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Background: (feel free to skip this)
In my search to get a good car charger for my Nexus 10 (that would also be good on my Galaxy Nexus), I checked out a bunch of sites and manufacturers and reviews for the perfect charger. I also wanted it to be dual port for two phones at the same time in case my girlfriend is in the car.
So many 2A chargers are not actually 2A, they may be 1A to each port max or they may only work as 2A on an iPad. Android devices look for shorted out data connections in order to pull more than USB power (500ma). So a charger has to both offer 2A or more and have the data pins shorted in order for us to get maximum current to our Nexus 10's. The Apple/iPad chargers work differently. They either have smart chips or specific resistances between the data pins in order to specify current draw.
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What you came here for:
After the long search, the BEST while still very affordable car adapter, is the *drumroll*:
Bracketron Universal Dual USB Car Adapter
2 ports like I wanted. 2A like I wanted.
Contrary to the "Universal" listing, the adapter was likely made for the iPad. So charging out of the box is USB (500ma). But it's easily fixed in under 3 minutes!
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Instructions:
1. Pop off the round silver plate on the front (with your finger/nail).
2. Unscrew the silver part in the back. Don't lose the spring hidden inside.
3. Slowly pry open the black plastic. It's fairly rigid and you'll hear some clicks. If you don't open it like a crazy monkey, you won't damage or break any plastic.
4. You'll see by each USB port 4 wires going to the port from the circuit board. The 2 middle pins are the data lines, the 2 outer ones are the power lines.
5***. You want to short the data (two middle) pins. All that means is you want them touching electrically. Takes about 10 seconds to do with a solder iron (once it's hot ). Just flow some solder between the two pins, no wire needed. Do the same for the other USB port on the other side.
6. Put the plastic and screwed pieces back together. Plug it in and you should see AC charging! :victory:
***If you're poor at soldering, don't worry - you're doing this on pins in the air, not directly on the board, so it's an extremely easy soldering job. If you've never soldered in your life, you can possibly use some wire instead of solder to connect the two and find a way for it to hold in place. But seriously it's an easy solder job and you should probably learn how to solder anyway.
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Reading the instructions I wrote takes longer than making the modification.
Why this adapter if you have to solder? It's the only one I can find with dual ports that can actually give 2A to an ANDROID device. Why this of all the other adapters you can attempt to solder? It comes apart extremely easily so you don't break any plastic like many of the other ones. And the adapter is really small so you don't have a huge piece of plastic hanging out of your power port.
Fair note: it looks like it may give 2A max, so charging both my 1A phone and my 2A tablet will actually be slower. But it's perfect for charging the tablet at full speed when by itself or two phones at full speed.
Also, credit to Amazon reviewer 'K. Crawford' for suggesting this adapter as a good one to mod.
If anyone needs help during the process, I'm more than happy to help!
Very nice info, thanks.
Niiice! I heard though even if you hook up the tablet to a 2A charger, the tab will still only take a reduced amount, is that true?
From my measurements, the tablet will draw around 750 ma, so soldering it will help, just not for the full 2A.
rp181 said:
From my measurements, the tablet will draw around 750 ma, so soldering it will help, just not for the full 2A.
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You measured 750 ma with the bracketron I linked post-mod?? It should be much higher.. What did you use to measure?
nice instructions, royal.
did I do it right?! check the details beneath one of the photos. you will see some solder popped and landed on the circuit board on the top right. it is touching one of those little enclosed boxes on its own and nothing else. you think this is gonna pose a problem?! if so, any fix? I tried to pull it away, but im not a mastersolderer.
bummer about the picture rule. I think I got some good shots that could help some people. I guess I'll be back to post the pics.
This charger is dearer but supplies dual 2.1A with the correct cables/
http://www.expansys-usa.com/expansys-expansys-dual-car-charger-adapter-5v-4-2a-219640/
Gaugerer said:
This charger is dearer but supplies dual 2.1A with the correct cables/
http://www.expansys-usa.com/expansys-expansys-dual-car-charger-adapter-5v-4-2a-219640/
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It doesn't state if it's "shared" or not. Meaning is that 2.1A total for both or 2.1A each. Lot of them are shared even at 3.1A.
wptski said:
It doesn't state if it's "shared" or not. Meaning is that 2.1A total for both or 2.1A each. Lot of them are shared even at 3.1A.
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It says 5v, 4.2A so that is 2.1A each.
