[Q] vzw note 2 charging problems - Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note II

My car charger doesn't charge my note 2 although it acts like it charging. How can I fix this issue.

webb7735 said:
My car charger doesn't charge my note 2 although it acts like it charging. How can I fix this issue.
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Car chargers work much slower than a wall charger because of the output of it. If you have the screen on, using gps, and listening to music at the same time it won't charge or it will actually drain.

charging problems
webb7735;4216o87 said:
My car charger doesn't charge my note 2 although it acts like it chargine. How can I fix this issue.
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pp
Probably, the car charger is putting out just enough amps to activate charging mode, but not enough to charge with any discernable speed
I would look for a more reputable charger brand. I have found that cheapie chargers just don't perform well. Especially with the 2 amp requirement our devices need. A 1 amp verizon mobile charger with the micro usb factory attached and ment realistically for my wife's s3 1 amp requirement is adequate to provide a stable but long charge time for my note 2. Remember, some power distribution is lost simply in the usb connection between a cheap 1 amp charger and the usb cable plugged into it. Another useful addition for mobile charging would be an ac/dc inverter that allows your factory home 2 amp charger to plug into your vehicle. That would be reasonably clean 110 v ac to dc at 2 amp from your genuine samsung home charger. Better chance of getting the charging capacity you require. Also, don't forget to chech your usb cable. It may look fine, but could be stretched or damaged causing a bad charge connection. But definitely avoid cheap car chargers. Not only can they work sporadically, they may actually damage your phone.

MUOTE=BoostedB18C;42146532]Car chargers work much slower than a wall charger because of the output of it. If you have the screen on, using gps, and listening to music at the same time it won't charge or it will actually drain.[/QUOTE]
I have tried charging my phone with it turned off when its charging in my car i dont use it i just let it charge but it doesnt work. Its ok not a big deal i can charge it at home and get a good day and a half on a full charge. I was just wondering if there was a way to fix it.

SuperDuperPuddin said:
pp
Probably, the car charger is putting out just enough amps to activate charging mode, but not enough to charge with any discernable speed
I would look for a more reputable charger brand. I have found that cheapie chargers just don't perform well. Especially with the 2 amp requirement our devices need. A 1 amp verizon mobile charger with the micro usb factory attached and ment realistically for my wife's s3 1 amp requirement is adequate to provide a stable but long charge time for my note 2. Remember, some power distribution is lost simply in the usb connection between a cheal 1 amp charger and the usb cable plugged into it. Another useful addition for mobile charging would be an ac/dc inverter that allows your factory home 2 amp charger to plug into your vehicle. That would be reasonably clean 110 v ac to dc at 2 amp from your genuine samsung home charger. Better chance of getting the charging capacity you require.
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Thanks for the info. I will try that.

SuperDuperPuddin said:
pp
Probably, the car charger is putting out just enough amps to activate charging mode, but not enough to charge with any discernable speed
I would look for a more reputable charger brand. I have found that cheapie chargers just don't perform well. Especially with the 2 amp requirement our devices need. A 1 amp verizon mobile charger with the micro usb factory attached and ment realistically for my wife's s3 1 amp requirement is adequate to provide a stable but long charge time for my note 2. Remember, some power distribution is lost simply in the usb connection between a cheap 1 amp charger and the usb cable plugged into it. Another useful addition for mobile charging would be an ac/dc inverter that allows your factory home 2 amp charger to plug into your vehicle. That would be reasonably clean 110 v ac to dc at 2 amp from your genuine samsung home charger. Better chance of getting the charging capacity you require. Also, don't forget to chech your usb cable. It may look fine, but could be stretched or damaged causing a bad charge connection. But definitely avoid cheap car chargers. Not only can they work sporadically, they may actually damage your phone.
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This, I just didn't feel like explaining it all. Also using an inverter can cause problems with strain on the electrical load of the vehicle though. If you have a big truck, they are safe to use. If you have a civic, I wouldn't use one.

charging problems
webb7735 said:
Thanks for the info. I will try that.
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You are most welcome.

BoostedB18C said:
This, I just didn't feel like explaining it all. Also using an inverter can cause problems with strain on the electrical load of the vehicle though. If you have a big truck, they are safe to use. If you have a civic, I wouldn't use one.
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I used one all the time when I had my Civic Si to power mine and a friends laptops when in town, we didn't have high speed at our houses and the provider wanted 50k to bring it, and I never experienced any issues with electrical strain. Im not saying it doesn't happen but with the newer vehicles it isn't that much of an issue.
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shangrila500 said:
I used one all the time when I had my Civic Si to power mine and a friends laptops when in town, we didn't have high speed at our houses and the provider wanted 50k to bring it, and I never experienced any issues with electrical strain. Im not saying it doesn't happen but with the newer vehicles it isn't that much of an issue.
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Thanks for the info.

