys and you can get a free one there too.

sjmoreno said:
You're smart to worry about these. This one is a simple microUSB cable, not the Nook Color compatible cable which has a longer tip. It will still allow you to transfer data and trickle charge but because of the shorter tip it will not allow a quick charge.
The part that is also important is the plug/brick you plug this cable into. You have to make sure it outputs 1.9 amps so that it is capable of quick charging your Nook Color if you have the correct cable to use. Most usb plug/bricks (like the ones for your phones) will only output about a quarter or maybe half of that. Some Apple iPad/iPhone usb plug/bricks will put out more though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Chargers (wall or vehicle) made for Apple products will only charge at the slower rate. The NC looks at the resistance on the USB data lines to see if it should charge at the fast rate. The resistance set on chargers for Apple products is different than for the NC. The only chargers I've come across for the NC that charge at the higher rate are those made by B&N. Other chargers can be modified to work, but that's a different topic.

wrong...
mrmark93 said:
Chargers (wall or vehicle) made for Apple products will only charge at the slower rate. The NC looks at the resistance on the USB data lines to see if it should charge at the fast rate. The resistance set on chargers for Apple products is different than for the NC. The only chargers I've come across for the NC that charge at the higher rate are those made by B&N. Other chargers can be modified to work, but that's a different topic.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow, you actually sound like you know what you're talking about. (I kid... I kid...)
Here's a photo of my Apple USB plug which I've highlighted puts out 2.1A. I could use this plug with the official B&N Nook Color cable and it will get the quick charge since the extra length of the tip on the B&N NC cable will allow it to reach the 12 pins that are further inside the Nook's outlet. Although I wouldn't do it since it could (maybe, might, don't want to chance it) send too much current to the battery and possibly damage it or over-heat it.
I also have a Motorola usb plug for my Droid X and Atrix phones but that only puts out 850 mA (.85 Amps) which could trickle charge regardless of the cable I use.
Hope this explained it well enough.

sjmoreno said:
Wow, you actually sound like you know what you're talking about. (I kid... I kid...)
Here's a photo of my Apple USB plug which I've highlighted puts out 2.1A. I could use this plug with the official B&N Nook Color cable and it will get the quick charge since the extra length of the tip on the B&N NC cable will allow it to reach the 12 pins that are further inside the Nook's outlet. Although I wouldn't do it since it could (maybe, might, don't want to chance it) send too much current to the battery and possibly damage it or over-heat it.
I also have a Motorola usb plug for my Droid X and Atrix phones but that only puts out 850 mA (.85 Amps) which could trickle charge regardless of the cable I use.
Hope this explained it well enough.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
right back at ya!
Your Apple unit is rated at 2.1A, but will only 'put out' whatever the NC draws from it, up to a theoretical 2.1A (I never measured over ~1850mA during any of my testing). Have you measured the charge rate on your NC? How? Did you load the battery monitor widget, does it report 'AC Charge' with the Apple charger? Are you using the Nook Tweeks app and forcing the fast charge mode? Just curious.
You made some other comments that are misleading, so I'll say my 'opinion' on those:
You could hook your NC to a 5V, 10,000+Amp power supply and not hurt it. The NC regulates the rate of charge with an on-board charge controller, and even if it didn't, it still wouldn't harm the battery. USB is 5V by specification. Apply 5V to a battery currently holding a charge of less than 5V and it will be charged to 5V. When you first start charging, it will charge at the highest rate available (by supply restraint, charge controller, wire size, connector conductivity) and as the battery becomes more & more charged, the charge rate (current flow) will drop, and when fully charged, the current drops to zero (0). The chargers are rated at what they can safely supply, 1A, 500mA, 2.1A, 850mA, etc without damaging the charger itself-some chargers are smart and limit the current, others will supply what they can and suffer damage if more current is drawn than the charger is rated for (ex: Harbor Freight unit with shorted data pins put out 1.1A (rated 0.5A) and started melting parts before I shut it off). I tested an 'Apple compatible' charger rated at 2.1A and it would only charge at around 600mA unless I shorted the data pins, then it put out whatever the NC would draw, up to a measured max of ~1850mA.