Gaugerer said:
It says 5v, 4.2A so that is 2.1A each.
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Click to collapse
Ah! My bad, I see that at the top now!
slippy steve said:
nice instructions, royal.
bummer about the picture rule. I think I got some good shots that could help some people. I guess I'll be back to post the pics.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you able to post pictures yet? I'm happy to take a look and help out. If it won't let you attach pictures, you can try linking to an album on imgur, for example (if it allows links).
Gaugerer said:
This charger is dearer but supplies dual 2.1A with the correct cables/
http://www.expansys-usa.com/expansys-expansys-dual-car-charger-adapter-5v-4-2a-219640/
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Click to collapse
With the iPad designation, it's a sure thing that this will need modification. If I'm understanding you correctly, I think you're trying to suggest modified (data-shorted) cables rather than modified adapter. I prefer having a modified adapter so I can use and replace cables at a whim. But if you purchased that one already, you can see if it comes apart and can be modified just as easily.
Royal2000H said:
Are you able to post pictures yet? I'm happy to take a look and help out. If it won't let you attach pictures, you can try linking to an album on imgur, for example (if it allows links).
With the iPad designation, it's a sure thing that this will need modification. If I'm understanding you correctly, I think you're trying to suggest modified (data-shorted) cables rather than modified adapter. I prefer having a modified adapter so I can use and replace cables at a whim. But if you purchased that one already, you can see if it comes apart and can be modified just as easily.
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I purchased a Kensington car charger packaged for an iPad and all that meant is that it came a iPad type cord but still a standard USB port which worked on my Android device.
Some people have said that the cable used also has a lot to do with what the tablet pulls. Some saying a Motorola brand USB cable they had gave much more current. If there is any truth to this then in conjunction with doing this mod to the charger it might be a good idea to buy a cable with 22AWG power conductors:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812189234
wptski said:
I purchased a Kensington car charger packaged for an iPad and all that meant is that it came a iPad type cord but still a standard USB port which worked on my Android device.
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The question isn't whether the port is USB. It's always going to be USB supplying 5V. The question is how much current the device can pull from the charger. A normal USB port (like a computer) can only supply 500mA by spec. The N10 needs 2A. The ones designated for ipad will usually charge your N10 but at a max of 500mA (even if they're rated higher - because the data pins aren't shorted).
Royal2000H said:
The question isn't whether the port is USB. It's always going to be USB supplying 5V. The question is how much current the device can pull from the charger. A normal USB port (like a computer) can only supply 500mA by spec. The N10 needs 2A. The ones designated for ipad will usually charge your N10 but at a max of 500mA (even if they're rated higher - because the data pins aren't shorted).
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If the data pins aren't shorted, it won't draw more than 500ma, if that's so, how can it be rated at 2.A? I haven't tried my PS with the Nexus 10 yet but did with my other device, had no problem but it has a much smaller battery and I don't remember the details.
I'll try to check it out on the Nexus 10 and post the results.
EDIT
I thried my Kensington or this one: http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-PowerB...158903&sr=1-7&keywords=kensington+car+charger.
I first tried it using a POGO cord and it wouldn't charge. It did using a micro-USB cord over 500ma also.
wptski said:
If the data pins aren't shorted, it won't draw more than 500ma, if that's so, how can it be rated at 2.A? I haven't tried my PS with the Nexus 10 yet but did with my other device, had no problem but it has a much smaller battery and I don't remember the details.
I'll try to check it out on the Nexus 10 and post the results.
EDIT
I thried my Kensington or this one: http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-PowerB...158903&sr=1-7&keywords=kensington+car+charger.
I first tried it using a POGO cord and it wouldn't charge. It did using a micro-USB cord over 500ma also.
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I explained it all in the Original Post, but I'll try to clarify. If a charger is rated at 2A but doesn't have data pins shorted, the Nexus 10 will only pull 500mA. The manufacturer isn't necessarily lying about the 2A, it likely is capable of giving 2A. However, the Nexus 10 checks for shorted pins before pulling at 2A. This is because USB spec is rated for 500mA and if the Nexus 10 tried to pull 2A from a computer, it would overload the circuits of a computer's USB port and potentially damage the USB hub or computer. So as a somewhat universal decision (though really it's not standardized), most manufacturers did something like this: if data pins are not shorted (as in a computer) - take upto 500mA. If data pins are shorted (as in the charger provided with the device) - take upto what's necessary. This is actually a somewhat problematic solution because a 2A-requiring Nexus 10 plugged into, say, a Galaxy Nexus charger (shorted data but only 1A) could potentially cause damage from overloading.
