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i bought that Motorola Rapid Car charger recent and have been using it about a week now. i've noticed that it doesn't seem to charge my Thunderbolt any faster then it did when i was using the Thunderbolt's USB cable with this USB car charger adapter.
so, my question is, why is it called "rapid" if it doesn't charge any faster?
and i suppose secondly, is there an actual microUSB charger that will charge the Thunderbolt faster?
they make one for the iphone that will fully charge it in 30 minutes so i know they are out there.
voxigenboy said:
i bought that Motorola Rapid Car charger recent and have been using it about a week now. i've noticed that it doesn't seem to charge my Thunderbolt any faster then it did when i was using the Thunderbolt's USB cable with this USB car charger adapter.
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Click to collapse
Maybe you should try this one.
Install the battery monitor widget. Monitor the battery for about 20 minutes while charging. Tell us what the charge current is.
Does the Motorola charger include a cable? If not, you may just have a weak cable. I have seen cheap cables with wire so thin that the charging current is no better then charging off a weak USB port.
My experience has been that the phone typically recognizes car charges as USB charging and uses a different charging profile. My solution to that is use a wall charger through an inverter or a kernel that doesn't use radically different charging profiles for A/C and USB.
loonatik78 said:
My experience has been that the phone typically recognizes car charges as USB charging and uses a different charging profile. My solution to that is use a wall charger through an inverter or a kernel that doesn't use radically different charging profiles for A/C and USB.
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Click to collapse
No need for that.
Cut a small piece of aluminum foil. Carefully place it where it shorts the two center conductors in the charger. Plug the USB cable into the charger. Make sure the foil stays in place over the two center conductors.
It is now a high rate charger. (assuming it can put out 1 amp.)
The limiting factor is typically the usb cable itself. Most usb cables can't support the 1amp that is provided to it. Since you used the original usb cable that came with the thunderbolt (that's been "shorted" as mentioned above" ) it will be just as fast as the moto car charger. the 1amp charging rate that the moto charger charges at (i have one) and that the original one charges at are already "rapid". if you plugged a normal usb cable from somewhere else into the other usb car charger, it'd be much much slower
squeakyl said:
The limiting factor is typically the usb cable itself. Most usb cables can't support the 1amp that is provided to it. Since you used the original usb cable that came with the thunderbolt (that's been "shorted" as mentioned above" ) it will be just as fast as the moto car charger. the 1amp charging rate that the moto charger charges at (i have one) and that the original one charges at are already "rapid". if you plugged a normal usb cable from somewhere else into the other usb car charger, it'd be much much slower
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Click to collapse
The stock charger is what shorts the connections. The cable is NOT shorted on the two inner pins because they are the data connections used for connecting your phone to a computer.
doodlebro said:
The stock charger is what shorts the connections. The cable is NOT shorted on the two inner pins because they are the data connections used for connecting your phone to a computer.
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To meet the USB charging spec (which the TB uses), the two inner (data) contacts should be shorted with no more that 200 ohms.
But, the cable can also be an issue for rapid charging. The voltage drop for a 1A/5V source, across only .5 M of 28 gauge copper is ~220 mV. If you use a longer cable, there's more voltage drop. The TB likely current limits itself when the voltage drops below a certain threshold. Best to buy 24 gauge USB cables, if you can, especially if getting longer ones (monoprice has them).
voxigenboy said:
i bought that Motorola Rapid Car charger recent and have been using it about a week now. i've noticed that it doesn't seem to charge my Thunderbolt any faster then it did when i was using the Thunderbolt's USB cable with this USB car charger adapter.
so, my question is, why is it called "rapid" if it doesn't charge any faster?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think its a matter of rated output current. BUT on the other side, the phone must be capable of drawing/using that much current. If the adapter is rated for more current than the phone can charge, the "extra" current wont be supplied.
Initially, Moto's standard car chargers output 5V and up to 550ma max (just like a standard PC USB port) so they didn't charge phones all that fast. Moto then came out with chargers that had higher current output, so they were capable of charging the phones "faster" than the original car chargers (but on par with the home/travel/AC chargers) and called them "rapid car chargers"..
