Develop Bugs

The Car Charger Thread

THE PURPOSE OF THIS THREAD:
I think it's about time that we collect all the Car Charger info into one database so it's easy to find and I'm willing to do the work if you folks are willing to supply the following information about your chargers by posting it in this thread:
Brand
Model number, SKU, or description.
Rated output per the info on the charger.
Does it charge in AC or USB mode (see below)?
Does it have an attached cord or "Type-A" USB socket?
Who sells it?
Do you like it?
And for the USB mode chargers:
Can it be modified to charge in AC mode (see below)
CHECKING HOW THE PHONE RECOGNIZES THE CHARGER:
Plug the phone into the charger (light must be yellow and the phone must be charging)
Tap Menu > Settings > About Phone > Battery.
The top line will say "Battery status" followed by:
Charging (AC)
Charging (USB)
NOTE: If it says "Full" then your battery is fully charged and you'll need to run it down until the light turns from green to yellow. If it says "Not charging" then your charger is not supplying power or it's not properly connected to the phone.
AC? USB? WTF??:
USB ports were originally designed for data communications with and to supply power to computer peripherals. The maximum power specification for the USB 1.x and 2.0 data devices is 500mA so a "typical" USB port in most computers and hubs is only designed to supply 500mA. But consumer electronics manufacturers have adoped the USB connector as a means to charge their devices and they didn't want to be limited to 500mA, so some changes to the USB Standard were necessary to prevent "typical" 500mA USB ports from being damaged when subjected to loads which exceed their maximum output.
In a nutshell, now modern consumer electronics devices test the status of the USB data pair (D+ & D-) when you plug a cable into them. If the data pair is shorted (less than 200 ohms) then it will assume that the cable is connected to a charger and draw as much current as the charging circuit in the device calls for. If the data pair is not shorted then the device will assume that it's connected to a data port and it will draw no more than 500mA. Unfortunately, it seems that most auto charger manufacturers (and some AC chargers) just don't get it and they're selling high-powered (1 - 1.25A typical) chargers without the data pair shorted. Consequently a device like the Evo thinks it's connected to a data port and won't even try to draw more than 500mA regardless of what the charger is capable of supplying.
MODIFYING A CHARGER SO IT'S RECOGNIZED AS AN AC CHARGER:
This will explain what you need to do but not necessarily how to do it. Brands and models are different so there are no universal instructions, however I'll post links to your detailed instructions if you post 'em and I find them (feel free to post 'em in this thread).
The bottom line is you need to open up your charger and short the D+ & D- pair. For chargers with a USB Type-A receptical you can bridge (short) pins 2&3. For chargers with an attached cord with a Micro-B plug on it you'll need to find which wires go to pins 2&3 on the plug and bridge them:
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It's important to note that the pinouts in the diagram above are for plugs. In the case of the Type-A plug a receptical will have an identical pinout, but in the case of the Micro-B plug the pinout for the receptical will be mirrored (reversed). As an added bonus, here are the complete pinouts for both plugs: Type A: 1= +5V, 2= D-, 3= D+, 4= Ground. Micro-B: 1= +5V, 2= D-, 3= D+, 4= ID, 5=Ground. The specified wire colors for USB cables are Red = +5, White= D-, Green= D+, None= ID, and Black= Ground; but some manufacturers seem to be standard-challenged so you can't always assume this will be correct.
Pete

Charger Database
CHARGERS WHICH CHARGE IN AC MODE (UNMODIFIED):
Monoprice.com Car Charger (Cigarette Lighter to USB Female Converter) #6766, 1000mA
Motorola P513 Car Charger (Micro USB), 975mA
Seidio Micro-USB High Output Car Charger, 1000mA
CHARGERS WHICH CHARGE IN USB MODE (UNMODIFIED):
Belkin MicroCharge Part # F8Z445ttP, 1000mA (**Modification Instructions)
Sprint USB Vehicle Charger - Item # PVX9501R, 850mA. (**Modification Instructions)

I strongly suggest not buying this charger if you're buying it to modify because it's a pain in the butt to get apart and it's only rated at 850mA, but I already had one and I was determined to either modify it or destroy it trying and I'm glad to say that I ultimately succeed in modifying it.
First I pried off the head. There are little indents that you can see from the back and what I did was work little screwdrivers into two of 'em at once (one on each side of a corner) and pry the corner up. Then, while holding that corner from snapping shut again, I popped the other two sides loose and the head just lifted off.
Then I stuck a fairly large-blade screwdriver in behind one of the grounding springs and pried the body halves apart far enough to get a smaller screwdriver into the seam and I basically just "worried" the seam apart working from the large end to the small. Then I repeated the process for the seam on the other side of the body.
Once the case was apart I carefully examined how everything fit into the body and lifted it all out. The chrome grounding springs come out separately and it helps if you remove them first. Once I had the guts out I found where the #2 and #3 terminal tabs poke through the circuit board and bridged them with a small bead of solder. This takes a needle-point soldering tip and a great deal of care lest you also bridge to the tiny little surface-mount resistor which is right next to the terminals. You've been warned!
Then it was a simple matter of putting the guts back into the body, snapping it back together, wicking a small amount of thin CA (super glue) into the seam to hold the halves of the body together, debonding my fingers from the case (just kidding ), and snapping the head back on.
The bottom line is it's doable, but the net result is an 850mA charger with ugly pry marks all over it, although the pry marks will end up inside the cigarette lighter where they can't be seen. I would have preferred to include photos, but my camera that does macro is at work and I didn't feel ambitious enough to go get it.
Pete

Monoprice Car Charger (Cigarette Lighter) to USB Female Converter - White
1 Amp USB charger, works properly in AC mode so no modification is needed. USB Port
http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10826&cs_id=1082602&p_id=6766&seq=1&format=2
Price 1.16 each comes in white or black.
3ft USB cable with micro usb head 1.00
http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10303&cs_id=1030307&p_id=4867&seq=1&format=2

I had to call Seidio today about an unrelated item and I asked about their Seidio Micro-USB High Output Car Charger while I had them on the phone. The gal in Customer Support didn't really grasp what I was asking about, but a guy in tech support called me back to report that he had tested the charger with an Evo and it definitely charges in AC mode.
So I added it to the appropriate list in post #2.
Pete

Would it be possible to just modify a USB cable to do this or would I have to get nitty gritty with the Kensington PowerBolt Micro bend its will?

