Safe 3rd party charging equipment

[mwake4goten]

So I'm expecting delivery of HTC 10 and was going to get an extra charger from eBay when I reminded myself of the previous news articles at launch I saw about using 3rd party chargers and charging cables.

I just read online how HTC don't fully recommend using 3rd party charging soluyions unless they conform to specifications.

However, when I went online HTC ridiculously charging an arm and a leg even for cables... Can anyone Amazon or ebay link me to good AC chargers and USB C cables that are 100% safe and certified to use with the 10?

Thanks for help

 

[Rukbat]

Normal chargers (normal speed - 5 Volts) are commodities. If they put out 5 Volts, they work. Rapid charge or quick charge is a new technology, and you can't mix different manufacturers unless you a) know what you're doing and b) have a meter or scope to measure the output of the charger under load - so I would use all HTC equipment (charger and cable) for now.

Charging from the car is safe, but starting the car and turning it off with the phone plugged in isn't, so don't plug the phone in until the car is running, and remove the phone's charging cable before turning the car off.

 

[mwake4goten]

Normal chargers (normal speed - 5 Volts) are commodities. If they put out 5 Volts, they work. Rapid charge or quick charge is a new technology, and you can't mix different manufacturers unless you a) know what you're doing and b) have a meter or scope to measure the output of the charger under load - so I would use all HTC equipment (charger and cable) for now.

Charging from the car is safe, but starting the car and turning it off with the phone plugged in isn't, so don't plug the phone in until the car is running, and remove the phone's charging cable before turning the car off.

Thanks that's great advice. As for the car charging advice I never knew that!With curious respect why would you have to only have to connect the phone after you turn the car on...? I've been doing this forever with my M8 maybe that is why my M8 battery is kaput!

And is that a general rule for ALL smartphones to only connect after car is started and disconnect before switching car off? Many thanks

 

[Rukbat]

I've had solid-state transmitters wired into the car, so the car was started and stopped with the device effectively "plugged in" - for decades. Still, if you look at the accessory socket voltage as you turn the car on and off, it's sometimes not a single "turn-on" or "turn-off", it's a series of spikes, some of which could damage the equipment. (The car is speced as 12-16 Volts - but the spike can be 12 to 16 Volts in a nanosecond, so the dv/dt, the change in voltage per second, is ENORMOUS. And some equipment can't handle that. Which is why I try [sometimes I forget] to "pull the plug" and not change the car's state with the phone plugged in.)

 

[mwake4goten]

I've had solid-state transmitters wired into the car, so the car was started and stopped with the device effectively "plugged in" - for decades. Still, if you look at the accessory socket voltage as you turn the car on and off, it's sometimes not a single "turn-on" or "turn-off", it's a series of spikes, some of which could damage the equipment. (The car is speced as 12-16 Volts - but the spike can be 12 to 16 Volts in a nanosecond, so the dv/dt, the change in voltage per second, is ENORMOUS. And some equipment can't handle that. Which is why I try [sometimes I forget] to "pull the plug" and not change the car's state with the phone plugged in.)

Even though I'm not tech savvy to that extent to understand what all what you meant haha that's great advice. I'll (try) to remember with my new phone your advice.... Many thanks again


Sorry I have a lot of questions...
Hopefully it's still safe to charge from s computer and laptop still?

And what about the raft of portable power banks that you see on Amazon...I guess I'll have to make sure they are HTC 10 compatible... Its just after my HTC M8 battery died I'm trying to be very careful about about how I will charge this device...

 

[akin_t]

Thanks that's great advice. As for the car charging advice I never knew that!With curious respect why would you have to only have to connect the phone after you turn the car on...? I've been doing this forever with my M8 maybe that is why my M8 battery is kaput!

And is that a general rule for ALL smartphones to only connect after car is started and disconnect before switching car off? Many thanks

Honestly it shouldn't be an issue. Any well designed adapter should be able to dampen power surges.

 

[holz75]

I've been using these:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016LOGVRE/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01CZV9FUW/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B018TORQLO/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&th=1

As for wall chargers, I've only been using the HTC OEM units, but with the cables listed above. No issues!

 

[isdaako]

I've used several different chargers, but all with the OEM HTC cable. No issues.

