Develop Bugs

Car Chargers

Hey Everyone,
Thought I would start a car charger thread.
I picked up one of these at Walmart the other day:
http://store.griffintechnology.com/smartphone/powerjolt-dual-universal-micro
And it works quite wonderfully. It's tiny, and even with bluetooth/GPS/Navigation running, it was slowly charging the battery. And it charges it quite quick if you don't have nav running.
It can be a bit annoying to pull out once stuck in, although you probably don't need to do that very often.
- Frank

I have the single port version of the one you have cracking charger and sits flush worth the extra few pounds over the cheap ones and delivers plenty of juice
Sent from my GT-I9000 using xda premium

If you have amazon prime you can get it for less than $10 in two days here:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0042B9U8Q/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=&seller=
I got it the other day but haven't driven far enough yet to need to use it
Glad to hear though that it charges even while using GPS.

what is the exact output of each USB of this Griffen car charger ?
i have a JABRA charger (comes with JABRA Cruiser) and it doesnt seem to charge my GN while GPS navigation is on (even though its saying charging on the battery icon)
it used to work perfectly on my HTC Desire HD (with GPS+Bluetooth+WIFI ON )
any recommendation on how to fix this please ? like a reference output current that is enough to charge the GN while navigating ?
thanks.

Goodm7sn said:
what is the exact output of each USB of this Griffen car charger ?
i have a JABRA charger (comes with JABRA Cruiser) and it doesnt seem to charge my GN while GPS navigation is on (even though its saying charging on the battery icon)
it used to work perfectly on my HTC Desire HD (with GPS+Bluetooth+WIFI ON )
any recommendation on how to fix this please ? like a reference output current that is enough to charge the GN while navigating ?
thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Griffen claims 1A per USB port, and I believe it.
Online reviews say some users with other phones need to mod the Griffen to charge their phone, otherwise it only supplies 100mA. Some crack open/mod the Griffen to short two terminals to get the full charging ability, and/or use a 'charging cable' which shorts the terminals within the cable.
As a reminder, the Griffen seems to charge the Note full blast, but perhaps something similar is needed for the Jabra. I suggest installing 'Currentwidget' to see what sort of charge you are getting.
- Frank

SGP has one as well, it will lit up BLUE!
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OR you can just get a no brand one on eBay for around $3.

ChodTheWacko said:
The Griffen claims 1A per USB port, and I believe it.
Online reviews say some users with other phones need to mod the Griffen to charge their phone, otherwise it only supplies 100mA. Some crack open/mod the Griffen to short two terminals to get the full charging ability, and/or use a 'charging cable' which shorts the terminals within the cable.
As a reminder, the Griffen seems to charge the Note full blast, but perhaps something similar is needed for the Jabra. I suggest installing 'Currentwidget' to see what sort of charge you are getting.
- Frank
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for the reply.
I have battery monitor widget installed & it shows charging via usb when i connect it to jabra charger, but the weird thing is that the galaxy note starts mtp mode once i connect it!
Could it be the cable? Or shall i just take the griffin charger to solve this?
By the way,griffin charger works out of the box out do i have to solder modify it?
Cheers

I just bought this dual port 2.1A + 1A charger on eBay for £2.49 inclusive and delivered the following day....
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-1A-Dual...neChargers&hash=item19ca66b4df#ht_2865wt_1163
At first it seemed the phone was only drawing a "USB" level of current, so I was all set to rip it apart and solder the centre pins to force AC charging, but when I double checked with a dry run and a temporary short the phone switched to AC charging. Now it seems to be continuing to draw "AC" levels, so maybe I had a poor contact initially and a few (un)plugging operations have made the contacts more reliable. I'll try it out later today with satnav running and see if it keeps up with the pace and report back.
EDIT : Charge level draining like water out of a sieve with this thing whilst running satnav, and the phone said it was "AC" charging too. Switching ports didn't help.

i'm using the official car charger from my old nexus, the only charger i found can charge my phone with 3g and nav on because of the 2A output. other cheap usb chargers i tried with so called 2A output just don't work
Sent from my GT-N7000 using XDA App

A couple months ago I got this one for my SGT:
http://www.cyberguys.com/product-details/?productid=51740
It does 2.1a. I paid full price:-( not the current sale price. Works fine with my SGN.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda premium

Review of NewTrent NT70T EasyPack 7000 mAh external battery w/pics!!!

