Develop Bugs

[SOLVED] Good external battery charger?

I'm looking for an external battery charger since I bought a couple extra batteries for my phone.
anyone have experience with a certain charger? Obviously I don't want something that will damage my battery but nothing that will break the bank either.
Thanks.
Sent from my Incredible 2 running Zeus 1.3

Anything wrong with the charger that came with the phone??

I need a charger that I can put a battery on so that I can use my phone out of the house and a second battery can be charging at home..
Sent from my Incredible 2 running Zeus 1.3

mihneagabriel said:
I need a charger that I can put a battery on so that I can use my phone out of the house and a second battery can be charging at home..
Sent from my Incredible 2 running Zeus 1.3
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh OK my bad. That's where I was confused.

tylerlawhon said:
Oh OK my bad. That's where I was confused.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, sorry I probably should have been more specific but I dont know the exact name for them. haha
It's like the dock "travel" charger for just the battery, not the battery connected to the phone.
I havent been able to find something decent (crappy charging, made in china).

Ok a little update for those interested.
I ended up buying some cheap (REALLY cheap) charger off ebay not expecting too much but just experimenting.
The charger itself looks something like this:
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The 2 metal prongs connect to + and -; the charger is able to read which is the + and which is the - no matter how you set the battery in there. The bottom part that pushes the battery toward the prong is extendable or you can flip it 180 if you have a really small battery.
-Flashing red and blue light means charging
-Dull red light while plugged in means fully charged
-Dull red light while not plugged in but with battery set up means the pins are set up correctly on the terminals
NOTE: do not take batter off/put battery on while the charger is plugged in. It can ruin the battery.
The exact one i bought:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/270908124203?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649
(no problems with the seller, they actually sent me a few free ones due to a misunderstanding)
Now for the review and my experience.
Pros:
-Fits any battery, interchangeability of pins (differentiating + and -) means you can fit any battery really
-Has a side USB port so you can charge a battery and plug in your USB cord to the phone and charge it at the same time
-Voltage input is 110-220V so (with an adapter) you can theoretically (will test this summer) plug this charge straight into an european plug or north american plug.
-No problems so far with over charging; Charger stops charging the battery when it is full
-Has a light to tell you when the battery is done charging and when you have the pins connected correctly to the battery
-Compact; Small and plug folds up into unit.
-Charges a fully dead battery quickly.
Cons:
-No instructions when I first received this product (i know what you're thinking, how hard could it be to just charge a battery but I was reluctant to rely on the self detecting terminal feature)
-While charging, the light on the unit (the one i posted/bough) flashes red and blue like cop lights and is very bright so it might be a problem if you are plugging it in overnight in a bedroom. Also this is a normal function of the charger but i thought it was malfunctioning so they sent a new unit but then figured out its normal.
-Looks cheap
-Dont know how long it will last for (really cheap so buying another one isnt a problem)
-Noticed that after i pull a battery off the charger and use it the phone states it is at 99% (undercharged) although if i try to bump charge a fully charged battery it wont charge more. This could be a problem with my battery/phone/etc.
-Nothing else really
So final verdict on this product:
Its a great, affordable charger; works great if you are traveling and need to charge an extra battery. Will fit the Incredible 2 extended batteries and technically virtually any battery. Its pretty easy to use once you know what the color lights mean and how to set a battery up.
If anyone has any questions or want more pictures of this product just reply in this thread. Hope this helped out anyone looking for a product like this.

i just wanted to jump on here and say rthank you for posting this. i just oredered one for myself. i droid incredible 2 usb port took a dump on me and now have no way to charge it now without taking it apart and replacing it. thanks again for this info. it will hold me over till i am ready to fix the usb port or get my upgrade. i will just the ftp app from the play store to transfer my files till then.

so just an update. just recieved this device today in the mail. only cost less than four dollars and is working perfectly. thanks again for this post.

scoobntaz1996 said:
i just wanted to jump on here and say rthank you for posting this. i just oredered one for myself. i droid incredible 2 usb port took a dump on me and now have no way to charge it now without taking it apart and replacing it. thanks again for this info. it will hold me over till i am ready to fix the usb port or get my upgrade. i will just the ftp app from the play store to transfer my files till then.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
mine did the same thing just a few days ago only issue I"ve ever had with the phone...I actually ordered this same one off of amazon about 10 mins before I saw this, lol. Glad it works well

