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USB Wall Chargers


LindaH

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I've been having problems with charging my phone and tablet...when plugged in to charge, sometimes it would be charging, sometimes not.  At first, I thought it was the cable, so I got a spare brand-new cable out and it seemed to be working, but today my phone wasn't charging again.  So now I'm thinking it's the dual USB wall charger that's going TU...I did read on an Amazon review that they apparently are meant to last 3 or so years.

My question is, when I'm looking at the wall chargers on Amazon, the description will say something like suitable for I-phones, I-pads, etc.  My phone and tablet are Samsung...does it really make a difference?  That is, do I need a wall charger that's specifically for Samsung (or android) products?  I can't see that it would make any difference at all, but I'd like to know for sure before ordering one.

LindaH
2014 Winnebago Aspect 27K
2011 Kia Soul

 

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They're all 5 volts, but more amperage is generally better and allows you to charge more devices faster. Many larger devices, like tablets, may take forever to charge on a small charger, if ever. Plus, there's a wide range of quality. It's helpful to stay with a known brand, like Anker. Jay

Edited by Jaydrvr

 

 
 
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SWharton,

That Anker would do fine. With 43.5 watts available it should do any device in reasonable time.

"They" are not all 5 volts or even under 2.5 watts. When I get a new device they come with a charger. I use a Sharpie silver or bronze metallic marker and use a magnifying glass to read the tiny print with output volt and amps, then mark the volts/Amps or mAh on each black charger, and which device it goes to.

For two examples, the output on my Motorola TurboPower  charger is marked so:

5v 3.0 Amp, 9v 1.6 Amp, 12v 1.2 Amp

My Surface Pro 7 OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer or what came with the device) charger is marked:

15v 4 Amp with its proprietary connector.

5v 1 Amp on its second USB A port from which I can charge any 5 v device slowly at only 1 Amp on that port.

My Surface Pro 4  charger is less: 12v 2.58 Amps, and 5v 1 Amp on its second USB A charging port.

I use the lower Amp charger for all three Surfaces, my Pro 7, Pro 4, and my Surface Go. Because the Pro 7 4 amp charger heats up the other two more than I like, despite them being compatible.

This aftermarket charger looks like my Microsoft OEM charger, but delivers 2.6 amps on the second USB A port. Click on this link to see what the Surface chargers look like. https://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Surface-BND-Portable-Charging/dp/B07CPNT31Z/ref=pd_sbs_147_t_1/137-1725833-5821611?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07CPNT31Z&pd_rd_r=168ea653-a5b0-4d9e-af0d-551cdb23d1fd&pd_rd_w=gRj4X&pd_rd_wg=QfzaV&pf_rd_p=5cfcfe89-300f-47d2-b1ad-a4e27203a02a&pf_rd_r=WETSNT6GESJBS35D3K2P&psc=1&refRID=WETSNT6GESJBS35D3K2P

I can fast charge my Pro 7 with its OEM charger. And all three Surface tablets can use each others chargers in a pinch, but charging too fast at higher amps can lower the life of the batteries.

So the speed at which a device charges is based on the wattage more than anything else. Smaller devices may charge at less than an Amp measured in 1/1000s of an amp. Written mAh. So 500mAh is 1/2 Amp, 750mAh is 3/4ths an amp. 1000mAh is1 Amp.

But early on before Micro USB and now USB C charging ports there were more proprietary chargers but today they are far and few between. However, USB C can handle much more data and power than any previous USB connectors, like the big USB A and the tiny Micro USB, so now USB C can replace HDMI cables and higher voltages so they can replace proprietary cables when devices use USB C ports too like my Surface Pro 7, and Surface Go Tablets have. They can actually be charged faster with their USB C ports. They are also two way; the USB C port can take or give a charge. Our Moto Z3 phones do flash "TurboPower Connected" on the screen when connected to their OEM charger marked TurboPower, and they charge to 80% or so in 10 minutes! Soon all devices will use USB C and do away with separate data and charging cables. Even Apple, I bet.

