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Just received "Tomtom Navigator 6 GPS Kit". Didn't test it yet as GPS, still charging.
What I noticed that it comes with the car charger that completely compatible with G-Tab. Connector size and 12V, 2A center positive.
Just to let people know who are looking for the car charger for the Tab.
Have you tried it yet?
I have one that someone gave me, from a broken portable DVD player. It also is rated 12V 2A, but I am afraid to try it.
The weird thing is that they also gave me the wall wart for the same DVD player, and it is rated at 9V 2.2A. That works perfectly for my ZT-180 tablet.
wasserkapf said:
Have you tried it yet?
I have one that someone gave me, from a broken portable DVD player. It also is rated 12V 2A, but I am afraid to try it.
The weird thing is that they also gave me the wall wart for the same DVD player, and it is rated at 9V 2.2A. That works perfectly for my ZT-180 tablet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tested Bluetooth GPS unit with G-tab... Works perfect on GAdam 1.1.1.
As of charger, I'll give it a shot later on. Will post the results.
wasserkapf said:
Have you tried it yet?
I have one that someone gave me, from a broken portable DVD player. It also is rated 12V 2A, but I am afraid to try it.
The weird thing is that they also gave me the wall wart for the same DVD player, and it is rated at 9V 2.2A. That works perfectly for my ZT-180 tablet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I haven't tried my DVD car charger either because even though it fits, it has a sticker on it that says "Do not use for battery recharging".
SORRY!!!
Made an a$$ of myself.
Have to read more careful... That was input 12V, 2A... Although the plug is the right size.
Unfortunately output is 5V, 2A that does not charge the Tab....
So.... Went to Walmart and bought an inverter: "Philips" model DVDP32.
It charges Tab using regular A/C plug supplied with G-tab.
Price $20.
Now can use the Tab as GPS without draining the battery.
glad that the tomtom gps works!
may I ask which navigation software you use?
I'm still looking for a good one.
hopefully a nice affordable offline nav app...
This is great to know.
themsn said:
glad that the tomtom gps works!
may I ask which navigation software you use?
I'm still looking for a good one.
hopefully a nice affordable offline nav app...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Intend to use CoPilot live 8.
Great GPS, have one on my HD2, windows thou.
Nice part is that you're not dependent on any connection, WiFi or 3G.
All maps are pre-loaded and updates coming regularly. It's nice to have it on the phone, but screen is small comparing to G-Tab. Otherwise NA edition costs only $19 right now, discounted from usual $26.
Tester30 said:
Intend to use CoPilot live 8.
Great GPS, have one on my HD2, windows thou.
Nice part is that you're not dependent on any connection, WiFi or 3G.
All maps are pre-loaded and updates coming regularly. It's nice to have it on the phone, but screen is small comparing to G-Tab. Otherwise NA edition costs only $19 right now, discounted from usual $26.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks for the tip as well as the deal tip.
but I can't find copilot on my market. (read somewhere that certain apps may not show up if hardware specs aren't fulfilled)
so hopefully I'll be able to find it before the sale ends.
I downloaded CoPilot Live 8 from market.android.com . The US version is only $4.95 and it works great for me with BlueGPS on my Gtab. I am running VegaN 5.1
Got to Radio Shack and get a 12V auto adapter, they sell one that has changeable tips. There is nothing magic about the charger 12V 2A DC that's it.
Rumbleweed said:
Got to Radio Shack and get a 12V auto adapter, they sell one that has changeable tips. There is nothing magic about the charger 12V 2A DC that's it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As long as that won't fry the tablet in the long run, sounds like an excellent idea.
Keep in mind that cars run about 13v to 14.6v, so unless the car adapter is already doing some regulation it might be higher than 12v. Personally, to be safe, I would get a cheap auto adapter, crack it open, put a voltage regulator inside to drop it down to something closer to the charger voltage, which IIRC is 7.4v (correct me if I am wrong) The factory charger is 12v 2a, so probably the charger is exactly perfect. But then again, I'm a belt and suspenders kinda guy.
Does anyone know if it is actually fine/good to charge it off 12v? Or is it one of those things that works fine but in a few months will end up frying the internal voltage regulator for the charging circuit because it got too hot or was just at the limit of its capabilities from running at 12v?
Too bad the device wont charge over USB...
LowSky said:
Too bad the device wont charge over USB...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know, really wish it did... also wish that it had micro USB, not mini.
Now if only I could open it up and set up the USB power to raise up to the charging voltage and connect that to the charger. I doubt it has the room though. Anyone have pics of the inside?
