Develop Bugs

Using 3rd party chargers

Hi, I have just recieved my TP2 and was reading the manual when I noticed that it stated "Only the AC adapter and cable provided with your device must be used to charge the battery". However I have two USB car chargers and two further AC usb ac chargers from previous phones (a MPX200 and a HTC 730) and several mini USB cables (standard not HTC custom ones). Is it safe to use any usb charger or cable, and the manual is just being pedantic or is there a good reason to only use the supplied charger/cable.
Thanks
Tom

I sometimes don't use the usb cable that comes with it. I use my others usb cable to charge it too. well as long as you checked the voltage before you charge. Like the car usb charger, I guess pretty much standard, as long as it is a 12volt :> Even at home I use different usb cable too.

In general it should be fine. Those warnings are always present, just like the comment to always use the maker's batteries. This is simply because
1. They want to make more money and they will if you buy original products from the phone manufacturer.
2. In the case of warranties, if you used a cheap charger with a defect, they are not responsible for the consequences should something go wrong. If you only use their cables and chargers, they can't really say it was your fault for using a knockoff/generic charger.

A friend of mine even uses his Blackberry charger to charge his Touch HD
When in doubt, check the output of the charger you are using: a standard HTC charger churns out 5V, 1A
USB cables are pretty standard so there isn't a big difference - probably except in build quality of the eletrical contacts and the width of the jack - I have one cable that cannot be inserted into my TP2 without a bit more force.

My TP2 Verizon (CDMA) is on the way. I use an "IGO" car charger and have tips for several phones and IPOD Classic. Interesting that most of my mini usb phones use the "a32" tip and the TP2 is listed as using an "A53" tip. May have a circuit for when fully charged. Both are mini USB.
I say an advertisement for an AC wall charger that says charges A"" usb devices. You plug the USB cord into it. Now why would that be safe for an IPOD, TP2, Motorola..... but not DC current????
Maybe they just lie!

The voltage is not an issue, al usb chargers deliver close to 5V but some deliver low current and the HTC phones prefer >500mA but even so less than this will just mean a longer charge time.
HTC recommend you use their cables/chargers as a safety measure because they use a non-standard connector with one flat side for their headset.
Two things can happen using a standard mini usb in this socket if you are not carefull.
a, A standard connector puts extra stress on the socket due to movement and can cause damage. (see prev device threads on Poss mini usb failure)
b, Some device specific usb chargers can have plug cross-connections to denote charger or data cable recognition and can subject data lines to constant 5V (not usualy a problem)
Basically they are issuing a disclaimer for the non-standard mini usb and trying to sell extra acc's at the same time.

USB charging cable

Lately I've noticed something odd. Depending on the USB cable I use the charge rate seems to vary substantially. In fact, in some cases under heavy phone usage, I've seen the battery decrease while on the charger. Now, I know what you're thinking: Some USB cables have the D+/D- pins shorted which switches from USB (500mA) to AC (1A) charging mode. I'm using a really cool CTC-2USB-5V2A charger which seems to show up as AC on all cables (including the ones that barely charge it). The two cables I know are charging it well are the one that came with my HP Touchpad and the one that came with my Kindle Fire HD 7, the ones that didn't have been el-cheapo eBay cables. Since its showing up as AC for all the cables, I'm assuming the only difference can be that the eBay cables use thinner wires which take more voltage drop.
Have people seen this before? Is this the problem? Does anyone know where to get some quality 2 meter / 6 ft cables cheap?

If you want to verify that one cable is allowing more current through than another, I would suggest getting "Battery Monitor Widget" by 3c (in the play store)
Put the apps widget on your screen, plug our phone in and wait for widget to update. Do the same for each cable and compare

CNexus, I am absolutely convinced one is charging faster than another.I was using the battery monitoring that came with the phone (or at least the one in Blazer ROM). You can plug one cable in and update the graph and the slope of the battery state is much higher on one cable than another. I installed battery monitor widget and I do not see anything that shows how much current is going into the phone.
But this really doesn't address the question of why one cable is charging faster than another, is it the wire gauge? Is there something else going on I don't know about?

