Car Chargers, proper ones few and far between.

[yankees177]

Ok so here is the deal. In order to charge your N2 in your car while using any power hungry operations like gps and not losing charge, you will need a 2a charger with this phone (my current car charger I have used for the past few years with my SGS2 and EVO no longer cuts the mustard). The standard wall charger you get with your N2 is 2a. I have done a lot of research over the past few days and it seems like 99.9% of all 2-3amp (I, personally, am looking for a dual usb car charger with a total of 3a output, 1 port for 2a for my Note2 and the other with a standard 1a port) are designed for apple products (barf) which means that using a standard cable you will not be able to charge any larger capacity devices because the usb standards are slightly different. You can do 1 of 3 things...

1. Buy one of those 2-3a output usb chargers that work with apple, take it apart and solder 2 of the pins of the 2a slot to short out this feature and allow the full AC charge (of you dont do this the phone will recognize it as USB charging and you will only get 500ma and it will barely charge). Please be sure to check which pins to solder.

2. Buy one of those 2-3a output usb chargers that work with apple, open up the usb cable and short out the wires by joining the green and white wire together. This effectively does the same thing as option 1 however you cannot use this cable with your computer. I am not sure about a wall socket but I wouldnt try it unless you were using the same type of adapter as in the car. The standard one that comes with your N2 may be a problem.

3. Buy one specifically made to work with non-Apple products but GOOD LUCK FINDING ONE!! I have searched and found one that worked with non-apple products but it didnt state if the ports were 3.1a total output or 2.1a total if you connect 2 devices.

I would appreciate if anyone who has found a charger that works to reply. I dont like modding wires and products as if you forget and plug the wrong device in you can do damage.

 

[hopefulfarm]

Sooooo, what about this one? You're saying it's a no?

Amazon.com: iFlash Dual USB Car Lighter Charger Adapter with 3A Output (fast) Heavy Duty Ouput for iPad 1 / 2 / 3, iPhone 5 / 4S / 4, Google Android Phones, Samsung Galaxy S II III Note, BlackBerry Moblie Phones - Black: Cell Phones & Accessories

 

[yankees177]

Sooooo, what about this one? You're saying it's a no?

Amazon.com: iFlash Dual USB Car Lighter Charger Adapter with 3A Output (fast) Heavy Duty Ouput for iPad 1 / 2 / 3, iPhone 5 / 4S / 4, Google Android Phones, Samsung Galaxy S II III Note, BlackBerry Moblie Phones - Black: Cell Phones & Accessories

Correct. I mean it will charge your phone on the 1a port but use any power hungry app while charging and the best you could hope for would be to keep the same battery level. The 2a port will work to charge anything apple at 2a but if you plug your N2 to that port you should only get 500ma (usb). Now I can't be sure because I haven't tested this one directly but my research tells me thats the case. I did find the reviveII charger from scosche on amazon which seems to be the only one designed for non apple devices on the 2a port. I have ordered and will test and report when I get it. The actually have 2 versions one for apple products and one totally for non apple products.

 

[hopefulfarm]

How about this one?

For only $4.05 each when QTY 50+ purchased - 1 Port USB Car Charger 2.1A - Black | 2.1A Car Chargers

 

[hopefulfarm]

and a little off topic, for a wall charger, this one looks like it will do both iCrap and other devices:

For only $6.43 each when QTY 50+ purchased - 4 Port USB Wall Charger 2.1A - Black | USB Wall Chargers 2.1A

 

[yankees177]

How about this one?

For only $4.05 each when QTY 50+ purchased - 1 Port USB Car Charger 2.1A - Black | 2.1A Car Chargers

Nope... rule of thumb says if it works with Apple it wont give you the full 2a charge with your N2. Below is a review from this guy that sums it up. You will have to mod the pins on the charger or mod the wire. As I said I scoured the internet, amazon, ebay and the like and found only ONE that may work unmodded. Ill let you guys know once I get it which wont be till the end of the week at the earliest.

