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i bought two extra usb cables from amazon, i can't link to them since i don't have enough posts yet, but they're the "EMPIRE USB Data Cable for Verizon HTC ThunderBolt" from amazon
i intentionally looked for some that said for use with thunderbolt in case there was something different than just a micro-usb cable; however, it does not seem that these cables charge as well as the cable that ships. it takes several hours even when trying to charge with the original AC adapter using one of these cables vs the ~1.5-2 hours with the cable that comes with. When trying to use a computer or a car adapter it just holds the charge steady, if using navigation it actually drops battery while plugged in!
is there something i'm missing here? they should all be the same right? can anyone point me to some that actually work? (preferably from amazon since i have gift cards there)
I've had the same problem.
Make sure you are getting the correct voltage. I think my issues are that USB is a slower charge than outlets and the "extra" charger I had was for my bluetooth which had a lower voltage.
strobieone said:
I've had the same problem.
Make sure you are getting the correct voltage. I think my issues are that USB is a slower charge than outlets and the "extra" charger I had was for my bluetooth which had a lower voltage.
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Click to collapse
yeah, i understand that usb from the computer will be a lower voltage, which is what i thought the issue was at first. but then i tried using the original AC adapter with the replacement usb cable and it was slower than the original cable. i don't see why the cable would make a difference, but it definitely appears to.
i downloaded the current widget and can see that just swapping between the OEM cable and the aftermarket cable the charging current is quite different. ~+600ma with the OEM and -100ma to +300ma with the aftermarket (yes at times it was LOSING charge while plugged in using the aftermarket)
roppetty said:
yeah, i understand that usb from the computer will be a lower voltage, which is what i thought the issue was at first. but then i tried using the original AC adapter with the replacement usb cable and it was slower than the original cable. i don't see why the cable would make a difference, but it definitely appears to.
i downloaded the current widget and can see that just swapping between the OEM cable and the aftermarket cable the charging current is quite different. ~+600ma with the OEM and -100ma to +300ma with the aftermarket (yes at times it was LOSING charge while plugged in using the aftermarket)
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Click to collapse
You should never use any other cable than the one provided with your Thunderbolt. On the site it may say that it "Works" with the Thunderbolt but that doesn't mean you are going to get the performance you need out of it. I have had that problem plenty of times with older cables and sadly it keeps me buying the slightly overpriced cables from Verizon so I know that I get what I need.
roppetty said:
yeah, i understand that usb from the computer will be a lower voltage, which is what i thought the issue was at first. but then i tried using the original AC adapter with the replacement usb cable and it was slower than the original cable. i don't see why the cable would make a difference, but it definitely appears to.
i downloaded the current widget and can see that just swapping between the OEM cable and the aftermarket cable the charging current is quite different. ~+600ma with the OEM and -100ma to +300ma with the aftermarket (yes at times it was LOSING charge while plugged in using the aftermarket)
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Click to collapse
It sounds like a defective cable. Check to see how it's charging (AC or USB). If it says USB when connected to the HTC charger, the cable is bad.
I use micro-USB cables I got from Monoprice, no problems.
mike.s said:
It sounds like a defective cable. Check to see how it's charging (AC or USB). If it says USB when connected to the HTC charger, the cable is bad.
I use micro-USB cables I got from Monoprice, no problems.
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It's not defective, it's just not designed for charging. OP, always make sure it says it is a charger cable, not a data cable, when you buy one.
WeaselWeaz said:
It's not defective, it's just not designed for charging.
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BS. You have no clue what you're talking about. The TB follows the USB charging specification.
The thing about USB (Universal serial bus) cables is that they are UNIVERSAL. It doesn't matter where you get them from, what they say, or what they are branded. They have to meet certain specs (including materials and current capacity) in order to get the USB label.
If you're having a problem, I am 99% sure the cable is not the issue.
Try out monoprice.com. I've used them for years. You can get 3 wall chargers, 5 USB cables and 2 car chargers (all 1A) for like $25, shipped.
Edit: QFT
mike.s said:
BS. You have no clue what you're talking about. The TB follows the USB charging specification.
