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I just got my S2 5 days ago. All this time I been wondering why it takes around 5 hours to charge from 20% to 100%. At first, I been using my G2X charger, it was rated at the same 5V 1A output so I thought it wouldn't matter. Then I used the included Samsung charger with same LG cable, no difference. Now when using the Samsung cable, it only takes about 2 hours to charge from around 15% to 100%.
Is this just coincidence? Is my phone too new and just needed a few cycles? I'll test again tomorrow, or when my phone reaches below 20% with the LG cable.
There's been known issues with using chargers other than stock..mine gets stuck at 100% until I reboot if I use any charger other than the OEM that came with it.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using XDA
the OEM cable
it'll be your life line in case of emergency like this one
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1561432
From my experience you're going to always want to use the charger and cord that came with the phone. I bought my Galaxy S II off the streets and it did not come with the cord, so originally I tried using my OG Droid charger since it's micro USB too but it wouldn't even accept it at all (I'm pretty sure because it was too under-powered for the Galaxy S II (My speculation)). I tried using an older LG micro USB cable too (I think it was even older though) it didn't work either, so now I use my Vizio TAB micro USB cord which seems to work fine.
But also at my work we have a 3rd party micro usb charger too but it's universal, but if I charge my phone on there, not only does it take longer to charge it doesn't hold the battery as long.
So what I've figured out is you're gonna want to use your own charger the phone came with to achieve maximum battery life, also unplug the charger right away when it hits 100%.
shilent said:
I just got my S2 5 days ago. All this time I been wondering why it takes around 5 hours to charge from 20% to 100%. At first, I been using my G2X charger, it was rated at the same 5V 1A output so I thought it wouldn't matter. Then I used the included Samsung charger with same LG cable, no difference. Now when using the Samsung cable, it only takes about 2 hours to charge from around 15% to 100%.
Is this just coincidence? Is my phone too new and just needed a few cycles? I'll test again tomorrow, or when my phone reaches below 20% with the LG cable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow lol I post the same thing every second day on some forum or other xD
The usb is special in the sense it has a nice rubber feel and cool plastic iphone style caps on the end..
Its a MICRO-USB male to USB male cable, nothing more, seeing as it is still a standard USB cable it has a max current of 5v (5.25 I do believe..), plugging it into a USB to AC converter over 5v can screw up the device and cable, sscond point.
Standard charger is 5v AC, using a charger below wont cause harm, but using one above can screw up your phone and battery and not ground it properly..
3rd point, keep in mind the mAh on the charger when charging, some (for like bluetooth headsets) are only 500mAh)
mAh is an acronym for ampere an hour, and in short, for chargers measures the current sent to the device at an hourly rate, for batterys (such as lithium ion) measures the actual charge capacity of the cell, using one with a higher mAh then the stock battery (1850mAh) will only charge it quicker and is recommended.
Fourth and final, remember with USB to AC adapters that some only have +5 and ground enabled (2 outer pins), ising the device its meant for on a ac adapter with all 4 pins enabled will make the device try to establish a connection and can again, make it not ground properly. I think ours has the 4 pins enabled though so ignore the last point..
*edit
Lmfao at above few posts (your theories have no basis, allow me to explain)
When you plug your charger in, regardless if its connected or not, its "live"
That being said, the every cellphone (keyword: cell) uses a lithium-ion battery,
That cell has a control board with a chip with a bit of information, some variable, the device has READ access to this board, and collects informagion such as max mAh, current mAh, and min mAh, the device then calculates from that, a percentage,
It then displays that information to the user, the minimum (displays 0-1%), is usually a value around ~100mAh if the cell dies to 0mAh, this can reset the control board and drasticly reduce the batterys expectancy and overall life.
Also, the actual chip on the phone, is simply for, when the battery is full, (current mAh meets max)
Said device drops connection to the cell and resumes on AC, leaving battery fully charged.
Unless you use a charger outside above said specifications, its literally impossible for a charger or file on said device (referring to batterystats n00bs who dont research) to adjust or recalibrate a lithium ion battery.
Hows that for a response I kept it clean
doug36 said:
Wow lol I post the same thing every second day on some forum or other xD
The usb is special in the sense it has a nice rubber feel and cool plastic iphone style caps on the end..
Its a MICRO-USB male to USB male cable, nothing more, seeing as it is still a standard USB cable it has a max current of 5v (5.25 I do believe..), plugging it into a USB to AC converter over 5v can screw up the device and cable, sscond point.
Standard charger is 5v AC, using a charger below wont cause harm, but using one above can screw up your phone and battery and not ground it properly..
3rd point, keep in mind the mAh on the charger when charging, some (for like bluetooth headsets) are only 500mAh)
mAh is an acronym for ampere an hour, and in short, for chargers measures the current sent to the device at an hourly rate, for batterys (such as lithium ion) measures the actual charge capacity of the cell, using one with a higher mAh then the stock battery (1850mAh) will only charge it quicker and is recommended.
