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Not reaching maximum charge with USB 2 chargers
- Thread starter Ametz
- Start date
iwoloschin
Well-Known Member
Please stop spreading false information.
The included Samsung charger is a "USB 2.0" charger. Look at the pins, there's only 4 (V+/D+/D-/GND). D+ & D- are likely shorted, as that's what lets an Android phone know it can draw more than 500 mA. USB 3.0 has a lot more pins (hence that funny extra bit of the connector), but they're for data transfer, not power transfer.
The charger that is not providing a full charge is likely not shorting D+ & D-, and the phone is only pulling 500 mA. This is not enough current to charge a Note 3. It's not even enough power to charge an old OG Droid. You can sometimes trick the phone by making a "charging only" cable, but I do not recommend doing that.
Btw, I am an Electrical Engineer and have made a few USB based devices. Also, Wikipedia has a great article on USB: USB - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
drexappeal
Extreme Android User
I'm confused by this. Can you clarify what you mean by "maximum charge." Is that within a certain amount of time? Are you saying that a microUSB 2.0 cable won't charge as fast or are you saying that it will only charge you up to 44-64% and then stop?
jhawkkw
Chinchillin'
What's likely happening is that the power being consumed by the device is nearly the same as what the 2.0 port/cord can provide. It might be a little less which is why you're seeing some increase in battery charge, but not enough to really make any significant progress. Just my guess, nothing more.
drexappeal
Extreme Android User
This would be my guess as well. I use the oem note 8 micro usb charger at home, for my note 3 and it's fairly comparable in charge time
iwoloschin
Well-Known Member
You do not need to use a USB 3.0 cable to charge the phone. In fact, the USB 3.0 connector does not provide any additional power pins, just more data pins for faster data transfer. That's why I've only been using USB 2.0 cables and several 2.1 A chargers and I've had no troubles charging my phone.
USB 2.0 Cable - Premium USB to Micro USB Charge & Sync Cable 6ft- Black - Monoprice.com
Chargers - Included Samsung Charger and Leviton 15 Amp Tamper Resistant Combo Outlet/USB Charger-White-R02-T5630-00W at The Home Depot
I have yet to actually plug my phone in with the USB 3.0 port because I don't have any USB 3.0 ports on my computers. The cable will work as a regular USB 2.0 cable, I just haven't bothered since I already have nicer cables.
zipred
Android Expert
When not using the included charger, I use this dual USB 2.0 charger with regular USB 2.0 cables. It charges my Note 3, plus my Nexus 7.2 concurrently. In less than 2 hrs they're fully charged.
iPad Wall Charger | Dual iPad Wall Charger | 10 Watts Per Port | reVOLT h2 | by Scosche
iPad Wall Charger | Dual iPad Wall Charger | 10 Watts Per Port | reVOLT h2 | by Scosche
Ametz
Newbie
With that i mean i get no more then 66% of 100% total battery power (tested 12Hr) on my Note 3 if i use my old "original charger for HTC Incredible S" (That does work perfect with my HTC)
One night i put the note 3 on charging when i had 80% when i got to sleep, and when i woke up i had 15% less battery.
Wifi is always on, on my phone!
One strange thing is that it says its 100% done, but when removing the HTC charger from phone it takes 2-3 sec, then it goes down to 44-64% always, even if charging for 12+ Hr. (Only with HTC charger)
If i use Note 3 original charger i never have this problem, even with a normal usb 2 cable that is extra long.
Original HTC Charger info that don't fully charge my Note 3, only up to 44-64% maximum:
Input: 200mA
Output: 5V 1A
Attachments
LillieBennett
Well-Known Member
The charger that comes with the n3 is 5.3V at 2A. So that's close to double the charge capability.
"I never sayed u cant use the usb 2.0 Op stated that when he uses the 2.0 it doesn't charge as fast as the 3.0...." Mrinput
"Because the 3.0 charger is actually the cord you have to use" Mr Input
Surely you can understand how he might have thought you said you had to use a USB 3.0 cord, because um you did say it? Unless maybe you meant something different then you actually wrote.