Cocide said:
Keep in mind that cars run about 13v to 14.6v, so unless the car adapter is already doing some regulation it might be higher than 12v.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If the auto adapter says that it has an output of 12V 2A, then that is what it will usually output. You can check the voltage fairly easily.
Cocide said:
Personally, to be safe, I would get a cheap auto adapter, crack it open, put a voltage regulator inside to drop it down to something closer to the charger voltage, which IIRC is 7.4v (correct me if I am wrong).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're wrong.
It is 12V 2A, I don't know where you got your information from. Why don't you just look at the specs on the power supply?
wasserkapf said:
If the auto adapter says that it has an output of 12V 2A, then that is what it will usually output. You can check the voltage fairly easily.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Was under the impression he was using one of the adapters that just gave you power from the car but had no form of voltage control and just a fuse. I had a friend fry a Garmin with a cheap '12 v' adapter that was just fused, so just wanted to make sure.
wasserkapf said:
You're wrong.
It is 12V 2A, I don't know where you got your information from. Why don't you just look at the specs on the power supply?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the correction, I just didn't have a charger near me to check when I posted. But now I feel a lot better about car charging.
I've been looking for a car charger for my incoming tab, I'll have to check out the shack.
The cheapo' ones from places like monopice or merit line bleed off extra voltage via heat, so they are easy to fry. A good charger that has the proper regulator circuitry to output at it's given rating should not get warm when used.
Cocide said:
I know, really wish it did... also wish that it had micro USB, not mini.
Now if only I could open it up and set up the USB power to raise up to the charging voltage and connect that to the charger. I doubt it has the room though. Anyone have pics of the inside?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree I have changed all of my plugs from mini usb to micro now. =/
Found one
Radio Shack has a 12v 2A charger with interchangable tips. The "B" tip is the one that fits, and I confirm it working. I am an idiot and didn't realize that the tip connections are polarized so I thought the charger was broken at first. Make sure to have the word "TIP" on the connector line up with the "INPUT" on the actual charger.
well..you guys are somewhat right and somewhat wrong.
the 12VDC on a car can be anywhere from 11VDC (engine off, battery low) to 14.5VDC.
Careful with some of the plugs. If they are not regulated, it's just a voltage divider resistor in the power stage and may not be current limited.
On the other hand, if it is current limited, and the tablet starts pulling 2A from a 500mA (most cell chargers) plug, you'll let out the magic smoke that makes it work.
I've got it on the docket to do a true regulated 12VDC / 2A charger as well. I'll see if I can get some cheapies and do some testing to show you guys what I'm talking about but I need to get a small controllable load.
Greetings Devs.
I found this software which promises to charge i products faster. So why not the nook? I know it works with the ipad/iphone/itouch, but not the NC (or anything else for that matter). I was looking in the ini file and managed to match up the class id of each product, and then I found the id for the NC and added this line:
HKLM, System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{3f966bd9-fa04-4ec5-991c-d326973b5128}, LowerFilters, %REG_MULTI_SZ_APPEND%, AiCharger
To both the install and uninstall filter. However, I cannot tell if it pushes extra power to just the ipad, or if it does to all of them.
Ideas? Tried digging around the sys file in hex, but nothing found. I think it would be nice if we could boost output a bit
USB Standard is 500mAh. If you somehow force your port to deliver more power you could fry it.
khaytsus said:
USB Standard is 500mAh. If you somehow force your port to deliver more power you could fry it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well yeah, but no one is at least curious if this could help out at all? Maybe hardware manufactures cap it @ 5V, .5A and they override it? Maybe it provides a steadier draw somehow? Maybe they draw more power from the rails for powered-usb slots?
ace7196 said:
Well yeah, but no one is at least curious if this could help out at all? Maybe hardware manufactures cap it @ 5V, .5A and they override it? Maybe it provides a steadier draw somehow? Maybe they draw more power from the rails for powered-usb slots?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Charging more than 500ma through the USB hardware is bad.
Lithium batteries charge at full amperage over the entire charge cycle, and just turn off the charge when they hit a certain voltage (~3.6v per cell on lipo IIRC?)
I don't think there is anything you can do from the computer side unless it tells the device itself to pull the full 500ma when it would try to pull less (for fear of overloading a USB interface, as there are usually 2 ports per USB port on a computer (IIRC.)
IMO, just use a powered USB hub?
Winmo custom roms had a quick-charge feature built in to a lot of them.
I don't think anyone fried anything.
This thread belongs in QnA though unless the op is actually developing something.