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necosino said:
The thing about USB (Universal serial bus) cables is that they are UNIVERSAL. It doesn't matter where you get them from, what they say, or what they are branded. They have to meet certain specs (including materials and current capacity) in order to get the USB label.
If you're having a problem, I am 99% sure the cable is not the issue.
Try out monoprice.com. I've used them for years. You can get 3 wall chargers, 5 USB cables and 2 car chargers (all 1A) for like $25, shipped.
Edit: QFT
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Click to collapse
yeah, i'm with you, that's why i posed to see if there was something i'm missing and didn't know about. i'm a computer engineer so i know a cable is a cable is a cable, which is why i was like wtf when these didn't work the same.
thanks all, at least i know i didn't miss something and these should work the same.
ive had this problem on every phone. takes forever to charge through usb.
A USB cable is a USB cable is a USB cable is a USB cable.
If you are doing seat of your pants checks on charging, etc, they are never going to be accurate. CPU usage, network usage, etc while the phone is charging will affect how quickly it does charge. The stock charger provides 1000mA to charge the device, if you are using it, or another app is doing something (downloading data, using cpu, etc) it will not charge as quickly because power is being drained as it is being charged.
There is too much that would cause a slower charge state that you can't compensate for by a seat of the pants judgement on charging.
Its all about the mA.
No, thats not a storm. Its just my Thunderbolt layin down this post.
I have the same issue. I have tried four different usb cables with the oem charger and only two charge normally, the oem and one that I had with an old phone that I put a mini to micro adapter on to fit. The other two, one actually micro one mini to micro adapted, charge extremely slow. Yes a cable is a cable, but given I use the oem charger, the only differing things are the cables.
For what it's worth, I hate to burst your bubbles but not all USB cables are equal. And, in fact, not all phones are optimized for USB cables. Just because a cable looks like a USB cable and works as a USB cable doesn't mean that it is ONLY a USB cable. There are quite a few devices out there that can be charged (albeit slowly) with a USB cable but can be charged quickly with a cable that you only think is a USB cable. Take the Nook Color, for instance. The cable that it comes with looks like a USB cable on all accounts, but it's not. I forget which (both are techniques currently used) but either it has extra pins or has a data pin repurposed to provide additional power so it can charge faster. There are quite a few devices out there that are like this, and it seems like the number of these devices just keep growing and growing.
Now these "non-USB" devices still support USB standards, and can be charged via USB standard cables. However, they are optimized for non-USB standards and charge faster with these non-USB cables.
I'm honestly not sure if our Thunderbolts are such a device or not, and if the cables that they come with are such cables. They very well could be, and what the OP claims goes along with that theory. But honestly, I simply do not know.
EDIT:
Oh, and one more example. Go take a look at the custom "USB" cables that Team Blackhat had made that can power Motorola devices in CWM without a battery in the device. This is yet another example of where a USB cable isn't a USB cable.
Having the data pins connected to 5v sources is part of the charger itself; it has nothing to do with the cable.
Every USB cable has 4 pins: two 5v+, a gnd and a 5v- if the second + and - aren't connected to a source in the charger, you will only get a 0.5A charge, and it will go slow. If the charger DOES have them connected, you get the full 1A, and a much faster charge.
If the charger or cable is anything different then it is not USB. End of story. I know some phones have extra pins in the USB location for video out, for example, but those don't interfere with the standard USB pins.
Sent from my ThunderBolt using Tapatalk
necosino said:
Every USB cable has 4 pins: two 5v+, a gnd and a 5v-
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Click to collapse
Wrong, kinda. Check this out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nook_Color#USB_port
The Nook Color uses a modified connector with two depths. The first depth is compatible with micro-usb (5-conductor), while the second depth has 12 conductors. This change was made to increase the amount of power available to charge the larger battery of the Nook Color when using the included cable.
Because of this, the USB cable included with the Nook Color is physically incompatible with other devices employing standard micro-usb connectors. However, the Nook Color itself is physically compatible with standard micro-usb cords.
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Click to collapse
Now I realize that calling this a "USB Cable" might be stretching the definition of "USB Cable" (hence the "wrong, kinda" comment) but more than likely, most people have no clue that one cable is different than another, so the end result is that, for all practical purposes, we DO have different types of USB cables.
necosino said:
Every USB cable has 4 pins: two 5v+, a gnd and a 5v- if the second + and - aren't connected to a source in the charger, you will only get a 0.5A charge, and it will go slow. If the charger DOES have them connected, you get the full 1A, and a much faster charge.