I have yet to connect my phone to the charger it came with or the new cable it is using the one from my Note II because it would be a PITA to go behind my nightstand and change it.
Charges the phone to 100% in around 2 hours.
"Because the 3.0 charger is actually the cord you have to use" Mr Input
Surely you can understand how he might have thought you said you had to use a USB 3.0 cord, because um you did say it? Unless maybe you meant something different then you actually wrote.
I have yet to connect my phone to the charger it came with or the new cable it is using the one from my Note II because it would be a PITA to go behind my nightstand and change it.
Charges the phone to 100% in around 2 hours.
Simon_Gardner
Android Expert
Well here's a bit of weirdness I don't understand: I have a few male to female - maybe 1m - "USB 3" rated cables with the idea of making a longer charging cable when I need one combined with the OEM charger and cable.
I need to do some proper tests when I can - but it seems to me the charge rate plummets with an extension in. I can't think why that would be?
drexappeal
Extreme Android User
That is your issue right there. The HTC Incredible S AC adapter is only 1Amp. Samsung Note 2 even required a 2 amp charger.
You might want to browse through the note 2 accessories thread. There were several ac adapters that were posted with 2amp.
Your micro usb chord should work fine, as long as you have a 2 amp ac adapter base.
I think it's an HTC versus Samsung issue. I just checked the specs on my Galaxy S2 charger and it was 5V@700mA. Maybe the engineer can explain but thst looks like a big difference from your HTC charger to me.
Ametz
Newbie
I was under the impression that USB was a world wide standard = That you can charge your phone with ANY usb charger.
Wasen't that why all phones was gona have usb for charging in the first place? = no need to have 100 different chargers to all kinds of phones?
But now you need to have 100 different USB AC adapers instead.. Sounds kinda dumb in my ears..
And the same kind of problem as with different chargers back in the days..
Wasen't that why all phones was gona have usb for charging in the first place? = no need to have 100 different chargers to all kinds of phones?
But now you need to have 100 different USB AC adapers instead.. Sounds kinda dumb in my ears..
And the same kind of problem as with different chargers back in the days..
drexappeal
Extreme Android User
It's not the chord and not really dumb. That is a bit ignorant of a statement. Bigger screens that output higher capabilities need higher amperage to charge up.
There are a bunch of ac adapter bases with 2amp usb ports. In fact i have a dual port 2.1 amp in my car also.
You asked what the problem is and the problem is simple. Your old htc ac adapter wasn't made to handle a higher powered device. After purchasing 2 amp base, that should work for future devices, unless the devices start to get even more powerful later down the line.
Ametz
Newbie
What happens if i charge my old HTC with my Note 3 charger that is stronger?
Will that damage the battery on the old one?
And also will my HTC charger damage the Note 3 since its "too weak"
drexappeal
Extreme Android User
It'll charge faster. And just to be clear, that's using the AC adapter base from the Note 3, NOT the usb 3.0 B (which ONLY applies to the end that connects to the phone)
No, it won't damage your Note 3.
iwoloschin
Well-Known Member
Well here's a bit of weirdness I don't understand: I have a few male to female - maybe 1m - "USB 3" rated cables with the idea of making a longer charging cable when I need one combined with the OEM charger and cable.
I need to do some proper tests when I can - but it seems to me the charge rate plummets with an extension in. I can't think why that would be?
Might be having some issues with bad connections? USB cabling is pretty thin gauge, so it's possible you're dropping too much power in the cable or the connections, but as long as you're under 5m total length I can't imagine you're dropping that much power.