 

[idon12no]

So I'm expecting delivery of HTC 10 and was going to get an extra charger from eBay when I reminded myself of the previous news articles at launch I saw about using 3rd party chargers and charging cables.

Thanks for help

I use the HTC 10 charging cable with a little Bluetooth speaker/charger device at home and I use my old M9 charging cable with a micro USB to USB-C adapter from Choetech in my car, and I haven't had any issues.

 

[akin_t]

None of the 3rd party QC 3.0 I've used actually quick charges

 

[idon12no]

I forgot to say that my M9 cable with the Choetech adapter does say it's fast charging when I've used it with the HTC 10 charger.

 

[idon12no]

And what about the raft of portable power banks that you see on Amazon...I guess I'll have to make sure they are HTC 10 compatible... Its just after my HTC M8 battery died I'm trying to be very careful about about how I will charge this device...

I don't know if this applies to you and your M8, but, apparently, I contributed to the early demise of my G3 and M9 batteries by constantly running my phone until it died, and but leaving the phone charging after the battery was already full.

 

[holz75]

None of the 3rd party QC 3.0 I've used actually quick charges

Really? I've had 1 QC 2.0 and 2 QC 3.0 products from Anker, and they work great!

 

[mwake4goten]

I've used several different chargers, but all with the OEM HTC cable. No issues.

Hi thanks for sharing, yeah I've been advised that as long as voltage didn't go above 2.6v or so then using old HTC or 3rd party chargers should be fine... HTC recommends using all of the equipment only, which may be a money making thing from a cynical view or a genuine recommendation. I'm gonna do what HTC says to play on the (ultra) safe (and expensive) side...

I don't know if this applies to you and your M8, but, apparently, I contributed to the early demise of my G3 and M9 batteries by constantly running my phone until it died, and but leaving the phone charging after the battery was already full.

Hi thanks for commenting, I agree, although I think there is technology to prevent overcharging... On another note however I have heard that excessive heat is probably one of the worst things to do to a battery....I'm probably was guilty of not doing enough to cool my phone when I felt it was hot.

 

[Gus_Gutz]

The charger that came with my m9 will not charge my 10 even when using HTC cables. My coworkers samsung charger worked.

 

[Existence_Inc]

I also use Anker products. I have several QC2.0/3.0 chargers and power banks and they all work just fine with my 10. I even use Anker's cables exclusively. I think my HTC Cable and Charger are still in the box, to be honest. And all of them "Charge Rapidly." I have been using them ever since my 10 came in in May. Not a problem to speak of. I can link the various items I have used if you'd like specifics. Just let me know.

~Ex

 

[mfreeland]

I have a Choetech Q3.0 that works great. I bought a USB C cable from Spigen and use it with my Anker 2.0 chargers (Both wall and car), and they work fine.. I've used my old M8 and M9 chargers and they work. I think almost anything works. The original thread, that cautioned using aftermarket chargers, came from someone using either a bad charger or cable....

 

[akin_t]

I use Aukey and when I use the HTC cable, quick charging works.

However, if I use USB-C to USB-C cable, then it charges just normal.

 

[mwake4goten]

I have a Choetech Q3.0 that works great. I bought a USB C cable from Spigen and use it with my Anker 2.0 chargers (Both wall and car), and they work fine.. I've used my old M8 and M9 chargers and they work. I think almost anything works. The original thread, that cautioned using aftermarket chargers, came from someone using either a bad charger or cable....

There's some confusing info on the internet about all of this ...I'm more concerned with long term issues. I understand that some combinations will allow the phone to charge normally but im more concerned about long term battery degradation so that's why I think I'm going to use genuine HTC 10 cables only. I still think that mixing cables and chargers from 3rd party vendors degraded my phones M8s battery prematurely..maybe that's paranoia but I'm going to play it safe.
As for what I meant as confusing information, apparently you shouldn't use the HTC 10 cables to charge other devices as HTC have used a special implementation of the USB C specification. Using HTC 10 cable to charge say a Motorola phone could damage the cable and / or phone. Ahhh I long for the simple days of USB before the 'C' revision.

 

[SazanEyes]

I recently had an issue quick charging with a 3rd party QC 2.0 charger, but it turned out to be a bad USB C cable. I replaced the cable and everything worked fine.