goodboynyc said:
Would it be possible to just modify a USB cable to do this .... ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sure. All the Evo needs to see is a short between the D+ and D- (#2 and #3) pins to charge in AC mode and it doesn't care whether that short is in the cable, in one of the connectors, or in the charger. Remember that you're not telling the charger what to do .. You're telling the phone.
I've never actually owned one myself, but I've seen plenty of references to "charge-only" cables which I assume have the pins shorted. A example is the Seidio Micro USB Charging Cable (5FT) which says "This cable is for charging only, and cannot be used for data synchronization" in the product description. But I need to reiterate once again that I'm assuming that this cable has the D+ and D- conductors shorted because I can't imagine any other reason to make a charge only cable.
Pete

I was easily able to take apart the powerbolt but im unsure where to lay the solder.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

* Brand: PointMobl Retractable Wall/Travel Power Adapter
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4050265
* Model number: 23-1119
* Rated output per the info on the charger:
Built in retractable cable connector: 5VDC, 1.0A
Secondary USB Port: 5VDC, 0.5A
* Does it charge in AC or USB mode: AC with built in cable connector
* Does it have an attached cord or "Type-A" USB socket:
Built in retractable micro usb cable
Secondary Type-A USB socket for charging a second device
* Who sells it: Radio Shack
* Do you like it: Yes. it charges the phone fast and full.
Edit: Sorry I just realized this isn't a car charger, but a good charger nevertheless.

goodboynyc said:
I was easily able to take apart the powerbolt but im unsure where to lay the solder.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You need to bridge the two pins in the red box:
Pete

Thanks. I figured thats what i needed to bridge. Ill probably do it tonight and give it a test followed by a proper write up.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

Brand: Kensington
Model: PowerBolt Micro
Rated output: 2.1 Amps
Does it charge in AC or USB mode (see below)? USB
Does it have an attached cord or "Type-A" USB socket? No
Who sells it? Amazon, Newegg, etc.
Do you like it? Hell yes.
I had to short pins 2 and 3 so that my Evo could pull more than 300mA. To open the charger i just pried off the bottom half, the side without the LED, and pulled out the circuit board. I dabbed some solder on it and was off on my way.
According to current widget, the Evo now pulls ~700mA and up to 810mA which was the most I've seen so far.

cheap Ipad charger from ebay
I got this cheap Ipad charger off ebay, then I super glued this connector on the middle pins works so far. Only got about 900 mA out of the 2.1mA, but i didnt expect much out of it anyway.
First post on XDA
WELL I tried to post pictures but it wouldn't let me....

I've had this Blackberry charger for 2 years plus and it still works great. It charges in AC mode and does .95 amps. It doesn't get real hot like some I've used. I originally used it with my Tour and have been using it with the EVO since the day one launch. BTW my EVO has never had a problem in the year or so since the launch. I love the phone and will be sorry to let it go...when the SII is released.
Amazon Link $6.85 now, but when I bought it was less.

mrpickem said:
I've had this Blackberry charger for 2 years plus and it still works great. It charges in AC mode and does .95 amps. It doesn't get real hot like some I've used. I originally used it with my Tour and have been using it with the EVO since the day one launch. BTW my EVO has never had a problem in the year or so since the launch. I love the phone and will be sorry to let it go...when the SII is released.
Amazon Link $6.85 now, but when I bought it was less.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
prob gonna be buying this one

Looks cool...
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA Premium App

I recently purchased a Kensington K33497US PowerBolt Duo car charger. One USB port is rated at 2.1A for iPads and the other port is rated at 1A. Plugging my EVO 3D into either port results in "USB charging" mode. Following the advice here and in other threads, I pried open the charger and soldered a connection between pins 2 and 3 (this is on the side with the 1A port). Tested the 1A port and I now see "AC charging" on my EVO 3D. I haven't tested the actual current yet but hopefully will soon. Thanks to all who have posted their experiences.

quagman said:
I recently purchased a Kensington K33497US PowerBolt Duo car charger. One USB port is rated at 2.1A for iPads and the other port is rated at 1A. Plugging my EVO 3D into either port results in "USB charging" mode. Following the advice here and in other threads, I pried open the charger and soldered a connection between pins 2 and 3 (this is on the side with the 1A port). Tested the 1A port and I now see "AC charging" on my EVO 3D. I haven't tested the actual current yet but hopefully will soon. Thanks to all who have posted their experiences.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tested the modified Kensington Powerbolt Duo today with my Evo 3D. The battery was at 69% and I turned on Google Navigation and took a 15 minute drive. During that time the phone was reading "AC charging" and stayed at 69% during the drive. Then on the way home I plugged in a cheap car charger I bought from eBay. My phone again said "AC charging" and in the first ten minutes of my drive the battery went from 68% to 73% with Navigation running. The phone and charger also were warm. I had turned on Current Widget for the ride home and it peaked at 720 mA with the cheap charger. I then switched back to the modified Kensington and monitored the current for around five minutes with Navigation on. The battery charge stayed at 73%. According to the Current Widget log though, the current was reading negative values up to -253 mA. Not really sure what this means.

mrpickem said:
I've had this Blackberry charger for 2 years plus and it still works great. It charges in AC mode and does .95 amps. It doesn't get real hot like some I've used. I originally used it with my Tour and have been using it with the EVO since the day one launch. BTW my EVO has never had a problem in the year or so since the launch. I love the phone and will be sorry to let it go...when the SII is released.
Amazon Link $6.85 now, but when I bought it was less.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sorry but this charger is probably not even that good, it charges blackberrys which means its probably under 300mAH look on dealextreme for like ones that are 500mAH + under that sucks because say you use navi or somthing, it will eat more battery than it will charge. there are pretty awesome ones on DX for like 5 bucks but the thing is it takes 14 days for shipping, pretty long time. or check monoprice which is located in orange county and is a GREAT site i get my things in 2 days with them and there SUPER cheap like DX hope this helped

Brand: Schosche
Model: reVIVE II Dual USB Car Charger for iPad
Rated output: 2.1A
AC or USB Mode: USB
Cord: USB A Plug
Who sells it: ht tp://w ww.amazon.com/Scosche-reVIVE-Dual-Charger-iPad/dp/B003N7NO4Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1311527021&sr=8-1
Do you like it? Yes
I just found this thread. I bought this charger over 6 months ago. I thought surely that the 2.1A capability would mean this would charge as fast as the wall charger. While that has not been the case, and thanks to this thread I now know why, it at least keeps it charged while using the GPS which all of the other chargers I tried before did not.
After seeing this thread this morning I went out to my car and plugged the phone in to see what mode it was charging in. To my surprise, it said USB.
So, my question is this. Could I not simply plant a bead of solder between pins 2 and 3 of a USB cable and get the same result as modifying the charger?

microUSB to maglock kit?