Related

Information on charging the Note

This post is not meant to ask a question, but to answer some. Hopefully it will help someone. It might get lengthy, so if you're not into reading it all, scroll to the bottom for the cliff notes.
Like many others I've seen here and around the web, I was having trouble with my Note charging really slow. It only seemed to charge at a reasonable rate with the stock charger that shipped with it (~3 hours 0 to 100). I didn't expect much out of my PC USB ports because they are only 500mA max (as are most), but I have several 1A USB chargers that I used to use with my iphone without a noticeable problem. Being that they are 1A just as the samsung stock charger is, I was baffled as to why they would not charge at the same rate. I even tried my wife's ipad charger which is 2A and that did not make any difference, it was just as slow as my (non samsung) 1A chargers. It did not matter which cable I used, from the stock samsung one that shipped with the Note to a number of other ones I have.
I finally had had it and after searching all over and not finding any answers other than people's anecdotal stories about what works for them, and deciding that way too much of that was just placebo (ie people saying the ipad charger charged faster, and I know it does not). I cut one of my charger cables (USB type A male to micro USB male) open, and did a few experiments with my multimeter to determine the current levels for my various chargers under various scenarios.
I tested 4 different chargers. The black samsung charger that came with the phone, a white iphone one that is a cube like the samsung one, also 1A max, a stock 2A ipad charger, and an external 5000mAh USB charging battery pack that puts out 750mA max.
I had heard that the data+ and data- pins needed to be shorted on samsung phones in order to charge properly, so I tested the charging current with these pins shorted, with these pins connected straight through (as is a normal charging cable), and with these pins open (5V power and ground only).
Here are the results:
Black stock samsung charger (1A):
-Data lines connected straight through, which is essentially just a completely normal data/charge USB type A to USB micro cable = 960mA.
-Data lines not connected, open on both ends, only USB power 5V and ground connected = 440mA.
-*Modified cable* so that the data lines on the micro USB side (phone side) shorted = 960mA.
White iphone 1A charger:
-Data lines connected straight through (stock cable) = 440mA.
-Data lines open, not connected on either end = 440mA.
-*Modified cable* so that data lines on the micro USB side shorted = 900-910mA with phone screen on, 850mA with phone screen off. I assume that what might have been happening here is that the charge current was just going up when the phone was drawing more current because the screen was lit up. I don't think it was actually affecting charge speed, it was just maintaining the same charge but providing more power so that the screen could stay lit without affecting the charging rate. I don't know why it was doing this though because the stock samsung charger did not do this.
-iPad 2A charger:
-Data lines connected straight through (stock cable) = 440mA.
-Data lines open on both ends = 440mA.
-*Modified cable* so that data lines shorted on phone micro USB side = 860mA whent he screen was on, 780mA screen off. Note that I'm surprised this did not go up to the same as the samsung stock charger or even as high as the 1A iphone charger. I don't know why? It is a genuine apple iPad charger that claims 10W which is 2A at 5V. As far as why it might have different currents for screen off and on, read my comments above for the white iphone charger that did the same thing.
External 5000mAh battery USB charger (750mA max claimed output):
-Data lines connected straight through (stock cable) = 440mA.
-Data lines open on both ends = 440mA.
-*Modified cable* so that data lines shorted on phone micro USB side = 760mA phone screen on, 700mA phone screen off.
So that's all the data. As you can see, it is very important that the USB data+ and data- lines are shorted together in order to charge at a fast rate. The problem is that all normal usb data/charge cables, including the stock samsung cable that came with the Note, do not have these pins shorted, so it is up to the charger itself to short these pins if it is to put out its max current to charge the Note. Obviously the stock samsung charger has them shorted, because it charges at a fast rate with a normal cable. But none of my other chargers, including the iphone and ipad charger, have these pins shorted, so the only way these other chargers I have will charge at their max current capability is by using a modified cable (which I made) that shorts the data+ and data- pins. Using this modified cable allows me to use any charger, and charge at its max output. Note that if you also make a cable that has these pins shorted, don't mistake it for a normal cable and try to plug it in to a computer or anything that plans to use the data lines as this could potentially damage that device.
Unfortunately at this time I do not have any recommendations for cables to buy that have the data+ and data- pins shorted, but I can recommend buying one from amazon for $1.50 and doing it yourself if you're capable, but again, be careful not to use it for anything but charging from a "dumb" AC (or car) charger. I do not take responsibility for any damage you might do to your charger or other equipment!!!!
Also unfortunately, I do not have any recommendations for chargers which definitely have the data lines shorted in order to charge quickly. I have another charger or two that I can test, but don't have them with me now. I would imagine that all samsung chargers will have the appropriate pins shorted and will charge at their max capacity. I doubt the Note (without modifications) can charge any faster than ~960mA, though, so you're spinning your wheels using a 2A charger, and in the case of something like the iPad charger, at least the genuine apple one I have, with a normal cable, it actually does not charge even half as fast as the stock samsung charger, and even with a modified cable that shorts the data lines, it's still not as fast as the stock charger, although it's pretty close (probably wouldn't notice much difference in real usage unless you really measured your charge time). I'm hoping to order a few more chargers to test, in hopes of finding a cheap aftermarket one that we can use with our Notes that already has the pins shorted.
*Cliff notes* -- I physically measured the output current during charging of my SGH-I717 AT&T Note for a few different USB chargers I have, and discovered that all of them (that I personally have) except the stock samsung charger do not have the data+ and data- lines shorted, which means that you'll be charging at 440mA of current, regardless of the rating of your USB charger. This is less than half the current of the stock samsung charger, meaning it will take more than twice as long to charge your phone. In fact, if you're using you're phone during charging, there's a good chance that not only will it not charge, but it will actually drain the battery a little bit, because 440mA is barely enough to run the phone (depending on what you're doing). So while you think you're charging with the same charger because it's rated at 1A or even 2A, chances are you actually are only charging at 440mA, the same as from a USB computer port, and it is going to take a realllly long time to charge compared to your stock samsung charger. Bottom line, use the stock samsung charger until we can test a few different chargers and compile a list of ones that have the data lines shorted so that they can charge your Note at their full current capability.
Hopefully this is helpful to answer some of the questions about why the Note seems to be charging slow for some people and not for others. I imagine that there are some USB chargers out there that have the data lines shorted and others that do not. Until I can get my hands on a few more (I'm going to order a couple different ones from amazon) and test them, I don't have any recommendations for now other than to use your stock charger, and most likely any genuine samsung replacement charger rated at 1A or more (though it probably will not use more).
