Develop Bugs

Cheap charger

Hi Forum! I've two originals batteries for my GS2. I'd like to buy an external charger, but the original samsung is too expensive. I'd like to know the requirements for a battery charger, in order to buy a charger not dangerous for batteries: the cheaps chargers that is possible to buy from internet at 5 $, are dangerous ? There original charger have same protection circuit of charge ?
thx a lot

I'd stay away from those entry-level chargers if I was you.. Your GS2 is expensive enough to deserve better.
Personally, I find that the original Samsung charger is a bit weak (800mA/H max if I remember right. It's by my bedside and I'm too lazy to climb upstairs and check it ^^) and takes forever to recharge a battery to 100%.
So pretty soon after I switched from my HTC Desire S to the SGS2 (following an "eMMC brick" that left the HTC running, but in dire condition -it's slower than an asthmatic snail now), I "recycled" the original HTC charger plus the two more I had just bought for it (1 wallsocket and 1 special for cars with the adapter. Ironically, they were in the mail being delivered when the HTC got bricked).
I find them way better because 1) they're cheaper but seem to have the same kind of safety electronics packaged inside, since the amperage of the two devices is relatively close
and 2) they pump out 1000mA/h and they don't seem to bother the SGS2 too much, which charges a lot faster now and without any noticeable side-effects on the batteries (and I got 4 batteries, ranging from the stock 1650mA/H to 2000, so me knows what I'm talking 'bout, believe you me.. ^^).
I've heard that you can go even higher than that in the amperage of the charger, provided that it's specifically designed for smartphone use, but I don't feel like investing money in this just now, I'll need other batteries before I need another charger I guess

Snakeforhire said:
I'd stay away from those entry-level chargers if I was you.. Your GS2 is expensive enough to deserve better.
Personally, I find that the original Samsung charger is a bit weak (800mA/H max if I remember right. It's by my bedside and I'm too lazy to climb upstairs and check it ^^) and takes forever to recharge a battery to 100%.
So pretty soon after I switched from my HTC Desire S to the SGS2 (following an "eMMC brick" that left the HTC running, but in dire condition -it's slower than an asthmatic snail now), I "recycled" the original HTC charger plus the two more I had just bought for it (1 wallsocket and 1 special for cars with the adapter. Ironically, they were in the mail being delivered when the HTC got bricked).
I find them way better because 1) they're cheaper but seem to have the same kind of safety electronics packaged inside, since the amperage of the two devices is relatively close
and 2) they pump out 1000mA/h and they don't seem to bother the SGS2 too much, which charges a lot faster now and without any noticeable side-effects on the batteries (and I got 4 batteries, ranging from the stock 1650mA/H to 2000, so me knows what I'm talking 'bout, believe you me.. ^^).
I've heard that you can go even higher than that in the amperage of the charger, provided that it's specifically designed for smartphone use, but I don't feel like investing money in this just now, I'll need other batteries before I need another charger I guess
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm sorry, but my questions was referred to charger EBH1A2USBE, that is a battery charger stand.
Is this charger dangerous for battery ? Have this charger a chip to control tha charge of battery ?
thx

I got a charger off Ebay for cheap and it caught fire. If you value your life avoid the cheap knockoffs!!

agree with above posters, stayy away from cheap knock offs, buy OEM.

It is at 13 USD on Exportprive so not to expensive and real samsung
Enviado desde mi GT-I9100 usando Tapatalk

Great and fairly cheap car charger by TomTom

Hi guys!
Last week I was shopping around at a local electronics retailer when I noticed a car charger made by TomTom for a decent price (I paid ~18 Euros).
It has two USB ports, one of whom is rated at 2.1A and the other at 1A. It also has a 12V car pass-through jack, so you can plug in another 12V device.
I saw it available at Amazon.de and .co.uk:
UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/TomTom-Univ...tphones/dp/tech-data/B004SH3ERC/ref=de_a_smtd
£10.89
DE: http://www.amazon.de/TomTom-High-Sp...3ERC/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1327522692&sr=8-4
€18.35
I thought, you might be interested

