Car charging issues - General Accessories

I have found that when charging my HTC phone (Kaiser now, used to be a Blue Angel) in my car, if I use a cigarette lighter splitter (So that I can charge another device too) that even if nothing else is plugged into the splitter, the phone will not charge properly. It seems to get enough power to maintain charge, but if I am low on batt, then charge the phone and use it for satnav while I drive, when I finish the journey, the phone has not charged.
This does not seem to be the case if I plug the phone charger directly into the cigarette lighter socket instead of via the splitter.
Knowing a little about electricity, I guess the splitter is running the sockets in parallel or something and dividing the power between the sockets?
Any ideas on what I could do? I would imagine a car battery has plenty of power, maybe it just isn't being distributed properly. I guess the splitter is possibly limited such that it can't pass too much power if only one device is connected?
All the devices I want to use can power from USB, so I am guessing that the solution is maybe a USB hub designed for car use. I have 3 items typically that I want to be able to charge, so a 4 port hub would be nice. Anyone know where to get one in the UK?

I've got the same issue with my car charger (HTC Mogul phone), although for me it doesn't matter whether I use a splitter. Where did you get your charger? Maybe it just isn't supplying enough power.
While it's true that having two devices in parallel causes half the current to flow to one and half to the other (assuming they have the same resistance), the power supplies should be more than capable of pushing enough current for each device, especially when the car is running (and you're getting your electricity off the alternator).

well I thought it could be a dodgy cable but I just got an official HTC car charger for my kaiser and am observing the same thing.
It could have been the cigarette lighter->USB converter or the retractible sync cable I used to use, I will do some more tests and see if I can work out which bit is causing the problem - it wasn't until just recently that I had an official end-to-end solution (ie one HTC car lighter to miniusb cable) so I will try connecting it up various ways, but it isn't exactly quick to test if it is good or not as you need your phone low on batt and to be driving around for an hour or two to see if it is charging properly.

Flat Batteries
Seems XDA has software to prevent charging batteries which are too flat. (Perhaps to protect internal circuitry).
I recommend this thread which has a solution:
http://www.htcwizardweb.net/node/2013#comment-3808
I made it work OK but it is a fiddly job. An external charger for these batteries would be great but I can't find one.
Good luck !

I have the same issue. The battery has refused to charge when its below 40% or so. I now carry a spare in the car, especially as I often depend on Sat nav working!

yeah I had that low batt thing happen with my BA once or twice.
Actually, now I have kept an eye on it, it doesn't seem that bad with my kaiser. I no longer use my car lighter usb adapter though - I use the HTC car charger into a 3-in-1 splitter (usb, extusb, 3.5mm audio) and from that into my Kaiser and it seems to charge the kaiser ok (albeit a little slowly) even when I have a cigarette lighter splitter also powering an RF transmitter.
So I think maybe the weak link was the car lighter to usb adapter, maybe it was outputting too little power on the USB rails.

Car Charger died
I'll jump on an old thread...
My HTC branded car charger (that I got from sending in the post card) worked fine for my Cingular 8525 until a few weeks ago. Then it got flakey and now it doesn't want to work at all.
My 8525 will still charge on my laptop connected cradle and the AC charger.
Has anyone seen any failures in these chargers?
Any recommendations on chargers that are reliable?
Dave.