wow! Thanks for investigating this!
This wad good info bruh.....thanks for the time u took man.
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Wow that is pure science....
As I'be been posting everywhere, fast chargers short the middle 2 pins. The phone sees this and determines it's a "wall charger". I always recommend the Motorola car charger as it's confirmed to have shorted data pins, or short them yourself with a dab of solder within the cable. Don't use it for data though. Won't hurt, but won't work!
Edit: fantastic work though, thanks for taking the time!
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Thanks for the tip on the motorola charger having the pins shorted. Is this the one you're talking about?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938811&pf_rd_i=507846
Here's my dilemma. I used the stock Samsung cable with a 2.1A rated adapter from TomTom (rapid charge) as it was said it might be the pin configuration and lost more charge than using the same adapter with a universal Belkin mini USB cable with a micro adapter. My issue is that while using the GPS and streaming music, the phone loses charge while on the charger!
This is not acceptable.
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Yes. Thats the one they elude to. Ebay has them for $7.59 with free shipping.
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Thanks for all that - very helpful. I was planning to try the iPad charger (mentioned it in another thread) but time got away from me. This is great information to have.
dakleenupman said:
Here's my dilemma. I used the stock Samsung cable with a 2.1A rated adapter from TomTom (rapid charge) as it was said it might be the pin configuration and lost more charge than using the same adapter with a universal Belkin mini USB cable with a micro adapter. My issue is that while using the GPS and streaming music, the phone loses charge while on the charger!
This is not acceptable.
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The stock cable does not have the data pins shorted, the actual AC wall adapter does.
Sent from my SAMSUNG Galaxy Note
Thanks pj_rage.
I'm pretty good electrically, but a bit less so with google. I searched, and likely didn't use the right string (happens pretty often with me). Got a diagram or a link to a diagram so I can see which two pins need shorting?
Makes more sense to me to go and modify all my car chargers rather than modify cables. I'll never use a car charger to transfer data to a computer, but might use a cable in a car in a pinch if I needed to.
So if I were to use the home adapter with stock cable hooked up to a power inverter While in my car, I should expect the 960mAh output then?
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dakleenupman said:
So if I were to use the home adapter with stock cable hooked up to a power inverter While in my car, I should expect the 960mAh output then?
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That should work, but kinda overkill. It's less cumbersome to either modify a dedicated cable or the car charger itself. Just short circuit the two middle pins.
Thanks for the research OP. Btw are you on AVS?
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pj_rage said:
Thanks for the tip on the motorola charger having the pins shorted. Is this the one you're talking about?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938811&pf_rd_i=507846
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Click to collapse
That's the one
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Think the problem is people are not allowing their phones to drain before placing back on charger. My first out of box battery was about 40% didn't charge it till it was about 5-7% left. 2nd day I charged it to 100% which took about 3.5 hrs and than let it drain to about 20% before I put it back on the charger. 3rd day let it drop to 15% battery and placed on charger again. I've had my phone for almost 4 days and so far no problems, battery last 18-20 hrs on avg. Just my input I guess.
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dakleenupman said:
So if I were to use the home adapter with stock cable hooked up to a power inverter While in my car, I should expect the 960mAh output then?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using XDA App
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I've also seen issues with other phones when charging off a inverters with random reboots, some charge, some don't etc.
Envy Diz said:
Think the problem is people are not allowing their phones to drain before placing back on charger. My first out of box battery was about 40% didn't charge it till it was about 5-7% left. 2nd day I charged it to 100% which took about 3.5 hrs and than let it drain to about 20% before I put it back on the charger. 3rd day let it drop to 15% battery and placed on charger again. I've had my phone for almost 4 days and so far no problems, battery last 18-20 hrs on avg. Just my input I guess.
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Lithium ion batteries don't work that way, and actually, they prefer short, fast charges. Android, on the other hand, seems to like a full cycle or two to calibrate its battery stats, but that might just be a myth.
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slow charge
I too have been troubled with poor battery life and slow charge. Here is what I have experienced:
I charge mine overnight for 9 hours. Every day I take the phone off the charger and I notice it is at 98%. Then I struggle to get through the day.
One day I switched phones in the evening, so the Note was left on the charger for 12 hours. When I took it off next morning, it said 100%. Low and behold... I was left with about 20% more at the end of a typical use day. Does this meen that the 2% extra charge makes that much difference?
I too have tried all of the different high amp chargers with all of the same results.
I guess I was just trying to understand with the OEM charger where the "shorting takes place.
nm3th said:
That should work, but kinda overkill. It's less cumbersome to either modify a dedicated cable or the car charger itself. Just short circuit the two middle pins.
Thanks for the research OP. Btw are you on AVS?
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over2land said:
Thanks pj_rage.
I'm pretty good electrically, but a bit less so with google. I searched, and likely didn't use the right string (happens pretty often with me). Got a diagram or a link to a diagram so I can see which two pins need shorting?
Makes more sense to me to go and modify all my car chargers rather than modify cables. I'll never use a car charger to transfer data to a computer, but might use a cable in a car in a pinch if I needed to.
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Click to collapse
I don't have a link to a diagram (you can just Google USB pinout if you want it). I can try to find one later if you still need it. You want the two data lines shorted together. If you cut the cable in half as I did, you only need to short them on the phone side. The other side you can leave open if you want.
But you're absolutely right it would probably be a better idea to short the pins on the charger side. My issue is that my chargers are not easily opened. The cable on the other hand is a quick mod.
If I did it again I would just shave off some insulation from the cable to access the wires without cutting them, leave the power connected, and just cut and short the two data lines on the phone side and tape or heat shrink it up. Fwiw the power lines on my cable were red and black, black being ground, and the data lines were yellow and green. I believe this is standard but I should advise you that it would be prudent to beep it out to the connectors to be certain.
Regarding using an inverter and your home charger in your car, yes this would give you the best charge rate. Supposedly the linked Motorola charger has the pins shorted which would be a less cumbersome setup to provide the same or very similar charging rate. I've ordered one, so I'll report back.
And yeah I'm on AVS as well, same username.
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PowerGen Dual USB 2A Heavy Duty Ouput Car Charger