Being a frugal shopper I've tried to scrimp on car chargers and leads and adapters for my ZTE Blade and more recently my Note and I've also spent time and effort ripping them apart to solder pins to try to encourage fast charging of my Note. While they can all charge a sleeping phone perfectly well, not one combination of bits and pieces has succeeded in keeping my Note charged while using CoPilot sat nav.
So finally I bit the bullet and bought the proper Samsung 1 Amp charger from Amazon. It was £10 with free delivery and has proved an instant hit, successfully topping up the charge in the phone while running the sat nav app. Why oh why did I not buy it sooner. It would have saved money and grief.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B005ZHD6E0/ref=oh_o00_s00_i00_details
(It's now even cheaper than when I bought it, costing just £9.80 today.)
p.s. the supplied coiled lead is quite short when tightly coiled, which can be a good thing if it doesn't need to go far, but if you have a long distance to cover it might be a problem. I haven't tried stretching it to see how far it might go as I'm happy with it as is and don't want it to go all loose and floppy.

Here is a great two output usb car charger, one of which supports high output current.. less that $10
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00470C35E/ref=oh_o03_s00_i00_details

Read the third review of that charger, by K Crawford. You may wish to reconsider.
As I stated in my previous post I have bought a couple of different "high current" car chargers and neither one will charge the Note quickly enough to maintain or increase charge while running satnav. It's all to do with the black arts involved in triggering the phone to draw the current that is potentially available. I've tried tweaking the chargers themselves (shorting the two centre pins) and also tried using the Note's supplied USB lead with them, but to no avail. A high current charger is no use if the phone refuses to draw current above the "safe" 500mA USB standard. That's the problem with many of these third party chargers, be they mains or car. I've spent more money in total on "cheap" solutions than it would have cost to buy the original item in the first place.
This looks like one of them - http://www.dealextreme.com/p/car-cigarette-powered-dual-usb-adapter-charger-for-ipod-dc-12-24v-48029
And this looks similar to the other - http://www.dealextreme.com/p/designer-s-car-cigarette-powered-dual-usb-adapter-charger-72932
Maybe they were both simply too cheap, but whatever the reason they did not meet the needs. This is why I finally caved and bought the real deal, by Samsung, and now my car charging woes are over.

tdodd said:
Being a frugal shopper I've tried to scrimp on car chargers and leads and adapters for my ZTE Blade and more recently my Note and I've also spent time and effort ripping them apart to solder pins to try to encourage fast charging of my Note. While they can all charge a sleeping phone perfectly well, not one combination of bits and pieces has succeeded in keeping my Note charged while using CoPilot sat nav.
So finally I bit the bullet and bought the proper Samsung 1 Amp charger from Amazon. It was £10 with free delivery and has proved an instant hit, successfully topping up the charge in the phone while running the sat nav app. Why oh why did I not buy it sooner. It would have saved money and grief.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B005ZHD6E0/ref=oh_o00_s00_i00_details
(It's now even cheaper than when I bought it, costing just £9.80 today.)
p.s. the supplied coiled lead is quite short when tightly coiled, which can be a good thing if it doesn't need to go far, but if you have a long distance to cover it might be a problem. I haven't tried stretching it to see how far it might go as I'm happy with it as is and don't want it to go all loose and floppy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This will get you the same item in the USA.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005ZHD6E0/ref=oh_o00_s00_i00_details
kraz

Best portable battery?

Hi all,
I'm wondering if anyone has any experience with portable battery packs. I don't mean extended batteries either. I mean the universal usb charger kind that packs several thousand mAh.
I'm looking to get one for a nine hour flight, and I want to know what is a good brand.