Related

Charging a TMobile MDA PRo in the Car

Hi, I have a TMobile MDA Pro and i have purchased an in car charger so that I can use it with TomTom satnav unit, slight problem, unit does not charge when in the car. Bizarre, as when I use the standard USB Charge & Sync cable with PC happily syncs and charges with no issues. Anyone any ideas, does there have to be a specific setting on the unit to enable it to accept charge via the cigarette socket in car?
Many thanks
I found that to charge the universal, pins 4 and 5 in the mini USB plug need to get joined together - by default pin 5 is not connected to anything (well, wasn't in the cable I had). I've made that modification, and am powering a couple of devices of of a 2 port hub in the car.
Cheers,
Steve
Hi, sounds like a problem I am having and meaning to ask about.
I've got a USB cigy lighter adapter and tried plugging in the sync lead to provide power when it's in the car. So if I have my Exec in standby the charge light will come on (I think it charges sitting on the today screen, but not to sure) but as soon as I fire up tomtom the charging light goes off....
Does this sound like your problem, or are you not charging at all?
I'm interested in finding out what I need to charge the Exec while it's running tomtom? Anyone have any ideas?
Cheers
Matt
I'm pretty certain that I didn't get a charge light at all with my cable until I modified it, then it works, as expected, including in TomTom.
To confirm what I've got is:
- A Ciggy to USB socket adapter
- A two port hub plugged into the adapter
- Modified cable into the hub (along with an unmodified cable connected to my BT-77 GPS unit).
Plugging the cable (prior to modification) directly into the adapter, rather than the hub, didn't work either. The Brodit all-in-one adapter/cable worked fine (and I still have it intact, but not in use), but if memory serve, pins 4 & 5 appear to be connected. I used a multi-meter to try and find out why that one worked, and my combination didn't.
All of this stuff is wired in behind the centre console, so I've not got any unsightly wires, or anything.
Cheers,
Steve.
I think you need a car charger that can output 1000mA to charge the Universal. Same requirement also for an AC charger. 1000mA is what's important. Cheers
Hi, We have had quite a few customers with this issue, we advised and they have opted for the brodit active mounts which have the inbuilt cig chargers and it has cured the problem, or for the neater solution they went for the Molex hardwired versions to stash the cables behind the dash area,
The codes are: 968649 for the cig charger version or 971649 for the Molex hardwired version, http://www.dsldevelopments.com/brodit/holder/T-Mobile+MDA Pro-Brodit-Holder.asp
Hope that helps, drop me a line if you need any advice,
Thanks again
Bryson
Found 1A 5V car adapter
this is the only place I found off ebay that has a 1A car adapter
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/CAR-CIGAR-CIG...4QQihZ006QQcategoryZ15329QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
It works fine on my MDA Pro, just need to plug it in while it is off for it to start charging.. if turned on, then pluged in, then it won't start charging.
I even have an 800mA adapter, but that doesn't help the MDA Pro, it needs more power!
bryson said:
Hi, We have had quite a few customers with this issue, we advised and they have opted for the brodit active mounts which have the inbuilt cig chargers and it has cured the problem, or for the neater solution they went for the Molex hardwired versions to stash the cables behind the dash area,
The codes are: 968649 for the cig charger version or 971649 for the Molex hardwired version, http://www.dsldevelopments.com/brodit/holder/T-Mobile+MDA Pro-Brodit-Holder.asp
Hope that helps, drop me a line if you need any advice,
Thanks again
Bryson
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi there Bryson
The items you quoted are actually the charger and the holder for the PDA. I also notice from the link you provided that there are 2 cig chargers (items codes 942625 and 942650). Can I know what are the differences between these 2 models and would either of this chargers charge the Universal while it is running a navigation software such as TomTom or Garmin Que?
Also, do you ship to Singapore?

