Something I just discovered today about charging the note 10.1

[bgoodr]

I just got my Note 10.1 so I happened to be reading the manual pdf and saw this regarding the red x on the battery in the status bar:

The battery is only charged while
connected to a computer, if the device is turned off.

Well, if that was the case then we couldn't charge it from the wall adapter. I still think there is an issue with USB extension cables. I've moved to using a regular AC extension cable between the wall outlet and the AC-to-USB adapter, and have given up on the USB extension cable. I don't understand why it would matter and was hoping someone would chime in with an answer. Using a heavy AC extension cord is less desirable than using a thinner USB extension cable.

 

[repligation]

Well, if that was the case then we couldn't charge it from the wall adapter. I still think there is an issue with USB extension cables. I've moved to using a regular AC extension cable between the wall outlet and the AC-to-USB adapter, and have given up on the USB extension cable. I don't understand why it would matter and was hoping someone would chime in with an answer. Using a heavy AC extension cord is less desirable than using a thinner USB extension cable.

The 120VAC (+/- 5%) traveling through the extension cord has no power loss over its length in comparison to a post-transformer (wall adapter) 5V DC USB cable. In using the AC extension cord you are essentially moving the wall outlet electrically closer to your device so that the transformer and the original USB cable have the same acceptable losses as they would if plugged directly into the wall.

Using the USB extension cable is kind of like trying to water a plant from across the yard with the nozzle of your garden hose. Much of that water is going to get dispersed along the yard before it gets to where the plant can use it. If you walk up to the plant and spray directly over it with the nozzle of your garden hose, almost all of the water will go directly where the plant can use it.
The garden hose is the AC extension cord, the nozzle is the transformer (wall adapter), and the stream of water is the USB cable.

EDIT: One flaw in this analogy is of course that the water in the hose is not alternating flow like the current is in the extension cord.
Sorry, having a boring day at work.

 

[bgoodr]

... the water in the hose is not alternating flow like the current is in the extension cord.

That makes sense. The USB cable has DC +5V on its pin 1 and we're asking for trouble in charging using the extension cable. Therefore, I highly suspect this is the underlying reason why Samsung left such a short length of USB coming out of the AC-to-USB transformer in the first place.

 

[HygradeB]

Hi everyone. Please don't be alarmed by what is happening when you connect your note to a usb outlet on your laptop or other device. These usb ports only supply 500mA where the supplied/ recomended charging current is 2000mA. The battery in a tablet is much stronger that a regular phone and therefore requiers a higher charging current. Rather stick to using the supplied charger for best results.

Electrical Engineer
South Africa

100% right you device will charge with the low amp unit but will take much longer n you may fine the battery will not last as long.
Also if u try and change to a longer cable from charger to unit u will also see the same problem slow charge

Posted via Android Central App

 

[oogli boogli]

Re: Something I just discovered today about charging the note 10.1. RedX

Yes I too see the red X . You guys aren't alone

 

[Isabella Heng]

mine's the same with the red 'x'. also, had 11% of battery left last night, charged the whole night, and it's still appearing as 11% this morning. been charging since morning, it's still 11% (using wall plug). no idea what the hell is wrong with it anymore.

- - - Updated - - -

mine's the same with the red 'x'. also, had 11% of battery left last night, charged the whole night, and it's still appearing as 11% this morning. been charging since morning, it's still 11% (using wall plug). no idea what the hell is wrong with it anymore.

 

[alexandrahensley38]

Hey there, I received a Samsung Galaxy note10.1 as a gift from my husband. Refurbished. Its been on the charger for a week andhighest it charged to was 25% now itwont go above 6%.... please help, should I turn it back in for another one?

 

[repligation]

Hey there, I received a Samsung Galaxy note10.1 as a gift from my husband. Refurbished. Its been on the charger for a week andhighest it charged to was 25% now itwont go above 6%.... please help, should I turn it back in for another one?

Perhaps you could be more specific with how exactly you are charging it. Assuming you are using the 2 amp wall plug and short cable rather than a usb port on a computer (which prompted this thread in the first place), you could have a bad cable, plug, receptacle, or battery.

Provided you are attempting to charge it correctly, yes I would return it for a new one. The problem with troubleshooting a cable on this device is the proprietary plug, you are just not likely to have a spare one laying around like you would a microUSB cable. Why spend more money getting a new cable when it could be a problem with the refurb itself?

Good luck.

 

[ValYooNeek]

I'm experiencing the same problem. I purchased my note in April and found that if I use any charging source other than the wall charger I get this red "X" icon over the battery symbol on my charger. I've tried using a power+ usb extend cable with a car charger and got the same symbol while the engine was off and the radio wads playing. But as soon as I turn the car on, the red symbol disappeared. I haven't used my laptop to try and charge my note but I recently purchased a mycharger 6000mah portable charger and especially for recharging my note on the go...plugged the note to the charger and viola the red "x" appeared! To say I was surprise is an understatement! After read this thread I figured that I wasn't the only one having these issues. The advice that has been given, (turning the note off to charge it ) kinda sucks! I brought the charger to use while the note was charging, not turn it off to charge it! I want to have the ability to use it while it charges. I understand the analogy with long cable and short usb cable that came with the note, but how can you use an external charger with high mah capacity using the note own usb cable and still use the note while charging without discharging the battery? Can anyone answer that question? Maybe if I purchased a charger with more mah ability, I probably would have the same problem?? Right? I hope someone has a better solution than just turning the note while charging.