Ever since I got the S2 I've been a bit concerned about that stupid microUSB port. Unlike the Apple 30 pin on my old iPhone or the Samsung 30 pin on my Galaxy Tab, the microUSB connection seems about as sturdy as a matchstick holding up a house. Standard USB my ass, I'd take something sturdy any day.
Anyways, I figured that with all the microUSB devices supposedly out there, someone would have had to have fixed this by now. Then I searched around and found nothing. Basically what I'm imagining is a simple USB plug that plugs into the connector and expands the USB plug to 4 magnetic connection points similar to the magsafe thing on apple's macbooks or the magnetic cable on the blackberry playbook. You'd then have an adapter on the cable that would snap to the magnetic connector on the phone and allow you to connect the two without stressing your microUSB and also make it faster to get connected.
Is there really nothing like this out there?
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id get a patent on that quickly if i were you.

Too lazy to get it produced myself so I'm just happy if somone does it at all

Wouldn't the magnet interfere with the magnetic sensor of the phone?

KBS720 said:
Wouldn't the magnet interfere with the magnetic sensor of the phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Magnetic sensor? You mean the digital compass? Not any more than the Smart Cover would do that for an iPad 2, or any case with a battery lock would do it. Very small magnets we're talking about here, their magnetic effect is next to nothing unless directly paired with another magnet.
Here's the kind of magnet I'd imagine being used:
Aside from the Apple and RIM versions of this, the closest I can think of is the Replug: http://www.replug.com/home.php
Not magnetic, and only for audio. Ofc doesn't have to be magnetic if the concept still works, but pretty much have to be microUSB
If you look at the HTC Rhyme, it comes with a charging dock that uses the more common spring loaded pin connection system: http://img.gfx.no/993/993523/topp1.788x525!.JPG
There are pins on the back of the phone that matches up with the three you can see on the cradle. I would be happy with simply something like that, I just don't like how thin and fragile the microUSB connector is compared to 30 pin connectors

You'd just be replacing one cable with another, kinda pointless if you ask me. MicroUSB seems sturdy enough to me

Joey2o11 said:
You'd just be replacing one cable with another, kinda pointless if you ask me. MicroUSB seems sturdy enough to me
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's pretty much a safety feature. No more risk of the USB port bending or anything.
For example, my charger won't reach from the wall socket to my bedside table, so I leave it on the floor. Sometimes when walking around in the morning my foot pulls the cable and yanks my SGS2 across the room. With a magnetic connector like this it would simply disconnect and the phone would stay in pretty much the same place instead of getting dragged around with the cable.

D3_ said:
It's pretty much a safety feature. No more risk of the USB port bending or anything.
For example, my charger won't reach from the wall socket to my bedside table, so I leave it on the floor. Sometimes when walking around in the morning my foot pulls the cable and yanks my SGS2 across the room. With a magnetic connector like this it would simply disconnect and the phone would stay in pretty much the same place instead of getting dragged around with the cable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly, furthermore, the microUSB port would be protected from dust and debris, and not have a connector plugged in and out of the thing all the time. Since I got my SII a few weeks ago and started reading up on it I've seen multiple people have microUSB port issues, so it's obviously not that sturdy.
A third benefit would be a universal connector. MicroUSB is technically a universal connector, but take my situation - an iPad 2, Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus and an SII. Three different connectors for charging and USB. And two of the devices are the same brand! Say what you want about Apple, but when I had an iPhone and an iPad, at least I only needed one charger, one cable. Here I am with two 2011 generation Samsung devices and they're not even compatible. What's even more ironic, Apple has a 30 pin to microUSB adapter now. Where is the Samsung version of that to make the Galaxy Tab microUSB? A magnetic system like this would allow me to plug a magnetic plug into each of my three devices and use the same magnetic cable with them. This could be expanded with receiver adapters - imagine a Apple 30 pin female connector and a magnetic receiver connector all in one small package that would turn any iPhone dock into a whatever-dock.

Honnestly, production of this could lead to something great. But dont forget that microUSB has 5 pins, so you need 5 small magnet this device could be also made for anyother usb port variant. You would then have an universal usb magnetic port.
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chadouming said:
Honnestly, production of this could lead to something great. But dont forget that microUSB has 5 pins, so you need 5 small magnet this device could be also made for anyother usb port variant. You would then have an universal usb magnetic port.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It does, but only uses 4 of them. The last one triggers USB host mode when connected to ground. Normal sized USB is only 4 pins so where you make that move from 5 to 4 doesn't matter

Cptnodegard said:
It does, but only uses 4 of them. The last one triggers USB host mode when connected to ground. Normal sized USB is only 4 pins so where you make that move from 5 to 4 doesn't matter
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Theorically, this pin might become usefull one day better having it already open for possibility
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Can I revive this post?
I've been looking for something like this for awhile now and I keep coming back to this post. I'm currently in the process of building a magnetic quick attach micro USB plug, but only for charging. I have bare female and male plugs and some 2mm x 1mm neodymium magnets, and now I just need to create the housing. Probably going to use fimo clay for the prototype.
My biggest problem is creating the connection point between the plug and the receiver. Can't have anything exposed connections on either end, because of electrical shorts and mismatched polarities. Don't need any more fried devices laying around.
The main motivation for this, is charging a phone at night in the dark; it'd make life a little easier. It would also be handy for charging while in the cradle on the dash of a car.
Any ideas or creative input? I'll post photos when I have something to show.