Please sell me your car charger

I have been trying to get hold of a working car charger for the Universal that would charge the phone while it is running navigational programs but to no avail.
If anyone has any for sale, do let me know.
vapor said:
I have been trying to get hold of a working car charger for the Universal that would charge the phone while it is running navigational programs but to no avail.
If anyone has any for sale, do let me know.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The car charger costs barely $5 in china and on ebay. It can be purchased from anywhere. I use the car charger that i got with my Holux GPS reciever. I have a lot of car chargers. This is how they work. You plug in your USB cord into the car charger and the car charger goes into the cigarette lighter in the car. I am not selling mine. Go get one from ebay. Just search on ebay for USB car charger.
nuclear said:
The car charger costs barely $5 in china and on ebay. It can be purchased from anywhere. I use the car charger that i got with my Holux GPS reciever. I have a lot of car chargers. This is how they work. You plug in your USB cord into the car charger and the car charger goes into the cigarette lighter in the car. I am not selling mine. Go get one from ebay. Just search on ebay for USB car charger.
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Click to collapse
I have done so and the thing, its either I'm having bad luck with them or there's something wrong with my phone. The best I ever got was that it charged the phone when it was OFF but when I switched it on, the charge disappears.
I tried using my GPS's car charger and another USB Car Charger as well but they both do not work and I do not know why.
I have spent so much searching for the right car charger which is why I am so desperate now just to get a second hand one that would definitely work.
vapor said:
I have done so and the thing, its either I'm having bad luck with them or there's something wrong with my phone. The best I ever got was that it charged the phone when it was OFF but when I switched it on, the charge disappears.
I tried using my GPS's car charger and another USB Car Charger as well but they both do not work and I do not know why.
I have spent so much searching for the right car charger which is why I am so desperate now just to get a second hand one that would definitely work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you'll find this has been discussed here before, try searching.
FYI, I used the charger from my Holux GPS, and whilst it works, it dosn't charge whilst using TomTom. If you try a long trip with this setup, you will find that the battery charge drops. This charger is good only for topping up the Uni whilst not in use. I use the genuine iMate charger and this does run TT and charge at the same time. You need the higher amperage of the iMate charger.
Mav
mavrik64 said:
I think you'll find this has been discussed here before, try searching.
FYI, I used the charger from my Holux GPS, and whilst it works, it dosn't charge whilst using TomTom. If you try a long trip with this setup, you will find that the battery charge drops. This charger is good only for topping up the Uni whilst not in use. I use the genuine iMate charger and this does run TT and charge at the same time. You need the higher amperage of the iMate charger.
Mav
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Click to collapse
Nope, my car charger works fine in charging the Universal while in use and turned off. It just charges a bit slower while in use and thats quite an obious reason.
Only thing to consider is how much the output levels are of the car charger.
Thanks for your input guys
I have done my research on the car chargers and from my understanding, the only reason could be the shorting of pins 4 and 5, or something along those lines. Other than that, I have tried out various models of chargers and they do not work.
For those who say you need a higher output, I have tried those rated at 1000mAh which is that charger output for the wall unit. This charger connects to the USB cable yet even when I tried a couple of types of USB cables, it still did not charge the phone.
I also used a lower output of 850mAh and it worked fine with the cables tested abouve, so it shows the cable had no problem. But it could only charge the Universal when the phone was turned off. When switched on, the phone does not even charge, not even in the least bit and I am not sure why. Surely 850mAh is more than enough to get it charging while on the navigational (TomTom) programs because when I connect my Universal to my laptop to charge, I am still able to run TomTom and that charge is only rated at 500mAh.
Thus you can see why I am so frustrated with all these charges. If any of you are able to point me in the direction of getting an original chrager online, I would be more than grateful for your help and guidance. I also wouldn't mind buying a third-party charger as long as it works perfectly with the phone when running nagivational programs.
This is the one i have. works brilliantly, charges universal and BT GPS reciever and lets me use my copilot navigation software.
http://www.easydevices.co.uk/sp/searchbox13/products.asp?partno=MTCUSJASJR
http://www.mdapro.co.uk/shop/xcart/T-Mobile-MDA-PRO-Handsfree-Custom-Car-Kit-with-speaker-pr-36.html
vapor said:
Thanks for your input guys
<snip>
I also used a lower output of 850mAh and it worked fine with the cables tested abouve, so it shows the cable had no problem. But it could only charge the Universal when the phone was turned off. When switched on, the phone does not even charge, not even in the least bit and I am not sure why. .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I can only guess the 1000mAh you tried may have been defective???
My car charger is the iMate genuine car charger. This rated at 1000mAh and works great. It charges and runs TT6 no problem. (well, that was untill it packed up the other night so I'm sending back under warranty) But it did work great.
All the best
Mav