Today, the current output on the Moto SPN5400A car charger is 0-950mA, and I've seen it sometimes referred to as "Rapid Car charger."
But as far as I know, Moto no longer makes/sells the lower current car chargers, and their web site only shows one MicroUSB and one MiniUSB car charger for sale, both of which appear to be of the 0-950mA output variety.
voxigenboy said:
and i suppose secondly, is there an actual microUSB charger that will charge the Thunderbolt faster?
they make one for the iphone that will fully charge it in 30 minutes so i know they are out there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just because someone makes such a charger for the iPhone, doesn't mean one must exist for the TB, or other phones, does it? I know the iPad uses a 2A charger. What happens if you connect an iPhone to that? will it charge faster? I guess that depends on if the iPhone is capable of drawing more than 1A to charge it.
I've not seen a "home" or AC charger that can charge the TB any faster than the Stock 1A charger. Does such a thing exist?
A proper car charger with 950mA to 1A output should charge the TB at almost exactly the same rate as the stock 1A wall/AC charger.
And btw, the Moto SPN5400A car charger DOES charge my TB in about the same amount of time that it takes me to charge my TB at home with the stock HTC charger. So while its not "rapid" compared to the stock home/travel/AC charger, its "rapid" compared to PC USB Port charging, or a plain lower current car charger.
KidJoe said:
I've not seen a "home" or AC charger that can charge the TB any faster than the Stock 1A charger. Does such a thing exist?
A proper car charger with 950mA to 1A output should charge the TB at almost exactly the same rate as the stock 1A wall/AC charger.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I made a charger for my motorcycle. I use it as a GPS, screen on MAX, phone active with marginal signal. And I wanted to actually charge the battery at the same time. I did a lot of experimenting with the Thunderbolt. It would not exceed a pull of about 850ma from the supply, even at 5.5 volts. IMHO, you are wasting time looking for any charger over 1 amp.
Also, even with about 850ma in, not much over 500ma is getting to the battery. So a totally dead battery is still going to take between 2 and 3 hours to charge, no matter what charger you have. And twice that long if the charger looks like a PC USB port.
worwig said:
I made a charger for my motorcycle. I use it as a GPS, screen on MAX, phone active with marginal signal. And I wanted to actually charge the battery at the same time. I did a lot of experimenting with the Thunderbolt. It would not exceed a pull of about 850ma from the supply, even at 5.5 volts. IMHO, you are wasting time looking for any charger over 1 amp.
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Click to collapse
I was asking because of the OP's statement about knowing "they must exist" because they are out there for the iPhone.
I'm perfectly happy with my Moto car charger, and how fast it charges my phones.
What is the best solution for quick charging the Galaxy Nexus in an automobile?
I have started to use 12-220 volt converter so I can use wall chargers.
I have bought a few of the low profile car usb chargers but they were never recognized as an AC charge. Come to find out, it was the USB cable. I bought a usb charging cable from Amazon last week and it goes in the USB charger and the phone does not think it is a USB charge. I have not timed it but it is recognized the same as the wall charger.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003VYBCAY
ellisz said:
I have bought a few of the low profile car usb chargers but they were never recognized as an AC charge. Come to find out, it was the USB cable. I bought a usb charging cable from Amazon last week and it goes in the USB charger and the phone does not think it is a USB charge. I have not timed it but it is recognized the same as the wall charger.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003VYBCAY
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Click to collapse
+1 .. this solution has been working great for me, as well.
I've been getting 2.1A car chargers (look for ones for the iPad), most of the ones I had prior to this were 700mA or so and they can't keep up with my 1A phones. Be careful of dual port chargers advertising 2A, they may only be 1A each and may be "optimistic" about that rating. And don't worry about getting one rated for too much current, the Galaxy Nexus won't pull more than an amp no matter what the charger rating.
Some really good solutions here and thank you all for the help.
I'd really hate to use an inventer in my car just to maintain a clean install, so that really isnt an option for me.
Was really hoping to be able to use a off the shelf car charger with the correct pins to trick the GNexus into thinking that it was charging from a USB port, but the above solution should work well with using a socket USB charger.