abrahamrobert said:
Can I revive this post?
I've been looking for something like this for awhile now and I keep coming back to this post. I'm currently in the process of building a magnetic quick attach micro USB plug, but only for charging. I have bare female and male plugs and some 2mm x 1mm neodymium magnets, and now I just need to create the housing. Probably going to use fimo clay for the prototype.
My biggest problem is creating the connection point between the plug and the receiver. Can't have anything exposed connections on either end, because of electrical shorts and mismatched polarities. Don't need any more fried devices laying around.
The main motivation for this, is charging a phone at night in the dark; it'd make life a little easier. It would also be handy for charging while in the cradle on the dash of a car.
Any ideas or creative input? I'll post photos when I have something to show.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm always encouraging hardware hacking, and giving a hand if possible, but this is dangerous, and I'll tell you why.
http://www.instructables.com/id/MagSafe-for-the-Rest-of-Us-A-DIY-Magnetic-Power-A/
This is a project that landed on Instuctables a while ago, but the main flaws were these:
)Resistance added by the magnet/copper coupling to attach the two ends, thus heat/other undesirable side effects;
)Sparks, caused by the two sides turning freely.
So, in order to achieve some kind of usability, you would have to ensure that the phone does not provide power to the socket (otherwise you would expose yourself to shorts), and that you could make a rectangular/non-circular plug small enough for it to sit in the micro usb all the time; plus, it should not have a high resistance, so that it would not generate too much heat, slowing down the charge at best, cooking the phone at worst.
All this looks quite complicated to me :/

Guys I thought I would revive this post to any one following or watching, I have also been looking for this and I think our prayers have been answered:
SNAPS Kick starter
I cant post links till i have posted 10 times so search Google for SNAPS Kick Starter
I think this KickStarter is what everyone is looking for. A mag safe type of connector for Micro USB and for Lightning connection. The price is amazing and this is not a concept this is a 'we already have everything just the bigger the first order the better'.
There is also this on Amazon but it only comes with a USB end to plug into a wall wart or computer so if you have a cable inside your car etc you cant convert it you would have to replace it if you can
Again cant post links so search google for "PLESON Premium Magnetic cable Micro USB Cables" it will be on amazon.
I hope this helps everyone and if someone else can post links please do so to these products so others can benefit form them!

Caspan said:
Guys I thought I would revive this post to any one following or watching, I have also been looking for this and I think our prayers have been answered:
SNAPS Kick starter
I cant post links till i have posted 10 times so search Google for SNAPS Kick Starter
I think this KickStarter is what everyone is looking for. A mag safe type of connector for Micro USB and for Lightning connection. The price is amazing and this is not a concept this is a 'we already have everything just the bigger the first order the better'.
There is also this on Amazon but it only comes with a USB end to plug into a wall wart or computer so if you have a cable inside your car etc you cant convert it you would have to replace it if you can
Again cant post links so search google for "PLESON Premium Magnetic cable Micro USB Cables" it will be on amazon.
I hope this helps everyone and if someone else can post links please do so to these products so others can benefit form them!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah.. i found it a week ago, https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1041610927/znaps-the-9-magnetic-adapter-for-your-mobile-devic
but.. they need to answer the questions of security also.. liko that post above of instructables..

this smartphone is horrible, iphone 4s is the best phone of the history , you understand it?!!!

DIY docks & hacking docks tripping dock mode & AC charging mode

Update: Desk dock resistor value found & additional connector sources found thanks to mikejr83
I went through all of this with my Captivate a year or 2 ago, and figured it might be nice for Galaxy S 3 owners as well. You can see the history at http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=12169590
Dock mode
Samsung phones will trip their dock mode when they sense a resistor of a particular value between the ID (pin 4) & Ground (pin 5) pins on the micro USB connector
Car mode - 619k ohm (Validate on my Galaxy S 1 & Galaxy S 3)
Desk mode - 365k ohm (confirmed finally thanks to mikejr83 cracking open the SGS3 dock his wife got him. 1k ohm for SGS1 & 1k or 365k for the SGS2)
Parts
The only appropriate solution I was able to find (a year or 2 ago messing with my old Captivate) was a USB MicroB Plug Breakout Board which was pretty decent at $4 + shipping.
mikejr83 found some slightly different micro USB connectors at Digi-Key ($0.66 each + reasonable shipping, $2 is the minimum Digi-Key order) and on E-bay (10 for $4 + $1 shipping) as well.
The Zenis SGS2 dock fits the SGS3 reasonably well & runs about $10 on Ebay (free shipping, but it takes about 2 weeks to come over from asia), It does not trip dock mode & just has micro USB passthrough connectors. According to this XDA thread it's easy to pull appart & looks to be very hackable.
Chopping up a micro USB connector will not work, they only have 4 wires & the pin #4 you need access to is buried inside the connector at the end so far you have to destroy the whole connector to get to it
I have a roll of maybe a couple hundred 619k resistors I picked up from a local electronics recycler in my Captivate days. I might start packaging em up and selling them off after I get back from DEFcon if anybody is interested & having a hard time finding them.
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For just dock mode & no other usefulness (like actually charging), you can see what doing a poor job of jamming the resistor in there on the Spark Fun breakout board for testing gets us (photo of my old Galaxy S1 because I'm to lazy to get dig it up and transfer the photos if I take any of my Galaxy S 3 showing the same thing).
AC charging
In order to get "AC charging" which goes up to 750ma instead of "USB charging" which only goes up to 500ma, you merely need to short out the 2 data pins (pin 2/white & pin 3/green) on a normal USB cable. Most people find it easy to short them (the center 2) on the big flat rectangular end (Type A) of a normal USB cable. Given my approach with the breakout board I just soldered a jumper across the 2 data pins on the board.
For my first (and only properly documented) dock build I used Friendly Plastic. Technically called Polycaprolactone it's really easy to work with and melts at around 60 degrees Celsius (140 F), also known as almost the temperature of the dash of my grey truck on a 70-80 degree day.... Oops. It would make a good desk dock, but not a car dock.
Commercial docks & potential mods for them
Given the dirt cheap Infuse dock I picked up I probably won't be working on another car dock unless I decide to put a case on my phone making it not fit in the dock. I have some oven bake modeling clay I'll probably try for that.
At $10-15 it's hard to beat the Zenis dock. On the 2nd page somebody cracked it open and the micro-USB plug looks very similar to the SparkFun one. I don't believe it trips any dock mode, but soldering in the appropriate resistor would be pretty easy. I hope to find the value to trip Desk or Media center dock mode & use Tasker to turn off E-mail and other non-essential noise during the night so as to not roust the wife.
Further information needed
If anybody has any more resistor values for various dock modes or other information to add, let me know.

Can you do both car mode and AC mode at the same time? And any idea if that would be a bad idea off a USB port that's built into a car?