Fourth and final, remember with USB to AC adapters that some only have +5 and ground enabled (2 outer pins), ising the device its meant for on a ac adapter with all 4 pins enabled will make the device try to establish a connection and can again, make it not ground properly. I think ours has the 4 pins enabled though so ignore the last point..
*edit
Lmfao at above few posts (your theories have no basis, allow me to explain)
When you plug your charger in, regardless if its connected or not, its "live"
That being said, the every cellphone (keyword: cell) uses a lithium-ion battery,
That cell has a control board with a chip with a bit of information, some variable, the device has READ access to this board, and collects informagion such as max mAh, current mAh, and min mAh, the device then calculates from that, a percentage,
It then displays that information to the user, the minimum (displays 0-1%), is usually a value around ~100mAh if the cell dies to 0mAh, this can reset the control board and drasticly reduce the batterys expectancy and overall life.
Also, the actual chip on the phone, is simply for, when the battery is full, (current mAh meets max)
Said device drops connection to the cell and resumes on AC, leaving battery fully charged.
Unless you use a charger outside above said specifications, its literally impossible for a charger or file on said device (referring to batterystats n00bs who dont research) to adjust or recalibrate a lithium ion battery.
Hows that for a response I kept it clean
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's exactly my point. Shouldn't all micro USB cables be the same? I been charging all my other smartphones with many different micro USB cables and they all charged normally. Now with this phone, it takes over 5 hours to charge with my LG branded cable, this is with the stock S2 charger. Now with the Stock S2 cable, it charges in about 2 hours.
I'm gonna have to test again with the LG cable, as others reported long charging times within the first few days.
BTW, the current rating on a charger is NOT the hourly rate (ah). Also charging a lithium ion battery at a rate of 1850mah or higher should not be recommended.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using XDA
shilent said:
That's exactly my point. Shouldn't all micro USB cables be the same? I been charging all my other smartphones with many different micro USB cables and they all charged normally. Now with this phone, it takes over 5 hours to charge with my LG branded cable, this is with the stock S2 charger. Now with the Stock S2 cable, it charges in about 2 hours.
I'm gonna have to test again with the LG cable, as others reported long charging times within the first few days.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using XDA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its never gonna be a linear charge or drain.
Simply put its an OS, As all OS's they have services that can start at different points, and also open different apps, also using rhe device, applications still in the ram, connection strength will all effect this its impossible to check 2 differenf charge methods accurately enough to get a definitive answer without 2 identical systems, apps, data, kernal and all, one on top of the other, plugged in simultaneously, in sleep mode, to the same outlet :/
Haha well I may be in trouble. I use several different friends, co workers chargers everyday.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium
JaZart said:
Haha well I may be in trouble. I use several different friends, co workers chargers everyday.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have 3 chargers I use for this and haven't had no issues, there is no way using a different charger (unless its outside above said specifications) that it can do anything to your device including screw with the charge level.. people just don't like to research.
Just an update, it took 2 hours and 25 minutes to charge my S2 from 25% to 75% using my LG cable (same stock S2 charger). I'm gonna test with my Palm micro USB cable next.
shilent said:
Just an update, it took 2 hours and 25 minutes to charge my S2 from 25% to 75% using my LG cable (same stock S2 charger). I'm gonna test with my Palm micro USB cable next.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
One, if you want an accurate trst with one device, kill to zero percent and plug it in, eithout turning on time to 100%, run same test eith another cable
**EDIT
shilent said:
BTW, the current rating on a charger is NOT the hourly rate (ah). Also charging a lithium ion battery at a rate of 1850mah or higher should not be recommended.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using XDA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ampere-hour
Link for you to check your **** before correcting people
Using one equal to or higher then battery capacity IS recommended..
To save you the trouble of reading **** WAY over your head:
The Faraday constant is the charge on one mole of electrons;
approximately equal to 26.8 ampere-hours. It is used in
electrochemical calculations.
An ampere-hour is not a unit of energy. In a battery system, for
example, accurate calculation of the energy delivered requires
integration of the power delivered (product of instantaneous
voltage and instantaneous current) over the discharge interval.
Generally, the battery voltage varies during discharge; an average
value may be used to approximate the integration of power. [3]
In summary, the higher the mAh, the longer the battery will last.
One, if you want an accurate trst with one device, kill to zero percent and plug it in, eithout turning on time to 100%, run same test eith another cable
**EDIT
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ampere-hour
Link for you to check your **** before correcting people
Using one equal to or higher then battery capacity IS recommended..
To save you the trouble of reading **** WAY over your head:
The Faraday constant is the charge on one mole electrons;
approximately equal to 26.8 ampere-hours. It is used in
electrochemical calculations
An ampere-hour is not a unit of energy. In a battery system, for
example, accurate calculation of the energy delivered requires
integration of the power delivered (product of instantaneous
voltage and instantaneous current) over the discharge interval.
Generally, the battery voltage varies during discharge; an average
value may be used to approximate the integration of power. [3]
In summary, the higher the mAh, the longer the battery will last.