hpmaxim said:
CNexus, I am absolutely convinced one is charging faster than another.I was using the battery monitoring that came with the phone (or at least the one in Blazer ROM). You can plug one cable in and update the graph and the slope of the battery state is much higher on one cable than another. I installed battery monitor widget and I do not see anything that shows how much current is going into the phone.
But this really doesn't address the question of why one cable is charging faster than another, is it the wire gauge? Is there something else going on I don't know about?
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I can absolutely verify that this is true. It's usually that the pins in the micro sd port are running thin from normal use. Usually normal wear and tear, or possibly the cable has gotten crimped somewhere on it Respectively, the same Non- charging cables are likely to corrupt data transfer as well, making it difficult to do development, or transfer your favorite videos or songs.. Someone recently stole my new cable and all the files I'd transferred to my phone from the computer or vice versa from my older cable were corrupted. Especially ROMS, KERneLS, and Video. This could be a potential huge problem for someone in a sticky situation needing to ODIN, or make an ABD shell connection. I suggest tossing those cables and buying new ones. I know they're expensive, but it might be the difference between having your phone soft bricked till next payday or not.

Timmetal, just to be clear I am comparing multiple identical eBay cables to the Touchpad/Kindle Fire cables.... Sounds like you are saying it is a manufacturing defect in the cables (presumably all of them) that are not necessarily related to the wire gauge. Regardles...
A 6 foot 28 gauge cable would drop about 800+ mV (which is a lot, since a fully charged battery is probably around 4.2V and USB is 5V).
A 6 foot 24 gauge cable would be about 400 mV drop.
A 6 foot 22 gauge cable would probably be 250-300 mV drop.
Monoprice has 3 styles of cable:
1) the 28/28 economy cable (which I presume means 28 gauge on all wires) for 81 cents the
2) the 24/28 cable (presumably 24 gauge on power and ground, and 28 on the others) for $1.40
3) the "premium" cable which they don't give any info on, for $2.96
Newegg has a 22 gauge for $4
Price isn't that big of a deal one 1, but I'll probably buy 10 which starts to make a difference (although prices go down a bit with quantity on all of these). Sounds like the 24/28 Monoprice might be the best bet.

Battery monitor widget is an app, after you download it long press on your home screen > widgets > and there should be one for the "battery monitor widget" app, so basically put the "battery monitor widget" widget on one of your homescreens
And im not saying this is to see whether one is charging more than another, because you can just see that clearly
This is to see how much more it is because this app shows you the mA coming through the cord

The phone software controls the charge rate based on what it thinks it is plugged into. I think it limits its draw to 500ma if it senses a USB port on the other end (since the USB standard limits it to 500ma anyway), it charges at 700ma if it senses a wall-wart type charger. Not sure how it senses the difference, but you will notice on the lock screen it will say either Charging (USB) or Charging (AC).

Questions and help issues go in Q&A
Thread moved
FNM

poit said:
The phone software controls the charge rate based on what it thinks it is plugged into. I think it limits its draw to 500ma if it senses a USB port on the other end (since the USB standard limits it to 500ma anyway), it charges at 700ma if it senses a wall-wart type charger. Not sure how it senses the difference, but you will notice on the lock screen it will say either Charging (USB) or Charging (AC).
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Sorry if I didn't make this clear, the phone is claiming it is an AC charger in both cases, but one cable versus another makes a big difference in charging speed. Anyway, I ordered 9 of the $1.40 Monoprice cables. We'll see if they work.

poit said:
The phone software controls the charge rate based on what it thinks it is plugged into. I think it limits its draw to 500ma if it senses a USB port on the other end (since the USB standard limits it to 500ma anyway), it charges at 700ma if it senses a wall-wart type charger. Not sure how it senses the difference, but you will notice on the lock screen it will say either Charging (USB) or Charging (AC).
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Click to collapse
Sort of off topic but Interesting. My lock screen just shows charging. USB port on computer, USB cable plugged into wall charger or dedicated 700mah Blackberry wall charger, it makes no distinction as to how it's being charged. It does charge faster using a wall charger obviously but I've never noticed a difference in rate between using different cables.

[Q] 120v/USB wall combo outlet charges everything but the galaxy S4

Today I picked up and installed two combo 120v/USB wall outlets so I can get rid of all the wall warts I currently have. The USB ports charge everything (tablet, HTC phone, Bluetooth) but the two galaxy S4's I have. Has anyone used one of the outlets before? Any ideas on why they will not charge the S4's?
The Specs for the USB side of the outlet is.
Switching Frequency Typical 140 kHz
Output Voltage Nominal 5V (+/- 10%)
Protection Current Limiting and Thermal Shutdown Protection
Output Current Constant Current Maximum 2.1A
The outlet is a Commercial Spec Grade Combination USB Charger made by Cooper Industries
Part number is TR7745 if anyone wants to look it up for any reason.
Thank you in advance for your help.

change usb cables
Try changing to a different USB cable. It's weird how often this is the problem.