Monoprice 2800mAh portable battery box

I just got a portable battery box (2800mAh) for $14 from monoprice. (LINK)
Nicely built, relatively small, and about to test whether it will give me 1.5 full charges as mAh would suggest (2800mAh / 1800mAh on HOX = around 1.5 charges).
Box itself doesn't come with any charger, but is able to be charged by any charger with Micro or Mini USB connector (yep, it has 2 inputs).
Output is a male MicroUSB connector that fits HOX nicely (duh!).
Output: DC5.0V 800mAh
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I'd imagine if you want to use the phone while charging from it, you can connect them with a female-male MicroUSB connector.
The charger has a button that shows the charge level of the box with 25% increments (4 lights).
Has another light for "FULL".
As soon as I connected the box to HOX, phone immediately showed that it's being charged, as if from the regular charger. Not sure what the current is, but it may come across as slow charge (USB port charge) as opposed to AC charger.
So far I tested the charge over 10 minute deep sleep period, and I got this:
With the box, in average HOX charged for 2% every 10 minutes.
That would suggest that it would take this box 8.3 hours to charge HOX fully, which isn't bad at all, considering you're free to use it while it's charging.
Over next day or so I'll try to completely discharge the HOX and charge it overnight from the box. I'll see just how much this box can spit out.
---------------------------------
EDIT/REPORT:
I discharged my phone to 5% yesterday, disabled wifi and BT, and connected it to batt pack to charge overnight.
It turns out that this batt back is crap.
Overnight, when phone was in deep sleep with wifi/BT off, a full battle pack charged my HOX only by 55% (I charged the batt pack before using it). Even considering some small drainage during charge, I'd say this pack actually acts if it had just over 1000mAh or so, nothing close to 2800.
Oh well, gonna return it and keep looking.

shouldn't this be in the accessories forum?

More appropriate in the One X Accessories forum.

ultrawires said:
More appropriate in the One X Accessories forum.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh damnit I could've sworn I created it in Accessories..
Mods, please move this, I'm sorry

Hate the ones that plug right into the phone like that. Pretty much makes the phone a huge pain to use. I would rather spend the extra money and pick something like this up
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vaas-VM50-5...ain_0&var=&hash=item35bc78b2c2#ht_2029wt_1396

mbh87 said:
Hate the ones that plug right into the phone like that. Pretty much makes the phone a huge pain to use. I would rather spend the extra money and pick something like this up
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vaas-VM50-5...ain_0&var=&hash=item35bc78b2c2#ht_2029wt_1396
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's a good option too, although I actually like that monoprice's sticks right into the phone, so you don't have to carry a cable with u.
Also, it seems smaller and cheaper.

DarkDvr said:
That's a good option too, although I actually like that monoprice's sticks right into the phone, so you don't have to carry a cable with u.
Also, it seems smaller and cheaper.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know of certain defense organisations that allow the fixed connectors but not those with detachable cables. Disallowing the cables reduces the risk of the cables being used for data transfer.

ultrawires said:
I know of certain defense organisations that allow the fixed connectors but not those with detachable cables. Disallowing the cables reduces the risk of the cables being used for data transfer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
....
huh?

It's a security standpoint from Defence services (IE: Australian Army, etc) who wish to minimise security leaks. A data cable can be used to link up other devices, not just the charger.

Werewolph said:
It's a security standpoint from Defence services (IE: Australian Army, etc) who wish to minimise security leaks. A data cable can be used to link up other devices, not just the charger.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay, and I guess if I were flying in outer space, my suit was venting air, and the only thing that would save me is connecting a batt pack to a phone - in that situation a cable could freeze solid to a connector on the batt pack, making batt pack unusable, and thus killing me.

WRONG!
That's when Iron Man comes flying to the rescue thus saving your life and getting an autograph that you could sell on eBay for some money and covering your costs of the HTC One X.

OK well, turns out that this batt back is crap.
Updated the main post.