Luuthian said:
Hi all,
I'm wondering if anyone has any experience with portable battery packs. I don't mean extended batteries either. I mean the universal usb charger kind that packs several thousand mAh.
I'm looking to get one for a nine hour flight, and I want to know what is a good brand.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't answer your question, but a lot of planes have a USB/charging input now. I know when I fly Air Canada, they have it.

I have had an Energizer XP18000 for about 3 months now and it has surpassed my expectations.
It holds 18000 mAh of power and will charge my Gnex and my Xoom at the same time (need to order a special tip for the Xoom/non standard device). I use it for long train rides to keep my phone topped up.
When watching HD video over 4G my battery level will drop about 1-2% every half hour, so it is not charging as fast as the wall charger, but it is enough to keep you from having a dead battery when you get to your destination. With my usage I can go 3 to 4 days and never need to look at a wall outlet.
The size is about as big as a external hard drive. There is also a wall charger that has a good size power brick in the middle of it. You can remove it when you don't need the wall charger, but I keep everything in one small bag so all I have to do is set it down next to an outlet and top up the external battery, then fold the cord into the bag and pull out what ever cord I need when I am on the move. It works just fine with the original Samsung usb charging cable.
I picked mine up from Amazon but you might be able to find a better deal if you look hard enough. They make a smaller model too that is only 8000 mAh.
I always keep it in my bag and it works so well for me that I don't even need the extended battery and leave 4G on all the time.
http://www.energizerpowerpacks.com/us/products/xp18000/

Beautiful. Thanks Dante. And yeah, I heard some planes have USB chargers now. Unfortunately I'm not flying with them. I live near YVR, but Air Canada is having a bunch of problems with their workers right now. Last thing I need is flight delays or bad service.

I did a ton of research before buying mine. I wanted a pocket sized one, that had large capacity (enough to fully charge the phone twice), and could charge a device at a full 1 amp. After much research, I bought the original version of this one:
http://www.newtrent.com/store/iphone-external-battery/iphone-battery-imp50d.html
Mine has less markings and I believe both ports on mine are 1 amp, where as the new one has one 500mA and one 1A port. Mine was also like $55, this one is on sale for barely over $40, an even better deal.
It is very powerful - 5,000 mAh will charge the phone 3+ times - much bigger than other "pocket batteries", fits in a pocket nicely (I wear cargo pants) because it's skinny, like a deck of cards. Fairly light too. Only complaint is that I bought it before MicroUSB became the new standard, so it charges with miniUSB instead.
I carry a retractable mini-usb cable, and a retractable microUSB cable, in an altoids tin, in in my pocket with it. Works great, can charge my friends phones at the same time as me. Had it for 2 years, still going strong!
There are newer designs they have now too if you look at their website.
It does take a long while to charge - 8 hours to charge fully or so if you charge off a 500mAh USB port, because it's a huge battery! a lot less maybe 4 hours if you charge off a high speed 1A charger.

i was looking at this one http://www.amazon.ca/Anker-8400mAh-...UTF8&coliid=I3IVVC4G6YETK&colid=1ILTNQ88L4FE5
it has a 2amp 5v port, this can charge a transformer prime with the screen off.

I got this one recently:
http://www.amazon.com/Anker-SlimTal..._1_2?s=wireless&ie=UTF8&qid=1335035472&sr=1-2
Its (much) smaller than my Nexus, has a built in micro-usb cable, and charges via micro-usb as well. While it doesn't have the capacity of those listed above (only 3200mAh), it was only $20 and the size really does let you take it everywhere.
It can fully charge it the phone from dead about 1.5 times.
I bought mine due mainly to the fact that it includes the micro-usb cable that hides away when not in use. It has a standard USB port as well for charging other items, but the appeal of only having to carry one item and no extra cable sold me.
My only complaint is that the built in cable could be a bit longer.
It has a flashlight too... lol

Been researching this topic lately and found that Anker's 10,000mah external battery is looking the best
Sent from my i9250 (GSM) Galaxy Nexus.
[email protected]