Oh, Snap!
mrmark93 said:
right back at ya!
Your Apple unit is rated at 2.1A, but will only 'put out' whatever the NC draws from it, up to a theoretical 2.1A (I never measured over ~1850mA during any of my testing). Have you measured the charge rate on your NC? How? Did you load the battery monitor widget, does it report 'AC Charge' with the Apple charger? Are you using the Nook Tweeks app and forcing the fast charge mode? Just curious.
You made some other comments that are misleading, so I'll say my 'opinion' on those:
You could hook your NC to a 5V, 10,000+Amp power supply and not hurt it. The NC regulates the rate of charge with an on-board charge controller, and even if it didn't, it still wouldn't harm the battery. USB is 5V by specification. Apply 5V to a battery currently holding a charge of less than 5V and it will be charged to 5V. When you first start charging, it will charge at the highest rate available (by supply restraint, charge controller, wire size, connector conductivity) and as the battery becomes more & more charged, the charge rate (current flow) will drop, and when fully charged, the current drops to zero (0). The chargers are rated at what they can safely supply, 1A, 500mA, 2.1A, 850mA, etc without damaging the charger itself-some chargers are smart and limit the current, others will supply what they can and suffer damage if more current is drawn than the charger is rated for (ex: Harbor Freight unit with shorted data pins put out 1.1A (rated 0.5A) and started melting parts before I shut it off). I tested an 'Apple compatible' charger rated at 2.1A and it would only charge at around 600mA unless I shorted the data pins, then it put out whatever the NC would draw, up to a measured max of ~1850mA.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You sound more invested in this. I'll go sulk in a corner now...

sjmoreno said:
You sound more invested in this. I'll go sulk in a corner now...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just trying to be helpful
Mess of technical crap from the 'car charger' thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=16505252&postcount=47
I spent half a day measuring crap to satisfy my curiosity. the reuslt: B&N should have standardized with normal (i-device) charging standards

USB cable that can run at 1800mA

I've managed to find some chargers (both car and wall) that will charge with 1800mA (according to Galaxy Charging Lite app).
I have not managed to find an aftermarket cable that will charge at more than 1amp. Anyone know of an aftermarket cable that actually is capable of 1800mA? I've tried nGear and monoprice, and while they are very well constructed cables, they will only charge at 1amp or less with the n7100
Thanks for the help in advance, but please only respond to this if you've actually tested the cable with with the Galaxy Charging app or a current meter of some sort. I'm not interested in cables that only work anecdotally.
-PW

I'm breaking your rules (gasp) but as far as I'm aware, it's not the cable that manages the charge, it's the power adapter that feeds the usb, right? I've used all sorts of random cables on my travels for work, but always sticking to my 2+ amp output charger, and they've always worked.

pacificwing said:
I've managed to find some chargers (both car and wall) that will charge with 1800mA (according to Galaxy Charging Lite app).
I have not managed to find an aftermarket cable that will charge at more than 1amp. Anyone know of an aftermarket cable that actually is capable of 1800mA? I've tried nGear and monoprice, and while they are very well constructed cables, they will only charge at 1amp or less with the n7100
Thanks for the help in advance, but please only respond to this if you've actually tested the cable with with the Galaxy Charging app or a current meter of some sort. I'm not interested in cables that only work anecdotally.
-PW
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Find a very short cable and you'll see rates up to 2100 ma (as measure by battery monitor widget). I use the short usb cable that came with my jambox combined with the the phones stock charger. The charger gets so hot due to the high current that I worry if it might burn out. The cable is very short, like 6 inches. I use this one when i need a quick bump before going out.
At this low of voltage plus high current, the shielding on most cables is not enough to protect against the voltage fluctuations caused by the high magnetic field. The longer the cable the more shielding is needed. Additionally, the cable shielding gets less effective as the cable gets older due to general wear. My original usb cable can only due around 740 - 1250ma, where it used to do 1800ma when new nearly 2 years ago.
If you could find a cable where there the positive and negative wires are separated in parallel strands like traditional AC power cords, it would also help. I have a cheap charger with built in cord like this and it charges consistently fast.