Therefore, Apple didn't go along with the whole shorting the data pins solution. They came up with their own solution, which I actually don't know enough about to speak of in accuracy. But their solution allows the device to basically "sense" the capabilities of a charger, so it knows whether it can charge 1A or 2A or 3A, etc. This is I imagine is either done with resistors specifying discrete values or with some sort of "smart chips".
So, as you see, the Apple ones don't have shorted data pins. Therefore a manufacturer of a car charger has to decide: Support Apple devices or support other devices? And some manufacturers do such a bad job, they provide the high current (like 2A) but then don't do Apple's "solution" or the data shorting, thereby rendering their high current useless.
Royal2000H said:
I explained it all in the Original Post, but I'll try to clarify. If a charger is rated at 2A but doesn't have data pins shorted, the Nexus 10 will only pull 500mA. The manufacturer isn't necessarily lying about the 2A, it likely is capable of giving 2A. However, the Nexus 10 checks for shorted pins before pulling at 2A. This is because USB spec is rated for 500mA and if the Nexus 10 tried to pull 2A from a computer, it would overload the circuits of a computer's USB port and potentially damage the USB hub or computer. So as a somewhat universal decision (though really it's not standardized), most manufacturers did something like this: if data pins are not shorted (as in a computer) - take upto 500mA. If data pins are shorted (as in the charger provided with the device) - take upto what's necessary. This is actually a somewhat problematic solution because a 2A-requiring Nexus 10 plugged into, say, a Galaxy Nexus charger (shorted data but only 1A) could potentially cause damage from overloading.
Therefore, Apple didn't go along with the whole shorting the data pins solution. They came up with their own solution, which I actually don't know enough about to speak of in accuracy. But their solution allows the device to basically "sense" the capabilities of a charger, so it knows whether it can charge 1A or 2A or 3A, etc. This is I imagine is either done with resistors specifying discrete values or with some sort of "smart chips".
So, as you see, the Apple ones don't have shorted data pins. Therefore a manufacturer of a car charger has to decide: Support Apple devices or support other devices? And some manufacturers do such a bad job, they provide the high current (like 2A) but then don't do Apple's "solution" or the data shorting, thereby rendering their high current useless.
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Click to collapse
If you were to use a PS limited to 1A, it "should" have a saftey to limit that. I used my above mentioned 2.1A PS with a 110VAC>12VDC adapter which was has a 1A max. and it did limit the output. Not saying that all PS would do that without damage though.
While poking around in files, I did find one that lists the power source by name but I forget as to what it showed for the OEM PS. I wonder what it'll show for a car PS?
Sv: Best 2A car charger: Bracketron
I doubt there are phone chargers without current limitations as safety feature. If designed well the charger should limit the current at its max current. Otherwise a lot of chargers would burn.
But I am not sure this is the reality
Skickat från min HTC Desire via Tapatalk 2
Royal2000H said:
...Apple didn't go along with the whole shorting the data pins solution. They came up with their own solution, which I actually don't know enough about to speak of in accuracy. But their solution allows the device to basically "sense" the capabilities of a charger, so it knows whether it can charge 1A or 2A or 3A, etc. This is I imagine is either done with resistors specifying discrete values or with some sort of "smart chips".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe Apple use a pair of different value resistors to create a voltage divider, passing a different voltage to D+ and D-. The presence of this differential voltage on the data pins is what triggers the high power charge capabilities.
Hello, Long time follower, first time poster.
I cannot post the link, but if you search "Juiced Systems 4.2 AMP" in ebay it's the first item under "Best match" and it's $19.99
Has anyone tried these chargers that claim 2.1A per USB port? Or does anyone know of any similar car chargers that charge 2 devices @ 2.1A?
I just want to buy the best charger that isn't going to blow up my phone, and a dual charger would be excellent if possible.
Thanks in advance.
giz_mang said:
Hello, Long time follower, first time poster.
I cannot post the link, but if you search "Juiced Systems 4.2 AMP" in ebay it's the first item under "Best match" and it's $19.99
Has anyone tried these chargers that claim 2.1A per USB port? Or does anyone know of any similar car chargers that charge 2 devices @ 2.1A?