What does it do when you plug it in? Does it do anything at all? Does it even act like it's connected? Does it TRY and charge but just can't keep up? I have ones by Leviton that work fine with my S4 and my fiancees iPhone/iPad.
EDIT: I just noticed if you look at the reviews on Amazon HERE it seems multiple people have had problems with the S4 and this model. One thing I noticed with most that I looked at before buying mine was that the listed current was shared between the ports, whereas the Leviton version has one port that's 2.1 amps and one that's 1 amp independent of each other. This one might be 2.1 amps shared, so anything else plugged in might not work out.

02CWRX said:
What does it do when you plug it in? Does it do anything at all? Does it even act like it's connected? Does it TRY and charge but just can't keep up? I have ones by Leviton that work fine with my S4 and my fiancees iPhone/iPad.
EDIT: I just noticed if you look at the reviews on Amazon HERE it seems multiple people have had problems with the S4 and this model. One thing I noticed with most that I looked at before buying mine was that the listed current was shared between the ports, whereas the Leviton version has one port that's 2.1 amps and one that's 1 amp independent of each other. This one might be 2.1 amps shared, so anything else plugged in might not work out.
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I'm having the same problem. It's listed as "dual 2.1A". The first second I plug it in it flashes the charging indicator, then it goes off. No charging happening whatsoever.

farkmeil said:
I'm having the same problem. It's listed as "dual 2.1A". The first second I plug it in it flashes the charging indicator, then it goes off. No charging happening whatsoever.
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Did you ever have any luck with the S4 problem? Does it make a difference which side you plug the USB cable into?

re: charger
olneybrandon said:
Today I picked up and installed two combo 120v/USB wall outlets so I can get rid of all the wall warts I currently have. The USB ports charge everything (tablet, HTC phone, Bluetooth) but the two galaxy S4's I have. Has anyone used one of the outlets before? Any ideas on why they will not charge the S4's?
The Specs for the USB side of the outlet is.
Switching Frequency Typical 140 kHz
Output Voltage Nominal 5V (+/- 10%)
Protection Current Limiting and Thermal Shutdown Protection
Output Current Constant Current Maximum 2.1A
The outlet is a Commercial Spec Grade Combination USB Charger made by Cooper Industries
Part number is TR7745 if anyone wants to look it up for any reason.
Thank you in advance for your help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try using a different usb cable from phone to charger,
be sure both ends have a snug fit and it should work.
I have one which is similar to yours.
Since it puts out 2.1ma just like the stock S4 wall charger
it should charge just as fast.
Good luck!

bitbang3r said:
Did you ever have any luck with the S4 problem? Does it make a difference which side you plug the USB cable into?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately no. I didn't mention before that I'm an EE, however, none of the troubleshooting steps I could think of had any effect. :crying:

Can use A Cooper USB Electric Outlet with S3 and S4
I saw this thread while trying to solve this very issue. I have the Cooper USB outlet and installed it thinking it would charge my phone and my wifes. It would charge her S3, but not my S3. She has the LTE version (SGH-I747) and I have the HSPA version (GT-I9300). Well I thought it would not charge my S3. After playing with it for a few minutes, I could get the charge light on the outlet to blink. No charging was happening as the charge light on the outlet would just blink and then stay off. On my wifes S3 I could plug it in it would start charging instantly.
After playing with my S3 and the cord (The same cord used for my wifes S3 as I had already tried numerous cords) I found I could slowly insert the micro usb end into my S3 and it would start charging. It was tricky, but after 30 minutes of wasted time, I got it to charge. I would have to ever so slowly plug it in, either at a sideways angle or at a slightly elevated angle. This was regardless of the usb cord used.
However my S3 died and I got an S4. Naturally my S4 would not charge just by plugging it in, but I tried the "slow insert" method, on both the micro USB side and the outlet side and both worked.
I am thinking there is some kind of tolerance issue surrounding the electrical connections. Sliding the USB connector in slowly at the outlet side, I beleive, would ground the connection first and then allow for charging, but this is where my knowledge of electricity starts to bad. That said it is possible to use the charge, but it is not plug and play.