Jarm3r said:
I'm breaking your rules (gasp) but as far as I'm aware, it's not the cable that manages the charge, it's the power adapter that feeds the usb, right? I've used all sorts of random cables on my travels for work, but always sticking to my 2+ amp output charger, and they've always worked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most USB cables will work with the charger, but some cables (usually longer or smaller gauge wires) will restrict the charge to a lower amperage. I still haven't quite figured out how the phone knows what cable is being used, because, realistically, in a simple DC circuit, the consequence of using a cable that is too small is heating up or burning out. A cable that is too small alone will not prevent too much amperage from going through itself. This is why they invented fuses. Somehow the phone detects the gauge/length of cable being used and restricts the amperage being pulled from the charger by changing its own resistance on the circuit.
nswenson said:
Find a very short cable and you'll see rates up to 2100 ma (as measure by battery monitor widget). I use the short usb cable that came with my jambox combined with the the phones stock charger. The charger gets so hot due to the high current that I worry if it might burn out. The cable is very short, like 6 inches. I use this one when i need a quick bump before going out.
At this low of voltage plus high current, the shielding on most cables is not enough to protect against the voltage fluctuations caused by the high magnetic field. The longer the cable the more shielding is needed. Additionally, the cable shielding gets less effective as the cable gets older due to general wear. My original usb cable can only due around 740 - 1250ma, where it used to do 1800ma when new nearly 2 years ago.
If you could find a cable where there the positive and negative wires are separated in parallel strands like traditional AC power cords, it would also help. I have a cheap charger with built in cord like this and it charges consistently fast.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I suspect you're right. The impedance of a cable is the only thing that would change over a period of time that would result in a cable that could once pull 2A to start pulling less than that. Still, it would be nice to have a list of chargers/cables that consistently pull 2A before dropping $15-$30 on one of them. There exists such a list on this forum, but it is filled with comments like "It's good enough for me", without any real data as to what performance they are getting. Hence my rules above.

The charge rate depends on your kernal not the cable. I use Agni and get over 2 amp charges from a USB cable I paid 12 cents shipped for on eBay.

I purchased this cable about two weeks ago and it delivers!! I can charge my 9300mah Zero Lemon battery from 0-100 in just under 4 hours. Stock battery in about 1.5-2hrs. Of course I'm using a 2.1 amp charger, but NONE of my other cables come close. I'm averaging 1800-1900mah charge rate with it. Next highest rate cord only gets about 1200 max. I plan on ordering 2-3 more. $5 and change with PRIME.
2.1A Micro USB Sync & Charging Cable (1M) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009Z94PV2/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_7MD2tb08CY1N7R0J

carlz28 said:
I purchased this cable about two weeks ago and it delivers!! I can charge my 9300mah Zero Lemon battery from 0-100 in just under 4 hours. Stock battery in about 1.5-2hrs. Of course I'm using a 2.1 amp charger, but NONE of my other cables come close. I'm averaging 1800-1900mah charge rate with it. Next highest rate cord only gets about 1200 max. I plan on ordering 2-3 more. $5 and change with PRIME.
2.1A Micro USB Sync & Charging Cable (1M) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009Z94PV2/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_7MD2tb08CY1N7R0J
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you! This is exactly the type of review I was looking for!
:laugh:

Check this out. http://voyager8.blogspot.com/2013/04/how-to-choose-good-usb-data-and.htmlI found it while looking for the 6ft cable I used to use until it shorted from heavy use (bending a lot) and I got a pack of 10 short flat wire style 3ft cables. My 6ft one has a ferrite end and printed on it: 28agw/1p and 26awg/2c. It could handle 2A just fine, but this requires any wall outlet adapter that can output that amperage. The oem outlet adapter that comes with the phone says 2.0A output, but you can fine any 'reliable' one that has 2.0A output.

if the original cable is not 1800mA, there must be a reason

Get one of these
http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=103&cp_id=10303&cs_id=1030307&p_id=5457&seq=1&format=2

anyone have this cable... or know if it is a 28AWG/1P + 24AWG/2C (i.e., 24AWG/2C for charging)
http://www.amazon.com/Mediabridge-U.../B004GF8TIK/ref=pd_cp_e_1/186-6092214-7798820

Hi
Hard to get something original for samsung nowadays

I have those monoprice cables but get different results every time I plug in (1698ma, 1300ma, 600ma, 460ma, etc...)

