AC/DC chargers

derrick

Question re AC/DC chargers.

An appliance, (mobile phone, tablet, camera etc), comes with a charger with an output of 5v. 1A, if I need to replace that charger does it have to be the same rating?

I.E. could I use a charger with an output of 2A or 600mA?

My understanding is I can and the phone would just take the 1A it requires if using 2A output, and if using 600mA would just take longer to charge.

Am I correct as I do not want to damage the phone, but buying a bigger output charger means I can use it on several appliances?

I have seen chargers with outputs up to 4A and I doubt many appliances need that output.

Thanks.




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Heedtheadvice

Only addition to above is that it depends upon the circuitry inside the device to be charged. As David says voltage can be critical buy exactly the same. Current (amps) might be a problem if that means the device needs to draw more than the charger can supply as that will then affect voltage available (comments as above!). So go for the same current rating or more as the device requires. No harm with greater rating at all.

Edit: the point about circuitry inside the device is that not all charging circuits feed the batteries directly for example via a DC to DC convertor or control circuitry and insufficient current might then prevent charging.

were

Not all DC is equal. There is such a thing on Power Modules that can be referred to as unsmoothed DC, smoothed DC, regulated DC. Most these days have extensive circuitry and offer regulated DC.

Smoothed DC was once used on old car battery chargers, control panels with relays, and devices with motors. Unsmoothed dc was mainly used on motors, toy trains (transformers) scaletrix (transformers). 12 v on unsmoothed DC could be 18v peak. These are no longer as popular, but they also have not completely vanished.

for usb charging you get a few different standards. normal usb v2, usb3.1, think there is a usb c-type as well???, Qualcomm Quick Charge (3 versions of this) and VOOC Flash Charge technology.

Just because it has a usb plug, does not always mean it is to be used in a usb charger, as some electronic cigarette smokers have found, by causing a file and explosion by putting the cigarette into a usb charger.

As said above, Exact voltage is the main priority, plus the charger has be able to deliver the current required, or it will overheat and may cause it to burn.

Check those symbols on the black box before plugging it in to the device. If connector is not usb type, check the polarity is the same too.

System

were wrote: »

N
Just because it has a usb plug, does not always mean it is to be used in a usb charger, as some electronic cigarette smokers have found, by causing a file and explosion by putting the cigarette into a usb charger.

Utter tosh. The e-Cig issues have been caused by faulty e-Cigs, not what you claim. Later USB standards are backwards compatible, especially when it comes to charging a device.

were

Tarambor wrote: »

Utter tosh. The e-Cig issues have been caused by faulty e-Cigs, not what you claim. Later USB standards are backwards compatible, especially when it comes to charging a device.

Tarambor, my Kodi buddy, trolling again I see. You could at least have used google, and looked up your stuff before judging people again. The majority of media reports list them of exploding while charging using the incorrect charger, and overcharging.

Yes usbs are backward compatible, but but not equal, you don't get the fast charging ability by using the older versions. You may not want to put a 500ma on to you ipad which was reported to draw over 2 amps.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-33489427
https://info-electronic-cigarette.com/e-cigarette-explosions-an-in-depth-investigation/
http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/11133501.e_cigarette_explodes_in_packed_pub/

forgotmyname

I had a branded USB hub, I could not get anything to charge through it and it was unreliable also. Got fed up of it and opened it up. The wires connecting the lead to the circuit board was barely more than a human hair.

Not upto powering upto 4 devices and no good for charging at all. As soon as there was any load the voltage plummeted.

Why are USB hubs so dear to get a half decent one? I think this one was a Toshiba branded one.

DoaM

Hubs are barely designed for even powering devices nevermind charging them, certainly at the cheap end of the market.

GunJack

were wrote: »

as some electronic cigarette smokers have found, by causing a file and explosion by putting the cigarette into a usb charger.

one point of order...you can't "smoke" an e-cig, you vape with it....

Niv

I have a ps3 controller that has a usb lead for charging. When plugged into the ps3 it will only charge when the ps3 is on (obviously). I wanted to charge the controller without having the ps3 on so plugged the charge cable into a plug adaptor and plugged it in the wall - nothing happened. Anyone know why?