Did any naysayers even bother to look at the link? It is for Asus brand mobos only. And only certain ones are supported. Surely Asus isn't going to release an app that would fry the port...
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA App
lafester said:
Winmo custom roms had a quick-charge feature built in to a lot of them.
I don't think anyone fried anything.
This thread belongs in QnA though unless the op is actually developing something.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thinking of developing the software for it...
Syco54645 said:
Did any naysayers even bother to look at the link? It is for Asus brand mobos only. And only certain ones are supported. Surely Asus isn't going to release an app that would fry the port...
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As pointed out here, this is not JUST simply software. This is the software portion of a hardware feature on Asus motherboards. The boards have a separate controller in them that allows more amperage to specific USB ports for the purpose of charging particular, high amperage items (ipad, iphone) only. As also stated here, the USB standard is a fixed 5V .5A and this isn't something that can simply be modified via software as the controllers themselves would have problems managing higher draws (not really the physical ports).
The only application this would have would be to users with those specific boards IF the software can be hacked to allow that amperage on the Nook. It may also be worth mentioning that the Nook's internal connector is different and the higher power provided by the wall charger is not over the standard USB VCC pins on the connector. I'm not familiar enough with the wiring inside the device to say for certain, but the standard charge connections from USB may be a different path than the wall charger on a charge controller.
Quick Edit: This actually doesn't appear to be the same as their hardware specific version, which most likely makes it even less useful. It looks like this enables charging in multiple standby modes and most likely forces the port to full amperage; which is typically only done after the device negotiates with the system, initial port power is much lower. My device manager shows the Nook pulling it's full 500mA already, so unless you're trying to do a lot of charging while your computer is in standby, this isn't gonna be of much use.
Edit 2: Quick bounce around the internet shows this app as causing a bit of instability and BSODs. May not be everyone, so if you're still testing this let us know if you're stable.
Infraded said:
As pointed out here, this is not JUST simply software. This is the software portion of a hardware feature on Asus motherboards. The boards have a separate controller in them that allows more amperage to specific USB ports for the purpose of charging particular, high amperage items (ipad, iphone) only. As also stated here, the USB standard is a fixed 5V .5A and this isn't something that can simply be modified via software as the controllers themselves would have problems managing higher draws (not really the physical ports).
The only application this would have would be to users with those specific boards IF the software can be hacked to allow that amperage on the Nook. It may also be worth mentioning that the Nook's internal connector is different and the higher power provided by the wall charger is not over the standard USB VCC pins on the connector. I'm not familiar enough with the wiring inside the device to say for certain, but the standard charge connections from USB may be a different path than the wall charger on a charge controller.
Quick Edit: This actually doesn't appear to be the same as their hardware specific version, which most likely makes it even less useful. It looks like this enables charging in multiple standby modes and most likely forces the port to full amperage; which is typically only done after the device negotiates with the system, initial port power is much lower. My device manager shows the Nook pulling it's full 500mA already, so unless you're trying to do a lot of charging while your computer is in standby, this isn't gonna be of much use.
Edit 2: Quick bounce around the internet shows this app as causing a bit of instability and BSODs. May not be everyone, so if you're still testing this let us know if you're stable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You have to use the nook's cable to quick charge. I believe it's the same on the USB side but different on the NC side.
Thanks Infraded for the helpful reply. I did a quick search and it seemed it caused more trouble than it's worth (BSOD, etc). I'll dig deeper.
I had the same issues with my iPad. If your motherboard vendor supports it, they have a BIOS update that adjusts the USB ports to charge things like the Nook and iPad.
khaytsus said:
USB Standard is 500mAh. If you somehow force your port to deliver more power you could fry it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Some dell laptops (my 5400 has it) have an option in bios for USB Power Share, where they allow USB devices which know if they are connected to to wall chargers or USB plugs to charge as if they were on wall chargers.
Its epic win.
In the NC teardown, didn't they discover that the Nook Color actually uses a custom micro USB connector which is backwards compatible with the standard? It goes on to say that the NC charges only through a pair of 12V pins on the USB cable that is provided with it out of the box, and in fact when you connect your NC to your computer it is *not charging at all* even if your ROM says it is. This is consistent with my experience where the battery only goes down when plugged into my PC.
Needless to say you would need some pretty serious hardware hacks to get your PC pumping 12 volts to the USB cable.
mthe0ry said:
In the NC teardown, didn't they discover that the Nook Color actually uses a custom micro USB connector which is backwards compatible with the standard? It goes on to say that the NC charges only through a pair of 12V pins on the USB cable that is provided with it out of the box, and in fact when you connect your NC to your computer it is *not charging at all* even if your ROM says it is. This is consistent with my experience where the battery only goes down when plugged into my PC.