carlz28 said:
I purchased this cable about two weeks ago and it delivers!! I can charge my 9300mah Zero Lemon battery from 0-100 in just under 4 hours. Stock battery in about 1.5-2hrs. Of course I'm using a 2.1 amp charger, but NONE of my other cables come close. I'm averaging 1800-1900mah charge rate with it. Next highest rate cord only gets about 1200 max. I plan on ordering 2-3 more. $5 and change with PRIME.
2.1A Micro USB Sync & Charging Cable (1M) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009Z94PV2/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_7MD2tb08CY1N7R0J
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which 2.1 amp charger are you using? I have one for my car, looking for one for home use. I also have the 9300mah ZeroLemon battery in my T-Mobile Note 2. Thanks!

Asquared said:
Which 2.1 amp charger are you using? I have one for my car, looking for one for home use. I also have the 9300mah ZeroLemon battery in my T-Mobile Note 2. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was using the 2A charger that came with my Nexus tablet. But I bought an additional one for work.
iXCC ® Dual USB 4.2 Amp (20 Watt) SMART High Capacity [High Power] ... http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HPTU0OU/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_PR7.tb01EM5CB
$11.99 thru PRIME.
Had this one for almost 3 months now and it works VERY well. I get a full 1900-2000mah charge rate on the Note2 and can charge my tablet at quick speeds simultaneously.

ElDuez said:
The charge rate depends on your kernal not the cable. I use Agni and get over 2 amp charges from a USB cable I paid 12 cents shipped for on eBay.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
some fake cable limit current.

Got similar problems as the OP. I wanted to charge my phone in my car and using the phone as a navigation device without depleting the battery (which occured a few time).
Tried several usb cables, even did some mods like shorting the white and green data wire in the cabel at the phone side, but that all didn't help.
Then i came to Kopi who sells usb cables which can deliver a full current.
http://kopi-d.com/?recent_works=553
Bought a few for 6 dollar each and am now a happy camper.

shizuku said:
Got similar problems as the OP. I wanted to charge my phone in my car and using the phone as a navigation device without depleting the battery (which occured a few time).
Tried several usb cables, even did some mods like shorting the white and green data wire in the cabel at the phone side, but that all didn't help.
Then i came to Kopi who sells usb cables which can deliver a full current.
http://kopi-d.com/?recent_works=553
Bought a few for 6 dollar each and am now a happy camper.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We're sorry, but there are no items available in the Micro USB (Android) category lol on the web site

linkhunter said:
We're sorry, but there are no items available in the Micro USB (Android) category lol on the web site
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just saw it. Why don't you email them and ask about availability? I had contact with Victor Leung ([email protected]).

Quick charge 2.0 indication.

Is there a way to tell whether you're charging with a Quick Charge 2.0 compatible adapter, vs a standard 2.0A fast charger? Maybe I'm missing something, but the Nexus 6 shows "Charging (AC)" either way.
I know that QC 2.0 requires that the data pins of the cable be intact, and if you plug in a charge-only cable it falls back to QC 1.0 (standard 5V, 2A charger). I'm looking to buy a couple QC 2.0 adapters, and it would be nice to be able to quickly tell if I got my money's worth WITHOUT having to drain my phone and time how long it takes to charge.

I noticed this too. My wife's Note 4 shows a message indicating that its charging via fast charger (aka quickcharge 2.0).
For our phone, I would suggest just plugging it into a known working quickcharge 2.0 charger, like the one that came with the phone. Wait 1 min until it shows the time until full. Then switch to your new charger, wait a min, and compare the time remaining until full. If they are close to the same, then your good to go. At least this would save you having to fully discharge and time the recharge...