I just want to buy the best charger that isn't going to blow up my phone, and a dual charger would be excellent if possible.
Thanks in advance.
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Click to collapse
If it's the same one here from amazon http://www.amazon.com/Juiced-System...dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1 it appears to be apple only.
The one Android customer from that Amazon link said:
I bought this assuming it would charge my Droid DNA at an AC rate. Unfortunately, it charged at a USB rate and could not keep up with usage while driving.
It sounds like with that particular device, in order to get an Android phone to charge at an AC rate is to either modify the charger (through soldering) to short out the data pins or use a USB charge-only cable (DIY modification of an existing cable or purchased one). The Android phone should then see the charger as AC instead of USB for, hopefully, full and faster rate of charge.
I know you are looking for dual port, each with 2.1A - but I wouldn't hold my breath this one will output dual 2.1A without throttling down one of the ports. Its impossible to fit quality circuit in a small cigarette lighter package where due to excess heat the efficiency of your converter will decrease. And even if they manage to produce 4.2A you will either blow your fuse or melt your charger. Just think about it, you won't have any air circulation to even cool it down.
I only trust dual port chargers with 2.1A/1A rating. I reviewed one before - HERE from iSmooth which does work! Also, to my surprise, iSmooth charger was actually made for iPad/iPhone but it WORKS perfectly with Note 2. I can't voucher for other Apple converters, and as a matter of fact I have another one with a separate Apple and Android ports and Note 2 doesn't charge from Apple port. But the one from iSmooth I'm using right now works perfectly for Note 2 and also looks awesome in the car with a blue glow light
Hi,
Does anyone know why it is such a god damn crapshoot for charging speeds on the galaxy note 2 (or any samsung device for that matter).'
You buy a charger rated for 2amps and you never know what it will give you.
You buy a USB micro cable and get anywhere between 0.4amps and 1.6amps.
What is the criteria that the phone is using to determine how many amps to pull from the charger? How does it even know what gauge of wire it is? Is there some sort of resistance check?
I have a Galaxy Note 10.1 and that is even more particular than the GN2. With most aftermarket chargers, it absolutely refuses to charge. I've had so much trouble finding a charger for it I've just stopped using the tablet since I only have one working charger for it.
It really sucks spending anywhere between $2-$30 dollars on a charger and not knowing if it will work. My success rate has been less than 10%.
I try to do forum and google searches, but all I seem to find are comments like "I bought this charger. Seems to work." With no detailed information on what performance they are getting out of it.
This is really turning me off samsung products. I don't have this problem with my HTC or LG android devices.
I don't know why you have problems, I have 2 samsung devices (phones) and I chare them with their original chargers, charger from Nexus 7 and my old charger from Desire HD and all work just fine... ofcourse, the original one is the fastest, since it is 2A, HTC one is 750mA and Ativ S one is 500mA, N7 one is 1A....
dalanik said:
I don't know why you have problems,
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You kind of answer this for yourself, as follows:
dalanik said:
I have 2 samsung devices (phones) and I chare them with their original chargers, charger from Nexus 7 and my old charger from Desire HD and all work just fine... ofcourse, the original one is the fastest, since it is 2A, HTC one is 750mA and Ativ S one is 500mA, N7 one is 1A....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your stock charger is 2A. (about 1.5-2 hours to charge)
Your HTC charger is 750mA (about 4-5 hours to charge)
Your ATV charger is 500mA (no better than a computer port. 6-8 hours to charge)
This was my point. This IS my problem. Obviously the stock charger works at 2A, but with any other charger it is anyones guess as to what speeds you're going to get out of it. Even when they are specified to work at 2A, you are likely not going to get 2A out of it. The phone is so bloody fickle.
If there was some benchmark or specific set of criteria I could use when I purchase a new charger to know for certain if it will charge at 2A, then that would mitigate some of the problem at least. But right now, there is none as far as I can tell. When I purchase a charger, I literally have no idea if it will run at 2A with this phone.
I'm glad that you're not bothered by the slow charging speeds and are happy with <1A. I'm sure this works well for most people. It doesn't for me. I push my phone to the max (as I have every right to) and need a charger that can keep up.
Well, charging slowly is different to what you say i.e. "refusing to charge at all" etc. And of course I don't use Ativ's charger to charge N2 often, it would take ages But I use HTC's charger that is 750mA and it charges within 2 hours which is OK.