External chargers (solar and battery)

Hey everyone,
Im here to give some advice about some external chargers for vacation, or if your gaming alot
I have ordered this one myself, it hasnt arrived yet
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US$ 13,99 || 2600MaH batterypack with solar charger (red solar)
ill make a little review when it has arrived
Here are some other external batterys, i havent ordered these but i would like to do in the future
US$ 16,20 || 2600MaH batterypack with solar charger (blue solar)
US$ 29,40 || 10.000MaH batterypack
US$ 12,30 || 1350MaH batterypack with solar charger (blue solar) (small)
And for the ones with usb connection i have ordered this retractable cable
US$ 3,17 || Retractable USB to Micro USB cable (60cm length)

I tried 2 low cost solar battery packs. Completely useless and worthless.
I think you better invest a bit more money and buy known brands.....

friedje said:
I tried 2 low cost solar battery packs. Completely useless and worthless.
I think you better invest a bit more money and buy known brands.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Im going to try this one and ill write about it, it looks good to me and theres a review on the site

The problem with the types of solar charger that you posted is that they charge slowly. And exposed to direct sunlight, it might heat up too much and damage the internal lipo.
IF you just need a power source, get a portable battery. They are cheaper and works better in the long run.

Correct about the solar panels, at least with current technology you just can't get enough energy from something this small to justify the added complexity/weight/price.
Unless you are away (as in no mains and no "car" power) for weeks they aren't worth it - and if you are away you still need a more serious panel.
Just get one of the external "power packs" and top them up quickly over a few hours when you get the chance.
As a side-note the battery in Note is pretty big already and I suspect the charging circuit from the phone is quite far from 90%+ efficiency. Bottom line you need to get a beefy external battery; I'd say 5000 mAh is bare minimum if you want to get you through the day if you use the phone much.

d210 said:
Correct about the solar panels, at least with current technology you just can't get enough energy from something this small to justify the added complexity/weight/price.
Unless you are away (as in no mains and no "car" power) for weeks they aren't worth it - and if you are away you still need a more serious panel.
Just get one of the external "power packs" and top them up quickly over a few hours when you get the chance.
As a side-note the battery in Note is pretty big already and I suspect the charging circuit from the phone is quite far from 90%+ efficiency. Bottom line you need to get a beefy external battery; I'd say 5000 mAh is bare minimum if you want to get you through the day if you use the phone much.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So the 10.000 Mah would be good, if i get the chance to get a refund, as the delivery is already 20 days, i am going to buy that one.
Regards, Tomaat

Also, this will ruin the battery, when it isnt recharged with the correct amount of electricity right? Just as when you charge your phone with a car-charger og usb from the computer..?
In my experience, if you want a fully charged lasting battery, you need to charge with electricity from the wall...!
"if you use your phone alot, carry a extra charger with you. Or buy a second battery"
Bobo

Huh?

This is what I think of Solar Charges, if someone is interested. This is a nice small article about how good they actually are.
http://www.baekdal.com/opinion/helping-the-environment-by-making-it-worse/
Let me know what you think

You need a NEWTRENT. IMP1000
I've one and it charges 4:5times its great
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk 2

Solar charger ??? What the hell...on they do is try to take your money away

Take your money away?
- I dont know.. It may work if you live in an African country?
I live in Denmark. And I am definitely not getting one... Waste of good money
- Bobo

You wrote that? Interesting article
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda app-developers app

kiwiiwik28 said:
You wrote that? Interesting article
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am not Baekdal, but I am a subscriber of his work. I just thought that it might have been interesting for the discussion mentioned in this thread. I also consider myself an environmentally conscience person, but as the article points out not everything that looks green is green .
The solar charger is much less environmentally friendly than the electrical grid, which means that it will not save you money nor will it save the environment.
I'm glad you've enjoyed it.