Needless to say you would need some pretty serious hardware hacks to get your PC pumping 12 volts to the USB cable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Um, no. The wall charger puts out 5 volts @ 1.9 Amps. Take a close look at the bottom of your own charger...specs are right there. Supposedly, the nook will only charge when the amperage is at least 1.9 amps. In practice it will charge as much as can minus the current it is drawing...usually more than a standard port can put out(.5A).
ie standard port = .5A
Nook draw is ~ .45A
total for charging is .05A....barely noticeable or in worst case not even enough to keep up.
Not to mention that many ports shut down entirely if they think they are sending out to much current.
send 12 volts into your nook and you will have found one of the few ways to brick it
edit: what these"hacks" for the usb ports do is raise the limiting on them to higher values..say 5 volts @ 1A or rarely 1.5A
Two of SMSC's family of transceivers supports up to 1.5A from dedicated charger ports.
Furthermore, I'm charging my nook color from my netbook right now with a standard non-OEM usb cable. So I don't think you need the standard one
Some basic info here:
http://www.smsc.com/media/Downloads/Product_Brochures/usb333x_334xfs.pdf
ace7196 said:
Two of SMSC's family of transceivers supports up to 1.5A from dedicated charger ports.
Furthermore, I'm charging my nook color from my netbook right now with a standard non-OEM usb cable. So I don't think you need the standard one
Some basic info here:
http://www.smsc.com/media/Downloads/Product_Brochures/usb333x_334xfs.pdf
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I'm thinking that the extra pins in the stock cable are mostly for the led in there. Going back to work monday and ordering a spare for teardown purposes with my first check. I'll let you all know exactly what I find out.
mthe0ry said:
In the NC teardown, didn't they discover that the Nook Color actually uses a custom micro USB connector which is backwards compatible with the standard? It goes on to say that the NC charges only through a pair of 12V pins on the USB cable that is provided with it out of the box, and in fact when you connect your NC to your computer it is *not charging at all* even if your ROM says it is. This is consistent with my experience where the battery only goes down when plugged into my PC.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Except that it does charge on ANY source. If the NC is running and active it uses MORE CURRENT THAN 500mAh, so it won't charge any, but it's still getting 500mAh of juice.
If you turn off the screen, it'll slowly charge.... Around 10%/hr.
And I suspect that the 1.9A from the stock charger+cable comes from all 3 pairs, the standard pair + the two extra in the B&N cable, but it's possible that the stock cable only charges the extra two pairs. Regardless, it does charge from a standard cable on any USB port. The B&N ROM does not show charging unless it's charging at 1.9A.
ace7196 said:
Two of SMSC's family of transceivers supports up to 1.5A from dedicated charger ports.
Furthermore, I'm charging my nook color from my netbook right now with a standard non-OEM usb cable. So I don't think you need the standard one
Some basic info here:
http://www.smsc.com/media/Downloads/Product_Brochures/usb333x_334xfs.pdf
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can also confirm nook will charge off a standard USB (at least while I've got CM7), using the stock BN cable, and definitely faster than 10%/hour. Have been doing so off my work computer for a while now. I recall that this did NOT work while the NC was virgin unrooted, however, although occasionally there'd be this weird "bump" in batt level to 100% when first connecting. Have not seen that effect since going to CM7.
last night as a test I let my nook go to 10% remaining. Then I used my daughters LG Ally cable on the stock charger for 1 hour. It charged to 24%. Then I drained back to 10% and used the stock cable for 1 hour...result?....44%. There IS something special with the stock cable. I don't think there is any magic to the charger other than the amperage.
deadbot1 said:
last night as a test I let my nook go to 10% remaining. Then I used my daughters LG Ally cable on the stock charger for 1 hour. It charged to 24%. Then I drained back to 10% and used the stock cable for 1 hour...result?....44%. There IS something special with the stock cable. I don't think there is any magic to the charger other than the amperage.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Uh.. Yeah. As said a hundred times, the cable has 4 extra pins for charging on the MicroUSB side.
Just ordered a portable USB charger.
Does the gtab take a charge from either of its usb ports?
I hope it does
Nope, but I am a noob. Ask an expert.
If it does, it would have to be from the mini USB port. The full sized one is a master (i.e. it supplies power to devices and operates them through the tablet), and the mini one is a slave (i.e. it lets you access the device as mass storage through another).
Other than that I'm not sure. I'd be interested to know this as well.
jacobbones said:
Does the gtab take a charge from either of its usb ports?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It does not.