I use the Veho Pebble and it's fine for my needs. I get 2 charges out of it.

after hours of my own research I also bought the Anker Slimtalk. I dont travel enough to need one that is huge and can charge my phone 8 times. This seems small enough to toss in my pocket and not bother me since its so thin and light. For $20 and the convenience of having its built in micro usb cable sounds like a perfect little invention to get me through the day.
If I traveled more I would of probably got the Energizer XP8000. Their tip program is awesome. Free tips for life but really its $2 shipping each. if you want this device to charge a whole bunch of things it can. My Acer netbook, EVO 3D, girlfriends RAZR, 3DS, bluetooth, iPad 2, Nook, and the list goes on. I've been trying to ask New Trent for almost a week if their products would be compatible with the Energizer Tip program but found that contrary to what I've read their customer support is terrible, but their prices are better than energizer. So they loose out on the sale since over the last few times of researching has allowed me to find the Slimtalk which for the price and for my needs is perfect.

Curb71 said:
after hours of my own research I also bought the Anker Slimtalk. I dont travel enough to need one that is huge and can charge my phone 8 times. This seems small enough to toss in my pocket and not bother me since its so thin and light. For $20 and the convenience of having its built in micro usb cable sounds like a perfect little invention to get me through the day.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly why I went with it. Even while traveling I'm generally within range of a car or home charger, especially now that pretty much everyone without an iPhone has a micro USB charger somewhere.
I just wish it had a built in AC adapter as well but I'm sure the size would increase by quite a bit. Someone (iGo maybe) makes one like that but it only has about an 1100mah battery if I recall.

I found something here in the Netherlands, and I'm not quite sure if you guys in the US have the same thing..
The thing this has going for it is it's portability. It fits in your pocket, and if you don't mind a big lump in your pockets, it even fits together with your phone.
Click over there <<< to check out the dutch website of duracell. It basically is a battery with a socket plug on it, and 2 USB outlets.
Tech. info:
Output voltage: 5 volts DC
Input voltage: 5 volts DC, max. 1 amp
Capacity: 1800 mAh
Offcourse, this is the dutch version, with the dutch socket plug, but maybe there's an US version as well?

Thanks for all the info here guys. I have that crappy Black and Decker Pocket Power from a few years back, that well, isn't living up to the charge these days, so I need something else.
Still a bit too many options, but I'm sure I'll find one that works the best.

Cheap Charger on ebay

I recently bought one of these chargers on ebay from tuttoit (12V 1.5A 18W AC HOME Charger Adapter for MOTOROLA XOOM 4G LTE 3G Wi-Fi - can't post link due to xda restrictions). The charger works OK (charges quite quickly in fact) but I've found my xoom cannot be used while this charger is plugged in! The screen become unusable and therefore I have to wait until I have finished charging before I can use my xoom again. I think it may be to do with the charger not earthing properly.
Also the black box on the charger gets very hot.
Just posting this info to help anyone thinking of buying this charger.

Further to my previous post: DO NOT BUY A CHARGER FROM TUTTOIT ON EBAY.
Mine died after a few weeks of use. They are cheap rubbish.
(That'll teach me to buy cheap off eBay )

This stinks that you experienced this...but for the most part...its pretty common these days.
I try to use OEM products whenever possible and pay a little extra. I had a bad experience with a non OEM laptop charger years ago...and it friend my motherboard and power supply unit on my Thinkpad - thankfully I was able to find a used MoBo and install myself for 35 bucks.

tincbtrar said:
I try to use OEM products whenever possible and pay a little extra.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good advice.
I took the broken one apart and the circuit board inside had been fried.
Yesterday I looked for a Motorola charger and couldn't find one, even on the Motorola website!
Ended up buying another one from Hong Kong but I think the quality is a bit better (fingers crossed).

