Kobo Aura One maximum amperage?

[bean]

The manual states the Aura One can be charged with any 5V / 500mA charger. Is that the cap? If one were to use a higher amperage charger is it capable of charging faster? There's USB 3 at 900 mA, Battery Charge 1.2 at 1.5A and so forth. No end to USB standards -- and non-standards with a resistor here and there to determine capability. So what's the maximum wattage the Aura One can use?

Kobo has garbage customer support, I closed the chat when the rep told me using a "different charger" will cause the battery life to be shorter. After a few emails I got "I'll escalate this situation to our specialists department for you to get your answers because I don't have access to the specifications you request to". That's just hilarious.

[JSWolf]

You can use a higher amperage charger to charge your KA1. I've charged my H2O with a 2.4A charger and it's never done it any harm. Kobo Readers have battery limiters so you cannot overcharge or charge with too high an amperage. The 500mA (I think) is the minimum you can.

[filmo]

5 volt is important not having excessive milliamp available. AC outlet your charger is plugged into has many more amps available in my house it is 20 amps. Electrical devices should only draw as many amps they are designed to unless it is defective maybe a short circuit or plugged into higher voltage than it is designed to handle.

[JSWolf]

filmo, please edit your message. Given the OP's question, I can see that being quite confusing.

[lightbulbjim]

I don’t think the OP is asking if about damage with a high current charger; I think he’s asking if the Kobo will fast charge if > 500mA is available.

[JSWolf]

bean, if you have a higher amperage charger, try it. It won't hurt and it might charge faster. I've never actually checked to see if my H2O charges faster. It charges as fast as it charges with an iPad compatible (enough amps to charge an iPad) charger.

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

You can use a higher amperage charger to charge your KA1. I've charged my H2O with a 2.4A charger and it's never done it any harm. Kobo Readers have battery limiters so you cannot overcharge or charge with too high an amperage. The 500mA (I think) is the minimum you can.

I think you are correct. Almost positive. Yep: I charge with anywhere from a 700ma to a 2.4 amp.

Now as per the other guy's comment the 5V is not as important as the amps. Now I wouldn't use more than 7 2.4amp chargers at one time on one 20 Amp breaker, but I doubt that is a huge concern to all but the outliers of outliers.
I like to keep a few amps in reserve.
But then I also wouldn't try to run a 1000 watt microwave and a 1500 watt toaster oven on the same 20 Amp breaker at the same time.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

I think you are correct. Almost positive. Yep: I charge with anywhere from a 700ma to a 2.4 amp.

Now as per the other guy's comment the 5V is not as important as the amps. Now I wouldn't use more than 7 2.4amp chargers at one time on one 20 Amp breaker, but I doubt that is a huge concern to all but the outliers of outliers.
I like to keep a few amps in reserve.
But then I also wouldn't try to run a 1000 watt microwave and a 1500 watt toaster oven on the same 20 Amp breaker at the same time.

The rather high current drain for appliances is why my kitchen is wired with separate 15A breakers for each AC outlet (if there are 2 outlets in a single wall plate, each has it's own breaker).

As for the 2.4A at 5V charger, the current drain from the wall outlet would be far lower than 2.4A, Using an Apple iPad charger (5.1V @2.1A) as an example, the rated AC current is .45A max so you could plug 40 of them into your 20A outlet and use, at most, 18A. My only 5V, 2.4A charger only shows less than 0.5A as the input current so you could get away with at least 36 of them while staying 2 Amperes below your breaker rating. OTOH, I wouldn't recommend that charger since it's micro USB plug has connection issues with almost every device I've tried it with. Holding a connector to maintain a connection is not among my favourite activities.

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by DNSB

The rather high current drain for appliances is why my kitchen is wired with separate 15A breakers for each AC outlet (if there are 2 outlets in a single wall plate, each has it's own breaker).

As for the 2.4A at 5V charger, the current drain from the wall outlet would be far lower than 2.4A, Using an Apple iPad charger (5.1V @2.1A) as an example, the rated AC current is .45A max so you could plug 40 of them into your 20A outlet and use, at most, 18A. My only 5V, 2.4A charger only shows less than 0.5A as the input current so you could get away with at least 36 of them while staying 2 Amperes below your breaker rating. OTOH, I wouldn't recommend that charger since it's micro USB plug has connection issues with almost every device I've tried it with. Holding a connector to maintain a connection is not among my favourite activities.

Please tell me you heard everything I thought about your kitchen. How many outlets?
Thanks for the info on the chargers.

[JSWolf]

I usually use multi-USB port chargers. I have a 3-port Ikea charger in the living room and the most that usually gets used is two ports at one time. But it's good to have the extra port just in case.

[John F]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

I think you are correct. Almost positive. Yep: I charge with anywhere from a 700ma to a 2.4 amp.

Now as per the other guy's comment the 5V is not as important as the amps. ...

This sounds off to me.

Isn't the voltage important? For example, the input amperage could be .5A to 2.4A, but the input voltage better be pretty close to 5V?

Or do you mean that since it is a USB cable/wall wart, the voltage will always be ~5V?

[compurandom]

Originally Posted by bean

The manual states the Aura One can be charged with any 5V / 500mA charger. Is that the cap?

That's probably the cap of what it will *accept* but it might take more. I have a USB power meter, I'll use it next time I charge my kobo from a low charge. It's also the minimum your charger needs to support to work with a kobo.

If one were to use a higher amperage charger is it capable of charging faster?

Probably not, I'll let you know later.

No end to USB standards -- and non-standards with a resistor here and there to determine capability.

Actually, the resistor thing is part of the standard too.

USB 3 also allows negotiation of a higher charge voltage, but the kobo doesn't support this, so it will only charge at the usb 5v. This shouldn't be of any concern unless you pick up a junk charger with a bad voltage regulator.

[JSWolf]

I would think 1A would charger faster than .5A. I've never seen a Reader that only charges at .5A. The official Sony charger was at least 1A way back when (before Kobo Readers existed).

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by John F

This sounds off to me.

Isn't the voltage important? For example, the input amperage could be .5A to 2.4A, but the input voltage better be pretty close to 5V?

Or do you mean that since it is a USB cable/wall wart, the voltage will always be ~5V?

Pretty much the latter John. The only time V is really telling is if you are hot wiring something. If something is 1.8 Volts, do not directly hook up a 3.3 or 5V to it.
*Hot wire may not be the proper term but it was the best description I could think of.

[compurandom]

At 60% charge, it wants 0.4A.