I don't think that most USB ports provide enough juice to charge a battery like the G-Tab's, so they probably just didn't bother making it a possibility. My friend's iPad requires a wall wart, too.
Oh poo.
The charger I boughts a 16000mah
It can charge the ipad etc... Bought it mainly for my phone but was hoping it would charge my gtab as well.
jacobbones said:
Oh poo.
The charger I boughts a 16000mah
It can charge the ipad etc... Bought it mainly for my phone but was hoping it would charge my gtab as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It will absolutely not charge through either of those ports because it was not wired that way. DO NOT TRY FORCING THIS or you will in all likelihood destroy your tab.
Hopefully a basic cable that attaches to the dock port will allow charging via usb, even if it's a slow trickle charge.
Someone here said that the SanDisk Sansa cable fits in our dock port, but I can't recall if it worked at charging or not, though I'm sure if it did we'd be all over it.
USB voltage < gTab voltage
Per the Viewsonic web site the gTab operates at 7.4V and comes with a 12V charger. USB charges at up to 5V iirc. Maybe the gTablet is set up to charge one cell of the battery at a time, but I really wouldn't count on it. Likely the battery charging system isn't even connected to the USB ports at all (but I've been wrong before).
I say you give it a shot. In addition, I will offer you $25 for it, plus shipping, after you are done. I want to try removing the anti-glare layer as an experiment.
Brick man say Smoke it
SirhanSirhan said:
I say you give it a shot. In addition, I will offer you $25 for it, plus shipping, after you are done. I want to try removing the anti-glare layer as an experiment.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's funny! Wrong... but funny.
Just goes to show you, "Never trust a guy who wants to by a brick!"
No it DOES NOT Charge through the USB ports. Either of them...
Hi,
I plan to disappear into the woods and come back out when I've finished my thesis (more or less). So I'm interested in buying a solar panel to use with my transformer and since people here seem pretty knowledgeable about charging the transformer I thought I would run it by you guys to make sure I do not miss something important.
I've gathered so far that I will need at least an 11v panel.
Also, it seems I need USB 3.0 to charge by USB. Is this correct?
And if I can't get USB 3.0 I will have to modify a 2.0 wire or plug or whatever... I prefer to avoid this
What should I go for in terms og Watts?
Would it be reccommendable to buy a panel with a battery to get a more even current?
Recommandations would be great!
Wow, I thought I was the only one that even remotely cared about this!
I have a Goal0 Nomad 7m. It's 12v, and I have had no luck getting it to charge my TF. Do you think it might be because of the USB 3.0 requirement?
Great that I'm not alone! Too bad that it doesn't work though...
I got the thing about USB 3.0 from this thread;
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1087321
reading it again I noticed this line;
"The Asus charger does need a 3.0 cable extension to work. But with a DIY charger you don't need USB 3.0 cables or connectors."​
So I'm not really sure if it makes a difference whether you use USB 2.0 or 3.0.
Anyway the specs for your Nomad says that it's 5v for USB output and 12v for DC output so I'm guessing that's why it doesn't work with the transformer.
Miki T. said:
Great that I'm not alone! Too bad that it doesn't work though...
I got the thing about USB 3.0 from this thread;
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1087321
reading it again I noticed this line;
"The Asus charger does need a 3.0 cable extension to work. But with a DIY charger you don't need USB 3.0 cables or connectors."​
So I'm not really sure if it makes a difference whether you use USB 2.0 or 3.0.
Anyway the specs for your Nomad says that it's 5v for USB output and 12v for DC output so I'm guessing that's why it doesn't work with the transformer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're right!...that actually means there's options. Shouldn't something like this work?
http://www.amazon.com/Portable-Inve...=UTF8&coliid=IUJZFD56YRM5K&colid=HQA2VAAM7MXY
I think I'm gonna have to order this, and give it a shot. I already have the panel & the DC jack, so I might as well.
Hey nice find! It seems like it should work, though don't take my word for it. I'm really ignorant of this stuff which is why I started the thread to begin with In any case $22 for a charger sounds fairly cheap.
Let me know if it works or not!
Solar panels that put out more than 28W (5V, 2A = 10W + 15V, 1.2A = 18W) would be enough, but then you'd likely want to run it through an inverter to get 110v AC, then the ASUS charger.
Until and unless ASUS comes out with a car charger that would work with the dock, running an inverter to generate an AC signal, then running it through the AC adapter will be the way to go.
Figuring in efficiency losses, you'll probably want 50-75W worth of solar panels for this to work. You can also use a 12v battery as a ballast.
