AC Adaptor: Will a USB to AC (like an old iPod charger) suffice?

[Arrghus]

As per title really. Let's say I could get the official AC adaptor for less than half its exorbitant retail price - is it worth it now?

Any alternatives? I don't want to get caught short travelling!

P.S. I want to be able to read while it's plugged in if possible.

[FizzyWater]

I use a different charger than the official one. There's a thread on this (which chargers work and which don't) somewhere - so in a way, it's hit-or-miss which ones will work for you.

[JSWolf]

Nothing that works with an Apple device will work with a Sony to charge it.

You can use a Blackberry charger as that does work and with a Blackberry charger, you can read while charging.

[elizilla]

I have an older USB wall charger, "GRIFFIN" brand, which does not work with my Sonys. It cost an arm and a leg, but that was some years ago. I have a newer one that came with my Motorola phone, and another newer one that came with my Nook, and both of these work just fine with the Sonys.

[Ashjuk]

Plenty of them available from Amazon starting at £2.95.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_...ny+prs+charger

I bought the Navitech one to use with my 650 and it works perfectly, and yes you can read whilst charging.

[carpetmojo]

I think it's only when charging from PC that you can't use it ["as a reader" I think they rather quaintly state in the destruction leaflet...]

[Asawi]

I can only confirm that it can be a hit and miss with USB/AC adapters. I have three that I use regularly. Out of those 2 will and 1 won't work with my 350.
I also have a phone charger (Samsung) that works fine.

[banjobama]

I have a USB to AC adapter that came with my HTC phone and I use it with my Reader (and phone) with great success. I can read while it's charging.

[ScalyFreak]

Originally Posted by carpetmojo

I think it's only when charging from PC that you can't use it ["as a reader" I think they rather quaintly state in the destruction leaflet...]

I often read my 950 in bed, while it is plugged in to the wall adapter for charging. It's only when plugged via USB that it won't let you read, and that is because it goes into "USB storage mode", in other words, it starts acting like a regular USB drive.

[vishcompany]

I have a charger for my sony minidisc-recorder, which does NOT work (why, I don't understand), but it works just ok with the charger of my nokia phone. hit and miss...

[Arrghus]

I think I've found a charger that does work: my girlfriend recently acquired an Asus tablet, and it seems to work with the adaptor for that. I'm a little concerned though, after reading some stuff on a Sony Reader forum, that I risk damaging my reader if the charge that is sent through is too high (?).

Many thanks for your replies.

[elcreative]

If it is a USB charger then it cannot be too high... USB = USB = 5V... As has been said in a load of threads across the forum, USB gives 5V which is the standard... the current should be 500mA minimum but it doesn't matter if it offers more, just means modern gear charges faster, older gear takes what it needs and ignores the rest... Some chargers don't supply the right data connections which is why they don't work but they won't damage anything, just don't work...

[tech_au]

After taking my PRS650 to a local electronics store I found the standard USB ones that work with Ipod don't work but the mobile phone ones with a micro USB plug on them do work. They even allow you to read while charging like my old USB charger did with my PRS 505.

[Pinecone]

I have used a Nook and a Belkin AC - USB converter to succusfully charge my 600 and 650.

[delphin]

In the last few years there has been an effort to standardize micro-usb chargers.

The spec is actually extremely simple; the charging device puts out the standard 5 volts specified by the USB spec, and since charging devices don't need to transfer data, the two data pins on the USB connector are just shorted together (which signals to the device that it is connected to a charger)

Most cell phones, and most other newer USB devices (including the newer Sony PRS-x50 readers) are compatible with micro-usb chargers that comply with these specs. Most of the chargers that don't work with the Sony are designed to work with some earlier Apple devices (which, as was typical for Apple products, weren't standard with anything).

Technically, to be fully compliant, one of these standard micro-usb chargers should also be able to put out 2 Amps, but many of the chargers supplied with cell phones have lower limits, so this should be verified.

Most of the newer USB chargers that I have seen will supply at least 500ma. and this should be fine with the Sony.

If you don't have a cell phone or other device that uses one of these chargers that comply with the new spec, as has already been mentioned, there are several inexpensive chargers available on Amazon for only about 3 dollars that are guaranteed to work with the Sony readers.

These cheapo Amazon after-market chargers are not the official Sony product, but I have ordered several for the family members who have Sony readers in our household, and all worked perfectly.

I doubt that Sony actually manufactures their charger anyway. (I suspect that Sony just buys them from some source in China and then marks them up about 1000%)