Poundland have a USB car adapter that works perfectly with your USB lead to charge the Exec - works fine on mine!
mavrik64 said:
Well, I can only guess the 1000mAh you tried may have been defective???
My car charger is the iMate genuine car charger. This rated at 1000mAh and works great. It charges and runs TT6 no problem. (well, that was untill it packed up the other night so I'm sending back under warranty) But it did work great.
All the best
Mav
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Click to collapse
I thought that could be the case but it charges my GPSr fine so had to strike that one out.
wassa said:
This is the one i have. works brilliantly, charges universal and BT GPS reciever and lets me use my copilot navigation software.
http://www.easydevices.co.uk/sp/searchbox13/products.asp?partno=MTCUSJASJR
http://www.mdapro.co.uk/shop/xcart/T-Mobile-MDA-PRO-Handsfree-Custom-Car-Kit-with-speaker-pr-36.html
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi Wassa you se co pilot - so do i - so please can you tell me what onthe easy devices what you chose for the correct cable that will owrk with the bluetooth gps unit.
cheers mate - thanks for your help.
lr
re: car charging problems
just one thing to ask: are you a smoker?
I only say this because i use a usb car charger and it only charges faster than it drains if you are careful to blow/clean all the fag ash out of the socket in the car to get a good connection. Otherwise the charging led sometimes comes on but cant supply enough power to charge quicker than my universal drains its battery
mickey_jaw said:
just one thing to ask: are you a smoker?
I only say this because i use a usb car charger and it only charges faster than it drains if you are careful to blow/clean all the fag ash out of the socket in the car to get a good connection. Otherwise the charging led sometimes comes on but cant supply enough power to charge quicker than my universal drains its battery
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
nah I do not smoke so I do not see why it should be happening.
mickey_jaw said:
just one thing to ask: are you a smoker?
I only say this because i use a usb car charger and it only charges faster than it drains if you are careful to blow/clean all the fag ash out of the socket in the car to get a good connection. Otherwise the charging led sometimes comes on but cant supply enough power to charge quicker than my universal drains its battery
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I never get ash in there. Its impossible to get ash in there unless you really want it there. You are supposed to use the knob and not stick your cig in there. lol
I have used a Belkin one, one that I bought for an iPod that has a standard USB socket you can plug any cable into, and a cheap ebay one.
They all work, BUT.. you have to plug them in when the device is off. Once the charge light comes on, you can turn it on, and it will charge, although slowly.
If you plug it in while the device is on, it will not start charging.
I don't know why this is, but considering it's the same on all 3 chargers, and I have seen people complaining about this on the Universal a few times, I think it's just the way things are.
AlanJC said:
I have used a Belkin one, one that I bought for an iPod that has a standard USB socket you can plug any cable into, and a cheap ebay one.
They all work, BUT.. you have to plug them in when the device is off. Once the charge light comes on, you can turn it on, and it will charge, although slowly.
If you plug it in while the device is on, it will not start charging.
I don't know why this is, but considering it's the same on all 3 chargers, and I have seen people complaining about this on the Universal a few times, I think it's just the way things are.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup because at first i was wondering too why my device isnt charging. Actually the charge light on my GPS came on quicker than the Universal.lol... i had to wait for a few moments and kept trying till the universal began charging. So yeah you gotta wait with the universal shut off.
I have not bothered reading all the replies but the problem with most car chargers is the AMPS, the voltage is right @ 5 volts but the amps is usually 0.5. Ideally the universal needs 1 or 2 amps, the new tomtom standalone units use 2 Amp USB car chargers and are a direct fit for our universals !!! isnt that convenient.
I don't have a charger as such but I use - strangely enough - a sony psp usb cord that goes through a USB cigarette adapter picked up from a poundshop here in UK ( a shop that sells lots of cheap gadgetry - for the non british of you )that also has a connector that is exactly what is needed for my fortuna bluetooth . it works fine . I realise that it does not recharge the phone but keeps it charged . I've not tried the usb to usb mini through the usb lighter adapter though . I guess that the trick its to have a charged universal before you leave on a trip .
I found I was having trouble charging my Universal with a USB adaptor in the car. The "charging" light would only come in if the phone was off, and while it would stay on when the phone turned on, it would not actually be charging and the damned thing would eventually run out of charge (I drive lots).
I eventually realised that if I turned the screen brightness down to it's lowest illumination whilst charging it worked fine. Obviously not much power comes out of the socket...
Now my battery has packed up due to another issue, but turn the screen down and it should be fine.
Voltage Regulator 5v / 2a /
I have read with interest all the comments and solution here and thought it might help to add mine what I have made and fitted to all my vehicles is a mini USB power supply, simply cut the pc plug from a mini USB lead and add one UA 78S05
VOLTAGE REGULATOR 5V / 2A /
http://www.donberg.ie/descript/u/ua78s05.htm
Connect the input leg to 12 v dc bolt the regulator to a GOOD earth/heat sink (car body) and off you go up to 2 amps @5v BUT DO TEST WITH VOLT METER BEFORE CONNECTING PPC