FrayAdjacent said:
Solar panels that put out more than 28W (5V, 2A = 10W + 15V, 1.2A = 18W) would be enough, but then you'd likely want to run it through an inverter to get 110v AC, then the ASUS charger.
Until and unless ASUS comes out with a car charger that would work with the dock, running an inverter to generate an AC signal, then running it through the AC adapter will be the way to go.
Figuring in efficiency losses, you'll probably want 50-75W worth of solar panels for this to work. You can also use a 12v battery as a ballast.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You don't need 5V and 12V, only 12V. The Asus charger only puts out 5V for non-transformer devices. Don't introduce all the loss from the 110V converter, just charge a 12V battery with a panel(the Asus will draw 18 watts at full charge), then charge the transformer from the battery. Just get a usb extender, cut it, and hook negative to pin 4 and positive to pin 1. I would recommend a 5 Ohm resistor to limit amperage, but it isn't necessary.
I'd like to hear how it works out.
I was considering putting some flexible solar panels on the back of the transformer. But with the dock, I've got more than enough power for my needs. Plus, the back of the transformer won't get that much sunlight.
I'm now moving on to trying to put solar panels on the back of my cellphone (Huawei U8800). It's a great phone, and the battery lasts all day, so long as I don't play too many games.
One thing you might want to consider is an external battery pack. They are pretty cheap here in China, and have huge batteries in them. They even have some with built in solar panels. I'm sure you could find one that could recharge the Transformer. Then you could have the battery pack in the sun charging via the solar panel, and you sitting in the shade with the transformer. At night plug the battery up to the transformer to let it charge while you sleep. The transformer with dock should have more than enough battery life to last all day.
If I come across any useful information during my research, I'll let you know.
Miki T. said:
Hey nice find! It seems like it should work, though don't take my word for it. I'm really ignorant of this stuff which is why I started the thread to begin with In any case $22 for a charger sounds fairly cheap.
Let me know if it works or not!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought it! ...and it will be here this afternoon. Thanks to Amazon Prime local delivery .
I'll let you know how/if it works out.
philburkhardt said:
I bought it! ...and it will be here this afternoon. Thanks to Amazon Prime local delivery .
I'll let you know how/if it works out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Stuff like that is great for the car, but you're gonna lose SO much efficiency through it, then even more loss from the Asus charger plugged into it. A 15W solar panel should be enough to charge the TF directly. Using an inverter with the asus charger, you'll probably need 50-100W. Just FYI.
msticninja said:
Stuff like that is great for the car, but you're gonna lose SO much efficiency through it, then even more loss from the Asus charger plugged into it. A 15W solar panel should be enough to charge the TF directly. Using an inverter with the asus charger, you'll probably need 50-100W. Just FYI.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup, you're right. No go on charging the TF. Like you said, it will be great for charging things in the car. Just not off my 12W solar panel. I think I'm gonna have to upgrade my panel .
philburkhardt said:
Yup, you're right. No go on charging the TF. Like you said, it will be great for charging things in the car. Just not off my 12W solar panel. I think I'm gonna have to upgrade my panel .
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The real joy of the TF is that it charges directly from 12 volts, so, assuming you have a 12 volt 12W panel, you should go get a 12 volt battery, 4AH(amp-hour) at least. It will be about the size of an old 6 volt lantern battery. Hook the panel to the battery to charge the battery, hook a female usb port to the battery, and hook the TF directly to the female usb port. You'll probably be able to get through a whole night on a 4AH battery + the TFs battery.
Great! Lots of useful replies... thanks a lot!
I plan on not using the adapter and use a USB extender the way msticninja wrote, since I don't want to carry or pay for something that delivers 50-100W.
I think I've found the panel I am going to buy. I cannot include outside links until I've posted 8 messages, but you can easily find it by googling "Portable 9x 2.5 W Solar Panel". So 22.5 Watt... that should suffice. That's at 18v * 1.25a.
It seems that all the solutions that comes with a battery are all quite pricey, but then I don't really need some fancy battery do I? Some do-it-yourself solution should be fine as long as the battery is rechargeable, 4AH("at least") and 12v right?
Do I want to reduce the voltage of the solar panel to 12 instead of 18? And should I worry about overcharging the battery?
By the way, is the battery an absolute necessity or is that only if I want to charge during the evening/night?
What I hope to be able to do is; be away from mains for about one week at a time, and use my laptop, say, 8 hours a day. I hope this will be enough...
Miki T. said:
That's at 18v * 1.25a.
Do I want to reduce the voltage of the solar panel to 12 instead of 18? And should I worry about overcharging the battery?
