Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

In car USB charger

Options

Comments

  • Options
    #2
    PogMoThoin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,874 ✭✭✭✭PogMoThoin


    They're all the same, they all give out 12volts


  • Options
    #3
    ardmacha
    Registered Users Posts: 7,476 ✭✭✭ardmacha


    This should fit any car, but isn't especially good value. These are widely available.


  • Options
    #4
    listermint
    Registered Users Posts: 33,979 ✭✭✭✭listermint


    Totally incorrect info above, you need to be more concerned about the current that the charger gives out. If it plugs into the cigarette lighter it will be 12V but some of them give 500mA where as the typical smartphone requires 1A to charge properly.

    Make sure you buy to suit your device.


  • Options
    #5
    PogMoThoin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,874 ✭✭✭✭PogMoThoin


    listermint wrote: »
    Totally incorrect info above, you need to be more concerned about the current that the charger gives out. If it plugs into the cigarette lighter it will be 12V but some of them give 500mA where as the typical smartphone requires 1A to charge properly.

    Make sure you buy to suit your device.

    Ok, name a phone that will not charge with 500mA from a standard laptop USB port? My Nexus 7 has a 2100mA charger and still charges fine from a USB port, albeit much slower. Anyway, the OP asked about cigarette lighter ports, not USB, lighter ports are all the same.


  • Options
    #6
    Morph the Cat
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 368 ✭✭Morph the Cat


    €25??? Don't be a lunatic!!

    I got this one off DealExtreme for $2 last year with free shipping.
    http://dx.com/p/mini-usb-2-0-car-cigarette-lighter-power-adapter-for-digital-devices-black-12v-145200

    Works perfectly fine - it's the exact same item. They have a whole range of them + different colours.
    See here: http://dx.com/s/usb+car+lighter

    Pixmania is a rip-off.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #7
    listermint
    Registered Users Posts: 33,979 ✭✭✭✭listermint


    PogMoThoin wrote: »
    Ok, name a phone that will not charge with 500mA from a standard laptop USB port? My Nexus 7 has a 2100mA charger and still charges fine from a USB port, albeit much slower. Anyway, the OP asked about cigarette lighter ports, not USB, lighter ports are all the same.

    Okay so let me see, your plugging a phone into a car and charging it at less than half its expected current rate (accounting for loss) and you reckon its going to charge the phone.

    Short journeys and charging at half the current do not make it a reasonable option.

    I dont understand how any sensible person would offer up silly advice like that.

    OP get a 1Amp charger.

    best of luck.


  • Options
    #8
    PogMoThoin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,874 ✭✭✭✭PogMoThoin


    listermint wrote: »
    Okay so let me see, your plugging a phone into a car and charging it at less than half its expected current rate (accounting for loss) and you reckon its going to charge the phone.

    Short journeys and charging at half the current do not make it a reasonable option.

    I dont understand how any sensible person would offer up silly advice like that.

    OP get a 1Amp charger.

    best of luck.

    I think you need to read the first post again, it is not what was asked. You're also assuming it's for charging a phone, it could be anything, iPod, mp3 player etc.


  • Options
    #9
    Usjes
    Registered Users Posts: 326 ✭✭Usjes


    Thanks, for all the info. I was aware of the various charging currents, the one I linked to supplies 1A which I though should be high enough for phone/mp3 player, I didn't want to go too high (2.1A) in case it might damage some older devices. I agree the price in pixmania is very steep, I was drawn to it by the 'free shipping'. Funnily enough if I google the seller 'AVIDES Media AG', on their own site they only charge €15! But my German isn't sufficiently good to fiugre out if they will ship it for free. I dont want to go too cheap in case the quality is poor (too much ripple or whatever) which again mightn't be great for sensitive devices. I also like the form factor of this version. I'll see if I can find a cheaper one now I know they are universal on the car side.

    Thanks,

    Usjes.


  • Options
    #10
    coylemj
    Registered Users Posts: 25,455 ✭✭✭✭coylemj


    The amp number is the maximum current that that charger can deliver, not the actual current that will be delivered, that depends on the voltage which in the case of a USB connection should be 5V and not 12V.

    If you plug a 12V charger into a phone you will fry the battery. Any car charger than ends in a microUSB connection to connect to modern phones (incl. most Androids) will deliver 5V.

    To be on the safe side, I'd buy the car charger in a Vodafone/O2/3/Metor shop, I know you'll be paying over the odds but it's better than buying something in a pound shop that could deliver too many volts and damage the battery.

    Going back to a pound shop and complaining that their car charger fried the battery in your Samsung Galaxy S III is unlikely to get you any satisfaction.

    I'd have no problem buying cheap headphones from DealXtreme but I wouldn't buy a phone charger from them, too risky.


  • Options
    #11
    Morph the Cat
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 368 ✭✭Morph the Cat


    Usjes wrote: »
    Thanks, for all the info. I was aware of the various charging currents, the one I linked to supplies 1A which I though should be high enough for phone/mp3 player, I didn't want to go too high (2.1A) in case it might damage some older devices. I agree the price in pixmania is very steep, I was drawn to it by the 'free shipping'. Funnily enough if I google the seller 'AVIDES Media AG', on their own site they only charge €15! But my German isn't sufficiently good to fiugre out if they will ship it for free. I dont want to go too cheap in case the quality is poor (too much ripple or whatever) which again mightn't be great for sensitive devices. I also like the form factor of this version. I'll see if I can find a cheaper one now I know they are universal on the car side.

    Thanks,

    Usjes.

    Eh, I posted a link to a Belkin one on Deal Extreme for $2.10 with free shipping. Belkin is a good brand - I have used this exact one for over a year now without issues.


  • Advertisement
Advertisement