KeithLM said:
Can you do both car mode and AC mode at the same time? And any idea if that would be a bad idea off a USB port that's built into a car?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Standard USB is rated up to 500ma.
AC mode is rated up to 750ma.
You need to make sure your power supply is rated to at least 750ma to safely trigger AC mode. You will have to check with the manufacturers specs on what that USB port is rated for. You can trigger AC mode and any of the dock modes at the same time (verified on my old SGS1 Captivate and I'm 99% sure the SGS3 is the same), they don't use the same pins.
If you are plugging into anything that actually expects data (USB port on a stereo as opposed to just a USB charger) I would disconnect the data (center 2) pins from that end, leave them shorted at the phone end.

Thanks for the info. My car reportedly has an extra USB port behind the dash I was hoping to use, but I can't locate it. So I might have to resort to using a power adapter. If I do that I'll use the 2.1A model from monoprice.com. So I'll use the power option based on which port I end up using.

Let me make sure I'm getting this straight: Using the two values for resistance you have you were only able to get the S3 to trigger into car dock mode, correct? There could possibly be another value which triggers desk dock mode.
My thought would be to get a rheostat and chop up a micro USB cable and adjust the level of resistance till the effect was achieved. Obviously I may have to get more than just a rheostat to achieve the correct range of resistance to try, but eh...
Once I figured out the resistance level I could then make a "desktop dock cable" by placing the resister inline in the micro USB cable. That would be a great solution for me. Thoughts?

mikejr83 said:
Let me make sure I'm getting this straight: Using the two values for resistance you have you were only able to get the S3 to trigger into car dock mode, correct? There could possibly be another value which triggers desk dock mode.
My thought would be to get a rheostat and chop up a micro USB cable and adjust the level of resistance till the effect was achieved. Obviously I may have to get more than just a rheostat to achieve the correct range of resistance to try, but eh...
Once I figured out the resistance level I could then make a "desktop dock cable" by placing the resister inline in the micro USB cable. That would be a great solution for me. Thoughts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The SGS1 resistor value for car dock worked on the SGS3, no luck with the desk dock resistor.
Resistors are used in that location for non dock stuff too... Jigs to trigger bootloader and recovery mode, etc. I wouldn't try the rhestotat thing personally. Previous values were found in Samsung or the CPU vendors documentation somewhere. I'd start there or use an OHM meter on a dock we know trips desk or media mode.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2

Fallon said:
Resistors are used in that location for non dock stuff too... Jigs to trigger bootloader and recovery mode, etc. I wouldn't try the rhestotat thing personally.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the heads up! :good: I got out my breadboard last night. Had a bit of down time at work and was just getting ready to call a few RadioShacks around town to see if they had some pots in stock (didn't expect them to, but they list a few on their website) so I could hack up a cable this weekend.
One question though, if I had the phone powered on and was to start with a linear taper pot and go from 0 to say 1M ohms (found one that would cover the entire range without me having to add resisters in there) I could possibly trip the phone into bootloader or recovery mode?
It would seem to me that in essence what I would be "doing" is plugging in various USB cables which had a different resistance in that location. It seem odd to be able to take a powered on (even screen unlocked) phone and have it just dump to recovery or bootloader with the plugging in of a cable (assuming that I had the real version of the cable/dock/jig).
That said, I'm glad you gave me a heads up as I might want to do a bit more research on this before I just sit around with my multimeter and a pot going through various resistances just to see what happens. I suppose what "happens" might be something I really, really do not want! Or, maybe I end up finding a way to unlock a VZW phone by accident! Yea, like that'd ever happen!
EDIT:
This new phone has me not writing code and doing more searching around the internets for information! I found this post http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=20710266&postcount=14 The poster shows that they use a 365k resistor for car dock. Preceeding posts indicate this was for a S2. I still have to go through my resistor "collection" to see what I have sitting around. I may still hack up a cable this weekend.

Ok. So I got a pot and was setting up a test bed when I cut the end of a mini USB cable. I realized it only has 4 pins. My thought was to use one of the dozens of mini USB cables instead of my limited amount of micro ones for my first tests. Basically I was going to take the A side and plug it into the charger to power my breadboard.
When I saw that there were only 4 pins on the mini B side and hence four wires inside the shielding it got me thinking about the micro B end. Both the micro's and mini's A side have 4 pins. If the micro B side has 5 pins where does that 5th id pin go? Does a micro cable have 5 conductors the length of the wire which the id conductor terminates to ground at the A side?
Now I'm confused on how the accessories are manufactured so as to make the phone go from USB charge mode to A/C mode. I'd really like to sit around now that I have this pot to test various resistances in order to see the outcome. Quick Googling hasn't found any negative side effects (yet...).
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app

Micro USB has 5 pins with the new 5th pin only existing on one end to use as an ID pin for what end of the cable it is. Makes it easy for the resistors that Samsung uses to trip the various modes.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda premium

I was just looking into what all the pins do because I planned to make a small board with A and B connectors and wire the resistor in there. Now I see that's pointless. I figured the shielding on other connectors was equivalent to the 5th pin.
I'm going to have to strip down a micro USB cable and see what I find in there.

I'd recommend looking at that breakout board from Spark Fun I linked up top.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda premium

http://forums.androidcentral.com/epic-4g-accessories/64959-what-triggers-car-dock-mode.html#anb
Mentions 365k as well as 1k to trigger desk dock. will try it when I get a chance.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk 2

I've stripped down a micro-USB connector on one of my monoprice.com cables. I've found that the pin is there on the backside of the connector and just not connected to anything. Unfortunately I did too much damage in the process to try and reuse it. I think if I can strip another and be more careful I can expose just the one pin I need, then expose some of the wiring further from the connector and very carefully slice open the ground and connect the two with the resistor. It's also possible the shielding is connected to ground, so I might be able to attach it directly to that. Unfortunately my voltmeter is out of commission so I can't check that at the moment.

KeithLM said:
I've stripped down a micro-USB connector on one of my monoprice.com cables. I've found that the pin is there on the backside of the connector and just not connected to anything. Unfortunately I did too much damage in the process to try and reuse it. I think if I can strip another and be more careful I can expose just the one pin I need, then expose some of the wiring further from the connector and very carefully slice open the ground and connect the two with the resistor. It's also possible the shielding is connected to ground, so I might be able to attach it directly to that. Unfortunately my voltmeter is out of commission so I can't check that at the moment.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok. To clarify, the ID pin doesn't have a wire/conductor that runs the length of the wire?
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app

mikejr83 said:
Ok. To clarify, the ID pin doesn't have a wire/conductor that runs the length of the wire?
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Definitely not in the cable I pulled apart. I've looked around for a micro-USB extension cable, but haven't found one so far. Potentially such a cable would have the fifth wire.

