Is this possible? car charger can't keep up with phone usage

[soloist_huaxin]

I've been trying to get a car chager for my 920 that can actually CHARGE when I'm using it in the car. By "Using" I mean running navigation and playing local music via bluetooth. (occasionally using pandora but that's rare). I have tried 4 different car chargers, ranging from $5 internet ripoffs to $10 Incipio ones(5V 1A) and $35 ones sold by radioshack that claims 5V/3.1A output, but every time I end up with LESS battery after I finish the drive. That leads me to think that it's the phone's issue that the USB port may not take a large current for protection, etc etc.

So my question is: if I'm stuck with micro USB(not considering the wireless charging holder, which sells for like $60?), is it even possible to actually charge my phone when I'm running navigation and bluetooth?

 

[WhyFiNYC]

Weird. I can't help you, but I can say that your experience doesn't match my own - no issues with (928) nav + Bluetooth music playback using a cheap charger that I picked up at a truck stop. Is the phone possibly defective?

 

[Res215dg]

On my HTC One X, I had an old RocketFish car charger and when running navigation on my phone, it seemed as if the phone would not charge at all or if it did, would stay constant on the same percentage- so I can agree on that level

Here is the car charger I use now with my Lumia 920, and it charges quickly, even when the phone is in full use (streaming music/navi)

Amazon.com: Motorola Vehicle Power Adapter micro-USB Rapid Rate Charger: Cell Phones & Accessories

 

[a5cent]

That a USB charger might struggle to power a modern smartphone is definitely possible. I've seen it a few times myself.

USB chargers should provide at least 1A, but many car chargers struggle with that. If your USB charger can provide 1.5A (which is the standard for dedicated charging ports) it should have absolutely no trouble keeping up with your smartphones power usage. In your case, it doesn't sound like your charger is the problem (3.1A is extreme).

How long does your L920 take to charge when plugged in with a wall charger? If you can fully charge a L920 in three hours or less, then I think it's safe to assume that the charging port on your device is fine. Have you tested that?

If it's not your device's charging port or your charger, then there remains the possibility of your car's charging port not being able to deliver enough current. A friend of mine went through a similar process, only to discover that the car's charging port was broken. Have you tested that?

If all else fails, then you might want to dig out an ampere-meter. It's the only way to really be sure what is going on.

 

[WP7_Genius]

The car charger can't keep up with your usage. The best way I found is to buy the inverter that has the home outlets in it as to that's what I use. Charges a lot faster with that device instead of USB.

 

[RushilPa]

My Lumia 920 doesn't even charge in cars, no matter if I use just a USB cable, or proper car charger...

 

[James8561]

yes. most cheap car chargers only provide 1A over 5V per port.
seek out specifically for ones that provice 2.1 A over 5V per port

 

[MikesChevelle]

This one keeps up with my 920

T Mobile Universal 2 in 1 Micro USB Car Wall Charger Combo w' Extra USB Port | eBay

 

[soloist_huaxin]

some updates: pretty sure that my car is capable of delivering enough power, the adapter port on the car is directly connected to battery, so it works even when engine is not running. It's standard 12V 10A port so power is not a problem. The 5V/3.1A one I bought from radioshack doesn't really work - I started with 15% power, went for a 15-20min drive with navi and bluetooth, and end up with 12%.

@a5cent: I haven't tested that, but I think it fully charges in 3hrs. I use wireless charging pad all the time though.

 

[palandri]

What you guys need is a USB charging cable. A standard USB cable will only allow 500mA.

 

[zipro]

I've been trying to get a car chager for my 920 that can actually CHARGE when I'm using it in the car. By "Using" I mean running navigation and playing local music via bluetooth. (occasionally using pandora but that's rare). I have tried 4 different car chargers, ranging from $5 internet ripoffs to $10 Incipio ones(5V 1A) and $35 ones sold by radioshack that claims 5V/3.1A output, but every time I end up with LESS battery after I finish the drive. That leads me to think that it's the phone's issue that the USB port may not take a large current for protection, etc etc.