I just picked up a couple of these for the kitchen to alleviate the eyesore of the wall warts and I can also confirm it charges everything I have thrown at it except my S4 (jfltezvw) =( I quickly found this post after googling it. I am currently doing some work on the phone now but I will attempt the super technical "plug it in slowly" later and see if it works =)
Has anyone had any luck with other brands? I find this REALLY odd.

just installed this same outlet, and sure enough it charges everything except the S4..."slow insert" doesn't seem to work...does anybody know of any other solutions besides not using it?

wall charger option
I also have one of these outlet/usb from cooper that will not work with my s4.
Has anyone tried to use a DUAL POWER micro USB cord (like the ones that comes with the portable hard drives) to see if that would do the trick?
unfortunately, I do not have one of these cables, or I would try it myself.
Here's what I am thinking is happening...
The S4 is equipped with a smart charger that can trickle charge after a complete charge cycle.
When first connected, the s4 starts a trickle charge while it tests the battery for the charge cycle.
The cooper is equipped with a current limiter that shares power between the two outlets.
The cooper unit sees the trickle charge, and switches to a lower current setting for the slot with the s4 plugged in. reserving current for the empty outlet.
The s4 then tries to engage a fast charge, but cant due to the lack of current, and shuts down the charge circuit.
If a dual usb cord to micro usb cable was used, both outlets would be tied to the s4, and full power would be available to the s4 at all times.
Of course, without a cable myself, this is almost all conjecture on my part, and I could be just blowing smoke up my own arse, huh?
LoVoltage
EDIT: Of course, remember that the cable you use has to have the D+ jumper to signify the 2.1 amp availability. If you don't, the cable won't work. (Most dual port usb cables have this jumper already. so does the OEM samsung cable)

Just installed one of these tonight. Specifically the Cooper TR7745/TR8245 15A/125V
I can charge my Note 2 (SGH-I317), Nexus 7 wifi, but not an Samsung Galaxy S4 (SGH-I337). Kinda weird.

[Q] Need Opinion/info on Qmadix 4.4A USB Triple Travel Charging Hub...

So Im in desperate need of at least one more Wall charge for my galaxy note 8.0 and Galaxy S4. The only problem is they're either pretty expensive for the more legit products, or sketchy. I just need the white box part that goes into the wall outlet. SO incredibly embarrassing and frustrating that I can't seem to figure out what it's actually called. In any case, through my searches I found this:
Qmadix 4.4A USB Triple Travel Charging Hub
It allows for three ports, but each port is designated differently. well, okay... two are the same (1A), but ones different (2.4A). I have no clue about electricity, except to know if you don't use the samsung recommended converters it could damage the battery in the long run. Im under the impression that both of my devices require 2.0A. Does this mean only the 2.4A port would work?
Is anyone familiar with this Item Ive listed? Could I use this device to power bot my Galaxy Note 8.0 AND Galaxy S4 at the same time?
It seems like such a great deal and very compact. Can't pass up without at least asking about it.
again, Im asking about the:
Qmadix 4.4A USB Triple Travel Charging Hub

This is what you NEED to get: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2608578

vectron said:
This is what you NEED to get: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2608578
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I appreciate the reply. I had actually seen that and immediately fell in love... but I just as quickly wrote it off because of the additional cable thats required to plug it into an outlet. I need something more compact... something with collapsible prongs.
Another one I was looking at is this one iXCC Dual USB 4.2 Amp (20 Watt) SMART High Capacity AC Travel Wall Charger...
Any thought?

Ports listed as 1A might still be able to supply 2A for your phone, but they might be right at the top of their current limiting (thus running warmer). The whole thing about using only Samsung provided charger is just to scare you off so you buy their original overpriced accessories But there is a truth to it as well, when you buy cheap stuff from ebay where they sell 1A rated outputs labeled with 2A and can run into a problem above (overheating, which causes short, which can cause a damage to your phone). Anker is a trusted brand with a decent quality control, RAVPower is good, and I heard of QMadix before as well.
Here is a problem. When you are dealing with wall outlet converters with multiple outputs that carry a lot of heat/power, you are too close to the main electrical outlet. So, I would be careful not too overload these. Maybe using 2 devices plugged in at a time is ok, but NEVER 3 at a time. When you have something like that 40W Anker converter, you are placing it away from the outlet, it exposed to air circulation from every side (cooling it better), and it should have some fuse or internal protection in case of a short. I understand, for convenience you need wall converter that plugs in, but make sure you get a double one, not the triple output one because i would consider those to be not as reliable when you are charging 3 devices at the same time while plugged into a single wall outlet directly.