For chargers, the higher mAh sends a larger current of the same voltage to the device, charging it faster, lower mAh can and will cjarge slowly.. I'm not sayin go use a 5v 50k mAh charger for the battery and charge it in a split second here.
Wtc! I hit edit! Mod plz merge these...
Charge rate of 1C = the capacity of the battery, in our case, 1C = 1850mah. It is not recommended to charge over 0.7C when it comes to lithium ion batteries. If a charge rate of 1850ma is recommended, then why do all chargers top out at 1A?
I collect high performance flashlights, most of them use lithium ion cells. I know about charging and discharging li-ion otherwise I could lose my hands.
Anyway, the point of this thread was about the stock USB cable vs other cables. The only thing I can think of at the moment is that my LG cable has more resistance than the Samsung cable, which is why it charges slower. Though that's hard to believe is the charging time is more than double.
doug36: I've seen you post in other threads, all you like to do is insult people, or at least try to. This is the last time I'm gonna post in this thread, you keep posting irrelevant information. Next, you're going to try to insult me, I'm not going to respond, and you're going to think you won or whatever, I don't care.
If anyone wants more info, or has any questions, please send me a PM.
JaZart said:
Haha well I may be in trouble. I use several different friends, co workers chargers everyday.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Eww... everyone hits and quits it? XD
I've noticed that the charger that comes with the S2 has a special hook on one side and looks distinctly different than other usb micro cables.
Personally i think it's really dumb.. wasn't the point of micro Usb to be uniform across all phones?!
Sounds like a good way for Samsung to make some extra bucks.
JhonKa said:
I've noticed that the charger that comes with the S2 has a special hook on one side and looks distinctly different than other usb micro cables.
Personally i think it's really dumb.. wasn't the point of micro Usb to be uniform across all phones?!
Sounds like a good way for Samsung to make some extra bucks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was curious about this two. What makes the included charger official...the brick or the cable out both
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium
I have no idea, all I know is that i tried to use my charger for my G2X and the SGSII wouldn't go past 95% charged? I used the Samsung charger and it charges perfectly?
Well lately my stock samsung charger has been terrible.
Even when I plug it into the wall it charges so slowly that if im below 15%; it will die
When left alone or charging while off for about 45min it will have up about 2-5%; so there's a major problem here.
But using a different charger and it charges at a faster(normal pace); 5% to 65% in appox 1 hour.
JaZart said:
Well lately my stock samsung charger has been terrible.
Even when I plug it into the wall it charges so slowly that if im below 15%; it will die
When left alone or charging while off for about 45min it will have up about 2-5%; so there's a major problem here.
But using a different charger and it charges at a faster(normal pace); 5% to 65% in appox 1 hour.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's normal? :O mine takes about 4 hours from red battery.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium
Has anyone noticed that if you turn the phone off..or let the battery die to 0% and then turn itself off. If you then plug it into an LG usb cable it will put the phone into download mode.
This works every single time with my g2x cable.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk
Seeing as all of my old chargers are for my SGS2 and put out a measly 0.7A compared to the 2A of the note 2 charger, I was wondering if I can use a different USB cable with the note 2 charger and still get the full 2A from it?
The reason I ask is the original USB cable that comes with it doesn't seem to be well thought out and has difficulty staying in if you move the phone about while charging.
Got the same issue. Tried galaxy Nexus cable. And it barely charged several percent.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda app-developers app
Most cables should work. But it requires a good quality and moderately thick cable to provide close to 2A without a massive voltage drop.
You could try to shave a little of the excess plastic from the original SGN2 cable, so as to make the connector longer. My phone does not have a problem holding to the USB connector as is, but it seems quite a few other users have some trouble.
If you really need a new cable, try to avoid the cheapest ones. Also don't get one longer than what's needed.
D3_ said:
Seeing as all of my old chargers are for my SGS2 and put out a measly 0.7A compared to the 2A of the note 2 charger, I was wondering if I can use a different USB cable with the note 2 charger and still get the full 2A from it?
The reason I ask is the original USB cable that comes with it doesn't seem to be well thought out and has difficulty staying in if you move the phone about while charging.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought a 3m long cable. Works just as the regular. This cable is about as thick as the original. I would avoid the very thin cables when using the 2Amp charger.
Just a warning... If a cable does not fit, do not make it fit. Mine did not at first. Adjust the "hooks" on the contact by pushing them in slightly. There will be less force needed when connecting and it will still sit more tightly than the original.
Just buy a USB extension cable.
I'm using the original charger with the cable from my Kindle paper white and it seems to charge just fine. What's the advantage of using thicker cables?
Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk 2
---------- Post added at 10:05 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:03 AM ----------
jujuburi said:
Just buy a USB extension cable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Would using an extension cable degrade the current?
Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk 2
I noticed that the Note 2 is a hungry beast. Have it for two days and tried to charge it on my Note 1 craddle with the Note 1 charger. Charged for 6 or so hours but was only at 57% when I took it of. You definitely have to use the 2A charger and mind the cables!