So my question is: if I'm stuck with micro USB(not considering the wireless charging holder, which sells for like $60?), is it even possible to actually charge my phone when I'm running navigation and bluetooth?

http://www.nokia.com/my-en/products/accessory/dc-20/specifications/

Get this one. I had the same problem as you - this one works like a charm. It's actually not an issue with the charger, it's the cable that causes the problem. If I use the DC-20's cable with another 2 amp charger, it'll work as well. If I use the same charger with a different cable (even the one that came with the phone), it won't work. I have absolutely no idea what's so different about the cable that comes with the DC-20, but for me it is the only one that allows the 920 to draw enough power from the charger to actually charge the phone while using navigation software.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[irvin792]

I use this with my 2.1A car charger and I can leave the screen on running nav the whole time and it is able to charge the phone still.

http://www.amazon.com/Mediabridge-C...ag=hawk-future-20&ascsubtag=UUwpUvbUpU2038126

 

[irvin792]

The problem is you need a charge only USB cable, a data and charge cable will cause it to charge at .5A no matter the car chargers rating.

 

[realwarder]

The problem is you need a charge only USB cable, a data and charge cable will cause it to charge at .5A no matter the car chargers rating.

Actually it all depends on the charger.

A charge cable just shorts the data lines together indicating the phone should be able to pull more than 500mA. But some chargers (typically Android phone labeled ones) actually short the cables internally, therefore with those, any cable, data or charge only will work.

 

[ttsoldier]

This is the one I use. Works great.

I don't trust anything from Radio Shack. Overpriced and never works.

Amazon.com: Satechi ST-2412 Car Lighter USB Charger Adapter with Smart Converter for iPad 2 & 3, iPhone 5 & 4S, Samsung Galaxy S4, S3, S2, BlackBerry Playbook, HTC Flyer, Android Phones (2.1 AMP): Cell Phones & Accessories

 

[a5cent]

@a5cent: I haven't tested that, but I think it fully charges in 3hrs. I use wireless charging pad all the time though.

In this case wireless charging is of no interest, so I would suggest you do that test so you can rule out your device's charging port. You should be able to plug in the wall charger and go from nearly empty to a fully charged battery in 3h or less.

It's standard 12V 10A port so power is not a problem.

I prefer to measure myself ;-) Even a charging port that can deliver 10A could be defective and not do so. There is no way, under any circumstance, that a functional 3.1A charger couldn't keep up with your L920. Based on the fact that you've already tried multiple chargers that were specified to deliver more than 1A, I find it unlikely that your problem is with the charger.

 

[zipro]

In this case wireless charging is of no interest, so I would suggest you do that test so you can rule out your device's charging port. You should be able to plug in the wall charger and go from nearly empty to a fully charged battery in 3h or less.



I prefer to measure myself ;-) Even a charging port that can deliver 10A could be defective and not do so. There is no way, under any circumstance, that a functional 3.1A charger couldn't keep up with your L920. Based on the fact that you've already tried multiple chargers that were specified to deliver more than 1A, I find it unlikely that your problem is with the charger.

Again - I went through several 2+A chargers and none of them worked except for the DC-20. There's a thread about this over at Nokia Forums where other people had the same experience.


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[a5cent]

Again - I went through several 2+A chargers and none of them worked except for the DC-20. There's a thread about this over at Nokia Forums where other people had the same experience.

Well that's strange. That suggests we've got a widely used alternative car charging standard in use.

 

[Nimdock]

This is what I use:

Amazon.com: PowerLine 200/400 Watt Mobile Inverter with USB Power Port 90308: Electronics

And I have never had a problem.

 

[soloist_huaxin]

I tried using the nokia wall charger that comes with the phone, with the USB cable from HP touchpad, and I'm able to charge about 20%-25% in half an hour, so I think the phone is fine. (Is it possible that the nokia wall charger actually "talks" to the phone/short data wires internally so the cable doesn't matter?)
It does ring a bell, though, that the difference between "normal" cable and "charging" cable might be the issue. I'm using a cable that came with a 1A, dual port charger I have, that might be the "normal" cable, which makes more sense that if you split 1A to 2 ports it falls within USB standard, so they never bothered to throw in "charging" cable. I'll see if I can confirm this, my company is in semiconductor so I'm sure there's some testing stuff(meters, etc) lying around.

I'll look into all the options everybody suggests. Thanks all for the help.