From the "Ultimate AT&T Galaxy Note Accessory Guide" thread:
fbauto1 said:
13. Car Charger + Power Inverters
$10 -- PowerGen Dual USB 2A Heavy Duty Ouput Car Charger for Apple iPad 2, iPhone 4 4s 3Gs 3G, iPod Touch (USB Cable not included) --- Review
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Has anyone else used the PowerGen car charger with the Note? I have a handful of other ones that all claim to fast-charge devices, but apparently it only works with iPhones and iPads. But since the PowerGen unit is on the list, can I assume people have used it and confirmed it will give me a 1A charge rate on the Note? I need a charger that can keep up with the Note occasionally drawing 1.4 A or more (display 100% brightness, GPS, LTE, Bluetooth all active, running Navigation).
A quick search for "powergen" in this forum only brings up the above thread.
Works like a champ. My battery was charging at 1600mAh while streaming soundcloud and using navigation. Definitely does the job.
I am using my car charger for galaxy tab 10.1 (2.0 amp) and it is working much better than any of the 1 amp chargers I have tried, OEM, boxwave, etc...
I also use the GT 101. 110V charging brick, so when I travel, only one brick and two cables. My experience is that the 2 amp charger works really well and will charge the phone while using GPS full time, where the OEM charger and other 1 amp chargers either maintain charge, or slightly discharge.
Thanks for the confirmation! Of course, now I discover Amazon won't ship that to Canada, and amazon.ca does not carry it. :crying: I'd go see what TELUS has to offer, but I'm sure it will be A) expensive and B) not have dual USB ports, or perhaps not even a detachable cord.
If you do find one, also buy a charge-only usb cord.
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tdamocles said:
If you do find one, also buy a charge-only usb cord.
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Is that still needed if the charger itself correctly supports fast charging? The cord I use now is the one from my Touchpad. I get 1 A to the Note from the AC plug, and the Touchpad gets around 1.8 A. I do also have a charge-only cable (much thinner cord, only two wires), but it doesn't seem to make a difference.
taob said:
Is that still needed if the charger itself correctly supports fast charging? The cord I use now is the one from my Touchpad. I get 1 A to the Note from the AC plug, and the Touchpad gets around 1.8 A. I do also have a charge-only cable (much thinner cord, only two wires), but it doesn't seem to make a difference.
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The cord from the touchpad is probably wired correctly internally for fast charge. I bought a similar dual car charger and did not see a difference with the micro usb sync cable. I only saw a difference with a charge-only micro usb cable. The phone sees what pins are connected and determines if it is going to charge in usb charge mode(<=500ma) or AC charge mode(>=500ma).
tdamocles said:
The cord from the touchpad is probably wired correctly internally for fast charge. I bought a similar dual car charger and did not see a difference with the micro usb sync cable. I only saw a difference with a charge-only micro usb cable. The phone sees what pins are connected and determines if it is going to charge in usb charge mode(<=500ma) or AC charge mode(>=500ma).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So you use the Touchpad USB micro cable to charge your Note in the car? I thought the cable is too short? I am looking for a LONG USB micro cable that is shorted so it will give >500mA.
I am planning to buy the PowerGen but I need recommendation on the CORRECT USB cable that is long enough.
---------- Post added at 09:26 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:24 AM ----------
slapshot591 said:
Works like a champ. My battery was charging at 1600mAh while streaming soundcloud and using navigation. Definitely does the job.
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What cable do you use?
tdamocles said:
The cord from the touchpad is probably wired correctly internally for fast charge.
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Click to collapse
I don't think it is, because it also works as a normal USB data cable. If pins 2 and 3 are shorted (D+ and D-), then the cable become "charge only" and cannot be used for data.
I bought a similar dual car charger and did not see a difference with the micro usb sync cable. I only saw a difference with a charge-only micro usb cable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Then it sounds like that car charger was an "iPad-compatible" one, i.e.: it does not have D+/D- shorted out to indicate to non-Apple devices that it is capable of more than 500 mA.
lanwarrior said:
So you use the Touchpad USB micro cable to charge your Note in the car? I thought the cable is too short?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The cable is about a meter in length. I only need about half that to reach from the plug to the phone mount on the dash.
taob said:
I don't think it is, because it also works as a normal USB data cable. If pins 2 and 3 are shorted (D+ and D-), then the cable become "charge only" and cannot be used for data.
Then it sounds like that car charger was an "iPad-compatible" one, i.e.: it does not have D+/D- shorted out to indicate to non-Apple devices that it is capable of more than 500 mA.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So then how does it charge fast then? If the cable isn't shorted? Motorola does the same thing. IIRC its a shorted setup to allow for fast charging. All of my USB cables come from Samsung, HP, and Motorola and I use them as data cables as well
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erick161 said:
So then how does it charge fast then? If the cable isn't shorted?
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Click to collapse