My Note 2 came from Handtec and was in French packaging, and the Samsung 2A charger was a 2 pin version but Handtec had supplied another charger with the UK 3 pins. This works fine but is only 1A and I've been using a range of other micro USB chargers and they all seem to be ok.
prinzhernan said:
Would using an extension cable degrade the current?
Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's what I was wondering. I will buy and use one, then give feedback.
Okay, just tried a cheap extended usb cable and initially it showed charging but within a minute it wasn't charging anymore. Enough of cheap cable, now I'm gonna search about Belkin usb extension cable.
Why the hell Sammy had to copy Apple damn it!
Sent from my GT-N7100
jujuburi said:
Why the hell Sammy had to copy Apple damn it!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think it's fair to say that, at least regarding the chargeing cable. Samsung uses a regular microUSB connector, just like all phones sold in the EU should. It's Apple that insists on proprietary connectors.
The Note II has a large capacity battery (good thing, right?) and Samsung decided to provide it with a power converter capable of chargeing the phone in a relatively short time. It requires a moderately good quality cable to allow a strong current to reach the phone within USB limits, but that's just physics. Not Samsung's fault.
(I do, however, blame sellers of very cheap cables. Buyers are the ones who suffer because the manufacturer decided to shave a cent or two from their costs.)
What I would recommend those that need a longer cable is to get an electrical extension instead.
prinzhernan said:
I'm using the original charger with the cable from my Kindle paper white and it seems to charge just fine. What's the advantage of using thicker cables?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Besides being physically stronger it can also have slightly thicker treads, allowing a bigger current, with less voltage drop until it reaches the phone. Orginal cable is 23AWG (power) and 30AWG (date). The thinner they get the more voltage drop, the longer they get the more voltage drop. The voltage drop is also affected by the material of the cables... The thickness of the cable may just be stronger shielding or better isolation, so look at the AWG markings and avoid too long cables.
My 3 meter, 24AWG (power) and 28AWG (data), error... sigh... AWG size is opposite towards milimeter... The lower AWG the thicker thread in the cable. The lowest AWG threads on the cable is for charging.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voltage_drop
ElectroDroid can calculate voltage drops. I really need to little shorter cable
D3_ said:
Seeing as all of my old chargers are for my SGS2 and put out a measly 0.7A compared to the 2A of the note 2 charger, I was wondering if I can use a different USB cable with the note 2 charger and still get the full 2A from it?
The reason I ask is the original USB cable that comes with it doesn't seem to be well thought out and has difficulty staying in if you move the phone about while charging.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've got saerm problem, the reason is that the micro usb tip ( the one you insert on the Note 2) is short. It can be easily solved by buying a different cable, or like what I did, I just filed the surrounding plastic to make the metal bit longer. It now latches perfectly with a click !!! Good luck
swejuggalo said:
Besides being physically stronger it can also have slightly thicker treads, allowing a bigger current, with less voltage drop until it reaches the phone. Orginal cable is 23AWG (data) and 30AWG (power). The thinner they get the more voltage drop, the longer they get the more voltage drop. The voltage drop is also affected by the material of the cables... The thickness of the cable may just be stronger shielding or better isolation, so look at the AWG markings and avoid too long cables.
My 3 meter, 24AWG (data) and 28AWG (power), error... sigh... AWG size is opposite towards milimeter... The lower AWG the thicker thread in the cable
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voltage_drop
ElectroDroid can calculate voltage drops. I really need to little shorter cable
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh I understand now. I've always wondered about this for the longest time since I started using Android devices.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk 2
I have used both sgs2 and note 2 cables wt note2 charger both cales r propriety samsung i put my note 2 battery to 5% abd charged wt the note 2 charger
Both cables took 5 hrs to fully charge note 2
So i think if u use propriety samsung galaxy series cable it dosent matter
The i charged the phone wi sgs2 original charger
It took about 8 hrs to reach frm5% to 100%
So i think the output of the charger matters not the cable
I cant say the same about non propriety usb cables as i havent used those
I have a micromax a 7o usb cable which runs androud
I will use it wth the note 2 charger and post result
ashwaa said:
I have used both sgs2 and note 2 cables wt note2 charger both cales r propriety samsung i put my note 2 battery to 5% abd charged wt the note 2 charger
Both cables took 5 hrs to fully charge note 2
So i think if u use propriety samsung galaxy series cable it dosent matter
The i charged the phone wi sgs2 original charger
It took about 8 hrs to reach frm5% to 100%
So i think the output of the charger matters not the cable
I cant say the same about non propriety usb cables as i havent used those
I have a micromax a 7o usb cable which runs androud
I will use it wth the note 2 charger and post result
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did not say there would be extreme differences, but if you want a good quality cable... It does not say what AWG the SGS2 cable has (I find no markings), but the cable is a factor, but a small one, than can be noticeable especially if you have some length on the cable. If you use 1Amp on a 1.8 m 28AWG copper cable there is almost 16% voltage drop. If you double the current you also double the voltage drop. That does not mean that the charging time will be changed much in some cases since there are other factors that affect it too (internal electronics that handles the charging, battery health, the real charge Voltage/Current at the battery leads....).