12000mah portable power bank charger

About Product
Features:
- High capacity 12000mAh.
- Built-in original imported 18650 li-ion battery cell .
- Intelligent MCU controller
- 2.1A max output current,just 1-2h to full charge iphone4/4s
,can recharge mobile phone for serval times
- Higher efficiency of power conversion, reach over 85%.
- Includes conversion tips for most mobile phones and all digital devices charged via USB port.
- With a power button & LED indicator, press power button twice to turn on then press twice again to turn off.
- High capacity, rechargeable, practical and long cycle life.
- Over-heat, over-current, over-charge, short-circuit and over-discharge protection.
- Safe and reliable, perfect for using on travelling, camping, hiking and other outdoor activities, also ideal for extended calling, gaming and listening to music, easy carrying.
Specifications:
1. Capacity: 12000mAh, built-in original lipo cell
2. Input : DC5V1A
3. Output C5V1A and 2.1A
4.charging time:3hours
5.discharging time:1.5-2hours
6. Lifespan: 500 cycles
7. Dimensions: 100 x 70x 22mm
8.weight:220grams
9.color can be optional
Package Included:
1 x 12000mAh mobile power charger.
1x charging leads
5x Connectors(for iphone 4s, Samsung, LG, Nokia DC2.0, mini usb, micro usb, Sony PSP)
1*ac adapter
Accessories images
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About Warranty
1.you can return the products within three days after you find there will be quality problem since you recive the cargos
2.You can exchange the products for new within 3 months if there will be quality problem which caused
by the products themselves
3.The products can be fixed for free within one year since you recive them .
About Shipping
http://image.dhgate.com/albu_341165825_00/1.0x0.jpg
Shipping Company
Time
Tracking Website
UPS
3business days
www.ups.com
DHL
3-4business days
www.dhl.com
Fedex
4-5business days
www.fedex.com
EMS
5-10business days
www.speedpost.com
Remark:The real handing date is accoring to the country or the area you are in.
The date is just for your reference.
About Payment
http://image.dhgate.com/albu_341166608_00/1.0x0.jpg
product shows
http://image.dhgate.com/albu_342897209_00/1.0x0.jpg
http://image.dhgate.com/albu_342897334_00/1.0x0.jpg
Shenzhen victpower technology co.,ltd
Telephone:86-0755-89635916
Mobile Phone:8613723773629
Fax:86-0755-89635636
Email:[email protected]
Address:1-2F., Building C, No.28, Xinmuxinyuan Industrial Park,Pinghu Town,Longgang district
Site:www.victpower.cn

Made in China
Brother I got a similar equipment and is not as great as you pretend to be.
Sure the price is cool, you find it with 5 dollars on wholsales but I bet it doesn't have 12 Ah, if it has 10 Ah is good!
Second: the lights are not indicating the right amount of energy recharged.
I discharged completely, and started to charge with an 700mAh charger and the blue lights went on in a 2-3 hours interval and this is not possible.
Also is not possible as you say to recharge 12 Ah battery with 1Ah recommended, in just 3 hours as you mention.
This device needs like 10-12 hours with 1000mAh to make it full, and as I said the light indicators are not precise.
When I first got it, It had some power in it for test I supose, but it was showing all 4 leds lighten up. I powered my 33% Samsung Tab 2 7inch and started to charge till it reached 77% and then died!
I put it to recharge! In few complete cycles the life time will improve, but I don't think is able to recharge a 4Ah tablet 2 times! If is getting one time is perfect! Not with the tablet open, at least!
Another thing people should know is they should use their original cables, the connectors don't fit on my tab, and on an old Sony Ericsson phone. Both of them are the wrong size!
The design is nice, the price is good, but I don't think is a good battery pack!
Another thing people should know about it, is not multitasking. If you plug in a Phone and a Tablet in the same time, is dying fast, so.. you must choose!
I recommend this product for his low price! Is not so big either, but the cables and adaptors are junk.
Good luck guys!

Usually these batteries are of poor quality

controguerra said:
Usually these batteries are of poor quality
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i agree, i don't trust products made in China

Everything's from China
bruno.stargate said:
i agree, i don't trust products made in China
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But everything's made in China?! (j/k, I know what you mean.) Most of the stuff sold on the ecommerce b2c sites are of the Shanzhai variety).
But isn't that always the case, you get what you pay for.
When I bought my Note 8, they offered me a deal to buy the Samsung 9000mAh power bank for about 600HKD, which is about 85USD. Expensive yes when compared to the typical cheap China stuff, but then again, I don't relish the thought of battery acid exploding on my leg. Though some might. I guess.

Ads?Spam?