Anker also make this one: www.amazon.com/Anker®-4-Port-Charger-Travel-Adapter/dp/B00EI8SS4U/ - but I would not load more than 2 ports at a time. Or if you load 3 or 4 ports, make sure it's not overnight when you are sleeping and that all 4 charging devices are not drawing max current

Btw, one quick question... The Anker 40W 5-port USB wall charger... Should I only charge 2 devices at a time with it aswell? or was that referring only to chargers that plug directly into the wall because of the heat issue?

varxtis said:
Btw, one quick question... The Anker 40W 5-port USB wall charger... Should I only charge 2 devices at a time with it aswell? or was that referring only to chargers that plug directly into the wall because of the heat issue?
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You can use all 5 ports on that one (40W version that doesn't plug into wall outlet directly). That how I do it all the way, mostly using 4 ports at once to charge my Note 2, my Metawatch smartwatch, my mp3/DAP player, and external battery. Sometime also add my wireless headset too

[REVIEW] Coocheer 40W 5-Port Desktop Wall USB Super Charger with Smart Charging

[REVIEW] Coocheer 40W 5-Port Desktop Wall USB Super Charger with Smart Charging & Surge Protector
Disclaimer: I was provided this item free of charge specifically to review without any influence.
OVERVIEW:
After being misled by an early version Anker 5 Port charger (reviewed here) and reviews by others, I was a little apprehensive about this Coocheer 5 Port “Super Charger” CH-072, partly because of its limited brand recognition and also by the poorly written, somewhat vague English product descriptions online which follows into the literature that comes with the package.
This Coocheer charger did surprise me as it appears to charge everything I own, especially my Logitech Harmony 700 remote and my Hp Touchpad modified for Android Kit-Kat/CM11 (the original Anker unit had problems with them). Although I don’t have any Apple devices to try with it, I’m confident it would charge those as well.
According to the literature it only has 2 ports with “Smart Charging” (the 2 higher output Super Charger ports) to determine what device type is attached, but all my android devices charged at the full speed (AC Charging) of each port which is good and means each device was able to get the max output from each port (ports 1-3 = 1.0A Max and “Super Charger” Ports 4&5 = 2.4A Max). Perhaps the “Smart Charging” feature is actually on all 5 ports, but I can’t verify it. The Coocheer charger also worked with my Nexus 5 Qi Charge base and my LG G4’s extra battery charging cradle.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
The literature indicates some downsides such as the limited number of “Smart” ports to determine the device plugged into it. Why all 5 ports don’t officially have this feature is beyond me (but it might) and it would be nice if each port was capable of the same max output rating (like some other brands). Another downside from the booklet says that the ports may get ‘confused’ if switching from a Samsung to Apple to Android device etc and may need a power reset by pulling the plug. If that is true, it would be much easier to have added a power switch similar to Coocheer’s Desktop Charging Station which looks like it has a nice slot for holding your phone plus 2 extra outlets. I would also like to see a Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0 Port on some of these multi-port chargers, but that is still relatively new technology.
Overall I am pleased with Coocheer’s 5 port Super Charger. It doesn’t have every feature but it gets the job done, charges all my devices and cleans up the clutter of outlet strips and wall chargers that were cluttering up my end table.
EXTRA ‘TECHY’ STUFF:
If you plug ANY android device into a standard charger/port designed only for an "Apple" product (or a PC’s USB port), that port may only charge the android device at a measly 0.5 amps (500ma) "USB Charging" vs. a charger/port designed for an "Android" product at max charge rate for the port/device (ie 1.0+ amps) "AC Charging".
See SETTINGS - BATTERY (or SETTINGS - ABOUT PHONE - STATUS - BATTERY) to verify for yourself while plugged in with a stock device/kernel.
Android devices have 4 charging states:
1) "AC Charging" (i.e. your typical android wall charger, originally referred to as "Fast Charge")
Data pins are directly shorted together in the charger to tell the device what it should do. No data communication is
possible to the device. It will charge at the maximum rate of either the charger or device, whichever is lower.
2) "USB Charging" (i.e. plugged into your pc's port)
Data pins are NOT shorted ('open') and data communication is still possible with the device.
3) "Charging Wireless"
(i.e. Nexus 5 on 'Qi' charger)
4) “Fast Charging” (Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0)
(not sure about this as I don’t have a charger that supports it yet with my LG G4)

This looks very interesting, I am just curious if anyone has seen usb cables tied on a bunch/group of 5 that look nice?

ljesh said:
This looks very interesting, I am just curious if anyone has seen usb cables tied on a bunch/group of 5 that look nice?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, you look for a charge 'caddy' you like to put it in....
Organize It All Cardinal Recharge Station https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EQMPZJO/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_Duo4vbWBZY2G8
We actual found a Black one somewhere but I can't find the link yet.
Sent from my LG G4 on Tapatalk.