The easy way is to use the charger that came with the phone

jt3 said:
Is there a way to tell whether you're charging with a Quick Charge 2.0 compatible adapter, vs a standard 2.0A fast charger? Maybe I'm missing something, but the Nexus 6 shows "Charging (AC)" either way.
I know that QC 2.0 requires that the data pins of the cable be intact, and if you plug in a charge-only cable it falls back to QC 1.0 (standard 5V, 2A charger). I'm looking to buy a couple QC 2.0 adapters, and it would be nice to be able to quickly tell if I got my money's worth WITHOUT having to drain my phone and time how long it takes to charge.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No indication.
but it is faster, I ran my 2.1a charger against it.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/nexus-6/general/nexus-6-charge-time-test-moto-turbo-t2948176

DieGo316 said:
The easy way is to use the charger that came with the phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You'd think that, but accidentally plug the wrong cable into that charger, and you'll THINK it's quick-charging, but if that cable happens to be a charge-only cable, it will be locked to the 5V setting, which with the Moto charger, is at 1.6A. Besides, for some reason, the charger that came with my phone worn't fit in the little round charging hole in my car, so I'm looking to buy a QC 2.0 car charger. The point of my OP was that anyone can slap the words "Quick Charge" on their Amazon product page (especially since any 2A charger is technically a "Quick Charge 1.0" cable -- even if the ad says 2.0, well, that's just a typo -- should have said 1.0... oops!), and I'm looking for a way to quickly test the product I receive.
@TheSopranos16, Good suggestion about waiting for the "...until fully charged" message pops up. I'll have to test that to see if it really does show a different time that quickly with a QC 2.0 adapter. Still, it's something that the Note 4 can see, so I'm thinking it's something that an App should be able to see. I briefly looked, but didn't find one. I was kind of hoping someone else had.

jt3 said:
You'd think that, but accidentally plug the wrong cable into that charger, and you'll THINK it's quick-charging, but if that cable happens to be a charge-only cable, it will be locked to the 5V setting, which with the Moto charger, is at 1.6A. Besides, for some reason, the charger that came with my phone worn't fit in the little round charging hole in my car, so I'm looking to buy a QC 2.0 car charger. The point of my OP was that anyone can slap the words "Quick Charge" on their Amazon product page (especially since any 2A charger is technically a "Quick Charge 1.0" cable -- even if the ad says 2.0, well, that's just a typo -- should have said 1.0... oops!), and I'm looking for a way to quickly test the product I receive.
@TheSopranos16, Good suggestion about waiting for the "...until fully charged" message pops up. I'll have to test that to see if it really does show a different time that quickly with a QC 2.0 adapter. Still, it's something that the Note 4 can see, so I'm thinking it's something that an App should be able to see. I briefly looked, but didn't find one. I was kind of hoping someone else had.
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Click to collapse
Well i used my N5 cable that came with the charger and didn't even notice the difference, changed back to the moto one because i don't like the glossy look on the LG one.
By any chance you tried using your cable in your car?? Did it charged?? I tried to use mine in my car and didn't work, I got a 2014 corolla maybe it's because of the small battery in the car, I really dunno. It's weird.

Yes I too would like to know what charges and cords work correctly...

TheSopranos16 said:
I would suggest just plugging it into a known working quickcharge 2.0 charger, like the one that came with the phone. Wait 1 min until it shows the time until full. Then switch to your new charger, wait a min, and compare the time remaining until full.
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UPDATE: Okay, this worked... sort of. Well, it definitely worked, but it wasn't quite so simple. My phone was at about 71% charge, and I put it on the Moto Turbo Charger. A minute later, it said it had about 25 minutes remaining for a full charge. I removed it, and placed it on my Nexus 7 charger (which, incidentally, is only a 1.2A charger, but it proved the point). It took over 5 minutes to show the "charge complete in..." message, in which it indicated it would take over two hours. I guess, you could consider the extended wait time a sign, but something NOT happening is always a really bad way to prove something. Still, once it DID show, 25m vs 2h is definitely a good measure.
The weird thing is... it took about 5 minutes to show that message on the 1.2A charger, during which, the charge increased from 71% to 74%. Assuming a similar 3% increase every 5 minutes, it should reach its full charge in about 45 minutes, not the two hours it stated. Since this was only a 1.2A charger, a 2A charger could do it in almost half that time, or about the 25 minutes that was initially reported. Still, I was at 71%, and at that level, the Turbo Charger may not shift into 9V or 12V modes, so I guess that seemed about right.
I'd still like to see an app that could tell me instantly or, at least, within a few seconds, but this is definitely an alternative. Although, you still really need to test it while the battery is pretty low, but at least it stops the necessity to time a full charge.