"Great unit, intended for Apple devices
Pros: Small size, LED of appropriate brightness, fast charge capability for Apple devices

Cons: none

There is some confusion amongst the reviewers here about the design of this device. It is made to emulate an Apple iPad charging device. That is, in addition to the 5V across pins 1 and 4 as usual, it provides 2.8V on the D+ pin and 2.0V on the D- pin. This is the "magic" that tells your iPhone or iPad that the USB port is capable of providing the 2.1 Amps maximum charging current.

There are other reviewers who state that it doesn't fast-charge their non-Apple phone or tablet, and they may be right because those other devices are looking for other information from the USB port. Taking this product apart and shorting the D+ and D- pins together might help you for your specific device, but that defeats the original intent of the design. I would suggest in that case you avoid the hassle and find a similar product already designed to charge your device!"

 

[yankees177]

and a little off topic, for a wall charger, this one looks like it will do both iCrap and other devices:

For only $6.43 each when QTY 50+ purchased - 4 Port USB Wall Charger 2.1A - Black | USB Wall Chargers 2.1A

I would caution you to believe anything other than a review for anything that is designed for apple products, even if it says compatible with non apple...

"Works kinda
Pros: Charges
Solid construction

Cons: Charging (usb) only

On my galaxy nexus will only do charging (USB) which is a trickle charge rather then charging (AC). Huge deal breaker for me since after some research it will not keep up charging with gps/screen on as the about of power being used so will eventually drain.
Was this review helpful to you?




Rating: (1 out of 10) Reviewer: John J Benoit from Bermuda Dunes, CA 10/11/2012 9:42:35 AM


Poor Choice
Pros: Four ports

Cons: Two or more devices of anykind overwork the charger, causing overheating and constant restarts.

Very marginal capacity. Not worthy of Monoprice lable.

by Monoprice Administrator
Hello John,

Thank you for your review and I am truly sorry for the inconvenience you've encountered with this wall charger. This item should charge as many devices you can plug into it as long as it does not exceed the 2.1A limit. So if you are not and would like to try a replacement to see if it would work better, just let me know your order# and I will set you up accordingly. Thank you!

John Lingo
Tech Support

by John J Benoit
John, the device has two 2.1 Amp ports, and two 1 amp ports. To say you can charge as many as you can plug in kinda sounds like 6.2 Amps. But you cannot even charge an one iPad and one iPhone at the same time. Not good. "

Looks like this is a no go as well...

 

[stillhere153]

I purchased this ebay item # 251166314467
$14.99 @ my nearest metro pcs store, obviously cheaper on eBay

drove from NYC to Jackson NJ sixflags (about 1.5 hours each way, used the phone all day to snap pics facebooked and instagrammed the whole day etc)
this is GPS, DATA always on, stock nav used to and back
30% at departure charged the phone on the way back fully charged before I arrived

 

[yankees177]

I purchased this ebay item # 251166314467
$14.99 @ my nearest metro pcs store, obviously cheaper on eBay

drove from NYC to Jackson NJ sixflags (about 1.5 hours each way, used the phone all day to snap pics facebooked and instagrammed the whole day etc)
this is GPS, DATA always on, stock nav used to and back
30% at departure charged the phone on the way back fully charged before I arrived

I couldnt find the amperage on this charger on the ebay site (can you check it out and let us know?) This is also a different type of charger, one that only allows one device to be hooked up and without a removable USB cord, then I was talking about. These are designed using the non apple standard and will definately charge your phone (though I am surprised that the N2 charged so fast since this is most likely a 1a charger). I have a standard Sprint issued 800ma charger that I used with my SGS2 that charged less than 10% with no usage on a 45 min trip and while I was using GPS and stock NAV actually lost 3% on the same drive.

 

[paulusbd]

There is also an issue specifically with some Samsung devices and chargers. Like Apple, the data pins on some Samsung devices require a voltage to enable full charging.
In Samsung's case, its 1.2Vdc on D+ and D-.
For Apple, its 2.4Vdc.
For all others (until someone changes yet again), its shorted. Enabling what is called DCP. Direct Charge Port.