I just got a high quality cable from Manhattan Products and their website says:
http://manhattan-products.com/en-US/products/9204-hi-speed-usb-device-cable
28 AWG conductors
Shielded
Withstanding voltage: 300 V DC 10 ms
Insulation resistance: 5 MOhms
Contact resistance: 10 OhmsThermal plastic casing.
What's the AWG of the original cable? Is my cable's awg for the data or current?
Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk 2
Orginal is 23AWG power and 30AWG data. You can read it the cable actually. You even see that it has dual commons.
If it has dual sizes the bigger size is power (bigger is strangely enough a lower AWG). If it only mentioned one size then it is used both for data and power.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk 2
I've heard that using different chargers can be bad on your phone or battery. I've only used the one that came with the phone but sometimes at my buddies houses my phones are low and need charged but never do, is there any truth to this?
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium
It can be true. Depends on a few factors. The amount of volts that get sent through can be main the difference between chargers. Some have a higher volt rate which can mean a faster charge but could possibly cause the phone to over heat or may cause the battery to have a short life span. Some have lower volt rate which is the opposite obviously.
Yeah all in all you shouldn't worry that much, a battery life span still pretty long
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app
You're good bro stick with the original charger. Even if u use others its ok but as stated above its not like the original !!!!!!!!!!
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium
It's not voltage it's amps.
it should'nt
ive used many different chargers for my galaxy s3. from nokia chargers to my lg g2x old charger. and my galaxy still has n amazing battery life. but it should not mess up the batter at all because they all use 9v charger so it should be fine
FWIW I use the stock block and cable when I am at home or moving data, but while I am at work, I have a Motorola block and a RocketFish cable. Takes a little longer but works just the same. Same setup for my past two phones as well.
In terms of battery life, you'll probably get a new phone before you get a new battery. I wouldn't worry about it too much.
************
Also @OP, I see you are from Cincinnati. If you ever need anything, just shoot me a PM and I can/will help you out if you need it face-to-face. There are a few of us in town that know each other and help out when needed.
Yeah I use the stock cable for charging and moving files as well... but use a mt4g charger when not in my bedroom... a universal usb car charger in the car... a universal usb wall charger when I need to at work... and friends random usb chargers when at their house (moto, samsung flip phone -theyre still out there- and htc one s)
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2
psykhotic said:
It's not voltage it's amps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry dude, the VOLTAGE is what determines the amps.
The higher the voltage rating, the higher the current (amps) so obviously, the lower the voltage, the lower the current (amps)
You cannot control the current, it is a resultant factor of whatever the applied voltage is,
Kinda like if you open your water faucet 1/3 the way, you'll NEVER have full flow no matter what size garden hose you buy to use.
bobolinko said:
Sorry dude, the VOLTAGE is what determines the amps.
The higher the voltage rating, the higher the current (amps) so obviously, the lower the voltage, the lower the current (amps)
You cannot control the current, it is a resultant factor of whatever the applied voltage is,
Kinda like if you open your water faucet 1/3 the way, you'll NEVER have full flow no matter what size garden hose you buy to use.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're both right, but psykhotic is right in this instance. ALL USB devices are 5v DC. Power (Wattage) is determined by the amps.
To answer the OP's question, anything that provides a USB style charging port will work. The phone will never charge faster than it wants to charge. What can happen is, if the charger is rated too low, it may not provide enough power to charge at the normal rate of speed, or even charge the phone at all.
Yeeaaa dude. No. Where are you getting a USB charger that's output isn't 5v?
With probably over a hundred of gadget and accessory reviews, this is the first time I'm making such a bold statement. Yes, I do consider this as one of the MUST have tools for any smartphone users. This is Charger Doctor, USB amp-volt tester I just got from DX.com : http://dx.com/p/usb-av-usb-power-current-voltage-tester-translucent-blue-silver-235090 and this little guy is only $5.99
How many times we seen posts asking "my phone is not charging fast enough" or "I have a bunch of usb cables and old chargers, which one to use"? I lost a count. When it comes to chargers, at least those get labeled, although some are "mislabeled" or get degraded after months of use. Why do you think our phone is charging slow? Its the current output of your charger AND usb cables you are using. The charging formula is very simple, capacity of your battery in 'mAh' / rating of your charger in 'mA' = to get time in 'h' to charge. The number is usually approximated since nothing is ideal due to efficiency loses. So how do you find this perfect combo of charger and cables to give you the fastest charging speed? Use Charger Doctor!!!
This is a very simple little pass-through usb dongle. For those who know anything about electronics, and I actually took the case apart and snapped a few shots for your to appreciate the guts of it, or anybody who just have an open mind - the principle of this device is simple. You have full size usb input and output with interconnected power and signal, but power will go through a sensing resistor to measure voltage drop for calculating the current (ohm's law of V = I * R). I'm just guessing by looking at this gadget, it has some DAC to convert and to output the reading on a small led display which shows your Voltage reading and I-current reading. Here is a catch, since its full usb - it will connect between your charger and usb cable so you are NOT measuring at the output of the cable going into the phone. By using free Galaxy charging app you can approximately see the drop between the charger and going through the cable. Plus, this way you can "calibrate" the cable loss if you want to use this setup with another tablet or smartphone, other then Galaxy type.