I've never run into a car adapter that looks like a USB port, including the VZW charger with a spare port or the cheap 2.1A chargers I got from Amazon. My guess is that a charger not built correctly and leaving the data pins open only supports ~500mA anyway. Even if that's not the case I have a moral objection toward buying a cable to fix a design flaw in another cheap product - but that's just me
Grant H said:
Some really good solutions here and thank you all for the help.
I'd really hate to use an inventer in my car just to maintain a clean install, so that really isnt an option for me.
Was really hoping to be able to use a off the shelf car charger with the correct pins to trick the GNexus into thinking that it was charging from a USB port, but the above solution should work well with using a socket USB charger.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've got a charger similar to http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/USB-Car-...ccessories&hash=item4ab18358f4#ht_1638wt_1392
All I had to do was undo the screws at the top, put a bit of solder between the middle usb pins, and my phone recognises it as a AC source rather than USB.
There has got to be a standard car charger on the market with the middle usb pins already soldiered!
I found this on Amazon which advertises itself as a rapid charging device.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000S5Q9CA
Grant H said:
What is the best solution for quick charging the Galaxy Nexus in an automobile?
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Click to collapse
Make sure the charger has the IC (rapid) chip. I use this one:
http://www.amazon.com/Motorola-Vehicle-Adapter-micro-USB-Charger/dp/B000S5Q9CA
I've heard that Motorola one mentioned a lot as a good one.
The nice thing about having the low-profile usb plug is (a) it is low profile, (b) I can use it to charge other devices. The charge-only cable is only about $4, so I had no issues buying it to work with this to charge as an AC charge over a USB charge.
Grant H said:
There has got to be a standard car charger on the market with the middle usb pins already soldiered!
I found this on Amazon which advertises itself as a rapid charging device.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000S5Q9CA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have this one and it charges just like it does from the home outlet and its says "AC" charging. I bought another 8 for family and friends and they all love it.
I think I've figured out the disconnect, I've run into chargers that appear as a USB host which limits the charging to 500mA on previous phones I've had.
You guys are concerned about USB vs. AC charging mode. Of the chargers I've got, this one lists as AC while the rest as USB. However, the fact that the other chargers all work just fine keeping up with GPS+streaming music indicates that the USB vs. AC really has no bearing on the charge current delivered. I'd stay away from charge-only cables just because they'll get mixed in with your standard USB cables and you'll knock yourself out wondering why they don't work. On the other hand, if you really want AC in your battery info order the one I linked.
I keep it in my car... i think I've heard on other threads that USB charging doesn't keep up with GPS (for Directions). Any verify?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App
TheKaz said:
I keep it in my car... i think I've heard on other threads that USB charging doesn't keep up with GPS (for Directions). Any verify?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What's much more important is the rating on the power source. The GN can pull up to 1000mA, if your charger is only rated for 800mA (like many car chargers) it doesn't matter if it's in AC mode.
jdbower said:
What's much more important is the rating on the power source. The GN can pull up to 1000mA, if your charger is only rated for 800mA (like many car chargers) it doesn't matter if it's in AC mode.
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Click to collapse
makes sense.. the one I use has dual usb (1.0 and 2.1)
You went and gave me a project for the weekend, and once again science prevails over anecdotal evidence. I took each of my 5 chargers and hooked them up to a 12V power supply that measures current. I then recorded whether the charger reported AC or USB, for the ones with USB I modified a right-angle adapter to short out the data pins, and I measured the current. The contenders:
Verizon Wireless Dual Charger
XTG Dual Port Charger
Griffen Powerjolt Dual USB Charger
Griffen Portjolt Micro
CostMad Dual USB Charger
The VZW model was USB out the external port as I had tested before, however AC out the built-in cable which I hadn't bothered to test. It pulled 0.25A @12V via the USB port and 0.59A via the cable. Hmmm... A hole develops in my previous observation. While I had used this on a long car trip with no issues, it was via the built-in cable.
The XTG was new, I hadn't used it before as it's in the car I rarely drive. It reported USB and 0.22A. With the adapter to make it report AC it pulled 0.48A.