TyTN won't charge with car charger??

Hi,
I recently bought a car charger (actually, it's a 3-in-1 kit, with USB-2-miniUSB cable, plug-in car charger, and travel charger). This set seems not to work with my TyTn, but work perfectly with other HTC pda's - Touch, Cruise etc. However, that cable works nicely when plugged to PC.
Anyone have a clue? Maybe, I should change some power management settings in the TyTN?
Thanx
Hi,
I have the same problem.
Sometimes is charging O.K. (when the screen is off and Hermes is in Standby). But if I have a Phone Call, or if I use the car navigation, charging won´t work.
(Everythink was O.K. with WM5, I think, but WM6 and WM6.1 has this problem on my Hermes - I tried many ROMs, now I use CRCs PHKv12r9, Radio 1.47.30.10)
Get an inverter from Maplins http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=48723&criteria=inverter&doy=3m4 for £19.99 you can then use your home charger...
Ah OK scratch that idea I didn't look at the flags before posting...
I have one, but the question is, why car charger won´t work.
I use the inverter with everything up to 300W without any problems.
I dont understand WHY people have this problem.... I bought a CHEAP little car charger that allows me to use a usb cable. I plug in, leave for a minute or so and it starts charging. Make/ recieve calls, use GPS software and never have a problem. I would say that the charger was made good BUT its a generic "made in china" charger.... Must've been BLOODY LUCKY to find it...
I had this problem with mine, sometimes it would charge, other times it would need to be restarted before picking up the charger? This was using the same sort of charger that plugged into the lighter socket, then the USB-to-MiniUSB plugged into the charger.
I started using a spare charger for a TomTom One which worked perfectly.
In fact, I have 2 car chargers to which I plug USB-mini cable, both not working. I just wonder why... Can it be hardware or software problem? I suspect you all use WM6.... OK with WM5?
I can't find the post now, but there have been a couple of discussions about the charging issues with the TyTN. My TyTN is very picky about the charging cable. It has something to do with a requirement that the data pin in the USB cable either be connected to something live(like a computer) or that the data pin be jumpered to the ground pin.
I have tried a number of charging solutions and keep going back to the AT&T store for a charger that works. I have an external battery for my laptop from Battery Geek, Inc that has both a USB port on it and a mini USB charging cable. Both don't work with my TyTN but work with my wife's Wizard. Actually they work with my TyTN about 2% of the time, just enough to make me think it is going to work.
Someplace back in the archives I've seen a description of how to modify a USB charging cable to work with the TyTN, but I can't find it right now.
Rick
Look HERE !