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The Asus charger will put out 15V at most, as marked on the charger itself. I don't think I'd use anything higher than 12V into the tablet/dock. You'd probably want to use some kind of voltage regulator to drop the 18V to 12V.
Without knowing the internal workings of the dock/tablet, I can't really comment more than that.
Miki T. said:
Great! Lots of useful replies... thanks a lot!
I plan on not using the adapter and use a USB extender the way msticninja wrote, since I don't want to carry or pay for something that delivers 50-100W.
I think I've found the panel I am going to buy. I cannot include outside links until I've posted 8 messages, but you can easily find it by googling "Portable 9x 2.5 W Solar Panel". So 22.5 Watt... that should suffice. That's at 18v * 1.25a.
It seems that all the solutions that comes with a battery are all quite pricey, but then I don't really need some fancy battery do I? Some do-it-yourself solution should be fine as long as the battery is rechargeable, 4AH("at least") and 12v right?
Do I want to reduce the voltage of the solar panel to 12 instead of 18? And should I worry about overcharging the battery?
By the way, is the battery an absolute necessity or is that only if I want to charge during the evening/night?
What I hope to be able to do is; be away from mains for about one week at a time, and use my laptop, say, 8 hours a day. I hope this will be enough...
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Click to collapse
You will need some sort of voltage regulation to maintain 12V. That's pretty much a requirement for any solar charging system. Panels themselves do not usually have regulation, so the output voltage of the panel is a function of the amount of light the panel is receiving.
This is a really quick search, but this satisfies all the requirements for what you need, and it's only $20:
http://www.amazon.com/Ramsond-SunShield-Charge-Controller-Regulator/dp/B0031FQ1S6
Feel free to search for alternatives, but use that as your starting point for searching.
Another quick search to give you an idea what you're looking for as far as batteries:
http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=12v+4ah+battery&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-USfficial&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=15393345737619657558&sa=X&ei=lq5MTsCGGMSCsgLgivmCBw&ved=0CHIQ8wIwAA
If I made something for myself, I'd use Lithium Ion cells and use a smart lipo charger to regulate the solar panel output, but it needs more research, and will cost more.
This will be interesting!
I've ordered the parts - the panel I mentioned, the Ramsond SunShield 12V 8A Solar Charge Controller Regulator that msticninja suggested and a Super Rechargeable Li-ion Battery, 12V 6800mAh. I ordered the panel and the battery off of sunsky. They seem to have very fair prices.
All the parts came to a total of $164, shipping included. Compared to complete sets with the same specs I'd say that's a really good deal, provided I make it work
I'll let you know!
Miki T. said:
This will be interesting!
I've ordered the parts - the panel I mentioned, the Ramsond SunShield 12V 8A Solar Charge Controller Regulator that msticninja suggested and a Super Rechargeable Li-ion Battery, 12V 6800mAh. I ordered the panel and the battery off of sunsky. They seem to have very fair prices.
All the parts came to a total of $164, shipping included. Compared to complete sets with the same specs I'd say that's a really good deal, provided I make it work
I'll let you know!
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Give me a link to that Li-ion battery. If it doesn't have it's own charging circuit, you'll need to get a lipo charger instead of/in addition to the Ramsond regulator. I'll check it out for you.
EDIT: If it's this one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/DC-12V-6800mAh-Super-Rechargeable-Lithium-ion-Battery-/150530536976
it's hard to say, but I think it has it's own charging circuit, because the wall wart included with it doesn't look like a lithium charger. But it does have a charge finished light, so, if the light stays on when the battery isn't plugged in, you should be okay. If the green light only turns on when a fully charged battery is connected, then you might not be fine. Confirm what you're getting by posting a link, and I'll try to make sure. If it doesn't have it's own charging circuit, the battery will explode in a fireball.
EDIT2: This one has it's own charging circuit, and it sounds like it's what's inside the other one I linked, so you should be okay if it's either of these.
http://www.lunershop.com/product_info.php?language=en¤cy=USD&products_id=2566
Just wondering if something like this would help.
http://www.ioffer.com/i/solar-battery-panel-usb-charger-for-cell-phone-mp3-mp4-147450373?source=eisi
I have no understanding of electricity, except the basic 4th grade stuff. This is a cool project thought. I'm planning on making a 55 paracord strap that will attach to my case and fit like a messenger bag. Having solar panels to charge it and a paracord strap would make the TF a nice camping device
SwiftLegend said:
Just wondering if something like this would help.
http://www.ioffer.com/i/solar-battery-panel-usb-charger-for-cell-phone-mp3-mp4-147450373?source=eisi
I have no understanding of electricity, except the basic 4th grade stuff. This is a cool project thought. I'm planning on making a 55 paracord strap that will attach to my case and fit like a messenger bag. Having solar panels to charge it and a paracord strap would make the TF a nice camping device
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Click to collapse
Nope, as discussed before, the TF uses 11-15V to charge, and normal USB chargers/backup batteries only put out 5V.
msticninja said:
Give me a link to that Li-ion battery. If it doesn't have it's own charging circuit, you'll need to get a lipo charger instead of/in addition to the Ramsond regulator. I'll check it out for you.