Straight from the land of the rising sun! Straight from China! http://www.ebay.com/itm/10Pcs-USB-T...ltDomain_0&hash=item20c49dfc46#ht_2925wt_1163
DIY Micro 5pin male USB connector! $4 for 10 of them. I just ordered a set. Once I get these it should be easy to build a test connector that will run through my pot so we can try different resistances.
This is what I was hoping of finding. I wanted to take a 1.5-3ft USB cable and put an end on it that would put the phone into desk dock mode. That way I could connect the cable to my keyboard and set my phone in a cradle that I previously purchased.
EDIT:
Shipping is a $1. Total paypal amount was $4.99
EDIT 2:
I'm a tard. Also got shipping confirmation. Could take up to 30 days . Hopefully it's on the shorter side of their estimate of 7 days. I guess that gives me some time to put together a monoprice order for some cables.

mikejr83 said:
Straight from the land of the rising sun! http://www.ebay.com/itm/10Pcs-USB-T...ltDomain_0&hash=item20c49dfc46#ht_2925wt_1163
DIY Micro 5pin male USB connector! $4 for 10 of them. I just ordered a set. Once I get these it should be easy to build a test connector that will run through my pot so we can try different resistances.
This is what I was hoping of finding. I wanted to take a 1.5-3ft USB cable and put an end on it that would put the phone into desk dock mode. That way I could connect the cable to my keyboard and set my phone in a cradle that I previously purchased.
EDIT:
Shipping is a $1. Total paypal amount was $4.99
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Japan is the land of rising sun but otherwise great find

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Serial_Bus#section_4
USB 1.x/2.0 Mini/Micro pinout
Pin Name Cable color Description
1 VBUS Red +5 V
2 D− White Data −
3 D+ Green Data +
4 ID None Permits distinction of host connection from slave connection
* host: connected to Signal ground
* slave: not connected
5 GND Black Signal ground
So definitely only 4 wires in a standards compliant cable, not 5. Pin gets left free or shorted directly to ground (or shorted via a resistor in Samsung's case for dock mode)
Nice find on the cheap micro USB connectors.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk 2

Now that I'm at work and doing nothing really important I've had time to dig through digikey for a similar part. I just don't think I can wait that long to get those other pieces!
The only thing I've been able to find that is close is this:
http://www.digikey.com/scripts/dksearch/dksus.dll?lang=en&mpart=10104109-0001LF&vendor=609&cur=USD
I ordered 3 and had them shipped USPS First Class. That will give me something to test with hopefully by the end of the week.
BTW, it's been such a long time since I ordered anything from digikey that I didn't realize they dropped their minimum order size requirement. It's awesome that they'll ship a $2 order!

Check GPS USB cables... they have all 5 leads
The USB extension cable is common for GPS units. My car radio has garmin built in, and when I added the fm traffic antenna, I needed a Mini USB (not micro) cable and quickly found out that "standard" off the shelf cables only have 4 wires, when the mini and micro usb ends actually have a 5th pin, but it either gnd or n/a at all - the standard extension cables off the shelf are extremely cheap, but useless for an application where the 5th pin is needed. BUT when I search for a GPS cable, it has all 5 pins. Its also about 5x more expension - When I bought mine it was like $25 or something online, but I can't remember where... it was from a GPS outlet place I found online. Just posting my limited experience for those to consider, and maybe prices have changed since then?
GOOD LUCK
(btw: I love this thread, I love building stuff too....)

Not charging anywhere near 1A using official SGS3 charger according to my ammeter?!

Using the official SGS3 Samsung charger & micro usb cable that came with my SGS3, I plugged a male to female USB cable that I had spliced so I could check current, voltage, etc of various usb devices. Anyway, I put my ammeter in series with the + power (red) line and I'm only seeing around 200-250ma on my meter! What is going on here? I've tried this with another meter (with the same result) so it doesn't seem to be anything wrong with my ammeters. Also, my phone was at 37% battery last time I tried this.
Here's a picture of how I have it setup...charger on the left, usb cable going to phone on right, ammeter is attached to the alligator clips.
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Any help is greatly appreciated! Thanks!

I had same problem and it was just the longer USB cable I used that couldn't handle the full 1A current, so just try another.

your setup is wrong.
you are seeing what the charger is supplying, MINUS what the phone is taking.

scarrmrcc said:
your setup is wrong.
you are seeing what the charger is supplying, MINUS what the phone is taking.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Huh? How so? My ammeter is in series between the charger and the phone. Any current drawn from the charger would pass through the ammeter, no? The phone is drawing the current from the charger, if the phone isn't "taking" all the current, then what could possibly be drawing this additional current you speak of, from the charger?

Geordie Lad said:
I had same problem and it was just the longer USB cable I used that couldn't handle the full 1A current, so just try another.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm using a pretty short cable already, but I've also tried it with another set of plugs with no change in result.

scarrmrcc said:
your setup is wrong.
you are seeing what the charger is supplying, MINUS what the phone is taking.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
umm.. please pardon my outrage, but did you spend the few milliseconds required to read his post before replying?
If he's running his meter inline on the USB +5v wire, it's only measuring the current flowing across that wire - regardless of what that current is being used for.
On the other hand, I do think there's a typo in his message: probably should be 200-250mA - not maH... maH would be a capacity, not a current.
To the OP:
You should be seeing around 900-950mA in the case of the stock wall charger. Can you try the same test using a standard computer USB port? Does your kernel support showing charging current either in kmsg or via a sysfs interface? If so, it'd be interesting to see that. I have seen cases where the kernel THINKS it's charging at one rate, but it's actually pulling quite a bit less current from the wire (on other devices.)
It's possible that the USB cable your using is flawed. I realize that your post claims to be using the stock USB cable, but your photo is showing a white USB plug when the stock cable is black.
If the kernel can show charging current, it'd be useful to log that, and then try a different USB cable and see if the kernel see's a different current then. If so, it'd point to a USB cable flaw.
Another thought: When your charging, go into settings->battery. It should show that it's charging... does it dispaly charging via (USB) or (AC)?

salils said:
Using the official SGS3 Samsung charger & micro usb cable that came with my SGS3, I plugged a male to female USB cable that I had spliced so I could check current, voltage, etc of various usb devices. Anyway, I put my ammeter in series with the + power (red) line and I'm only seeing around 200-250maH on my meter! What is going on here? I've tried this with another meter (with the same result) so it doesn't seem to be anything wrong with my ammeters. Also, my phone was at 37% battery last time I tried this.
Here's a picture of how I have it setup...charger on the left, usb cable going to phone on right, ammeter is attached to the alligator clips.
Any help is greatly appreciated! Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You may need to short the white and green data wires together which should tell the S3 to charge at FAST rate. I am guessing the S3 thinks it is seeing a PC USB rate. I know this for a fact with my HD2 but probably our S3's are the same. Good you mentioned 37% because we also know that the charge rate will slow down the closer the battery gets to full charge...which means we cannot do these tests once battery is over 80% or so.