In simple words for those who might not be following my technical explanation, just gather all your chargers and cables, and test different combinations to find the highest current reading you can get. KEEP in mind, when this little gadget is plugged in, it will draw its own current to power up dac and LED display, that is why you will see an additional drop when you compare reading with just a charger and a cable, and with this Charger Doctor in-between So once you find a perfect combo, unplug this dongle because it will "slow" down your charging by funneling some of the current. To demonstrate what I mean, I have a little presentation below with combination of 2 wall chargers and 3 pairs of cables, and took comparison pictures with Charger Doctor and without it. Keep in mind, this might not be 100% accurate, but it will give you a really good idea. As you can see, I found that one of the usb cables (black one) was the worst one, and the best combination of charging speed was using original Samsung OEM wall charger and yellow usb cable from UE boom. I hope they will also release a similar device with micro-usb in and out, but even with full size usb - for $5.99 its one cool gadget! Also, if you have solar powered charger - this will be a must where it will help you greatly to find a sweet sunny spot for a maximum current charge.
Here are the pics.
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And for EE or hobby geeks:
Great timing with your post of this, vectron. I have a knock-off version of the same unit that I got off of ebay. I am actually in the process of making my own micro usb version that I can use in between the charge cable and the phone. I am awaiting for parts to arrive from china, so it will still be a while. Up until I took it apart and removed the usb ports, I was using it in between the charger and cable and it worked great. I agree that it is a "must have", especially for those trying to figure out an ideal charger/cable combination.....
evil510 said:
Great timing with your post of this, vectron. I have a knock-off version of the same unit that I got off of ebay. I am actually in the process of making my own micro usb version that I can use in between the charge cable and the phone. I am awaiting for parts to arrive from china, so it will still be a while. Up until I took it apart and removed the usb ports, I was using it in between the charger and cable and it worked great. I agree that it is a "must have", especially for those trying to figure out an ideal charger/cable combination.....
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Click to collapse
Post details of your DIY!!! micro-usb update will be highly desirable!!! One connector is surface mount, the other one is through-hole on this device. Definitely feasible to remove and white-wire with micro-usb
I just recently got one of these as well. I highly recommend it. The only one of its kind at a reasonable price.
Would I be correct in assuming that the app that you are using basically gives the same information as this device?
JCreazy said:
Would I be correct in assuming that the app that you are using basically gives the same information as this device?
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Click to collapse
Relatively speaking yes. But Galaxy Charging current app only works with Samsung Galaxy phones, and for example you will have to buy premium version to use it with older models like S3. And if you want to figure out your charging current on Nexus or any other tablet or iDevice - this voltage/current meter will still work without a need for an app. Also, very important, keep in mind that app gives you total current through the charger and the wire. Those are 2 variable and you will not know which one is bad until you break it up. Thus using both voltage/current meter and app gives you the most info when you troubleshooting your connection.
This is super cool! Great write up! Gotta get one or 12.
The fact that they can design, develop, test, manufacture, distribute and ship this product from China to the U.S. and cover PP/CC fees all for $5.99 is absolutely mind boggling.
I could barely ship a pencil down the street for $5.99...
Probably not too hard when you pay the factory workers $1 a month. ...
Sent From My Ginormous Note 2
planetbeen said:
Probably not too hard when you pay the factory workers $1 a month. ...
Sent From My Ginormous Note 2
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Click to collapse
And probably considering that components in there all together cost under $3. All those products are manufactured in big quantities and they probably make very little profit on each unit.
Rootabaga said:
This is super cool! Great write up! Gotta get one or 12.
The fact that they can design, develop, test, manufacture, distribute and ship this product from China to the U.S. and cover PP/CC fees all for $5.99 is absolutely mind boggling.
I could barely ship a pencil down the street for $5.99...
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Click to collapse
Much less to do it for $3.27... lol
http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Portabl...uter_Power_Supply_Testers&hash=item485a80ba76
JCreazy said:
Would I be correct in assuming that the app that you are using basically gives the same information as this device?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not for me.
Based on Vectron's review, I ordered and received one from Amazon. I love it.
The information is interesting: on my Note 2, I use the app Galaxy Charging current lite
and it always reported '1680 mA' (yes, I kept hitting 'refresh'), while the usb current gadget displayed 1.1 A (and yes, I connected to a 2A wall charger).
So the app is not accurate.
I ask the creator of Galaxy Charging Current about using it on Note 2, and here's the reply:
As far as I know the device does not provide that info, and the app has no way to guess it, unfortunately.