PowerGen seems to have a couple of good ones out there, but they don't always work with Sammy for the reasons stated above. They do have good auto-support for Apple and shorted DCP modes. The 2.1 Amp model seems to work fairly well, if you follow the XDC group posts.

Cheers,
-Plaz

 

[paulusbd]

So, for those who are still interested....
It looks like the Note 2 uses the shorted DCP method, but I can't completely confirm.
I picked up a 2.1amp car charger at Walmart and it works with the Note 2. Confirmed that it is viewed as an AC charger. The drawback is that it is big. It is a model "i-xt" by Custom Accessories. At least the ports articulate, so you can get it to fit in many spots. I've got a CR-V and it fits well in the dash plug. I don't think it would fit so well in the center plug. Odd thing is that my Nexus 7 does not like it.

So, you have one charger to add to your "It seems to work" list.

-Plaz

 

[yankees177]

So how does it charge? If you wouldnt mind running say GPS for awhile and just give us a report on how its running when used with power hungry apps like nav and streaming video (non-Wifi preferred to simulate driving).

Ill report on the Scosche one when I get it friday and test it out over the weekend!

I use my phone as a Navi when I travel for work and if it loses charge while I am charging and running the GPS its a problem which is where this quest of mine has come from. I have also seen other people compain about losing charge while charging and using the phone as a passenger.

 

[paulusbd]

No prob, I think I can run a good test with the phone in NAV. I'll write something up when I have the results.
-Plaz

 

[MannyZ28]

Keep the info coming guys. I am also avheavy GPS user. Currently I am still using my trust 850ma sprint charger from my evo 4g days and it keeps up with my gs3 while running navigation.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Android Central Forums

 

[MannyZ28]

How about this one?

https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...ource=vb_ac&utm_medium=content&token=LFXcdDn4

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Android Central Forums

 

[hopefulfarm]

Let's hope. That one looks pretty good to me.

 

[yankees177]

How about this one?

Qmadix USB Dual Mobile Charging Hub 2.1 & 2.1 Amp - Android Car Chargers - ShopAndroid

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Android Central Forums

I originally wrote that off since it features an iphone cable but that might be because it's for non apple phones. I wasn't quickly able to find any written reviews but that looks promising. It's price is fairly high though. On a comment to your other post I am probably rocking that car same car charger you were speaking about and it wouldn't keep up with the N2.

 

[MannyZ28]

I originally wrote that off since it features an iphone cable but that might be because it's for non apple phones. I wasn't quickly able to find any written reviews but that looks promising. It's price is fairly high though. On a comment to your other post I am probably rocking that car same car charger you were speaking about and it wouldn't keep up with the N2.

Thanks, definitely ordering that one then. Pumping 2 amps through a Galaxy S3, is that a safe thing to do? If you change the device in that link from the n2 to the S3 they show the same charger with 2 amps. Since I am still waiting on my n2 I wouldn't mind trying that new charger on it. According to the site, it's safe.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Android Central Forums

 

[yankees177]

Thanks, definitely ordering that one then. Pumping 2 amps through a Galaxy S3, is that a safe thing to do? If you change the device in that link from the n2 to the S3 they show the same charger with 2 amps. Since I am still waiting on my n2 I wouldn't mind trying that new charger on it. According to the site, it's safe.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Android Central Forums

Completely safe. The phone actually regulates how much amperage goes into the phone so it wont allow more than what its set up for to pass. My guess is 2A otherwise they wasted money giving us all 2A wall chargers. You could hook this think up to 5v at 10A and it would only charge up to what the phone itself allows. The higher the amperage the faster the battery should charge. Its not terrible for the battery to charge faster but if you dont do preventative maintenance like allow the battery to discharge fully every few months, charging too fast can shorten the life of the battery (but for folks like us with Sprint, a underperforming battery is included in my insurance). Its best to stay at 2A but will not hurt the battery or the phone if you have 4A hooked up.

 

[hopefulfarm]

What about a charger for the Galaxy tablet?

I suppose different system.