smoke this app over:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ccc71.bmw.pro
Been using it since my moto xoom days (2011). bullet proof.

marctronixx said:
smoke this app over:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ccc71.bmw.pro
Been using it since my moto xoom days (2011). bullet proof.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great app. I use the free version just to check battery flow: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ccc71.bmw
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

TheSopranos16 said:
I noticed this too. My wife's Note 4 shows a message indicating that its charging via fast charger (aka quickcharge 2.0).
For our phone, I would suggest just plugging it into a known working quickcharge 2.0 charger, like the one that came with the phone. Wait 1 min until it shows the time until full. Then switch to your new charger, wait a min, and compare the time remaining until full. If they are close to the same, then your good to go. At least this would save you having to fully discharge and time the recharge...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You could monitor the charger output with a USB voltage and current meter. For regular charging the adapter output will stay at ~5 V. For Quick Charge 2.0 the adapter output voltage level will go to ~9 V. Just make sure that the USB power meter supports at least up to 9 V (better 13 V) and 2 A. It also needs to have the data lines. Here's one that would work (supports up to 10 V and up to 3 A): http://goo.gl/3OoD3D
Cheers.

Op, just look at the charger specs, by law the wallwart should have a power rating blurb printed on it. Quick charge 2.0 will have variable voltage as well as amperage. 1.0 will only crank the amperage, but not the voltage

Skripka said:
Op, just look at the charger specs, by law the wallwart should have a power rating blurb printed on it. Quick charge 2.0 will have variable voltage as well as amperage. 1.0 will only crank the amperage, but not the voltage
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Alas, car chargers... not so much.

i use and watch the current widget. the nexus 6 default charger has nearly 2450mV coming in at a certain point of its charging cycle! no other charger will do that for you, i dont think.
---------- Post added at 01:00 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:56 AM ----------
the current widget https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.manor.currentwidget

op brings up a very good point that i didnt realize before. on my note 4, when you plug in the nexus 6 moto turbo charger or any other quick charge 2.0 charger a window pops up explaining adaptive fast charging. you can dismiss it and make it never show up again. you also get an "adaptive fast charger connected" notification in the notification bar. these are very good things. on nexus 6? nothing...

jt3 said:
Alas, car chargers... not so much.
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Click to collapse
Are there any quick charge 2.0 car chargers? I'd thing you simply hit the power ceiling of the cigarette lighter before getting close.

Skripka said:
Are there any quick charge 2.0 car chargers? I'd thing you simply hit the power ceiling of the cigarette lighter before getting close.
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Click to collapse
yes
http://www.verizonwireless.com/acce...er-with-fast-charge-technology-for-micro-usb/

Skripka said:
Are there any quick charge 2.0 car chargers? I'd thing you simply hit the power ceiling of the cigarette lighter before getting close.
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Click to collapse
Actually, most vehicle power outlets have a 10A or 20A fuse (cigarette lighters tend to be on the lower end, while power outlets tend to be on the upper end), and operate at 12V. Even at the lower 10A range, that's 120W of power. Traditional USB Car adapters step that down to 5V at up to 2A, or about 10W of power. The QC. 2.0 standard allows for 3A at 5V, 9V, or 12V, for a maximum of 15W, 27W, or 36W respectively. That's well below what your car can handle. Not to mention that none of the existing adapters even come close to that amperage. Most that I've seen only run at 5V or 9V, at 1.67A. That only 15W at 9V.
So... to answer your question. Yes, QC 2.0 vehicle adapters exist (check out Amazon), and no, they won't even come close to hitting the power ceiling of your car's cigarette lighter / power outlet.

Ooh! I like that Verizon car adapter. That LED at the connector would really come in handy! Thanks, @indianajonze!

stbxxl said:
You could monitor the charger output with a USB voltage and current meter. For regular charging the adapter output will stay at ~5 V. For Quick Charge 2.0 the adapter output voltage level will go to ~9 V. Just make sure that the USB power meter supports at least up to 9 V (better 13 V) and 2 A. It also needs to have the data lines. Here's one that would work (supports up to 10 V and up to 3 A): http://goo.gl/3OoD3D
Cheers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can also use an AC meter such as Kill a Watt
http://www.p3international.com/products/p4400.html
Which might be more useful to have around the house. You should see the charger drawing about 5W for standard 1A USB charger, 10W for 2A and up to 14-15W for turbo. The battery widgets others have mentioned work great too.

