Thread: Power adapters
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Old 11-15-2011, 07:06 PM   #7
dwig
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wiccan2 View Post
...I wouldn't risk a charger above 1 - 1.5 amps on the kindle though or you might fry it.
The amp (A), or milliamp (mA), rating on a charger/power supply is a measure of the maximum current (quantity of electricity per unit of time) that the device can supply. Amps are not "pushed" to the device; the device determines how much it will draw. A charger with a higher current rating will not cause damage to a properly built device, like any modern ereader or tablet.

The standard Amazon charger for Kindles is rated at 0.85 amp (850 milliamp). This is somewhat higher than the standard USB spec of 0.5 amp. Most USB arrangements share that 0.5 amp between at least two ports so when two devices are attached the available current at any one port is less than 0.5 amps. Judging by the varying charging times, the Kindle3 likes to have more than 0.5 amps available. When there is less it charges at a slower rate. The rating on the back of a K3 implies that it will limit itself to 0.85A regardless of what is available (e.g. when attached to a 1.0A or 1.5A charger).
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