I can confirm the need to short white & green.
Disclaimer: That's is just what I knew about my old Captivate. Shorting those two wires on that setup could blow up your phone, so make sure you setup a video camera to catch the the explosion if you try this.

try using your original cable, different cable do get different results.

garyd9 said:
umm.. please pardon my outrage, but did you spend the few milliseconds required to read his post before replying?
If he's running his meter inline on the USB +5v wire, it's only measuring the current flowing across that wire - regardless of what that current is being used for.
On the other hand, I do think there's a typo in his message: probably should be 200-250mA - not maH... maH would be a capacity, not a current.
To the OP:
You should be seeing around 900-950mA in the case of the stock wall charger. Can you try the same test using a standard computer USB port? Does your kernel support showing charging current either in kmsg or via a sysfs interface? If so, it'd be interesting to see that. I have seen cases where the kernel THINKS it's charging at one rate, but it's actually pulling quite a bit less current from the wire (on other devices.)
It's possible that the USB cable your using is flawed. I realize that your post claims to be using the stock USB cable, but your photo is showing a white USB plug when the stock cable is black.
If the kernel can show charging current, it'd be useful to log that, and then try a different USB cable and see if the kernel see's a different current then. If so, it'd point to a USB cable flaw.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I doubt my kernal supports that...just running stock except I rooted it. Do you know if the stock rom supports this? Haven't had time to look into all the stuff needed custom roms, tweaks, etc. Another reason to start researching that stuff...arg
The reason for the white usb cable: I didn't want to splice up the stock cable...My setup is Stock Charger>Male USB plug>Female USB plug>Stock SGS3 Micro USB cable---Essentially a very short M-F usb A extension that I use for testing purposes. I also tried some different physical plugs with the same result. Also tried at different battery % levels with the same result. No problems as far as charging times are concerned using the stock charger/cable. Not sure I'm ready to rip open the charger and stock cable and show it to one of my EE friends, because I might be selling off this phone not too far into the future if the new Nexus is good enough for me...
Another thought: When your charging, go into settings->battery. It should show that it's charging... does it dispaly charging via (USB) or (AC)?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I checked this, it says AC...strangely, it also says AC when I plug into an Apple charger, which as you might know carries specific voltages on the data lines as opposed to having the data lines shorted. Just to check that it wasn't detecting everything as an AC source, I plugged my my SGS3 into my Macbook Pro and it did recognize it as USB source, not AC.
Thanks, for the heads up on the typo.
FYI: My phone seems to be charging reasonably fast in practice - about 3 hours for around a full charge (haven't been able to do this perfect 0-100% because I use my phone so much so 3 hrs is a bit of an estimate) using stock charger/cable/battery (2,100mAh). I haven't really tested it much on other chargers but I recall it being very slow when I used a USB extension cable once (everything else stock). Also, last night I was using my SGS3 while plugged in and it was charging very slow as per my observation (not measured)...I was using it for close to 2 hours for web browsing, youtube videos, google play store, text editing, etc (no games) and my battery was basically at the same place below 5%, sometimes it even dropped to 2%. I checked the OS task manager and there didn't seem to be anything that would be draining the battery especially. I restarted my phone and it started charging fast again (while using). I wasn't able to bust out my ammeter during that time unfortunately because of where I was.

whosy said:
I can confirm the need to short white & green.
Disclaimer: That's is just what I knew about my old Captivate. Shorting those two wires on that setup could blow up your phone, so make sure you setup a video camera to catch the the explosion if you try this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've tried this, but according to what I've read and via testing, the stock charger already has the data lines shorted-this is how it signals the SGS3 to draw more than 500mA. Data lines don't really carry much of any current so blowing up or damaging a phone seems highly unlikely...though if you shorted the data lines on an Apple charger it could be bad for the charger since they carry specific voltages on Apple wall chargers.

salils said:
I've tried this, but according to what I've read and via testing, the stock charger already has the data lines shorted. Data lines don't really carry any current so blowing up or damaging a phone seems highly unlikely...though if you shorted the data lines on an Apple charger it could be bad for the charger since they carry voltage on Apple chargers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed.
Also, the last CONNECTION in the chain....I mean the one that physically plugs into the S3....needs to either see or have the data wires connected/shorted to each other. Example: the charger has white/green data wires shorted...it's plugged into a desktop cradle...but the cradle is wired to bypass the white/green data wires....then the S3 will not get the message to fast charge.
UPDATE: all the above possibly depending on Kernel? I say this because I am using a charger and cable that has NO data pin wires 2 and 3, but I still measure fast/full charge rate.

salils said:
I doubt my kernal supports that...just running stock except I rooted it. Do you know if the stock rom supports this? Haven't had time to look into all the stuff needed custom roms, tweaks, etc. Another reason to start researching that stuff...arg
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try this to see if it works: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.manor.currentwidget (current widget.) If your kernel shows charging current, this widget will show it (CurrentWidget.) I don't know which type of SGS3 you have (i9300 or a North American version?) If you have the i9300, almost all the custom kernels support showing the current. For the Qualcomm based ones, I have no idea. (My wife won't let me hack her AT&T SGS3.)
salils said:
Yes, I checked this, it says AC...strangely, it also says AC when I plug into an Apple charger, which as you might know carries specific voltages on the data lines as opposed to having the data lines shorted. Just to check that it wasn't detecting everything as an AC source, I plugged my my SGS3 into my Macbook Pro and it did recognize it as USB source, not AC.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Then the kernel should be kicking the phone into higher current charging mode. Odd... (I never actually measured the current on the USB wire myself, so no idea what THAT might be showing..)