In car battery charging

I have travelled to devon on Saturday and used Google maps navigation which is simply superb as u could see the traffic jams in advance (believe me there were plenty of them) I had my phone charger charging my desire but the battery drained still any idea why surely the charger should charge it or keep the power at the same level ?
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App
Anyone surely someone must know why the car charger hasn't enough power to charge the phone when running navigation and the normal phone functions
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App
I have no solution but I have the same problem. Quite frustrating.
You need a charger that outputs at least 1000mA. Most in-car chargers only output 500mA, and so the phone will discharge quicker than the charger can charge it.
Regards,
Dave
foxmeister said:
You need a charger that outputs at least 1000mA. Most in-car chargers only output 500mA, and so the phone will discharge quicker than the charger can charge it.
Regards,
Dave
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
especially with some GPS apps that consume lots of juice...
Any suggestions which are the best chargers ? Does anyone know what the new HTC dock will incorporate ?
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App
Get a cheap USB cable extender, cut it in half and short the middle 2 pins. Don't remember what colours they are. Look on Wikipedia.
I had same problem. Not anymore. Charges properly when I plug in through the custom cable.
This is a common problem.
It bugged me sufficiently that I investigated it in detail.
The Desire, and presumably some (all?) other HTC phones, employ relatively complex charging circuitry.
When you plug a USB cable into the phone, the phone does at least two different checks to determine what type of power source you have just connected.
If you have plugged in a mains powered official HTC charger, which has a rated output of 1A, then the phone knows that it is safe to draw a maximum of 1A from that charger.
The phone will then draw enough current to power itself and, on top of that, charge the battery at the same time.
This current will typically be in the region of 800mA (0.8A) to 900mA (0.9A).
Under these conditions there is enough current to power all the functions of the phone, including WiFi, Bluetooth and GPS, as well as the usual GSM radio and the phone's other functions, as well as being able to charge the battery.
However, if the phone believes that it is connected to a power source with a lower rating such as a standard USB port, then it will limit the maximum current that it draws from that power source to between 400mA (0.4A) and 500mA (0.5A) as this is the maximum officially provided by a USB port.
In other words, the phone is intelligent enough not to overload a standard USB port but, when more power is available, it is able to use it.
The mechanism that HTC uses to detect a power supply capable of supplying 1A, as opposed to a USB port, is very simple indeed.
When the phone detects that an external power source has been connected, it checks to see if the two data lines of the USB connector on the bottom of the phone have been short-circuited.
If they have been short-circuited, the phone takes this to mean that a suitable power source has been connected providing a current of at least 1A.
If the data lines are not short-circuited, the phone assumes that the power is coming from a USB port or other device not capable of providing more than 500mA.
In practice, the way this has been implemented is that within the official mains powered HTC charger, the two data pins of the USB connector are shorted together.
As soon as you connect this charger to the Desire, the phone detects the short-circuit and knows that it is connected to a charger capable of supplying 1A.
This particular trick seems to be something unique to HTC rather than being a universal standard, although this is a bit of a guess on my part based on having looked at only a few other chargers.
What this means is that if you have a car charger that is rated at 1A or higher, your HTC Desire will still only draw a maximum of 500mA from this charger.
This problem is easily rectified by opening up the charger and soldering together the two centre pens of the USB connector so that the phone sees this short-circuit and realises that it can safely draw I higher current from the charger.
Unless you know what you are doing and fully understand what I have explained above, then please don't go fiddling around with your charger.
I have carried out this modification myself on a couple of non-HTC mains-powered chargers and a couple of 12V car chargers with 100% success.
I have, however, found that some 12V chargers, even though they are rated at 1A or even 1.5A do not result in the Desire drawing the expected current.
What I found was that the phone would draw only about 250mA and then, after I had shorted the data terminals within the charger, the phone would draw about 450mA but not the 850mA or so that I had expected.
I have yet to determine with certainty why this is but it appears that as the phone begins to draw current from the charger it is able to detect if there is even a relatively small dip in the voltage coming from the charger and, if so, the phone backs off on the amount of current that it draws.
I will be doing a few more tests in my electronics lab to try and get to the bottom of this and provide a more detailed analysis and, hopefully, a useful solution.
In the meantime though, I have at least solved the problem that I was having and, based on numerous forum posts, the same problem that many other people have been having with car chargers not effectively charging the Desire.
Tim
mercianary said:
Get a cheap USB cable extender, cut it in half and short the middle 2 pins. Don't remember what colours they are. Look on Wikipedia.
I had same problem. Not anymore. Charges properly when I plug in through the custom cable.
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Click to collapse
Snap!
I didn't see your post before making mine (above) but my experimentation agrees fully with what you've said.
You can do it the way you've described, by modifying a cable, or you can do it inside the charger itself.
Just make sure that the cable going to the phone has all four USB wires in it. Some of them only have the two power wires, so the phone will never detect the short circuited data lines.
Tim
If you do not want to open your car charger, you can always create a male to female adapter that shots D+ and D- on the female side like the one in the attached picture
Obviously, the charger needs to be able to provide the 1Amps that are needed. If not, it will at best shutdown in protection mode, at worst fry completely with a great chance of fire...
Interesting stuff...
I bought an official HTC car charger and noticed that the included usb cable, when plugged into a pc, does not allow data transfer, only charging.
Can anyone explain that ? Why would there be a difference in the wiring ?
They want you to buy an official USB cable I guess ? Considering any microusb cable works I'm surprised they bother
Maybe because they just put the two VCC and GND wires in there, thus saving on the cabling cost.
Ok how about this then......
I have a USB port I'm my car (to plug in music on a dongle I presume) if I use the USB lead from my charger supplied with the phone (which also works as a data cable) I get a the charging status icon on the battery bar.
So......
Is my phone charging at 1 amp on the car, and at home or am I getting 0.5 on both or something else?
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App
_Crusoe_ said:
Ok how about this then......
I have a USB port I'm my car (to plug in music on a dongle I presume) if I use the USB lead from my charger supplied with the phone (which also works as a data cable) I get a the charging status icon on the battery bar.
So......
Is my phone charging at 1 amp on the car, and at home or am I getting 0.5 on both or something else?
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you check your battery stats by dialing *#*#4636#*#* and look at battery info, then you can see if it is charged by USB (max 500 mA) or at AC (more then 500mA)
I bought the official HTC charger, works perfectly.
thanks a lot for the explanation. I went for an uprated USB car charger but was still using normal cables to plug into it and the phone wasnt keeping up when bluetooth and GPS was on and was flat by the end of a long journey. Have tried the mod and phone is showing as plugged into AC so hopefully this is going to sort my issues.
So am I right in saying that, unless you get one which has been adapted as described above, there is no real difference between one in-car charger and another - none of them will be up to the job of keeping the phone full of jiuce whilst running GPS over a long journey.
Was thinking of shelling out for a Brodit kit, but at £50+, I'll stick with a cheap one.
Narco77 said:
Interesting stuff...
I bought an official HTC car charger and noticed that the included usb cable, when plugged into a pc, does not allow data transfer, only charging.
Can anyone explain that ? Why would there be a difference in the wiring ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got the offical charger and the usb cable is fine for data transfer.
Bingo Accent said:
So am I right in saying that, unless you get one which has been adapted as described above, there is no real difference between one in-car charger and another - none of them will be up to the job of keeping the phone full of jiuce whilst running GPS over a long journey.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not really.
For the "mod" to work, your charger must be able to source at least 1000mA which most can't anyway.
So you first have to find a charger that does and then, if it's not already the case, short the D+ and D- cables together.
Note that this can be done by disassembling the charger (not being sure of being able to put it back together), by using conductive glue on the USB plug itself (a bit invasive) or by using an adapter like the one I shown in my previous message (but you need to do it yourself or have someone do it for you)