You short the pins inside the AC adapter or car charger, rather than the cable. If I understand correctly, the danger of using a charge-only cable is if you plug it into an actual USB port that isn't designed to supply more than 500 mA. Your device could then try to pull down, say, 2000 mA and potentially damage the power supply on your laptop or desktop.
taob said:
You short the pins inside the AC adapter or car charger, rather than the cable. If I understand correctly, the danger of using a charge-only cable is if you plug it into an actual USB port that isn't designed to supply more than 500 mA. Your device could then try to pull down, say, 2000 mA and potentially damage the power supply on your laptop or desktop.
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Click to collapse
Ahh OK. Well, the cigarette lighter/USB converters must act like shorted out wall chargers.
That's my setup.
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I'm using the Rocketfish 3.1A Model# RF-M657D with my Note. While using Google Nav, lowest brightness, keys backlight off, Sync off, HSPA+, the phone still loses charge (albeit, slowly). I'm assuming this is because the charger is not internally shorted between pins two and three as it is marketed as a iPad/iPhone charger. I'm using a Belkin Data/Charge cable so I know that is not shorted.
I have been doing some reading and last night, I purchased the "Satechi Smart Adapter Compatible with Samsung Galaxy S (I can't post links yet, google it.) so I will report back when I receive and pair it with the Rocketfish.
One thing I can't understand is how some of you have reported 1600mA from your car chargers. I am reading that without this adapter/cable mod, the Note will only run 460mA or so. With the adapter/cable mod, the Note's hardware maxes out at 960mA. Also, is their an app that allows me to see how much amperage the Note is receiving or are you guys pulling out the multimeter?
slapshot591 said:
Works like a champ. My battery was charging at 1600mAh while streaming soundcloud and using navigation. Definitely does the job.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where/how do you get this info? Asking because I'm curious to see how my car charger does. It has usb ports rated at 2A, and I think it's 2A shared instead of per port, but want to see how it actually does when plugged in.
btswein said:
I'm using the Rocketfish 3.1A Model# RF-M657D with my Note. While using Google Nav, lowest brightness, keys backlight off, Sync off, HSPA+, the phone still loses charge (albeit, slowly). I'm assuming this is because the charger is not internally shorted between pins two and three as it is marketed as a iPad/iPhone charger. I'm using a Belkin Data/Charge cable so I know that is not shorted.
I have been doing some reading and last night, I purchased the "Satechi Smart Adapter Compatible with Samsung Galaxy S (I can't post links yet, google it.) so I will report back when I receive and pair it with the Rocketfish.
One thing I can't understand is how some of you have reported 1600mA from your car chargers. I am reading that without this adapter/cable mod, the Note will only run 460mA or so. With the adapter/cable mod, the Note's hardware maxes out at 960mA. Also, is their an app that allows me to see how much amperage the Note is receiving or are you guys pulling out the multimeter?
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My rocket fish model must put out more than yours. My pic is above your post. With Google Nav, Google play music (streaming, not native music), full sync, brightness to at least 50% it only lost 4% over 30-40mins.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using XDA
erick161 said:
My rocket fish model must put out more than yours. My pic is above your post. With Google Nav, Google play music (streaming, not native music), full sync, brightness to at least 50% it only lost 4% over 30-40mins.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using XDA
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Click to collapse
From what I read, your charger is an .5 amp.
It's not like my phone dies or anything, but it'll lose like 5% an hour and I could be exaggerating. Are you using a charge-only cable or modded cable/charger at all? Like I said, I think this phone is only pulling down 460mA without said mod and I find 1600mA to be incorrect as I read the Note will only pull down 960mA max. We'll see what this adapter does for my charge times.
btswein said:
From what I read, your charger is an .5 amp.
It's not like my phone dies or anything, but it'll lose like 5% an hour and I could be exaggerating. Are you using a charge-only cable or modded cable/charger at all? Like I said, I think this phone is only pulling down 460mA without said mod and I find 1600mA to be incorrect as I read the Note will only pull down 960mA max. We'll see what this adapter does for my charge times.
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Click to collapse
They only thing I'm using is that exact setup posted. RF adapter and a Motorola atrix desktop dock charge cable.. (basically just a longer version of the standard wall charger)
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using XDA
erick161 said:
They only thing I'm using is that exact setup posted. RF adapter and a Motorola atrix desktop dock charge cable.. (basically just a longer version of the standard wall charger)
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using XDA
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Click to collapse
Ah, charge-only cable is the main factor here.
btswein said:
Ah, charge-only cable is the main factor here.
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Click to collapse
OK, I lied, I'm using the OEM cable that came with the Motorola Atrix 4G, not the longer cable from the desktop dock. I just checked my car and that's the cable that's in there.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda app-developers app