The pattern was set. I had expected the Griffen adapters to be built more appropriately but the dual charger reported 0.22A without the adapter and 0.42A with. I had used this without losing charge in the past so this was surprising to me, but it's possible I just wasn't drawing as much current because the screen was dimmer or something.
The compact Griffen adapter (which is great for a laptop bag, BTW) pulled 0.21A and 0.47A respectively.
The cheap CostMad adapter was the only one that performed well out of the box, both reporting AC and pulled 0.57A.
In theory, a perfect adapter should pull 0.42A. Anything more is waste, anything less means it's not keeping up. I have doubts about the Griffen 2x allowing for a full amp, but the VZW and CostMad chargers are pretty lossy. What's even worse is that I'm pretty sure the VZW charger is rated for 800mA (but I can't find an actual spec on it) which would mean that it pulled the most power for the least current. Not that this really matters unless you've got an electric car.
Sorry for misleading you earlier, I should have checked the other port of the known-good VZW charger and probably doublechecked the numbers on my other "known good" charger. Still hating cables that work for charging but not for data, I ended up modifying each of the chargers to short the middle pins (except for the VZW one). If I didn't have the soldering iron for this, I probably would have gone for some of these instead.
Grant H said:
There has got to be a standard car charger on the market with the middle usb pins already soldiered!
I found this on Amazon which advertises itself as a rapid charging device.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000S5Q9CA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
CyberPunk7t9 said:
Make sure the charger has the IC (rapid) chip. I use this one:
http://www.amazon.com/Motorola-Vehicle-Adapter-micro-USB-Charger/dp/B000S5Q9CA
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Click to collapse
I'm using the same one and it works perfect. Charges even when GPS navigation is running.
Make sure you select Amazon as the seller though. I heard there are a lot of fake ones.
Grant H said:
There has got to be a standard car charger on the market with the middle usb pins already soldiered!
I found this on Amazon which advertises itself as a rapid charging device.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000S5Q9CA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 to those recommending this one. I have this exact model and it does indeed charge at the "AC" rate, about twice as fast as the "USB" rate.
TheKaz said:
I keep it in my car... i think I've heard on other threads that USB charging doesn't keep up with GPS (for Directions). Any verify?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Motorola one will charge even when using GPS. I have a friend I bought one for that uses his GPS all day and loves the Motorola charger.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=0S8-0088-00030
Is there likely to be any compatibility issue with my N 5? I'd like something like this to provide an additional output for my Moto 360 for charging and the price seems right. (On sale today, at lest for us in the US.) If it matters I wold be using it with a Qi wireless charger.
As an aside and I'm going to have to search... My N 5 doesn't always charge using a Qi charger. Does that depend on the output of the charger and will Qi chargers take advantage of the extra output? Do the need the extra output? I just put my N 5 on a Qi charger driven by the wall wort for my HP Touchpad (rated for 2.1A output.) The phone is at 95% and is not charging at all. The light on the Qi charger remains red instead of turning green. I'm wondering if that is because the high level of charge or is this one of the times it is not going to charge. :
Edit: Doh! It won't charge if the charging pad is upside down. While rebooting my phone I noticed that. With the phone off, it was drawing 760 mA form the charger (measured using one of those USB volt-amp meters.) After the phone booted up, it is back to not charging.
If it truly is a "smart" charger it should work. I haven't heard of that brand so I can't really vouch for it. Due to the design of the charger though keep in mind that it will cover both outlets on your wall. My favorite 4-port charger is the Anker model:
http://www.amazon.com/Anker-Quad-Po...SS4U/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1413293539&sr=8-2
Four ports but horizontal so it does not take up both outlets. I also know from experience that it works great with the Nexus 5, Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HDX, iPhone 4s... everything I've thrown at it. And it charges the Nexus 5 faster than on the stock charger.
My Pixel C tablet does not start to charge immediately when I plug it in to any charger. It registers that it is plugged in straight away, the battery icon changes straight away to the icon with a lightning bolt and the Ampere app registers as being plugged in, but it does not start charging. The battery information screen says 'Not charging' and ampere says the battery is still discharging. After about a minute this usually changes and the tablet does start charging, but a couple of times it has not charged at all while registering that it has been plugged in for half an hour.