Brodit active car holder won't charge the S2

Hey guys,
I got my brodit active car holder now for a few days and it seems it doesn't supply enough juice to the S2 while in use :-(
While navigating with navigon, it even loses charge, though it's connected .... that's really disapointing, since brodit normally supplies quality products.
Anyone else got the brodit active holder with the same problems?
boba
Not got the Brodit, but I have the same problem when using CoPilot and charging via the USB cable attached to a car charger. It can keep the charge at current level with CoPilot on, but will only charge with CoPilot off.
Also noticed if SII has less than 50% charge, it won't charge at all with CoPilot on.
Taking a punt on one of these to see if it makes a difference:
http://www.buyincoins.com/details/d...-for-ipad-iphone-4g-ipod-2a-product-2748.html
Which holder do you have exactly? Can you make a photo?
Does it toggle car dock in the S2? You can see a steering wheel in notification bar.
ALexander
I was thinking exactly the same thing this lunchtime. I have the cigarete lighter active Brodit mount and - if i makes any difference - a 2004 Vauxhall Astra H. I as wondering if I would have to turn off the nice things [like satellite view, etc] on the phone for it to survive the journey. Not happy.
boba23 said:
Well I don't know the exact reason yet, but it seems the S2 doesn't accept enough juice from the charger,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is the S2 in USB AC Mode?
Take a look here: Einstellungen - Telefoninfo - Status
Yesterday I modified a Brodit active car holder from the good old htc HD2 to fit the S2. Now I have fast charging (AC) and Car-Mode.
I currently own some chargers. Not the original one, well the UK Version with no use in Austria.
A 1A HTC Charger with USB socket, a 450mA noname charger with USB socket and a no name car charger with micro usb.
The car charger and the HTC charger show charging(AC) whilst the noname 450mA charger shows charging(USB)...
It would be interesting to measure the exact mA taken by the phone...
ALexander
CurrentWidget doesn't work...
ALexander
Hi all,
Okay, I've now tried four different chargers, and I've also had the phone replaced. Today, in a last attempt, I bought an official Samsung charger.
NONE of them work - even though the phone says "charging on AC" for all of them.
The only thing I haven't tried is a different car (which I'm going to do, once my neighbour gets home).
The one sensible suggestion I've read is that Samsung have screwed up somewhere in software and the phone can't draw enough juice.
Electronics is beyond my little brain, so I don't get why the GS2 charges from my netbook (even when it's only on battery) but won't charge in the car.
And I'm not talking when I'm using satnav. It won't charge at all. In fact (weirdly) it actually DISCHARGES much faster than it does if it's just sitting in my pocket.
I've logged this with my provider (Voda UK), because I refuse to get stuck with a useless phone for the next 18 months if this isn't sorted out. It's ludicrous. If I can't charge the phone in the car it's as good as useless to me.
UPDATE:
Okay, I just tried my neighbour's car (Vauxhall Astra) and the GS2 charged perfectly. 3% in four minutes. Pretty much what I get off the mains charger.
I wish I knew about electrics but I don't. Explanations will have to come from the boffins round here.
I tell you what, though. I don't really want to get a new car just to use my phone properly
Do you have any chsrger with a led?
If the led stays dark the cigarette lighgter of your car might need a new fuse.
Which car?
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA Premium App
Ive ordered one of these mounts and will report how it behaves in my 2008 Civic
barneypooch said:
UPDATE:
Okay, I just tried my neighbour's car (Vauxhall Astra) and the GS2 charged perfectly. 3% in four minutes. Pretty much what I get off the mains charger.
I wish I knew about electrics but I don't. Explanations will have to come from the boffins round here.
I tell you what, though. I don't really want to get a new car just to use my phone properly
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You might be able to change to a higher amp fuse in your car fusebox.
eddablin said:
You might be able to change to a higher amp fuse in your car fusebox.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ROFL!! Genius!
Brodit mount arrived and looks great. Fit and design excellent and seems to charge as I would want.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk
So what charger do you guys advice? Which charger does charge the phone, even while navigating with Navigon?
I got the Brodit active charger (BR512...), there isn't a problem with charging at all.
I think the issue you got is really car related. My guess:
a) your cigarette lighter port is poorly wired -> Measure voltage at the port with a voltmeter, it should be at least 12V DC (Edit: Even if it does there is still the possibility that your wiring is bad, showing 12V doesn't mean it can handle the current this charger needs)
b) your cigarette lighter port doesn't make a good contact to the brodit plug. Check for corrosion of the contacts, dust, dirt, etc. Some ports go bad after lots of plug in / out cycles.