HTC Car charger 1amp vs generic 2.1amp car charger

When ever I drive, I have my phone hooked up to my Escort Red Line radar detector and my car's stereo via bluetooth (both). In order for me to use the radar detector effective, I need to have GPS and Blueooth enabled. This is a HUGE SUPER OMG battery drainer for my amaze. 20 minutes drive kills about 35% of the phone's power. My radar detector offers a slot to charge my phone BUT it still drains, not enough juice flowing in. Someone said it is because it's probably a .5amp.
So I am running a extension from the 12v lighter that's in the trunk to the front of my car. Amazon has a generic 2.1amp for 3 bucks.
http://www.amazon.com/Premium-Heavy...121&sr=8-1&keywords=htc+amaze+car+charger+amp
But on ebay, I found the original HTC car charger for 15 bucks which is a 1amp.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/HTC-Amaze-4...918506?pt=PDA_Accessories&hash=item27c867022a
What do you guys recommend? My logic says go for the 2.1amp, the phone will draw as much as it needs from it.
The 1amp.
Anything higher you'll damage the phone or the battery.
A wall plug power supply or a usb supply is 5.0v/1amp.
The 2.1 amp is probably 1 amp per port. Although it does not seem to specify.
F9zSlavik said:
What do you guys recommend? My logic says go for the 2.1amp, the phone will draw as much as it needs from it.
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Click to collapse
Right!:good:
---------- Post added at 09:23 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:41 AM ----------
soundping said:
The 1amp.
Anything higher you'll damage the phone or the battery.
A wall plug power supply or a usb supply is 5.0v/1amp.
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Click to collapse
That means a higher capacity battery (more current NOT MORE VOLTAGE) will damage the phone?!!!!
Totally wrong!
A higher current will not damage the phone. A higher voltage will do it!
Please do not mix the current with voltage!
Voltage is same 5 Volts (±5%) for these “USB like” applications (1A or 2.1A power supply our case )They use USB socket/connector but usually only pin 1 and 4 (+ and-)
Regular computer USB port can supply max 0.5-0.9 A depending on version.
For battery charging devices the current can go to 5A.
Higher voltage will trip a warning window telling you to disconnect and use official HTC equipment.
The phone monitors input voltage to protect the equipment.
nyc_tdi said:
That means a higher capacity battery (more current NOT MORE VOLTAGE) will damage the phone?!!!!
Totally wrong!
A higher current will not damage the phone. A higher voltage will do it!
Please do not mix the current with voltage!
Voltage is same 5 Volts (±5%) for these “USB like” applications (1A or 2.1A power supply our case )They use USB socket/connector but usually only pin 1 and 4 (+ and-)
Regular computer USB port can supply max 0.5-0.9 A depending on version.
For battery charging devices the current can go to 5A.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
and to add to that... unless you take the charger apart and short pins 2 and 3, it will only ever draw 500mA, as it assumes that it is hooked up to a regular powered USB port... I have bought multiple car charger usb adapters, and I have taken all of them apart and soldered the 2nd and 3rd pins together... otherwise charge time = forever, and sometimes it won't even charge if you have wifi or data/gps/bluetooth all going at once...
I recently got an Amaze and am generally happy with it. The biggest problem I have right now is finding the right car charger for it because the car charger I previously used (a 1A monoprice car charger) doesn't give it enough charge. I have been reading through the forums and some has been saying that if the charger is not working properly, it will recognize it as charging via USB rather than AC. In my case, the phone seems to be reading it as charging through AC, but there still doesn't seem to be enough current going through it. The phone will only charge if NOTHING is going on (i.e. screen's off, no GPS, etc.). I've been using CoPilot GPS and it draws the battery like crazy. Anyone has any idea as to which car charger would work properly with the Amaze such that I'll be able to charge (or at least maintain the charge) while using it as a GPS? Do I need to go up to a 2.1A charger?
I would look for a 4-5 star rated 2.1a car charger on Amazon.
Just read through the comments and feedback and you'll find one that's right for you.
I prefer the USB charger base itself and then using the OEM cable that came with the Amaze.
It seems to charge faster with that cable, at least to me anyway.
Remember though if it's rated 2.1a but has two USB slots that 2.1a will be cut in half if used to charge two different devices.
Hope this helps.
I couldve sworn we talked about this months ago. Let me see if I can find the thread.
nguyendqh said:
I would look for a 4-5 star rated 2.1a car charger on Amazon.
Just read through the comments and feedback and you'll find one that's right for you.
I prefer the USB charger base itself and then using the OEM cable that came with the Amaze.
It seems to charge faster with that cable, at least to me anyway.
Remember though if it's rated 2.1a but has two USB slots that 2.1a will be cut in half if used to charge two different devices.
Hope this helps.
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Click to collapse
you won't get the full 2.1a unless you usee a charge only cable or modify the charger as I stated above...
I ended up getting a 2.1A car charger and a USB charge only cable, and it's working perfectly. When I have the screen on full brightness and doing navigation with Co-Pilot GPS, my phone's no longer losing charge and is actually charging. The combo also works with my tablet as well.
blast0id said:
and to add to that... unless you take the charger apart and short pins 2 and 3, it will only ever draw 500mA, as it assumes that it is hooked up to a regular powered USB port... I have bought multiple car charger usb adapters, and I have taken all of them apart and soldered the 2nd and 3rd pins together... otherwise charge time = forever, and sometimes it won't even charge if you have wifi or data/gps/bluetooth all going at once...
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Click to collapse
This is damn helpful! So THAT is why when driving and using gps or whatnot I would always lose more battery even on charger.. So basically I can just solder the middle 2 pins together to trick it into thinking it is being powered like a home charger? No chance it will hurt anything I assume?
Silentbtdeadly said:
This is damn helpful! So THAT is why when driving and using gps or whatnot I would always lose more battery even on charger.. So basically I can just solder the middle 2 pins together to trick it into thinking it is being powered like a home charger? No chance it will hurt anything I assume?
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Click to collapse
I have done this to every single one of my USB car chargers... not a single issue...