Anyways, the only solution for you is to buy BRANDED charger from a company you can trust not some cheap chinese, t should work just fine whether it gives 2A or 1.9A is really no big difference.
dalanik said:
Well, charging slowly is different to what you say i.e. "refusing to charge at all" etc. And of course I don't use Ativ's charger to charge N2 often, it would take ages But I use HTC's charger that is 750mA and it charges within 2 hours which is OK.
Anyways, the only solution for you is to buy BRANDED charger from a company you can trust not some cheap chinese, t should work just fine whether it gives 2A or 1.9A is really no big difference.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, there are chargers that refuse to work. Especially with the Galaxy Note 10.1.
Cheap ebay chargers are a crapshoot, that much goes without saying. But there are many brand-name chargers that don't work at full speed, despite being rated for 2A.
Its not so much a charger thing as a samsung thing. While I'm not able to find specific criteria as to how/why the phone decides to charge at the speed it does (which is really the only question I had with this thread), I can tell you that there are many brand name products (monoprice, anker, ngear, etc) that are rated for 2A, but will not run at 2A with the samsung. They will usually run at 2A with other products though.
The more research I do, the more I highly suspect that this is a case of Samsung propriety. It looks like that they are deliberately throttling aftermarket chargers to force you to buy their overpriced samsung chargers. As I understand it, it has something to do with creating a voltage divider between two of the contacts, but every diagram I find shows a different wiring scheme. This would indicate that no one really knows for sure.
The one and ONLY question I have with this thread is to find out what criteria the N7100 uses to determine how much amperage to draw. I remain confident that no one will answer this question because it seems no one knows.
For the Note 2: there is a way to get a simple measurement of how much current is being pulled. Refer to this thread for the apk and more info.
alpha-niner64 said:
For the Note 2: there is a way to get a simple measurement of how much current is being pulled. Refer to this thread for the apk and more info.
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Thanks for posting this. I suppose I should have mentioned that I have this app already and it is incredibly useful. I also have this, which with only a few bizarre exceptions, reports the same as the app.
The more people who are aware of this app, the better. People who think that their aftermarket charger "works fine for me" are probably unaware of how much those chargers are under-performing.
I don't have the education to explain your situation your situation well. But it boils down the electrical engineering the the physics of electricity.
There are quite a few variables that all effect the charging of devices. First thing is what does the device require for charge input, which is both amps and voltage. For whatever reason, quite a few tablets require 15 volts versus 5, which is what most mobile phones need. I have this same issue with my ASUS Transformer Infinity pad. It requires 2.0amps with 15 volts. I have a Galaxy Note II with needs 2.0amps with 5 volts. Unfortunately, when I use my phone charger with the tablet, it puts out enough to trigger a charger is plugged in (turns on tablet if it is off), but not enough to trigger there is actual charging. It does charge it, but it's a trickle charge; basically if it using while plugged in, it only slows the battery depletion rate.
As for the charge output, now you're getting into build quality, resistance of the components of the charger itself and the USB cable being used.
And then depending the device, the pins used on the USB cable can have an effect too. This mostly occurs with tablets or proprietary cables because the pins may tell the hardware what kind of charger is being used, which may have built in limits for charging.
Hopefully that helps some.
lovekeiiy said:
I don't have the education to explain your situation your situation well. But it boils down the electrical engineering the the physics of electricity.
There are quite a few variables that all effect the charging of devices. First thing is what does the device require for charge input, which is both amps and voltage. For whatever reason, quite a few tablets require 15 volts versus 5, which is what most mobile phones need. I have this same issue with my ASUS Transformer Infinity pad. It requires 2.0amps with 15 volts. I have a Galaxy Note II with needs 2.0amps with 5 volts. Unfortunately, when I use my phone charger with the tablet, it puts out enough to trigger a charger is plugged in (turns on tablet if it is off), but not enough to trigger there is actual charging. It does charge it, but it's a trickle charge; basically if it using while plugged in, it only slows the battery depletion rate.
As for the charge output, now you're getting into build quality, resistance of the components of the charger itself and the USB cable being used.
And then depending the device, the pins used on the USB cable can have an effect too. This mostly occurs with tablets or proprietary cables because the pins may tell the hardware what kind of charger is being used, which may have built in limits for charging.
Hopefully that helps some.
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That last part is correct. I actually know enough about electrical circuits to be pretty sure it is the phone deciding how much power to pull.