This is a review of NewTrent NT70T EasyPack 7000 mAh external battery charger: http://www.newtrent.com/store/andro...nt70t-external-battery-ipad-battery-pack.html
Here is another great product I discovered that will definitely benefit Note 2 users who are sticking with a regular size battery and their favorite case and need backup power on the go. This particular unit has a very portable footprint and it's relative slim with dimension of 119mm x 74mm x 18mm (4.7" x 2.9" x 0.7"). It's also pretty lightweight for 7000 mAh capacity, at 6.8 oz (193 g). It's definitely very comfortable and pocket/purse friendly. As a matter of fact, this unit is actually intended to be used on the go where you don't even have to worry about power cables since it has built in full usb cable for Input charging (a fast 5V, 1A port) and also micro-usb cable for one of the Output charging ports (5V, 1A). In addition to 1A output port with micro-usb cable, it also provides 2 additional usb ports with 2.1A and 1A outputs. These got you covered for any smart phone or tablet, and can also charge two devices at the same time.
For convenience if input charging cable is not long enough for you, New Trent also included USB extension chord which I found to be a great bonus. No other chords or adapters were included with this product. The device itself is very slick with a footprint reminding me a small external hard drive. The bottom of this power bank is finished matte while the top has a shiny piano finish. On the top you also have a discretely placed power button and 4 led power meter indicators with cool green lights. Those 4 lights partition power reading into 25% increments.
Beside its portability and convenience of built in cables, the main attraction of this device is a whooping 7000 mAh capacity. This is some serious number!!! And NT70T has this 7000 mAh speced at 3.7V - the voltage of the actual lithium battery. To be honest, I was a little skeptical at first because external battery market is flooded with a lot of high capacity external batteries that have exaggerated labels. So right away I put this battery to the test. I had my Note 2 discharged down to 25% while NT70T was charged all the way to full (4 leds lit up). I used 2.1A output port for a faster charging and used my own usb-to-micro-usb cable. My Note 2 battery got charged up to 100% in under 3 hours. That was very impressive. After charging it up, I checked with NT70T and it still had 3 leds on!!!! Of course, 3 leds doesn't mean it's at full 75% charge, but rather between 50% and 75% charge. But still, very impressive considering we are talking about our GN2 with 3100 mAh stock battery. As a bonus, you can actually charge your phone while charging NT70T, pretty cool although not recommended by manufacturer since it can accelerate aging of the battery.
In my opinion this is one of the top small footprint portable external battery chargers that offers simultaneous charging of two devices at the same time with one port being 2.1A and others at 1A, and having a whooping true 7000 mAh capacity!!! A must have if you need a portable backup battery and don't wont to part with your current Note 2 case (to accommodate bulky extended battery). I definitely recommend NT70T EasyPack!
Now, here are some pictures for your enjoyment:
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Missing letter?
vectron said:
This is a review of NewTrent NT70T EasyPack 7000 mAh external battery charger]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the excellent pics, did anyone else notice the "n" missing from the word "external" in the shots of the back of the unit? Curious.

firstbrick said:
Thanks for the excellent pics, did anyone else notice the "n" missing from the word "external" in the shots of the back of the unit? Curious.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good one!!!! I gotta tell these guys to fix this typo
Btw, I have their new NT120C (http://www.newtrent.com/carbonpak.html) coming my way for review - looks cool! That one is a step up with a higher capacity at 12000 mAh, although no built-in cables to give you more flexibility. Should have it sometime next week, will post a review then.

Thats a really stylish looking external battery charger.
Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

Review of Anker dual usb port 4.8A (24W) car charger w/lots of pics!!!

This is a review of Anker dual usb port 4.8A (2x 2.4A, total 24W) car charger. http://www.ianker.com/product/71AN2452C-WA
Just a few months ago I reviewed Anker's dual usb car charger with 3.6A combined output. One of the comments I heard back was about charging Note 2 and iPad 4th gen. As you know, Note 2 needs 2A for a full charge while 4th Gen iPad needs 2.4A. Or perhaps you got Note 3 in addition to Note 2 and need to charge up both of these 2A phablets in your car. In that case 3.6A doesn't cut it. The solution: 4.8A charger with dual usb port output each being able to deliver 2.4A.
Continuing with their new environmentally safe cartoon package, this one arrived in a neat little box. In addition to car charger, it came with Instruction manual which I want to mention specifically since Anker has been updating these with more and more useful details. They might as well call it a car charging Guide. But one thing I do have to mention, even so this charger has 2 ports labeled Android and Apple - in case of Note 2 or any other newer Galaxy phones, both ports can be used to charge your phone at full speed as I captured in the pictures below using Galaxy Charging current app.
This new 4.8A charger is the same size as their previous 3.6A model. Its very compact at 31g with 2.9" in length and 1" x 0.9" at the dual usb port opening which is smaller than some of the other single output car charger. This car charger is able to accommodate simultaneous charging of 2 plugged in devices at 2.4A each for a total output of 4.8A, and according to instruction manual has built-in multiple circuit protections. With Anker's standard 18 months warranty from the date of purchase, and a current price of $11.99 - this is one fantastic value and definitely a highly recommended accessory if you want to charge multiple power hungry devices at full speed in your car.
Here are the pictures.
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+1
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda app-developers app

thank you for the review! What micro-usb cable are you using to charge the device? I'm noticing that the cable has much to do with the amperage being drawn from testing I've done with all the cables and chargers I have.