 

[Abaddonx]

I now suddenly get same red x ehen wall charging.

 

[Abaddonx]

I noticed a red x on battery on main screen while using same power strip as normal. Plugged into house outlet directly and x went away.

 

[Max Power4]

I get the same red X trying to charge from a computer or the wall plug. If the tablet is not fully powered down it charges extremely slow even plugged into the wall. Even fully powered down from 20% plugged into the wall after 12 hours charging it's only at 80%. When plugged in and being used it looses power slowly. Battery life from a full charge seemed good I watched 4 movies in a row off a full charge but recharging seems impossible it's brand new.

 

[ret27m]

I bought my Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 yesterday morning (Friday 8-31-13), I got it home and plugged it in with the supplied charger turned it on, did the setup and played with it half the day. It was charging fine, as soon as it hit 100% I handed it over to my wife and she watched netflix and hulu all evening. This morning she played a game on it for a few hours and all was fine. I finally got it back from her and I indicated that it needed up dates, I let it take all the updates and now after the updates it charges VERY slowly while its turned on and it also charges slow while turned off. I'm sure its due to the updates, I really like the tablet but I may return it, this issue makes me nervous.

Glad I found this forum.

 

[ValYooNeek]

I also get the red x over the battery symbol when using pc usb, any external charger as long as the note is on. I purchased a mycharge 6800mah charger just for the purpose of charging my note on the go, instead of running around like a chicken with its head cut off looking for outlet to plug my note into! I would love to know if there are any external charger that you can use with the note while still on. So far, I haven't found any data or forum with anything to the contrary.

 

[RodienB]

I have the same pronlem with my tablet GAlaxy Tab 10.N

 

[DeSim]

for some reason ive noticed that if you pull out the cord alittle on the tablet the x goes away..weird...(thats plugged into the wall. i have only used the cable and unit it came with to plug into the wall and still got a red X, im running 4.1.2 stock

 

[J HighNote]

I bought my Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 yesterday morning (Friday 8-31-13), I got it home and plugged it in with the supplied charger turned it on, did the setup and played with it half the day. It was charging fine, as soon as it hit 100% I handed it over to my wife and she watched netflix and hulu all evening. This morning she played a game on it for a few hours and all was fine. I finally got it back from her and I indicated that it needed up dates, I let it take all the updates and now after the updates it charges VERY slowly while its turned on and it also charges slow while turned off. I'm sure its due to the updates, I really like the tablet but I may return it, this issue makes me nervous.

Glad I found this forum.

If you use the charger that came with your Note 10.1, does it still charge slowly? I think folks are a bit confused thanks to some poorly informed Samsung person. The chargers for the 10.1 are 2.0 A., or in milliamps - 2100 mA. Most usb ports whether in a power strip or else where are much lower current and will be a trickle charge which causes the red x over the battery icon. Even if I accidentally put the usb cord into my original Note's AC adapter's usb port, I get the red x because it's only 1 A. If you need extra adapters, Radio shack has some that are 2.0 or 2.1 A. Just be careful of some adapters that have two ports and say total is 2.1, each usb port is only 1.0 or so power. Or sometimes they'll say 3.0 and it means one port is 2.0 and the other is 1.0. Ports off your computer that are 2.0 usb are only 500mA, that's a quarter of what the OEM charger is. That's why it slow to charge.

 

[Adam Self]

The charger you use MUST be 5V / 2amps to get the lightning bolt. Anything less than 2amps and you will get the red X. I had experimented with about ten different chargers with amperage outputs from 0.5, 0.7, 1.0, 1.2, 1.5 and 2.0. The only one that worked was the one with 2.0amps. Use the wall plug you got with the Note.

 

[Mike Groulx]

Well I got my note 10.1 on Christmas and since they I have always charged it via the supplied cable and wall plug. I recently bought a 10000mah battery pack to use to charge cellphones, ipods, my note 10.1, and other devices when I'm away from a wall plug. What I found out today.

The battery pack will not charge a galaxy note 10.1 while the tablet is on. A red x appears over the battery icon on the note when you plug it in while device is on. I turned the note off and the battery charge icon started moving so i left it plugged into the battery pack for awhile to see if it charged it all. After about 30 minutes hooked up to the battery pack while powered off the note 10.1 did indicate that it had recieved a charge (it was at 57% when i plugged it in, and 63% when i checked it later on). Another funny thing is I have a belkin surge protector that has usb plugs on it so I tested it on that. Again with note on you get a red x over the battery icon. Humbled by this I plugged my note 10.1 into the plug that came with my s3 and I get the same red x while note is on. So what is it with the actual plug piece that goes into the wall outlet for the note 10.1 that it is the only way to charge while the note is on? Same thing happens when I plug my note into my laptop get the red X over the battery icon while the note is on, but if i turn it off it charges. Has anyone else noticed this as well and has the same findings as me or is something wrong here? The only way i get a charge status on the battery icon in the notification tray while my note is powered on is if it is plugged in to the wall plug that came with it, any other charging methods I have tried require the note to be powered off.

 

[Mike Groulx]

Hey idk if u found ur answer but red x means not enough power i have a battery pack like ur 10000 mah but mi has a 1 amp and a 2.1 amp if i plug into the 1 i get red X but not on 2.1 red X means ur tab is using more power then its being provided ne questions email me mikeyd2369@gmail.com hope this helps