Has anyone figured out what the deal is with the S3's strange charging rates? I've seen some other people report similar issues of their ammeter showing under 300mA rates on the stock charger even when the battery was awfully depleted (one would assume a faster charger when the battery isn't very full).

Have you tested the charging time while charging through that setup? I bet it takes longer than without it. If it does... Try cleaning and soldering the wires together. I don't know what they've been exposed to or for how long, but even slightly corroded wires twisted together with oily/salty fingers could cause power loss and more corrosion. Then you factor in the alligator clips, the unknown quality wiring attached to them and the other alligator clips clipped onto you multimeter.... Could explain it all right there. Drain it to a known batt percent (say 40) and charge it up... Then do the same with your testing setup. Leave the meter powered on the whole time if it's batteries can take it for a real test of your setup. Then report your findings.
Sent from my SGH-T999

Your setup might also introduce considerable resistance with your ammeter cables and all additional connections made to messure. There can easily be extra 2meters of wire + at least 6 extra connections (usb --> aligator clip --> wire --> ammeter --> wire --> aligator clip --> usb).
But that should not account for 600+mA.

Anyone uncover this mystery yet? Any leads? I lost my official Samsung charger, so I'm starting to get desperate again.

resistance
Twisting the wires together is probably interfering with the detection of the charger capabilities. Try soldering the connections instead of just twisting them. Take a look at the specs on how charger ICs detect the charger and apply the appropriate power: http://www.ti.com/lit/ds/symlink/bq24392.pdf

Ammeter
I agree the resistance you've accumulated between the bad connections, alligator clips and the ammeter itself might be showing the phone enough resistance that it lowers the charge rate. I just finished building a little analog inline ammeter and I am reading just a fraction under 1 amp. I got the 5 amp meter from amazon and split the red on a 2.5 foot oem (knock off) cable. I wanted a short cable to eliminate any added resistance. All connections are also soldered.
Hope this helps mate

Hardwiring a car charger (USB 500mA vs 1A)

I'm trying to figure out what the best way to implement a hardwired charger.. more specifically in terms of getting the most mA as I can. What I understand is that when the data pins on a USB charger are floating, the phone requests only for 500mA. When the data pins are shorted, the phone requests for 1A (or 1000mA). On any decent 5v ciglighter /wall outlet phone charger, I understand that the charger shorts these data pins, allowing for that full 1A charging capacity.
I plan to use one of these ebay 12v to 5v converters:
http://tinyurl.com/oogbhyn
..and splice a standard micro-usb connector to the 5v output, also connecting both data wires together.
If I understand this correctly, would this provide 1A to the phone? Does anyone see any implications?
Thanks!

Smiert said:
I'm trying to figure out what the best way to implement a hardwired charger.. more specifically in terms of getting the most mA as I can. What I understand is that when the data pins on a USB charger are floating, the phone requests only for 500mA. When the data pins are shorted, the phone requests for 1A (or 1000mA). On any decent 5v ciglighter /wall outlet phone charger, I understand that the charger shorts these data pins, allowing for that full 1A charging capacity.
I plan to use one of these ebay 12v to 5v converters:
http://tinyurl.com/oogbhyn
..and splice a standard micro-usb connector to the 5v output, also connecting both data wires together.
If I understand this correctly, would this provide 1A to the phone? Does anyone see any implications?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In theory it should work OK.
I would recommend a few things. Make sure that dc-dc converter is easily accessible if you need to check it or smell a smoke in the car. Don't bury it too deeply where you will have to take too many things apart to get to it. I made plenty of mistakes in the past where years later wire cracks or connector is not making a good contact and I have to take the whole damn thing apart to get to it Also, I would STRONGLY recommend to add in-line blade fuse, like this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Waterproof-..._Video_Fuses_Fuse_Holders&hash=item3f2dc85fa3
The last thing you want is to damage your phone if you get some in-rush spike. DC-DC converter looks ok, but you never know what could go wrong if it overheats and something shorts out. At least you will have a fuse to protect your 5V power supply line going to the phone. And since blade fuses are replaceable, you just pop in 1.5A or 2A, obviously don't use 10A that comes with it.
Once you done, comeback and post some DIY pics!!!

I was planning to use these add-a-fuse circuit extensions. I'll be sure to pick up some 2A fuses (supposedly the smallest fuse for mini-fuses)!
I want to actually hardwire chargers for two things into my car; my phone, to the left of the steering wheel dash, and a recently acquired dashcam right next to the rearview mirror. I drive a little Mazda so space isn't plentiful. The fusebox is to the left of the driver's left foot, so I planned to wire two add-a-fuse circuits; bring one up 2~ feet before the windshield pillar (phone), and the other along the pillar, over the headliner, where it would go to the 5v converter, and then bring the mini-usb cable where the headliner and windshield connect. There really isn't much I can work with..
Do you think that sun damage would damage the exposed cable? Perhaps it would be better to have an exposed female-usb outlet "installed" and use adapters to charge the electronics?

Smiert said:
I was planning to use these add-a-fuse circuit extensions. I'll be sure to pick up some 2A fuses (supposedly the smallest fuse for mini-fuses)!
I want to actually hardwire chargers for two things into my car; my phone, to the left of the steering wheel dash, and a recently acquired dashcam right next to the rearview mirror. I drive a little Mazda so space isn't plentiful. The fusebox is to the left of the driver's left foot, so I planned to wire two add-a-fuse circuits; bring one up 2~ feet before the windshield pillar (phone), and the other along the pillar, over the headliner, where it would go to the 5v converter, and then bring the mini-usb cable where the headliner and windshield connect. There really isn't much I can work with..
Do you think that sun damage would damage the exposed cable? Perhaps it would be better to have an exposed female-usb outlet "installed" and use adapters to charge the electronics?
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I have my Passport X50 wired through a-pillar. It's not usb, but 12V tapped off cigarette lighter internal wires so I can use another usb converter plugged into a cigarette lighter.. l was able to run the wire under upholstery of my GS350, but it was kind of tricky. I actually used credit card to push it in along the edge. Otherwise it would not look clean, and will be exposed to a sun - in my opinion sun damage is a problem. Perhaps get one of those cigarette lighter to AC adapters and use something like that 40W 5-port Anker wall charger I just reviewed?

I want to do the same, but for a dashcam.
Can I tap in to the power line that goes to the auto dimming rear view mirror and connect something like this to it?
Does the converter comes with a fuse or do I need to add an additional fuse?
Thanks in advance