SiliconBug said:
I ask the creator of Galaxy Charging Current about using it on Note 2, and here's the reply:
As far as I know the device does not provide that info, and the app has no way to guess it, unfortunately.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Huh? I'm pretty sure I got some readings when running it on my Note 2... I already uninstalled it as it wasn't accurate.
really nice...
looks to me like the galaxy charging current app average (in mAh) is pretty accurate when compared to the charger doctor...good to know, albeit it rounds up.
vectron said:
The charging formula is very simple, capacity of your battery in 'mAh' / rating of your charger in 'mA' = to get time in 'h' to charge.
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Click to collapse
uh... no. While your algebra is correct, mAh/mA = h is only true if all other things are equal. All other things, in this case, being voltage. And they are not equal. The voltage of your battery is somewhere between 3.6 and 4.2 volts. The voltage of your *USB* charger is always 5 volts.
So to get the total amount of time it would take to charge your phone... you need POWAH!!!! (power)
Power (watts) = volts * amps
Total amount of power in my Galaxy S3's battery:
3.8v * 2100mAh = 7980mWh = 7.98Wh
Total amount of power being delivered by my Samsung USB charger:
5v * 1A = 5W
Total amount of time required to fully charge a completely dead Galaxy S3 battery, using a Samsung charger:
7.98Wh / 5W = 1.596h = 1 hour, 35 minutes, 45 seconds.
*gets very annoyed when people do not understand electricity*
**also, don't go around telling people "it's not the volts that kills you, it's the amps!" - it's neither. it's the watts.**
moeburn said:
uh... no. While your algebra is correct, mAh/mA = h is only true if all other things are equal. All other things, in this case, being voltage. And they are not equal. The voltage of your battery is somewhere between 3.6 and 4.2 volts. The voltage of your *USB* charger is always 5 volts.
So to get the total amount of time it would take to charge your phone... you need POWAH!!!! (power)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree, but you are missing a point. While a handful of people will understand these details, and not to insult everybody else - majority needs a simple basic "concept" formula to round off calculation, not to mention for some english is not even a first language. Otherwise, you need to continue with more formula correction factors to take into account heat dissipation and efficiency of conversion, and so on. Oh, also keep in mind that majority of people charge their phone when it's on and probably syncing all their social media updates in the background among other things that drain your battery while charging. How about factor in people using PC usb cables instead of a quality 24AWG gauge wire cables? Or all of those cheap ebay ac adapters? And so on...
Just makes it easy to simplify the equation instead of preaching EE101. No reason to get annoyed, especially around Holiday season Just trying to help people with hundreds of my reviews here on XDA
vectron said:
I agree, but you are missing a point. While a handful of people will understand these details, and not to insult everybody else - majority needs a simple basic "concept" formula to round off calculation, not to mention for some english is not even a first language. Otherwise, you need to continue with more formula correction factors to take into account heat dissipation and efficiency of conversion, and so on. Oh, also keep in mind that majority of people charge their phone when it's on and probably syncing all their social media updates in the background among other things that drain your battery while charging. How about factor in people using PC usb cables instead of a quality 24AWG gauge wire cables? Or all of those cheap ebay ac adapters? And so on...
Just makes it easy to simplify the equation instead of preaching EE101. No reason to get annoyed, especially around Holiday season Just trying to help people with hundreds of my reviews here on XDA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I get that you would want to simplify it to provide a rough estimate, and it makes sense to leave out things like heat dissipation and efficiency of conversion because of how small and insignificant of a difference that they make. But h = mAh / mA isn't simplified, it's wrong. I could say something like "h = mA * 2", and it would be very simple, but it would be completely wrong. Not a rough estimate. Just a number that means absolutely nothing.
And my correct formula isn't that much more complicated. If you can understand h = mAh / mA, you can understand h = (mAh * v) / (mA * v).
And the quality of a USB cable will make absolutely no difference in the speed of charging. Either it can handle 5-10 watts, and it charges just fine, or it can't handle 5-10 watts, has too much internal resistance, heats up, and melts/catches fire. The quality of a USB cable can affect things like EMI, signal interference, latency and timing, and can be important when you are trying to extend a cable over large distances, but it will have absolutely no effect on the amount of current transmitted by your charger, and thus the amount of time it takes to charge.
Hmm, if you don't think the impedance of 24awg wire versus 32awg wire used in typical pc usb cable makes no difference in voltage drop due to resistance at 2A current sink during Note 2 charging, then sorry mate. EMI, signal interference, that's were you need electronic choke in a form of popular ferrite beads used in quality cables like from monoprice.
I didn't say anything about your formula being incorrect. I'm just saying for rounding thing off having a simplified formula makes more sense for a ballpark calculation. If you think about it, your calculation is theoretical, but in reality it will take almost 2hr to charge your battery due to other imperfection factors and variation. So as I said, for a practical purpose simplified formula (even so it's not correct) makes more sense.
So buddy, let's agree to disagree
I've seen this
Hi everyone! In the last few years ive owned a wealth of high end Android tablets. Id like to share my experience of my newest buy, the Nokia N1.