Rules of thumb:
Too many amps will fry living things, not electronics. If you plug in a 2A charger on a device that was "designed" for a 1A charger, nothing unusual will happen (though it may charge faster). If you send even 100mA (that's 5% of the current provided by the stock charger) through yourself, you risk death, particularly if the circuit crosses your heart. That said, the 5V that USB provides isn't likely to be able to break through the resistance of your skin, provided it's dry, so you don't need to be too fearful of exposed USB wires, even from a 2A charger.
Too many volts will fry electronics, though not necessarily living things. The static shock you get in the winter when you touch a doorknob is in the thousands, if not millions of volts, but obviously isn't harmful to you. This is because there's not much current flow. That same spark is potentially deadly to electronics. However, sustained high voltage can break down the electrical resistance in your skin, so don't go playing near substations that say "high voltage" thinking you'll be safe.
Extremes in either value (voltage or amps) can invalidate the rules above, so don't let them override common sense. Extremes in either value can also create hazards that are not directly related to biological electrocution or device failure, namely overheating, burns, and/or fire.
So, as long as your charger is outputting around 5V, you will not fry your phone. The more amps it can put out, the faster it will charge the phone, provided that the phone knows it's plugged into an AC charger.
Yesterday I used the stock Samsung charger with my LTEvo cable (USB 2) for about an hour and my battery percentage went from the high 60's to mid 90's. I thought maybe that USB3 cables had a higher gauge of wire to allow higher current, as the stock N3 cable is bulkier than a USB2 cable, but it looks like I was wrong, and USB2 cables can safely carry it.
Too many amps will fry living things, not electronics. If you plug in a 2A charger on a device that was "designed" for a 1A charger, nothing unusual will happen (though it may charge faster). If you send even 100mA (that's 5% of the current provided by the stock charger) through yourself, you risk death, particularly if the circuit crosses your heart. That said, the 5V that USB provides isn't likely to be able to break through the resistance of your skin, provided it's dry, so you don't need to be too fearful of exposed USB wires, even from a 2A charger.
Too many volts will fry electronics, though not necessarily living things. The static shock you get in the winter when you touch a doorknob is in the thousands, if not millions of volts, but obviously isn't harmful to you. This is because there's not much current flow. That same spark is potentially deadly to electronics. However, sustained high voltage can break down the electrical resistance in your skin, so don't go playing near substations that say "high voltage" thinking you'll be safe.
Extremes in either value (voltage or amps) can invalidate the rules above, so don't let them override common sense. Extremes in either value can also create hazards that are not directly related to biological electrocution or device failure, namely overheating, burns, and/or fire.
So, as long as your charger is outputting around 5V, you will not fry your phone. The more amps it can put out, the faster it will charge the phone, provided that the phone knows it's plugged into an AC charger.
Yesterday I used the stock Samsung charger with my LTEvo cable (USB 2) for about an hour and my battery percentage went from the high 60's to mid 90's. I thought maybe that USB3 cables had a higher gauge of wire to allow higher current, as the stock N3 cable is bulkier than a USB2 cable, but it looks like I was wrong, and USB2 cables can safely carry it.
redpill2016
Well-Known Member
Big_z smarty pants alert! 
I was going to chime in just to note the 2 amp vs 1 amp issue, but I think it got covered. I used my Samsung coupon to get a second 2 amp charger for my office, connector is USB 2.0 but it charges my note 3 to maximum seemingly just as fast as the USB 3.0 connector that came with the phone. I was under the impression the benefits to USB 3.0 were primarily data transfer, not charging.
But regardless how nice is it to not have to buy $100 in proprietary charging plugs a la Apple?
I was going to chime in just to note the 2 amp vs 1 amp issue, but I think it got covered. I used my Samsung coupon to get a second 2 amp charger for my office, connector is USB 2.0 but it charges my note 3 to maximum seemingly just as fast as the USB 3.0 connector that came with the phone. I was under the impression the benefits to USB 3.0 were primarily data transfer, not charging.
But regardless how nice is it to not have to buy $100 in proprietary charging plugs a la Apple?