EDIT: If it's this one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/DC-12V-6800mAh-Super-Rechargeable-Lithium-ion-Battery-/150530536976
it's hard to say, but I think it has it's own charging circuit, because the wall wart included with it doesn't look like a lithium charger. But it does have a charge finished light, so, if the light stays on when the battery isn't plugged in, you should be okay. If the green light only turns on when a fully charged battery is connected, then you might not be fine. Confirm what you're getting by posting a link, and I'll try to make sure. If it doesn't have it's own charging circuit, the battery will explode in a fireball.
EDIT2: This one has it's own charging circuit, and it sounds like it's what's inside the other one I linked, so you should be okay if it's either of these.
http://www.lunershop.com/product_info.php?language=en¤cy=USD&products_id=2566
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Click to collapse
Fireballs are serious business...
The one I ordered is the blue one. I can't really confirm with a link since I cannot post external links until 8 posts but there shouldn't be any mistake. And it does say the following about it;
With its multi-protective device, the inner circuit pervents the box from over-recharging or over-discharging.​so it should be safe I think...
Anyone else having them?
It's at 25%... plugged it in. It wouldn't charge. I left it there for a while and it got to 26%... now it's stopped charging. Already checked the wall charger. I'm at work and I'm using one of the Galaxy Tab chargers. It shouldn't make a difference.
I would check the cord. For whatever reason my HP touchpads original cord wouldn't charge reliably, I change my cord out with my LG thrill and the HP cord will reliably charge my thrill and my thrills cord will reliably charge my touchpad, I can't really make sense of it, but that's how it worked for me. But I would suggest using the hp's wall plug in at all times due to the fact that it uses the correct voltage to charge and another's could destroy your battery.
Sent from my LG-P925
I leave here in a couple hours. I'll try it out. Thanks for the idea.
RadDudeTommy said:
I would check the cord. For whatever reason my HP touchpads original cord wouldn't charge reliably, I change my cord out with my LG thrill and the HP cord will reliably charge my thrill and my thrills cord will reliably charge my touchpad, I can't really make sense of it, but that's how it worked for me. But I would suggest using the hp's wall plug in at all times due to the fact that it uses the correct voltage to charge and another's could destroy your battery.
Sent from my LG-P925
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I second this. I had to replace my cord after a while as well. I find that this happens over time with all micro-USB connectors, they just sort of lose their ability to snugly connect / the contacts wear out... Maybe it's just because I use my devices while tethered to the power strip sometimes, and the connector wiggles around.
Any charger that is not at least rated at 2mA and is correctly wired internaly will not give optimum charging current.
Stick to the HP original chargers or one that has been properly modded to do the job.
chrischoi said:
I leave here in a couple hours. I'll try it out. Thanks for the idea.
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You're welcome, let us know how it turns out for you.
Sent from my LG-P925
HP replaced my cord with second day delivery :0
I was very impressed.
pa49 said:
Any charger that is not at least rated at 2mA and is correctly wired internaly will not give optimum charging current.
Stick to the HP original chargers or one that has been properly modded to do the job.
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You want 2000mA, or 2A. I don't know the specs on the galaxy tab charger but I know the voltage is different too. The TouchPad is 5.3v, most chargers are 5v, and I have read on other forums that the voltage is more likely to be the issue, even is the charger you are using puts out enough amperage.
quarlow said:
You want 2000mA, or 2A. I don't know the specs on the galaxy tab charger but I know the voltage is different too. The TouchPad is 5.3v, most chargers are 5v, and I have read on other forums that the voltage is more likely to be the issue, even is the charger you are using puts out enough amperage.
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My mistake 2mA should have read 2A!
It's unlikely that any power supply will be exactly the stated voltage due to component tolerances, but I doubt that a .3v variance will make any difference. I've read what others have said, but never experienced any probs in reality.
All ratings are usually nominal values and set within tolerances. Under voltage would be a bigger negative factor.