Why i bought the N1
For reading... Ive longed for years to read on a 4:3 aspect ratio Android tablet. Traditionally the media formats playable on Android were what justified the common 16:9 aspect and, apart from the newest 16:10 kindles and a few forgotten gems (the Galaxy Tab 7.7 was a gorgeous device), there werent any about outside some low quality OEM things from china.
As soon as the Nexus 9 came out i ordered one from the states. It is a great device to lug around for multitasking, with all of my many emails and chat apps syncing away the battery, but i would still not get on a plane without my Kindle HDX, which will typically only need a charge once a week if youre just reading on it. But though it has a superb 1920x1200 screen, thats still an uncomfortable 16:10.
Enter the N1 with its 4:3 aspect ratio, high dpi, great engineering and solid OEM.
The build
The build quality is excellent - the buttons are easy to press, the aluminium shell is durable and without flex, theres no gap between the chassis and display assembly to collect dust (like on the Nexus).
The display
Its a good IPS panel with excellent viewing angles. But it is not an excellent display. The entire bottom edge has a very even light bleed. A problem that ive usually come to expect from cheap devices like the Nexus 5 (which is why i was outraged that the $700 Nexus 9 i got was afflicted with along all but the bottom edge).
Using it outdoors is hard as it is not very bright. Indoors and at night though color temperature and reproduction are excellent. Not a problem for me.
Sound
The speakers are pretty crap - theyre dual mono speakers pumping out of one side (the bottom). Easily covered up if youre listening to a podcast and have the device in portrait mode. Couldve done a lot better here.
Ergonomics
The device fits well in one hand in both orientations, theres no discomfort as the device is light.
General foibles
My biggest gripe is the rediculous decision to use a USB type C cable. What in the world were they thinking? Sure i can get cables from alibaba for a few bucks, but why should i when my house is flooded with micro usbs, when every barman has a spare one i can plug into on the go? ZORG. The Type Cs only advantage is that its reversible (can be plugged in any orientation). This particular imlplementation of Type C is also USB 2.0, rather than the standard 3.1. And the cables are hard to find unless you order from abroad.
Got mine today. It's stereo and not dual mono. Tested using this video... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bJ0dvAl98k
Interesting! It's obviously stereo!
Neeragain said:
General foibles
My biggest gripe is the rediculous decision to use a USB type C cable. What in the world were they thinking? Sure i can get cables from alibaba for a few bucks, but why should i when my house is flooded with micro usbs, when every barman has a spare one i can plug into on the go? ZORG. The Type Cs only advantage is that its reversible (can be plugged in any orientation). This particular imlplementation of Type C is also USB 2.0, rather than the standard 3.1. And the cables are hard to find unless you order from abroad.
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Perhaps they were thinking of the future. Type C is being rapidly adopted and prices and availability of cables are not really a problem. There are other advantage to Type C besides being reversible, such as the small size lets the tablet be thinner. If the tablet misses out on the advantages of faster charging, that's disappointing...
https://www.androidpit.com/what-is-the-best-way-to-charge-an-android-phone
DanielNTX said:
Got mine today. It's stereo and not dual mono. Tested using this video... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bJ0dvAl98k
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On second thought youre right - turns out the podcasts id been listening were mono! Thanks for the correction.
sunnyb7532 said:
Perhaps they were thinking of the future. Type C is being rapidly adopted and prices and availability of cables are not really a problem. There are other advantage to Type C besides being reversible, such as the small size lets the tablet be thinner. If the tablet misses out on the advantages of faster charging, that's disappointing...
https://www.androidpit.com/what-is-the-best-way-to-charge-an-android-phone
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Click to collapse
Using Ampere with the screen set to its lowest i get a reading of 1030 ma maximum from a 2.1 amp charger... On my nexus 9 from the same charger and fast charge enabled i get 1260 ma. Not sure what this means, but its still quite high. The tablet charges in an hour and a bit i think, and sometimes the measurement interface is wrong...
Neeragain said:
Using Ampere with the screen set to its lowest i get a reading of 1030 ma maximum from a 2.1 amp charger... On my nexus 9 from the same charger and fast charge enabled i get 1260 ma. Not sure what this means, but its still quite high. The tablet charges in an hour and a bit i think, and sometimes the measurement interface is wrong...
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Click to collapse
Interesting. You would think it would charge at near 2 amps. Using the charger provided with the N1, it took over 2 hours for me to charge from 10% to 95%.
sunnyb7532 said:
Interesting. You would think it would charge at near 2 amps. Using the charger provided with the N1, it took over 2 hours for me to charge from 10% to 95%.
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Definitely charges within an hour, hour and half so has quick charge of somesort. I think probably its because the battery capacity is lower (5300 on n1 and 6700 on n9) and because of the measurement interface. It is after all 3c, maybe neither android nor ampere reports properly.
Neeragain said:
It is after all 3c, maybe neither android nor ampere reports properly.
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Trying to reconcile your results and my results... maybe the charger provided with the tablet is bargain model, and not a quick charge or fast charge. Can you indicate your model of charger? I probably won't get a special purpose charger for the N1, but I would like to optimize charging from a USB port on my desktop computer?