This happened with my brand new tablet, so I returned it and the second and third replacements have been exactly the same. This happens using different chargers and in different locations (I have tried different sockets around my house and at work).
Has anyone else experienced this? I am about to return my third tablet for a refund as I don't want such an expensive device that I can't trust is going to charge.
andrewgnix said:
My Pixel C tablet does not start to charge immediately when I plug it in to any charger. It registers that it is plugged in straight away, the battery icon changes straight away to the icon with a lightning bolt and the Ampere app registers as being plugged in, but it does not start charging. The battery information screen says 'Not charging' and ampere says the battery is still discharging. After about a minute this usually changes and the tablet does start charging, but a couple of times it has not charged at all while registering that it has been plugged in for half an hour.
This happened with my brand new tablet, so I returned it and the second and third replacements have been exactly the same. This happens using different chargers and in different locations (I have tried different sockets around my house and at work).
Has anyone else experienced this? I am about to return my third tablet for a refund as I don't want such an expensive device that I can't trust is going to charge.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine does this. I just chalked it up to new USB C charging standard and it calculating what to pump in to the battery before it begins.
Sent from my Pixel C using Tapatalk
three west said:
Mine does this. I just chalked it up to new USB C charging standard and it calculating what to pump in to the battery before it begins.
Sent from my Pixel C using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Has yours ever not started charging eventually? That's what made me call Google support and the four people I have spoken to there all say it not charging immediately sounds like a fault.
andrewgnix said:
Has yours ever not started charging eventually? That's what made me call Google support and the four people I have spoken to there all say it not charging immediately sounds like a fault.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It has always begun charging. Hell, maybe mines faulty too, but I never thought of that.
Sent from my Pixel C using Tapatalk
Mine does this, I wondered if it was a USB C thing too. when I plug it in the charging icon appears immediately but Ampere shows plugged in/discharging, the discharge rate starts low at approx 300mAh and over about 30 seconds rises (drops?) to, for example 1750mAh before flipping to displaying charge at 1750mAh. The final plugged in/discharge rate always matches the initial charge rate measured.
I usually charge using an Anker multi port charger and USB A to C cable. it behaves the same but with higher numbers with the Google supplied charger.
I am curious to know if USB C negotiating its best charge rate somehow fools Ampere?
I just bought a Pixel C and I am using it with a generic 5V /2A charger and a Dash usb C cable. It does the exact same thing that the OP described. I have to plug the USB end of the cable into the charger once or twice, before it starts charging. If I just plug the tablet in normally the lightning symbol appears and it does not start charging.
USC Type c takes 10 secs to negotiate. I would not use other chargers or cables. Stick with stock or known tested working ones. Refer to this spreadsheet
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1vnpEXfo2HCGADdd9G2x9dMDWqENiY2kgBJUu29f_TX8/pubhtml
Remember ampere is not accurate and is only a best guesstimate. I recommend using current monitor in conjunction.
Becareful using generic cables and chargers risking frying your devices. If the cable is not made programmed correctly missing emarker or same for charger, USB Ttype C Power Delivery cannot not negotiate correctly. If it's missing altogether it may overcharge..
I've found the Pixel C to be a little picky with its chargers but the only really big disappointment was with the Pixel phone charger. That charger is supposed to support Power Delivery and can charge faster than the Pixel C charger can so I naturally plugged it into the tablet and it is useless! It connects and disconnects continuously so it never accomplishes any charging and the screen will not stay off. You'd think a charger and a device designed by the same company, advertising the same USB charging standard, sharing a marketing name, would work together!
locuturus said:
I've found the Pixel C to be a little picky with its chargers but the only really big disappointment was with the Pixel phone charger. That charger is supposed to support Power Delivery and can charge faster than the Pixel C charger can so I naturally plugged it into the tablet and it is useless! It connects and disconnects continuously so it never accomplishes any charging and the screen will not stay off. You'd think a charger and a device designed by the same company, advertising the same USB charging standard, sharing a marketing name, would work together!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You might have a defective Pixel charger or cable, it has been known to happen. That is why people have gotten replacements.