Ohms law states that the amperage of a circuit is the voltage of the circuit devided by the resistance (in ohms).
USB circuits are almost universally 5 volts. I remember reading somewhere that a phone has a potentiometer that protects it from circuits of incorrect voltage, up to a certain amount. This is probably why you can get away with sticking a 15V charger onto your phone and not blowing it up. You cannot depend on this however. Generally, you do not want to stick a charger into your device that is a different voltage rating than what the charger is rated for.
The charger decides the voltage, using an internal device that changes AC voltage (120VAC if youre american) to 5VDC (USB) or whatever your device needs. This device is called a rectifier.
As stated above, the charger decides the voltage. The battery determines the resistance*, therefore the amperage is the natural result of deviding the voltage by the resistance.
*Resistance is added to the circuit by the wire and the charger itself, but is usually inconsequential.
When a charger says that it is rated for a certain amperage, that means that it is the maximum amount of current that thr internal components can handle safely, without running the risk of earth-shattering kabooms (fire). If the circuit you have connected to your charger contains too little resistance, you will increase the amperage (ohms law, as stated above), and you may end up with a piece of charcoal where your charger used to be.
Thr fact that the samaung phones can change the amperage of a charging circuit so fickly must mean the phone is capable of changing its resistance. So the question becomes, what criteria is it using to determine when to change the resistancr and to what?
-PW
This may be the longest thing ive ever typed on my phone.
I'm not disagreeing since, as you said, the mobile device manufactures have build in some safe guards so we don't fry them from incorrect chargers or over charging.
But there are charges that are 15v. I've have one that came with my ASUS Transformer Infinity Pad. I think many Samsung tablets are in the same boat. I don't recall using that charger on any of my smartphones; if I have, it's only been once or twice, but good possibility I may never have. But as stated earlier, I have used my phone chargers on the tablet, but only does a trickle charge. That tablet has some wide input plug at the end of the USB cord. I'm thinking one of the pins must not get enough power to trigger the full charge. Yet, if I use my Anker external battery, set it to 15v, and a few adapters, it triggers the normal charge cycle.
Don't forget,phones such as Galaxy Note 2, Galaxy S3, use 11pin microUSB ports versus the standard 5. I have no idea what all pins do or trigger, My assumption, part of your answer why the charge output varies lies with how they're use the other pins. I know quite a few tablets have more than 5 pins since the USB port is some wide thing; the ASUS does because it carries data and power for the separate keyboard that can be attached to be a suedo-laptop that has USB ports, battery and full 104 key keyboard; I don't recall what other ports the attachment may have.
I still hold that part of charge difference is also the USB cord itself since difference materials have difference resistance. It may not be as significant as the charger itself, but I've seen significant differences in charging times or depletion rates (around 10% battery per hour) using MHL adapters purely on the USB cables.
Yes, typing out long replies on the phone's virtual keyboard blows monkey chunks. Thus, I use a blue tooth keyboard instead for those situations. I also have a blue tooth mouse, LOL.
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
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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.
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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
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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.
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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]).
[Review] Tronsmart QC 2.0 Dual & Quad Port Car chargers, 3 Port QC 2.0 Wall Charger
Tronsmart Quick Charge 2.0 Product Reviews
Disclaimer: I was sent these items in exchange for an unbiased review.
I will update this OP with any changes, issues, or other information as it comes up.
Tronsmart 3 Port 42W Quick Charge 2.0 Wall Travel Charger
Overview
I have accumulated a lot of devices that for better or worse need to be charged during the day sometimes all at once. For this reason, I usually carry a small battery pack or multi-port wall charger, along with some cables, adapters, and various other things. Tronsmart made a nice compact wall charger that is ideal for people who travel or on the go. I usually have a mullti-port charger or two at home (Tronsmart Titan 90W 5 port hub on my desk), and another multi-port hub on my nightstand. I always need more ports for one reason or another hence why I like having the most compact, powerful chargers that I can.
What’s in the box
-Tri-port charger
-Documentation
-Micro USB cable
Build & Design
Tronsmart makes one of my favorite looking chargers out there. The edges have a glossy finish to them that leads you into matte colored body. On one side you will see Tronsmart’s logo along with a small LED light that will light up to indicate when you’re charging. If you look at the opposite side the rated inputs/outputs for each port are specified along with a label for which ports have VoltIQ, and QC 2.0. One of the best features of this charger besides its 3 ports is the folding plug which makes it ideal for traveling/on the go.