What about Amazon?
http://www.amazon.com/Motorola-Trav...8&qid=1344675498&sr=8-1&keywords=xoom+charger

Didn't think of Amazon and the price is about what I paid on eBay! D'oh.
Might buy one of theirs as well.
Thanx.

DO NOT BUY A CHEAP CHARGER FROM xiaoqinzhang2009 ON EBAY! Seller now known as micro-estore.
I did it again!
This second charger does the same as the first; you can't use the touchscreen while it is charging and it gets very hot.
I doubt these are made to Australian manufacturing standards.
I'm following tincbtrar's advice and going OEM from now on.

[Q] Recommendation for a car charger and a power bank

Hi guys,
I have a very bad battery life on my OPO (max 2-2:30 SOT), and I need a good car charger while I use GPS, and a power bank.
I would appreciate it if you can give me links on ebay.
BTW, is it safe for the phone to use these chargers?
Thank you!

Maya2015 said:
Hi guys,
I have a very bad battery life on my OPO (max 2-2:30 SOT), and I need a good car charger while I use GPS, and a power bank.
I would appreciate it if you can give me links on ebay.
BTW, is it safe for the phone to use these chargers?
Thank you!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00D82O68Y/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_zcMEvbJ3P1E63
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SUY4KPY/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_-dMEvb8S92V0C
I feel that the OnePlus bank is a solid choice. I've been very pleased with mine.
The charging rate with screen on is limited. The stock amperage limit with screen on is 1A. I get notably better current flow on CyanideL (likely a kernel thing).

Coug76 said:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00D82O68Y/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_zcMEvbJ3P1E63
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SUY4KPY/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_-dMEvb8S92V0C
I feel that the OnePlus bank is a solid choice. I've been very pleased with mine.
The charging rate with screen on is limited. The stock amperage limit with screen on is 1A. I get notably better current flow on CyanideL (likely a kernel thing).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your reply.
Amazon doesn't ship to my country.
Do you have a link on Ebay or Aliexpress?
Regarding the power bank, do you recommend the One plus bank than the Xiaomi power bank 10,400mah?
Thanks again!

The OPO bank is a safe choice, since it's from them and likely tested by most forum members to be accurate.
Xiaomi, especially on Aliexpress and eBay, has a LOT of fakes, obviously cashing in on the brand and shortages. Make sure it has branding inside the USB ports if you are buying Mi. The 16000 is a less faked model, since it's newer and uses a different form factor. The advantage it has over the OPO bank is it supports 2A on both ports, and gives max current of 2.1A / 1A total when two devices are plugged in.
With the OPO, it gives 1A / 1A when two devices are plugged in, and 2A maximum on a single device. If you do not charge multiple devices often, the OPO is cheaper and less likely to be fake.

RootTwo said:
The OPO bank is a safe choice, since it's from them and likely tested by most forum members to be accurate.
Xiaomi, especially on Aliexpress and eBay, has a LOT of fakes, obviously cashing in on the brand and shortages. Make sure it has branding inside the USB ports if you are buying Mi. The 16000 is a less faked model, since it's newer and uses a different form factor. The advantage it has over the OPO bank is it supports 2A on both ports, and gives max current of 2.1A / 1A total when two devices are plugged in.
With the OPO, it gives 1A / 1A when two devices are plugged in, and 2A maximum on a single device. If you do not charge multiple devices often, the OPO is cheaper and less likely to be fake.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi there,
Thanks for your reply.
I can buy only from Ebay or Aliexpress, because One plus doesn't ship to my country.
The One bank is about 30USD over there, and the Xiaomi is half price, that is why I thought of it, but it is hard to know if either of them is fake.
Do you have an idea about a decent car charger?
Thanks again for your help.