On that note consider that the Pixel comes with the same charger as the XL, but it doesn't charge at any faster rate than 15W with it's own charger..
clockcycle said:
You might have a defective Pixel charger or cable, it has been known to happen. That is why people have gotten replacements.
On that note consider that the Pixel comes with the same charger as the XL, but it doesn't charge at any faster rate than 15W with it's own charger..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I have heard that the Pixel-xs doesn't make use of the higher voltage (9v, I think?) charging option, but I was hoping the Pixel C would. It is known to work with other higher power chargers. Maybe I'll call up the old Google and see if my charger is bunk. Even if it is no faster it shouldn't cyclically fail to auto negotiate like it does.
locuturus said:
Yes, I have heard that the Pixel-xs doesn't make use of the higher voltage (9v, I think?) charging option, but I was hoping the Pixel C would. It is known to work with other higher power chargers. Maybe I'll call up the old Google and see if my charger is bunk. Even if it is no faster it shouldn't cyclically fail to auto negotiate like it does.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Pixel C is 5V/3A 9V/2.67 12V/2A. I use both the Xentris/verizon USB-C/QC ($9-40) and Targus 45W ($30-55) chargers, both charge my Pixel C at 24W 12V/2A. It's great.
I have just purchased the Belkin charger cable that is on the Google list. The tablet's behavior is still hit and miss on the 10V/2A chargers that I have. I am using the Samsung S2 charger (should be plenty good quality). I am not even looking for fast charging or anything, just consistent behavior. If I plug in the usb C end of the cable ampere starts to show a discharge rate of like -500 mA and it does not start charging. The built in battery indicator says USB Charger = not charging. This happens about 7 times out of ten. In the other 3 cases it starts charging when the USB C end is plugged into the tablet. If I look at Ampere and see that is does not charge for like a minute, then I unplug the USB 2.0 end of the cable from the charger, re-insert it and voila it starts drawing 2000 mA immediately. I have tried 3 different chargers so far and the behavior has always been the same.
sedohunta said:
I have just purchased the Belkin charger cable that is on the Google list. The tablet's behavior is still hit and miss on the 10V/2A chargers that I have. I am using the Samsung S2 charger (should be plenty good quality). I am not even looking for fast charging or anything, just consistent behavior. If I plug in the usb C end of the cable ampere starts to show a discharge rate of like -500 mA and it does not start charging. The built in battery indicator says USB Charger = not charging. This happens about 7 times out of ten. In the other 3 cases it starts charging when the USB C end is plugged into the tablet. If I look at Ampere and see that is does not charge for like a minute, then I unplug the USB 2.0 end of the cable from the charger, re-insert it and voila it starts drawing 2000 mA immediately. I have tried 3 different chargers so far and the behavior has always been the same.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Pixel C uses USB Type C Power Delivery 5V/3A 9V/2.67A 12/2A. 24W max
Ampere app is rather useless and just for reference. (note I use it often) Try Current Monitor. Regardless both rather useless, since the Pixel C doesn't negotiate faster charger until after the screen turns off. So while you have the screen on looking at Ampere/Current Monitor, you're gonna get a fluctuating reading that doesn't make sense. I use a kill-a-watt to see the wattage being pulled.
I am able to get a solid consistent 15W charge out of the stock OEM charger. I can get anywhere from 15W (screen on) with my Xentris/verizon and Targus 45W chargers and 24W (screen off).
Also note USB-c is not consistent, it negotiates different levels and it always changing depending on several conditions, like battery level, temperature and if screen is on at the time.
I've attached some results using LG V10 OEM Charger, Samsung Fast Adaptive Charger and Asus Nexus 7 charger with USB A to C with 56k ohm pullup resistor connected to the Kill-A-Watt for reference.
So i've had this phone for a few days and took a road trip and camped this weekend. To say the least, I had a good feel of battery usage of this phone for my typical tasks.
During my road trip, my phone started with about 92% when i threw it on the charger and started driving. I noticed it was charging up to 96% and it started to discharge slowly after about an 45 minutes of driving The phone indicated it was being charged. When I purchased this phone I also purchased a 6a car charger (dual port, 3a each), and also some USB-C to USB-A cables rated at 18w. If I disconnected the power for a little bit, and reconnected, it would charge maybe 3-8% before stopping again and I would repeat the cycle to ensure I had enough battery to allow navigation to take me to my destination. Luckily, I made it to my campsite with 82% battery to spare.