Charging
The Quick Charge 2.0 port will allow you to charge any compatible QC 2.0 enabled device at a range of voltages/rates depending on how low the battery is. I was able to charge my S7 Edge at 9V/1.67A just like the stock Samsung Adaptive Fast Charger does. Since the S7 Edge is only rated for 9V/1.67A (15.03W) it won’t charge at a faster rate than that no matter how powerful the charger. The other two ports use VoltIQ which is another way of saying it will tell the device to charge at it’s maximum 5V rate up to 2.4A. I tested this with my S7 Edge and was able to get ~5V/1.7A which is the same output as the factory charger at the battery level I tested. Since this charger is rated for 42W which means each port can output its maximum rate simultaneously for maximum charging efficiency with multiple devices.
Charging breakdown by port
QC 2.0: 5V/2A, 9V/2A, 12V/1.5A
2x Standard Port (with VoltIQ): 5V/2.4A each
Summary
This is yet another great charger from Tronsmart (I have a lot of others that were reviewed as well) that has a nice overall design. This charger has a lot to offer in a small package coupled with a solid build that should last for a long time.
Tronsmart 4 Port Quick Charge 2.0 54W Car Charger
Overview
There is always a time that I need to charge things as I mentioned above when outlets are limited. I have a dash camera in my car that occupies one of my power outlets, so I only have 1 other easily accessible place to plug in a charger. When I go on road trips it’s nice to be able to charge my phone as well as my wife’s along with a tablet or two thanks to the wide array of ports offered with this charger.
What’s in the box
-Tronsmart Quad Port 54W Car Charger
- 3.3[ft] micro USB cable
-Documentation
Build & Design
The charger is made from plastic, but it has a nice texture to it just like the tri-port wall charger. I’ve owned and used another Tronsmart car charger (Type-C/Type-A) since December without any issues. It has really come in handy over the past couple of months thanks to its versatility, just like this one will. While this charger is quite large it packs a punch with its 4 ports while still compact for what it offers. It’s not easy to fit a large number of ports in a charger that has to fit in a confined area, but I like the overall way Tronsmart designed this one. I had no issues fitting the charger in my car, and using all of the ports, but that depends on where your outlet is located.
Charging
I tested each of the ports simultaneously with 3 of my phones, and a battery pack to ensure the charger worked as intended. I had no issues charging all 4 devices from the charger making this ideal for anyone that needs to make use of their car charger.
Charging breakdown by port:
Ports 1,2,3: 5V/2.4A (Max)
Port 4 (QC 2.0) Quick charge 5V/2A, 9V/2A , 12V/1.5A (Max)
Summary
This large 4 port charger might not be for everyone, but if you need to power a large amount of devices simultaneously than it’s an ideal choice due to its large power output.
Tronsmart 36W Dual Port Quick Charge 2.0 Car Charger
Overview
This charger is a much more compact, but still versatile dual port QC 2.0 enabled (on both ports) car charger. The overall quality/materials remain the same as the previous 4 port car charger which is a good thing. I switched from my Type-C/Type-A 33W car charger to this one in order to see how it works, and because I can still charge both my S7 Edge and Nexus 6P from it. So far over the past couple days of using this one I haven’t encountered any issues, but I will update the OP if I do.
What’s in the box
-Tronsmart Dual Port 36W Car Charger
- 2x 3.3[ft] 20AWG micro USB cables
-Documentation
Build & Design
The ports are colored (green or blue usually indicate QC 2.0 on Tronsmart chargers) while the back ports are the standard VoltIQ. For this particular one, both ports are green which is indicative of a QC 2.0 charger. There is ample spacing between both ports to accommodate any size cable that I have including: Tronsmart, Choetech, Aukey, Samsung, Google, i-Orange, Asus, Anker and many others. I haven’t found a set of cables that won’t work side-by-side in this charger. Unlike other chargers, this one doesn’t sit flush with the outlet which to me is a good thing. I always find it hard to remove the chargers that don’t protrude slightly, so I appreciate that part of the design.
Charging
Each port is capable of a 18W output which is the maximum you will ever need on a QC 2.0 enabled device. The S7 Edge can only take 15.03W (9V/1.67A), so this charger will fast charge it at the same rate as the Samsung Adaptive Fast Charger. I tested both ports with my multi-meter to ensure they lived up to their ratings.