If you have no idea what I'm talking about here, I'm pretty sure every car mechanic can fix your problem for a small amount of money
Edit: it's very possible this plug works with other chargers and phones and still fails with the S2 charger. The reason for this is the different ways chargers convert the car's 12V DC into 5V DC. Some might work down to 7V input, some already **** up at 11.8V
I have the same problem with my GSII trying to charge it with my 12V Ipod adapter...
I just arrive from a short travel with my Citroën Xsara and i almost got lost cose the phone discharged all the time while using IGO on the phone...
I don't think this is car related because there are so many people with different cars having this problem... so... Samsung wants me to buy a new car to be able to use their phone in travels?
Hi guys, just thought I'd try to clear up a few of things:
1. All phones can use more power than they can draw. Note that the more apps you use, the more juice you draw depending on their features.
2. Not all CLAs are the same. Most modern devices will need 2amps, but the majority of CLAs on the market are 1 - 1.2amp units.
3. Your device will stop charging if it reaches a certain temperature, without giving you any further indication that it is too hot. This is a common scenario if you've got a phone on the dash giving guidance, with the sun rays beating a back. And yes this does mean dedicated satnav devices have a greater operational temperature range than phones, usually a 15-20 degree difference (celcius).
4. If the CLA is being tripped out due to poor isolation (a lot of cars suffer from this) it will also stop charging.
5. In general terms, the lower the battery level of the device, the more juice it pulls. This is why you may find you ha email no problems getting a small charge when you start with a battery at 85%, but your phone dies if the battery is 50% or less.
Hope that helps.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA Premium App
OK, I have no idea what the problem is. I have a Brodit active charger (the cig-plug version) for my Galaxy SII. It's not charging my phone AT ALL. There is no sound, nothing displayed on my phone when I connect it. I have the charger led (blue light) on, so I know it's working.
Things I have tried so far:
1. Asked for a replacement from Brodit. Got it, no difference.
2. Tried with a different car (I have a BMW, my wife a brand new Toyota Auris) - doesn't charge it either.
3. Tried a different no-name universal charger - it works perfectly well, the phone is charging as expected. Other things like the GPS device also work fine.
4. Tried a different kernel and ROM on my phone, still no success.
Any suggestions are welcome.
LazyPawn said:
OK, I have no idea what the problem is. I have a Brodit active charger (the cig-plug version) for my Galaxy SII. It's not charging my phone AT ALL. There is no sound, nothing displayed on my phone when I connect it. I have the charger led (blue light) on, so I know it's working.
Things I have tried so far:
1. Asked for a replacement from Brodit. Got it, no difference.
2. Tried with a different car (I have a BMW, my wife a brand new Toyota Auris) - doesn't charge it either.
3. Tried a different no-name universal charger - it works perfectly well, the phone is charging as expected. Other things like the GPS device also work fine.
4. Tried a different kernel and ROM on my phone, still no success.
Any suggestions are welcome.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats strange, in the first place i thought a faulty micro-usb or charger. But you got it replaced so can't be the problem.
I have a brodit with charger too, but i use it in a different way, meaning i can remove my holder and unplug it without unplugging my charger. ( near my holder i have a small connector that i can unplug).
What i did is cutting the cable from the charger and i did put a male usb port on it ( regular male usb port) and i have a Belkin charger with a usb port, this charger deliver 1A charging current and charge my phone even when i use my navigation. ( with bluetooth and gps on).
Your phones micro-usb seems to be fine too because it charge with other brands of chargers.
Your BMW delivers enough power i guess at your cigarette lighter plug, because it doesn't charge at the Toyota either and both not delivering enough power would be coincidence.
Anyway mine works perfect the way i did it and if i can remember it worked too with my original plug attached too. ( though the original one doesn't provide enough power sometimes to keep it charged while using navigation).
The only thing i can think of is that there is some stress-pressure on your connection between phone and holder connection and that one pin isn't connected properly, with the universal charger you only plug the micro-usb plug in your phone and the micro-usb plug can adjust freely to your phones micro-usb port.
Try to wiggle a bit with your phone when in the holder and see if the power comes on. Or try to connect a little device on your holders micro-usb port ( if you have something small that charge over micro-usb) and see if that works.

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