No rapid charge using non-HTC chargers?

Hi all,
When I use the charger that came with the HTC One my phone charges great, rapid.
But when I use any other charger that I have in my home/office it charges very slow. Even with a 2.1 amp charger!
The charger that comes with the phone has an output of 1 amp.
I've tried multiple other chargers (1 amp and 2.1 amp) and they all trickle charge.
Anyone else noticing this?
Thanks
Joe
I'm using old charges at home and in the office and it did seems slow but had not heard of rapid charge. Will the phone indicate this rapid charge mode? If not, is it real?
I'm getting slow charging even on the stock HTC charger. Not sure how I can enable this rapid charge cause 4+ hours from 0-1% to full is a bit ridiculous.
use orginal charger is best , maybe it has some relationship with your battery life
If anyone is coming from phones with smaller batteries, remember the larger the capacity the long it takes to charge.
I use the cable and charger from my Nexus 7 and it charges fast. Off my USB it is slow.
Real AC chargers have two pins shorted. You can hack a USB to micro USB cable and short the same two pins to enable AC charging with any adapter, wall, USB, or car. Should be pins 3+4, but don't hold me to that.
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app
flooty333 said:
Hi all,
When I use the charger that came with the HTC One my phone charges great, rapid.
But when I use any other charger that I have in my home/office it charges very slow. Even with a 2.1 amp charger!
The charger that comes with the phone has an output of 1 amp.
I've tried multiple other chargers (1 amp and 2.1 amp) and they all trickle charge.
Anyone else noticing this?
Thanks
Joe
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try to change your phone
c5satellite2 said:
Real AC chargers have two pins shorted. You can hack a USB to micro USB cable and short the same two pins to enable AC charging with any adapter, wall, USB, or car. Should be pins 3+4, but don't hold me to that.
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i've done exactly this, and damned if the One still refuses to draw more than ~500 ma off of anything but the 2.1 A wallwart it came with (i don't have any others to try with). i'm about to dig out an old inverter to see if that will actually work. wish i'd paid more attention to my EE dad when i lived at home; i've gotten a serious crash course in this stuff while trying to get my One to charge in my car, when it's on.
edit: so i got my old inverter out, and spent about 15 minutes testing. i used the 2.0A adapter that came with my Nexus 7 to test, as well as the 3.1A Mediabridge adapter i got here. my phone was at about 45% when i started testing. unplugged, Battery Monitor Widget reported a drain of anywhere between 500ma and 650ma (running Ingress, wifi on). plugged in to the Mediabridge adapter showed, at best, a drain of 50ma. the Nexus adapter plugged in to my inverter charged at a fairly consistent ~120ma. i didn't touch my phone the entire time.
i left my Nexus 7 at work so i can't use it to repeat the test, but i will do so tomorrow. the cable i'm using is this one. i'm not crazy about having a ridiculous DC-AC inverter in my car for my phone, but if that's what i have to do so it can be used and not drain, then so be it. admittedly, i don't really understand these things enough to explain these variations, but i plan on learning ASAP. perhaps somebody else can shed some light on why the device charges different, and how it identifies an AC-USB adapter vs a DC-USB adapter.
sluflyer06 said:
If anyone is coming from phones with smaller batteries, remember the larger the capacity the long it takes to charge.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Math doesn't support what is happening though. Phone has a 2300mAh battery. The OEM charger outputs 1A (1000mAh)
At most, it should be around 3 hours for full charge, when in fact it is closer to 4-4.5 hours. It's the last 10% that is the issue, it will trickle charge to 100% rather than rapid charge.
nest75068 said:
Math doesn't support what is happening though. Phone has a 2300mAh battery. The OEM charger outputs 1A (1000mAh)
At most, it should be around 3 hours for full charge, when in fact it is closer to 4-4.5 hours. It's the last 10% that is the issue, it will trickle charge to 100% rather than rapid charge.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I think that's exactly what the HTC does... I read a pretty good article recently about Li-Ion batteries that talks about how trickle charging is the best for battery life, and it wouldn't surprise me if HTC got a little aggressive the way the this phone charges since we can't swap the battery ourselves.
I'm trying one last car charger, which matches the wattage of my Nexus 7's 5Vdc/2A AC adapter (which I've had the best luck with, when charging the phone while in use): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009TBF7IG/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
If that doesn't work, I'm going to put a 300W inverter in my car with the AC adapters themselves and stop buying stinking DC adapters. This phone clearly pays very close attention to the wattage available from whatever it's plugged in to.
veener79 said:
I use the cable and charger from my Nexus 7 and it charges fast. Off my USB it is slow.
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Click to collapse
Same here, 2a Nexus 7 brick with a long Logitech USB cable, much faster than stock (and longer)
Harbinger1080 said:
Yes, I think that's exactly what the HTC does... I read a pretty good article recently about Li-Ion batteries that talks about how trickle charging is the best for battery life, and it wouldn't surprise me if HTC got a little aggressive the way the this phone charges since we can't swap the battery ourselves.
I'm trying one last car charger, which matches the wattage of my Nexus 7's 5Vdc/2A AC adapter (which I've had the best luck with, when charging the phone while in use): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009TBF7IG/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
If that doesn't work, I'm going to put a 300W inverter in my car with the AC adapters themselves and stop buying stinking DC adapters. This phone clearly pays very close attention to the wattage available from whatever it's plugged in to.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm fortunate my car has a built in inverter that I use for charging my phone.
nest75068 said:
I'm fortunate my car has a built in inverter that I use for charging my phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My next car will too, because I can only imagine that power requirements for these devices is going to increase.
That said, I think I have a winner, and instead of retyping my posts, I'll just link to that thread instead: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=41797839&postcount=6
Since the snap Dragon 600 has fast charging capabilities, why didn't HTC Include it in the kernel??? I've noticed my 2500 mAh note battery charges faster than my 2300 MAH HTC one
Sent from the Sexiest Android Device (HTC One)