Thanks again, Vectron. Excellent review.
By the way, how did you find the accuracy of the app you were displaying to measure the current?
I bought the USB power monitor that you reviewed. I d/l the app Galaxy current (the same one you
are using) and they never matched each other. The app always show 1800 like yours when the USB
gadget wasn't installed (on a 2A charger). It showed very differently with it inline, like 1100 mA.
I wonder if you saw the same thing?

testrider said:
Thanks again, Vectron. Excellent review.
By the way, how did you find the accuracy of the app you were displaying to measure the current?
I bought the USB power monitor that you reviewed. I d/l the app Galaxy current (the same one you
are using) and they never matched each other. The app always show 1800 like yours when the USB
gadget wasn't installed (on a 2A charger). It showed very differently with it inline, like 1100 mA.
I wonder if you saw the same thing?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To be honest, the app and usb dongle are great for relative measurements, not the actual accurate measurement. That is a truth. When you have a dozen of different cables and chargers and trying to make sense out of it, these tools come very handy to determine which combination will give you the highest charging current. Is it accurate? The only way to check it by dealing with a known mAh capacity target and timing how long it will take to charge it from zero to full (or some starting percentage which you will have to factor into your final calculation). Once you know total charged "mAh" capacity and "h" it took to charge, you calculate by dividing mAh/h to get your mA charging current speed. On a few occasions I came very close with what I have been reading with Charging Current app. But in general, just use all this as a tool to determine best combo of your external charger/cable.

Looking Nice......

Review of MPow 4.2A dual usb car charger w/lots of pics!!!

This is a review of MPow 4.2A dual usb port car charger. http://www.amazon.com/Mpow®-4-2Amps-Charger-Android-Devices/dp/B00HLHHBHA/
Car charger is probably one of the most common smartphone accessories. We all like to take trips, stream our favorite music stations, keep our eyes on the traffic with Google maps, make some phone calls, and maybe even have wifi hotspot running for other passengers in the car. All this is going to drain your phone battery in no time. That's why we need to keep our phone on a charger while driving. And not just any charger, we need something that's going to source enough current to charge your phone at max speed. Let's take a closer look at what I found.
Both of the MPow car changer units, black and white, arrived in a nicely packaged box with a front display showing the actual charger. Taking it out of the box revealed a very compact dual car charger, about 3.5" in length and almost 1" across usb port side. When I say compact, I mean it was a size of a regular single port charger, while they were actually able to squeeze two in there. Another good point about compact size is that it won't take too much room in cigarette outlet and won't interfere with anything next to it. Once plugged into the outlet, it has a nice soft blue light to indicate the power is on and also to guide the connection in the dark. I do have to note that usb connection itself is a bit on a tight side which is actually good to hold the cable without falling out. But at the same time pulling on the cable will actually remove the charger itself unless you hold it down with your hand.
The most important test is if it can actually deliver 2 amps per port. A lot of the chargers claim they do, but it only works when one port is plugged in. In this case, I was able to confirm charging my Note 2 at max speed (the same reading I get from my original 2A Samsung wall charger), and I was able to do that while also charging Nexus 7 (HD, 2013 edition) which charges at 1.5A. Although I don't have two Note 2 to verify full 4.2A dual charging capacity, I have a feeling that won't be a problem.
Overall, I found this dual usb car charger to have great performance, solid build, and delivering it's advertised charging capacity without a problem. Covered by 18-months warranty and currently on Amazon for $6.99 (down from original $9.99, need to use code MPOW01CA at checkout) - this is one fantastic value!
Here are the pictures.
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Good review. My car has a USB port built into the head unit, and it really isn't meant for charging. My Galaxy S III would just barely stream music via Slacker and hold the same battery percentage. If yoou're getting the same kind of charging capabilities out of this as you do with you wall charger, that's mighty impressive. I think I'll have to put this on my list of general accessories to get.

Hello Vectron, I just checked the amazon link, it's $7.99 now.

Pickson said:
Hello Vectron, I just checked the amazon link, it's $7.99 now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for pointing it out. I noticed they (MPow) constantly run specials on their products (car chargers, speakers, batteries) which gets noted in special offers section with a coupon code.