Maya2015 said:
Hi there,
Thanks for your reply.
I can buy only from Ebay or Aliexpress, because One plus doesn't ship to my country.
The One bank is about 30USD over there, and the Xiaomi is half price, that is why I thought of it, but it is hard to know if either of them is fake.
Do you have an idea about a decent car charger?
Thanks again for your help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Anything that is a 2.1A car charger should do it. If you are unsure of the quality, you could always get a charge doctor for $2 USD on Aliexpress, which will tell you if the port is good or not. For example, if the reading shows 0.5A output or less, the product is garbage and you should demand a refund. I suggest getting one if you buy chargers and power banks on eBay, since it can validate how good (or bad) your product will be.
If you still want the Mi bank, two things to look for are the small Mi logo inside the USB output ports, and test to see if you can still charge your device while the power bank itself is charging (pass through charging). These two features are hard to fake. Do not rely on serial number stickers, since counterfeiters will sometimes put a fake power bank inside a real box that they salvaged from someone else.

RootTwo said:
Anything that is a 2.1A car charger should do it. If you are unsure of the quality, you could always get a charge doctor for $2 USD on Aliexpress, which will tell you if the port is good or not. For example, if the reading shows 0.5A output or less, the product is garbage and you should demand a refund. I suggest getting one if you buy chargers and power banks on eBay, since it can validate how good (or bad) your product will be.
If you still want the Mi bank, two things to look for are the small Mi logo inside the USB output ports, and test to see if you can still charge your device while the power bank itself is charging (pass through charging). These two features are hard to fake. Do not rely on serial number stickers, since counterfeiters will sometimes put a fake power bank inside a real box that they salvaged from someone else.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are these charge doctors reliable?
If I buy one plus bank on eBay, is it safer than the Xiaomi one?
Thanks!

Maya2015 said:
Are these charge doctors reliable?
If I buy one plus bank on eBay, is it safer than the Xiaomi one?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes they are. It's a simple circuit with a high resistance to measure current and an LED readout. A few forum users have them to do readouts, and they can detect bad wall adapters and cables too. They are accurate +/- 50mA, which is good enough, considering a bad output will be off by 500-1500mA.
As for safety, eBay is always a gamble. I would go for a seller with a return policy, so if your charge doctor test shows the product is defective or fake, you can send it back.

RootTwo said:
Yes they are. It's a simple circuit with a high resistance to measure current and an LED readout. A few forum users have them to do readouts, and they can detect bad wall adapters and cables too. They are accurate +/- 50mA, which is good enough, considering a bad output will be off by 500-1500mA.
As for safety, eBay is always a gamble. I would go for a seller with a return policy, so if your charge doctor test shows the product is defective or fake, you can send it back.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just ordered one from Aliexpress for 1.29USD
Also ordered a Belkin car charger from eBay. (probably a fake one)...
If it is less than 2.1a, is it unsafe for the phone, or will just charge slowly the phone?
Thanks!

Maya2015 said:
Just ordered one from Aliexpress for 1.29USD
Also ordered a Belkin car charger from eBay. (probably a fake one)...
If it is less than 2.1a, is it unsafe for the phone, or will just charge slowly the phone?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
2.1A is the maximum output, which is more likely to be closer to 1.7A because of cheap parts. What you are concerned with is the minimum rate. It should charge your phone at a minimum of 0.7A, unless your charging cable is bad. You can find out which charging cable is better by connecting them one at a time to the charge doctor connected to the wall wart and picking the cable that gives a higher current output. This is how I sort out all the charging cables I get from eBay, and a good number of them have bad pin shorts that lead to them being capped at 0.5A.

RootTwo said:
2.1A is the maximum output, which is more likely to be closer to 1.7A because of cheap parts. What you are concerned with is the minimum rate. It should charge your phone at a minimum of 0.7A, unless your charging cable is bad. You can find out which charging cable is better by connecting them one at a time to the charge doctor connected to the wall wart and picking the cable that gives a higher current output. This is how I sort out all the charging cables I get from eBay, and a good number of them have bad pin shorts that lead to them being capped at 0.5A.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the original One plus cable, so this shouldn't be the problem.
I will check the car charger once I will get the charge doctor.
Thanks for all the info.!