Now the strange thing- when I left this morning to come back home, I had 100% on my phone as I charged it with a battery bank fine. I left the phone plugged in to my car charger as I left, and it stayed at 100%. I even let the phone discharge to 94%, and plugged it in and it was able to charge to 100% with the navigation on as well as pandora.
Am I doing something wrong? Am I supposed to be using a USB-C type charger? Maybe I need a better rated cable?
Would love some help. I'm coming from an S7 edge so a lot has changed. thanks!
liberalswine said:
When I purchased this phone I also purchased a 6a car charger (dual port, 3a each),
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm going to guess the charger just isn't that good, which one was it?
peachpuff said:
I'm going to guess the charger just isn't that good, which one was it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's a qualcomm based charger. https://www.amazon.com/AILUN-Charger-Qualcomm-Adapter-Compatible/dp/B01N8PPY1H
Sometimes while driving these things can work loose in the lighter socket, a slight touch fumbling around near it (my dash cam does this), or some bumps in the road.
I suspect on your outbound trip the charger might have been getting intermittent power from being not quite pushed "home", but on the return trip you could have pushed it in harder and it stayed put.
yrp888 said:
Sometimes while driving these things can work loose in the lighter socket, a slight touch fumbling around near it (my dash cam does this), or some bumps in the road.
I suspect on your outbound trip the charger might have been getting intermittent power from being not quite pushed "home", but on the return trip you could have pushed it in harder and it stayed put.
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this wasn't the issue as I tried unplugging it and tried various 12v sockets in my car. However I think I did figure out my issue. The new charger i'm using does not use the "PD" protocol that the newest samsung phones use. Also, although the car charger i have is a qualcomm 3.0 protocol, and 36w- it's actually at 18w per usb A socket. The s20 wall charger is rated at 25w- so I'm now looking for a usb car charger that has a dedicated usb c socket with at least 25w of power and supports PD and pps
I'm using this one, no issues https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07VP3HLGW/
jonboi said:
I'm using this one, no issues https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07VP3HLGW/
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is "super fast charging" enabled with that charger? I just ordered: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077ZRBPNB/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I read somewhere that the newer samsung devices require PPM protocol in order for super fast charging rates to be active (as well as PD)
liberalswine said:
this wasn't the issue as I tried unplugging it and tried various 12v sockets in my car. However I think I did figure out my issue. The new charger i'm using does not use the "PD" protocol that the newest samsung phones use. Also, although the car charger i have is a qualcomm 3.0 protocol, and 36w- it's actually at 18w per usb A socket. The s20 wall charger is rated at 25w- so I'm now looking for a usb car charger that has a dedicated usb c socket with at least 25w of power and supports PD and pps
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I've reconsidered using fast chargers after the purchase of the S20, we've started using old 7.5W and 10W AC power adaptors. The 7.5W charger brings the phone up from about 30% to 80% in about 75min and I am fine with that. I have also used the 5W S3 charger but I think I'm happy with using the 7.5W charger.
If I need a fast boost I can always pull out the 25W charger.
I did buy a Belkin 18W PD car charger with the phone thinking "yeah, I need this" but now I will only use it for emergency charging. Tomorrow I'll pull out an old 10W car charger and plug the phone into the 10W socket while I drive around, see what happens.
Well I got into the car at 10:55 with the battery around 26%, plugged it into an old car charger I bought for our S4s (Pleomax, apparently OEM for Samsung) which has 2A & 1A outlets. It's not obvious on the charger which outlet is which but turns out I used the 1A outlet (AccuBattery showed the charging current hovering around 1000 mA).
Anyway, after 1hr of driving to my destination with a 5min break to fill up, the battery reached 66% so the 1A car charger raised the battery by 40% in about 60min, which I think is quite acceptable.
Car connected by BT for phone/SMS, received 1 call only. GPS/NFC etc are usually kept off.