Perfect review. Might pick this on up.

vectron said:
Thanks for pointing it out. I noticed they (MPow) constantly run specials on their products (car chargers, speakers, batteries) which gets noted in special offers section with a coupon code.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you know the lowest price of a car charger? I found many car chargers which range from $7.99 to $14.99.

Battery Cases? Slim battery pack with quick charge?

So coming from a Samsung Note 2, 3,and 4, I'm missing the peace of mind that carrying around a freshly charged spare battery gives. I always felt lame tethering a phone to a battery pack while waiting for it to charge. Well, I love this Axon 7, so there's gotta be some auxiliary portable power to make up for that.
I ordered This portable battery from Amazon that is supposed to be the slimmest portable battery that still has Quick Charge. I'll have to see how it works/fits and report back. If anyone has seen anything else similar, please recommend.
I did find a 6" USB-C cable to use with it so there's not a lot of extra cable to keep coiled when charging.
Also curious if anyone has seen a battery case for this thing?
I don't plan to use them all the time, but sometimes I'll be away from a charger and I need to communicate with work.

I'm using the Xiaomi power bank pro (10Ah) that has USB Type-C and also Quick Charge and my phone is charging insanely fast (30 min to 80%). I got the powerbank for 25$ on aliexpress.
ps: that 5Ah power bank in the link you posted is a joke, you will be able to charge your phone just one time if the powerbank is full. ( real capacity around 3.5Ah).

razorsbk said:
I'm using the Xiaomi power bank pro (10Ah) that has USB Type-C and also Quick Charge and my phone is charging insanely fast (30 min to 80%). I got the powerbank for 25$ on aliexpress.
ps: that 5Ah power bank in the link you posted is a joke, you will be able to charge your phone just one time if the powerbank is full. ( real capacity around 3.5Ah).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the feedback - I'm actually looking for the slimmest/smallest power bank that I can get to charge in-pocket, as I already have a large 14,000 one that has QC that's about the same size as the Xiaomi one you mentioned. I only care about a single full recharge cycle - but one that does it as fast as possible for this need.

If you are happy with one charge then go for it.
Sent from my ZTE A2017G using Tapatalk

rEVOLVE said:
So coming from a Samsung Note 2, 3,and 4, I'm missing the peace of mind that carrying around a freshly charged spare battery gives. I always felt lame tethering a phone to a battery pack while waiting for it to charge. Well, I love this Axon 7, so there's gotta be some auxiliary portable power to make up for that.
I ordered This portable battery from Amazon that is supposed to be the slimmest portable battery that still has Quick Charge. I'll have to see how it works/fits and report back. If anyone has seen anything else similar, please recommend.
I did find a 6" USB-C cable to use with it so there's not a lot of extra cable to keep coiled when charging.
Also curious if anyone has seen a battery case for this thing?
I don't plan to use them all the time, but sometimes I'll be away from a charger and I need to communicate with work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I love these tiny phone-sized chargers as well - one charge is plenty for me as well (usually only need it when I'm walking around all day as a tourist or something). I just wish they would start to make some of these with USB-C cables built into them. I used to have one with built-in USB-micro and lightning adapter and loved it - when it was connected to the phone it was just like having a charger case in your pocket anyway...

spedinfargo said:
... just wish they would start to make some of these with USB-C cables built into them. I used to have one with built-in USB-micro and lightning adapter and loved it - when it was connected to the phone it was just like having a charger case in your pocket anyway...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I used to have one with the built in cable, too and that's actually the first thing I looked for, but being that there's not a lot of USB-C devices yet, I wasn't surprised that none existed with the built-in cable. Would be awesome if someone made one, though- I would immediately buy that if it was a single-charge slim w/ Quick Charge.

Just wanted to post my findings and pictures of the iKits unit.
Note that the shortie USB-C cable I ordered separately and does not come with the iKits unit! The iKits has a standard micro-usb that it comes with.Also be aware that the battery is labeled QuickCharge 3.0 - but that's only for charging the battery itself - I believe the capability to charge the phone is only at QC 2.0 (you'll see this sort of explained in the product description on Amazon link below).
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I ran my battery down all day to about 34%. Plugged it with this cable and battery unit and was to 100% in a little over an hour, so I am happy with charging speed. Also in the battery stats "power management" area of the Axon, it definitely stated "Quick Charging" during this period.
I'm still interested in a battery case if anyone runs across one.
Here are the links to the cable and charger on Amazon:
$6.88 6" USB-C Quick Charge supported cable
$29.99 iKits 5000Mah Quick Charge 2 portable battery

So does anyone know of a case that fits the Axon 7 that has a built-in battery, similar to the Morphy JuicePack?