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Click to collapse
Close, but not quite.
The pins are +5, Ground, +D and -D. All power is drawn through the +5 and Ground lines. The D lines are used for data transfer.
Per the USB specifications, a device can only draw 100 mA without enumerating (negotiating via USB, implies both ends have "intelligence"). If it can enumerate, it can negotiate for up to 500 mA (e.g. plugged into a PC which has a "driver" which recognizes the phone).
There are also specifications for DCPs (Dedicated Charging Ports). For these, the D+ and D- pins (the center two in a full sized USB connector) on the charger must be connected together with no more than 200 Ohms. These ports must provide at least 500 mA, but can provide more (micro-USB connectors are rated to 1.8 A). That's how the phone knows it can draw more than 100 mA from a "dumb" power adapter.
The TB follows the USB charging spec. Here are some things that can happen.
If it's plugged into a charger which doesn't follow the USB spec (D+ and D- not connected together, these are fairly common), it can only draw 100 mA. It doesn't matter if you bought a "2.5 Amp USB charger," if the charger doesn't follow the spec, a device which does isn't supposed to draw more than 100 mA. That's enough to charge it very slowly when the screen is off and it's idling. If the phone is doing anything, the battery will actually be discharging. This is a problem which seems to be common with many car chargers. A lot of device will ignore the 100 mA spec limit, and draw whatever they can, which is why they will charge from an improper adapter.
It's plugged into a PC with no driver - same thing.
It's plugged into a PC with a driver - it can negotiate and pull 500 mA. This is enough to charge while running in almost all cases (it might be on the edge if streaming video via 4G with GPS on, etc.) It will charge, but not as fast as it could.
For all of the above, a TB will show "USB" as the charging type.
It's plugged into a USB DCP. By spec, these must be able to deliver at least 500 mA. The AC adapter shipped with the TB is marked 1.0 A, and the phone won't draw more than 1.0 A (the most I've seen it use to charge the battery is ~800 mA). This will allows the fastest charging. With a DCP, the TB will show "AC" as the charging type.
Cables can have the same effect - all USB cables are supposed to be basically the same. But, some manufacturer's play loose with the spec. They may have "USB" cables with resistors or other changes inside which signal different things to a device. They may not have proper gauge wiring. It may just be a bad cable. Etc.
I've charged the TB with the stock AC charger using both the stock cable, and one I got from Monoprice. Works fine. I've also got a USB hub I converted to a charging station (follows the spec for USB dedicated charging ports), and that works fine with both the original and the Monoprice cables.
I have run into "flaky" cables, where they only work right if jiggled around a bit. Maybe they've been flexed too much, and have an intermittent connection. Maybe the contacts have gotten dirty. I don't worry about it, I just throw those away, you can get new ones from Monoprice for less than a buck.
Thanks Mike S (Also my initials, lol) That's what I get for posting after staying up a bit too late.
well i just ordered two micro usb cables from monoprice. we'll see if those fare any better.
the only thing i can guess is the power wires are a small gauge in the cables i bought from amazon. monoprice has two different kinds, some use 28awg for both data/power and then they have some that have 24awg for power and 28awg for data. i'm hoping that getting the bigger wire for the power will solve the issue.
also, i've been using juiceplotter and you can visibly see the slope of the charge change when switching just between these cables i bought vs the stock one when using the HTC charger so i'm pretty certain it's the cable.
roppetty said:
i've been using juiceplotter
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Battery Monitor Widget will do that, and more, including telling you whether it's charging AC or USB.
You can also check the charging type from Home Settings/About Phone/Battery/Battery Status.
Is the USB to Micro USB cable used by the SGP 4 or 5 a proprietary cable to this specific device? I have read several posts here and on other forums that some cables don't work or some chargers with micro USB connections don't charge the SGP. Is there something special in the wiring of the cable that comes with the SGP. I would like a spare cable and a car charger, but want to be sure I am getting one that will work.
Thanks.
