Quick question about wires

[5thWiggle]

Originally Posted by SampleAndy

I don't have any questions or doubts about USB to microUSB cables, but does anybody have any input about the car charger adapters? Are they safe to use for the Kindles? They just seem a little too cheap to me to risk a device other than a cheap cell phone.

I just use one of these (inverter). Saves a lot of hassle.

[4691mls]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Good quality car adapters are safe enough - I have a Belkin car charger with 2 USB ports on it which works very well; I use it to charge both my Kindle and my iPhone. But I would be wary of the very cheap no-name ones, just as I would be with a no-name wall charger.

I have a cheap no-name car charger that does not work with my Sony reader, even though it's the same # of volts etc. If I plug my reader into it, nothing bad happens, but it doesn't charge.

The better-quality car charger I got for my cell phone does work with my Sony reader.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by PeterT

WRONG.

Harry it all depends on how exactly the charger works, in that there is a spec available where by certain USB pins being grounded or allowed to float allow the device to detect whether it is connected to a charger, or a computer, and also to detect whether it is a low power USB charger or a higher power USB charger.

I've just attached the same Touch to a different USB charger and I AM prompted with the computer detected message. And before you ask, it follows the CHARGER being used and not the cable.

Harry
Peter is right.
The device determines what it says on the application of power (the only leads present on 'charging' cables). The lazy approach: Power applied: 'Connecting', even thought here is no (USB) Data Handshake.
My PEz just charges if it does not get a handshake and ASKS if it does.
My Phone asks
My various MP'3 players just say Connecting or similar.
Kindle connects, but you can 'release' the link and keep charging (an be able to read)

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by pidgeon92

I use one for my iPhone 5. No problems here.

There's a big problem there. The iPhone 5 does not use a microUSB cable.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by 4691mls

I have a cheap no-name car charger that does not work with my Sony reader, even though it's the same # of volts etc. If I plug my reader into it, nothing bad happens, but it doesn't charge.

That's because your no-name is made for Apple devices. So the port is wired like other Apple chargers.

[pidgeon92]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

There's a big problem there. The iPhone 5 does not use a microUSB cable.

I believe the poster was talking about USB car chargers. I don't think the type of connector is relevant. I use this charger:




http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

With a USB lightning cable.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by pidgeon92

I believe the poster was talking about USB car chargers. I don't think the type of connector is relevant. I use this charger:




http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

With a USB lightning cable.

Can you use it to charge your 950?

[pidgeon92]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Can you use it to charge your 950?

I don't read in the car, so I haven't tried it.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by pidgeon92

I don't read in the car, so I haven't tried it.

Please give it a try. Thanks.

[pidgeon92]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Please give it a try. Thanks.

The battery is completely drained right now, so that will make a good test. It'll be a matter of doing a long enough drive that I can get a good long charge going.

[latepaul]

I've found that whilst the cables are generally interchangeable (see caveat re Kobo in my previous post) that chargers are not. The voltage is always the same - well it would be that's part of the USB standard - but what matters is the amperage. My nexus 7 charger is 2amps and I think my phone one is 1amp but some of the other devices have 500mA chargers.

Another thing someone told me is that if you connect your device to a computer with a data cable then it trickle charges but if you use a power-only cable then it charges more quickly - not sure if that's true but it seemed to match my experience when we were discussing it.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by pidgeon92

The battery is completely drained right now, so that will make a good test. It'll be a matter of doing a long enough drive that I can get a good long charge going.

If you plug the cable into the 950 and the charge light comes on, it works. If not, it doesn't work.

[Fluribus]

While all microUSB cables should be interchangeable, "should" does not always equate with reality. On the other hand, I doubt that device manufacturers are including expensive custom-built cables. They might do a little additional quality control.

If I were producing a sensitive device that needed to use a fancy proprietary cable, I'd make that cable easily distinguishable from all other cables. I would also make it very clear that using any other cable would unleash the forces of hell upon you.

[pidgeon92]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

If you plug the cable into the 950 and the charge light comes on, it works. If not, it doesn't work.

Alrighty then. I'll get it done in the next few days.

[KentE]

Originally Posted by Fluribus

While all microUSB cables should be interchangeable, "should" does not always equate with reality. On the other hand, I doubt that device manufacturers are including expensive custom-built cables. .....
I would also make it very clear that using any other cable would unleash the forces of hell upon you.

I agree. After reading up, it sounds like there are perhaps 3 "certified" USB-compliant variations possible: charge-and-data, charge only, and charge-via-high-capacity-charger, and none should cause damage if the wrong type is used-- it just won't do what you expect. There is, as Fluribus points out, nothing that prevents a manufacturer from deciding to use a non-compliant cable if the certification doesn't matter to them, or the same connector for a different purpose. (I've certainly seen this happen with other "standards", with Apple being a prime candidate). Since the "compliant" cables are manufactured in such huge numbers, and cheap as a result, one would think that a manufacturer would need a pressing reason to require custom cables. There are also variations in "compliant" cables that may be important. (For example, a lot of camera cables have an added ferrite ring to block interference-- these should work no problem to replace a non-ferrite cable, but not necessarily vice-versa.)
Re: the warning about the "forces of hell"-- the unfortunate thing is that I see this warning repeated all over the place by manufacturers using standard compliant cables, so it's kind of like "crying wolf" if it is really important.
KentE