This Gadget Is a Handheld "Power Plant"

No release date as of yet but I'll be on the look out for this...
UPDATE: THE CORES ARE NOT RECHARGEABLE. THAT'S A LET DOWN FOR ME. HOWEVER, I DO SEE THE MARKET FOR THIS.
When we say "two weeks to a month" of power, we're referring to the ability to charge your phone (tested on an iPhone 5) once a day for two weeks. But for people who charge their phone around 20% battery life (instead of when the phone is completely dead), like many people, the charge would last about a month. That's where those numbers come from.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://mashable.com/2013/09/24/nectar-power/
http://www.nectarpower.com/
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For you the techies: http://www.nectarpower.com/assets/Uploads/Powering-the-Wireless-World.pdf

dkb218 said:
No release date as of yet but I'll be on the look out for this...
UPDATE: THE CORES ARE NOT RECHARGEABLE. THAT'S A LET DOWN FOR ME. HOWEVER, I DO SEE THE MARKET FOR THIS.
http://mashable.com/2013/09/24/nectar-power/
http://www.nectarpower.com/
For you the techies: http://www.nectarpower.com/assets/Uploads/Powering-the-Wireless-World.pdf
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
WOW...that seems great....

But, it is way cheaper to recharge using a normal battery pack. I see a reason this technology exists, but, its calling is not recharging batteries.

What are people supposed to do with old pods?
This seems a bit bass awkwards
Spelling errors courtesy of my phone

200$+ for the power plant.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

I'm not sure it is for me and you on a daily use basis where we can plug in etc...but if you are a long distance traveler and in areas where there ain't no plugs, 10 of these in a bag would last you a while in remote areas. Pretty much anyone that goes to, reports on or whatever for long periods of time, I can see how this would be a god send.

So it's a fuel cell basically. Probably enclosed. Fuel cells run off hydrogen typically gained from splitting water molecules. More advanced fuel cells can gain a higher efficiency rate when mixed with other chemicals.
I'd be interested to see if you could crack one of these babies open and just refill it with water. I know they already have water-based chargers. Using pure water would probably reduce the efficiency and longevity, but its water... refilling is still easy.
Most companies that are doing these "fuel cells" are really just trying to find a way to nickle and dime the customers. Companies don't want to introduce "free energy" by just filling up a bottle with water. They want to split the modules and sell you just the hydrogen/fuel mixtures.
Would be nice to just buy a fuel cell that lasts a few years. That would be worth it. But the cost of this device + refills <> electric? Are they trying to make a "cheaper" solution to plugging in to the wall every night (cause they should be) or are they marketing it as a "convenience" device with a high price tag (seems like it).

It looks like whether or not this is even going to get released is in question.
This is a comment on the product page @ Brookstone:
"Ordered from brookstone during the CES promotion with a shipping date of july its now september and acording to customer service they dont know that they will ever get them. Theres even a nifty term for that vaporware."
http://www.brookstone.com/nectar-mobile-power-system

AnarchoXen said:
I'm not sure it is for me and you on a daily use basis where we can plug in etc...but if you are a long distance traveler and in areas where there ain't no plugs, 10 of these in a bag would last you a while in remote areas. Pretty much anyone that goes to, reports on or whatever for long periods of time, I can see how this would be a god send.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Or just bring one solar panel charger and an external battery pack that you can charge during the day.

This one looks like a better deal to me. If I needed a kit for wilderness trips, this would be the one.

rpr69 said:
Or just bring one solar panel charger and an external battery pack that you can charge during the day.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True...there are some pretty cool and inexpensive solar panels out there...

AnarchoXen said:
True...there are some pretty cool and inexpensive solar panels out there...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I always carry a Goal Zero Nomad 7 in my bag. It's never failed me when I needed it. I have the battery pack accessory, so I can keep it charged up for times when I need a charge at night, or it's just too rainy. I've been thinking of upgrading to a slightly larger panel. Anyway, my point is that portable solar panes are great, and they don't cost anything but the initial investment.

philburkhardt said:
I always carry a Goal Zero Nomad 7 in my bag. It's never failed me when I needed it. I have the battery pack accessory, so I can keep it charged up for times when I need a charge at night, or it's just too rainy. I've been thinking of upgrading to a slightly larger panel. Anyway, my point is that portable solar panes are great, and they don't cost anything but the initial investment.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a 12,000mAh power supply with 3 USB ports that I use quite often, I got it for $35-$40.

I looked into this a bit more and found out that the fuel pods contain butane. They are asking $10 a pod (pre-orders get a free one).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=707MB1pgiBE
Too expensive for me, but would be great alternative to solar power for long camping trips.

nice one!