Confirmed fast charging (3amp) battery pack?

So I am back again asking about power.
Since switching to my Nexus 5x I have had to redo all of my power supplies. I went ahead and pulled the trigger on the Google wall options but now I have a request for something portable.
What I am looking for is a battery pack that can output the 3amps to quickly charge the phone, I dont really care if it charges quickly itself. The reason being is I have a solar panel that can push 1-2 amps and I was planning on strapping it to the back of the bike or leaving it on the tent to charge the battery over time and then using the battery to charge the phone.

I actually just purchased this
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BQ5KHJW?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00
I got it for $21..99 on a lightening deal. Haven't tried it yet, but it outputs 3amps

I have an Anker Powercore 21000mAH external battery, using a USB A to C cable, Ampere reports charge rates up to approx 1700mAH. The lock screen reports charging rapidly.
The cable is a Pecham one, It appears to be good quality, nice and thick, braided cable and a positive fit at the 5x end. I was happy with the charging speed, having just read the google cable reviews thread not so sure.....
B

ryan stewart said:
So I am back again asking about power.
Since switching to my Nexus 5x I have had to redo all of my power supplies. I went ahead and pulled the trigger on the Google wall options but now I have a request for something portable.
What I am looking for is a battery pack that can output the 3amps to quickly charge the phone, I dont really care if it charges quickly itself. The reason being is I have a solar panel that can push 1-2 amps and I was planning on strapping it to the back of the bike or leaving it on the tent to charge the battery over time and then using the battery to charge the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I own the Romoss Solo5, outputs at 2.1a and 1.5a. With a normal type C cable from CableMatters, I don't get rapid charging, but it does fill up faster than a generic usb charger.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00J1EO4IA?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00

Perez92 said:
I actually just purchased this
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BQ5KHJW?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00
I got it for $21..99 on a lightening deal. Haven't tried it yet, but it outputs 3amps
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Click to collapse
Ill be curious to see what you get. My concern is they dont mention the specific output of the ports, just the overall 3 amp. I suspect its split across teh two ports in some fashion like most (where they can do 2 amps on a single port but then 1.5 across both)
I have a 2 amp charger but I am hoping for a 3 to get that max performance. The idea is I could use the phone for music, navigation, etc on the motorcycle and then get a very quick top up while breaking for lunch, etc.

You need a type C connector at both ends.
A USB type-C to type-A cable cannot and should not allow charging at more than 2A (0.5A for USB 2.0 standard), because that is the most allowed in the USB spec as mentioned by the Google engineer that's been reviewing Type-C cables on Amazon. In order to support 3A rapid charging you would need a battery pack with a type-C port on it that supports rapid charging. Even if a type-A port is capable of supplying 3+ amps, the phone will only charge at up to about 1.7A without the type-C port at both ends. I don't know of any battery packs that support the type-C spec yet, although I'm sure they're coming.

That is why I am asking. I dont care if it charges itself at 3amps because my sources wouldnt provide that anyway. Im looking for the battery pack itself to pump out 3 amps. Im holding out for one of those and until then I will work along with my existing ones.

Check out the ravpower 20100mah-external-battery-charger-QC2.0-type-c. Can't post links yet.....

mevol said:
Check out the ravpower 20100mah-external-battery-charger-QC2.0-type-c. Can't post links yet.....
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Click to collapse
http://www.amazon.com/product/dp/B0156HCJQO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=sl1&tag=androidusb-20&linkId=c4193d8075320df6322366eecaa84448
Neat thing about this, you can use the OEM 5v 3a charger to charge it. Interesting to see if it charges faster than other options.

mysterious posted in the other thread that he/she ordered it. Im waiting with baited breath to hear the results. This might be the perfect all-rounder (dont really need the other ports but they dont hurt anything).
Could charge with my solar panels, could charge with the stock adapter and hopefully the phone quickly on a lunch break.

I love how none of these products ship to Canada, except the official Google stuff which is no out of stock.