Charging breakdown by port:
5V/2A, 9V/2A , 12V/1.5A
Summary
I have no issues with the overall design or build of this car charger, plus with the added versatility of a second QC 2.0 port it has a lot to offer. Not all chargers offer their full power output while charging multiple devices, but thankfully this one does. I don’t see any reason not to recommend it because it’s been great.
Tronsmart Micro USB Cable 6 Pack (20AWG)
Overview
I always need more cables because for some reason I either misplace them, or forget to bring them with me. I like how Tronsmart offers a large pack of cables (6 in this set) in varying sizes depending on what you might need. I usually keep the shortest one (1[ft]) in my backpack to go along with an external battery pack I carry with me. The longer ones usually find their way onto my desk or night stand because it’s nice to have the extra length so I can keep all of my devices separate & not clustered together while charging.
What’s in the box
-1[ft] micro USB cable
-2x 3.3[ft] micro USB cables
-3x 6[ft] micro USB cables
Build & Design
These cables have a larger gauge wire (20AWG) which should decrease the resistance thus allowing for less current drop in the longer variants. The connectors work well with any of my 10+ S7E cases, and they are slightly smaller physically than the Samsung one. You won’t have any issues bending these like some higher gauge cables which makes wrapping them up for storage easy.
Charging
I tested each cable length via my multi-meter to see if there was any current/voltage drop while charging my phone. I did not see any measurable drop even for the longer 6[ft] cable, so you should be able to fast charge your phone with any of them without sacrificing cable length.
Summary
I’ve actually owned a pack of these for a while now before receiving this set, and I’ve enjoyed using them. I haven’t had any of them break, fail, or otherwise suffer from flaws during my 5 months using the previous set. I enjoy the large variety of sizes offered because it allows you use a cable that suits your needs rather than one that’s too long/short.
Nice chargers. Quick chargers are very convenient. But where are the product links?
jisddwqs said:
Nice chargers. Quick chargers are very convenient. But where are the product links?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They were omitted because XDA likes to close OP's and mark them as spam if you include the product links as I've found out.
Sent from my Nexus 6P using XDA Labs
A comprehensive review, the chargers' design are nice, I like the round edges and corners.
Gold-plated cables seems high-end, I will search and try one of those chargers & cables.
yes it is a pity that XDA doesn't like to paste the links in the topics but what if we would google them and find them ebay or amazon and they are clones or fake.
so when connected in the car with 12V it gives 1.5A to instead of 2.4A?
Is this as good as the ones from Aukey?
Abelu said:
A comprehensive review, the chargers' design are nice, I like the round edges and corners.
Gold-plated cables seems high-end, I will search and try one of those chargers & cables.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The cables are all still working great; I have them in various areas to charge my numerous devices, headphones etc.
Liquid Li0n said:
yes it is a pity that XDA doesn't like to paste the links in the topics but what if we would google them and find them ebay or amazon and they are clones or fake.
so when connected in the car with 12V it gives 1.5A to instead of 2.4A?
Is this as good as the ones from Aukey?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is unfortunate, and as much as I would like to post them I can't without having the OP get locked like some others I've written up. Even when I buy products and link them it raises flags for some reason, bht thags neither here nor there
The input rating if the charger is different than the output. I charged a AC 2.0 batter pack at 12V/1.5A which is the highest 12V rate that the charger is rated for. I have a Power Partners 30W single port QC 2.0 charger somewhere that will output somewhere around that in terms of the 12V but I've never tested it.
so when used in a car with 12v sigarette lighter plug it will never get higher then 1.5A or is it only this one? Are there other chargers that get more amps though that 12v port then this one?
The reason I ask is because when my phone is connected to the 12v car charger it does not get charged while using it with max brightness, gps, 4g, 2 or 3 apps at the same time, ...
Liquid Li0n said:
so when used in a car with 12v sigarette lighter plug it will never get higher then 1.5A or is it only this one? Are there other chargers that get more amps though that 12v port then this one?
The reason I ask is because when my phone is connected to the 12v car charger it does not get charged while using it with max brightness, gps, 4g, 2 or 3 apps at the same time, ...
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Click to collapse
As I mentioned the input current will be at 12V from the car, but it can also output at 12V via the QC standard. I can charge 2 phones (1 on each port with multimeters connected) to see he max current I can draw which should be the rated 33W if I recall correctly.
Great info you have here. lol