Battery drains while navigating and CHARGING?

How is this even possible? While using NAV, my G3 is plugged into the car charger is still decreasing in battery life. Albeit slower than when not charging, but it still goes down even though it is charging. What gives?
Using a charger bought at VZW.
Make sure the charger is 2.1 amp...if its a 1 amp, the combo of GPS, data, and screen on will still kill it.
SOCOM-HERO said:
How is this even possible? While using NAV, my G3 is plugged into the car charger is still decreasing in battery life. Albeit slower than when not charging, but it still goes down even though it is charging. What gives?
Using a charger bought at VZW.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup, totally depends on the charger. Some cheap ones are only .5A and most are 1A, which probably still isnt enough when using GPS and screen on.
SOCOM-HERO said:
How is this even possible? While using NAV, my G3 is plugged into the car charger is still decreasing in battery life. Albeit slower than when not charging, but it still goes down even though it is charging. What gives?
Using a charger bought at VZW.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do yourself a favor and buy mandatory this quality accessories. After you do, forget your question
Car charger:
http://www.amazon.com/Portable-Dual...=1407899058&sr=8-3&keywords=anker+car+charger
USB charging cable:
http://www.amazon.com/2-1A-30PIN-Ch...=UTF8&qid=1407899014&sr=8-6&keywords=kopi+usb
czaplin said:
Do yourself a favor and buy mandatory this quality accessories. After you do, forget your question
USB charging cable:
http://www.amazon.com/2-1A-30PIN-Ch...=UTF8&qid=1407899014&sr=8-6&keywords=kopi+usb
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How is an old iPhone charger going to help anyone with a G3? Also, what is "this quality"? I think you might've lost or misspelled a word there.
phobos512 said:
How is an old iPhone charger going to help anyone with a G3? Also, what is "this quality"? I think you might've lost or misspelled a word there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, bad link.
Here's correct one:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B009Z...2e07d400f0894e43b48&pi=SS115#ref=pd_aw_sims_1
Sent from my VS985 4G using XDA Free mobile app
I had this problem starting all the way back on Galaxy Nexus - crappy chargers and cables do not provide enough power to run the phone and the screen. My research and trial and error on many chargers lead me to understand that not only do you need a good high power charger, you need a good cable too. I now run 18awg charge-only cables exclusively as well as a 2.1amp charger. This pair has worked on all my devices since including fast charging on my G2 and G3.
Note that a charge-only USB cable has the data pair shorted and will only work for charging - will not work for data transfer. However the wires inside are thick and work great cars or other situations where you don't need the cable for data.
This is what I use:
Cable
http://www.netimes.com/shop/microusb-charging-cable-black-d-d-shorted18awg100cm-p-3699.html
Charger
http://www.netimes.com/shop/dual-usb-car-charger-adapter-10a-21a-white-p-4810.html
This company is from Hong Kong, but they have pretty fast shipping. It is the only place where I can find (affordable) heavy gauge USB cables.
Same Issue
SOCOM-HERO said:
How is this even possible? While using NAV, my G3 is plugged into the car charger is still decreasing in battery life. Albeit slower than when not charging, but it still goes down even though it is charging. What gives?
Using a charger bought at VZW.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had the same issue with a store-bought charger. It also depends on the amperage output of your vehicle's outlet as well.
If anyone is looking for one with a retractable cable, I bought this one:
http://www.amazon.com/EZOPower-Micr...=8-2&keywords=2.1+amp+usb+charger+retractable

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