Usually better devices can handle higher voltage and wattages, and only use what they need. But some aren't well built and can overheat. So I charge at or below the wattage on the OEM charger.

Chargers are cheap relative to my $1400.00 Surface Pro devices, or even relative to my $399.99 Surface Go.

Hope that helps.

Safe charging!

 

Edited by RV_

RV/Derek
http://www.rvroadie.com Email on the bottom of my website page.
Retired AF 1971-1998


When you see a worthy man, endeavor to emulate him. When you see an unworthy man, look inside yourself. - Confucius

 

“Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.” ... Voltaire

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You can't go wrong with that one Lynda. I'm thinking about getting this Anker:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VSMK849/ref=emc_b_5_i

"Super Power - Provides an enormous 100W of charging power - enough to charge 2 USB-C laptops and 2 smartphones at the same time. USB-C Output: 5V = 3A / 9V = 3A / 20V = 5A. USB-A Output 5V = 2.4A max per port.

High-Speed Charging - Save up to 1 hour of charging time with USB-C Power Delivery and Anker’s world-famous PowerIQ technology for USB-A.

Universal Compatibility - Optimized for flawless performance with USB-A and USB-C phones, tablets, laptops, and more, including the 15-inch MacBook Pro, 2018 MacBook Air, and 13-inch Dell XPS.

Intelligent Power Allocation - Provides up to 100W of charging power while one device is connected to a USB-C port, or distributes output to up to 4 connected devices. This enables full-speed charging for more devices simultaneously."

Why? Because I have two new Surface tablets that have the USB C ports to charge from, as well as our two Motorola Z3 phones both of which charge via USB C ports. And it has enough watts output to deliver 5 Amps at 20 volts for my Surface Pro 7 and Go devices . It is $99.99. 

If anyone has new systems with USB C ports for charge/data, this one has the ports, as well as two USB A for backward compatibility.

However, for $49.99 I might just get this one with 60 watts of power, it makes more sense to me for almost half price, and ~ $22 more than the lower priced unit: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072K5ZJXF/ref=psdc_2407761011_t1_B07VSMK849

On an extreme budget I'd get this 30 watt Anker with one USB C charging port for new devices in the near future, and four USB A ports. $29.99 :https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PBCKZZ4/ref=psdc_2407761011_t1_B072K5ZJXF

Edited by RV_

RV/Derek
http://www.rvroadie.com Email on the bottom of my website page.
Retired AF 1971-1998


When you see a worthy man, endeavor to emulate him. When you see an unworthy man, look inside yourself. - Confucius

 

“Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.” ... Voltaire

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YW!  Today from CES, chargers with 100 watts not much bigger than a quarter. Just announced from CES, and one available now, from Aukey, another reputable brand. It's called GaN or Gallium Nitride technology.

Excerpt:

"The line-up, called the Omnia Series, consists of five chargers, ranging from a 61W single port charger to a 100W dual-port charger, covers pretty much the entire range of USB devices, from high-powered devices such as the MacBook Pro, Dell XPS 13, and iPad Pro, to smaller devices such as the iPhone and Nintendo Switch."

Details and specs here, one available now: https://www.zdnet.com/article/ces-2020-aukey-debuts-tiny-chargers-for-all-your-usb-c-devices/?ftag=TREc64629f&bhid=22078230483476385315599228605251

Wow!

RV/Derek
http://www.rvroadie.com Email on the bottom of my website page.
Retired AF 1971-1998


When you see a worthy man, endeavor to emulate him. When you see an unworthy man, look inside yourself. - Confucius

 

“Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.” ... Voltaire

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  • 2 months later...

Hi Linda... I was just looking / surfing and saw your comment.  I'm not sure if you got any answers to your dilemma but here goes. 

All wall outlets and switches need to receive a little preventive maintenance.  Typically, in a sticks & bricks situation, every five years or so you remove the plates and tighten the screws as they do get lose from the heat generated with usage.  That being said, you're always on the move so this needs to be done more frequently. 

You could add this task to your quarterly preventive maintenance checklist. 

I hope this helps your situation although it's probably too late for your current issue.  But this should help with your ongoing maintenance.

Kat

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