Been wondering this myself, I read a write up on another forum with a lot of different specs amongst different micro usb samsung chargers it made my head spin.....I read that they(Phone manufactures) will be making a micro-usb standard next year amongst phone manufactures that should eliminate this issue....I have a LG micro usb charger that does nothing for my galaxy player.
I've been using a short USB to microUSB cable from Sandisk intended for their Clip Zip players. No problems charging or transferring data to the SGP 5.0.
TonyBigs said:
I've been using a short USB to microUSB cable from Sandisk intended for their Clip Zip players. No problems charging or transferring data to the SGP 5.0.
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Click to collapse
could you post a picture of this? like plug in the clip zip through the usb to the sgp 5
The AC and car chargers for my Verizon LG Revere phone will both charge the SGP 4. The connector is a commonly-used mini USB standard, shaped like the letter 'D' when viewed from the end.
Has anyone actually gone out and bought a cable or charger for the SGP5 that works? It is nice that this or that phone or device's cable and charger work -but if you don't own that phone or device to get the cable or charger from, it does not help. And Samsung does not seem to offer OEM cables or chargers on their site.
SGP needs micro-usb with data shorted to gnd to charge
Just like my Toshiba TG01, the SGP needs a micro-usb connection with the data pin shorted to ground in order to charge correctly. In the Samsung charger that comes with the US version, the charging cable is a straight micro-usb data connector, which means the charger must have the data pin shorted. This way, the cable itself can be plugged into the PC for data transfer. Personally, I have hacked up an adapter (female USB to male USB) which has the two pins shorted, so I can plug the adapter in-line with the data cable into any USB port that supplies a regulated 5V, and the SGP will charge. Otherwise, you need to make sure the charger has the proper implementation of the shorted data pins.
Aurally said:
Just like my Toshiba TG01, the SGP needs a micro-usb connection with the data pin shorted to ground in order to charge correctly. In the Samsung charger that comes with the US version, the charging cable is a straight micro-usb data connector, which means the charger must have the data pin shorted. This way, the cable itself can be plugged into the PC for data transfer. Personally, I have hacked up an adapter (female USB to male USB) which has the two pins shorted, so I can plug the adapter in-line with the data cable into any USB port that supplies a regulated 5V, and the SGP will charge. Otherwise, you need to make sure the charger has the proper implementation of the shorted data pins.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I understand what you are saying but not sure how to implement it to make an adapter such as you have. Do you short the D+ and D- wires in the adapter cable to the ground wire - touch (connect) all three together?
I have been using the charging cable for my LG cosmos 2 and it works fine. I have, however, only used it for charging, not data.
Aurally said:
Just like my Toshiba TG01, the SGP needs a micro-usb connection with the data pin shorted to ground in order to charge correctly. In the Samsung charger that comes with the US version, the charging cable is a straight micro-usb data connector, which means the charger must have the data pin shorted. This way, the cable itself can be plugged into the PC for data transfer. Personally, I have hacked up an adapter (female USB to male USB) which has the two pins shorted, so I can plug the adapter in-line with the data cable into any USB port that supplies a regulated 5V, and the SGP will charge. Otherwise, you need to make sure the charger has the proper implementation of the shorted data pins.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wouldn't all USB port chargers - by that I mean a car charger with a usb port in it or a wall charger with a usb port in it, have the data pins disconnected or shorted out as they are made for charging only and of course, no data transfer?
My Optimus-V cable does not work for charging or USB.
My car charger for my Optimus does not charge my SGP5.
My Logitech Mouse cable does charge my SGP5, but USB to PC does not work.
I have a car charger ordered not received yet, 50-50 shot at working.
A "standard" would be nice!
That's odd... Nearly all Samsung devices (except for Tabs) follow the USB charging standard, which is that D+ and D- need to be shorted together by the charger to indicate a dumb charger.
iPad/iPhone chargers don't do this - iDevices do NOT follow the standard.
I've got around 4 different micro-USB AC Adapters that I have lying around. One is the OEM Lenovo, One is OEM Samsung (i777 charger + Samsung Micro-USB cable), one is a multi-USB port AC adapter with a micro-usb cable, and the last is an iPad 2 wall charger with a micro-USB cable.
ALL of the chargers except the OEM Lenovo ones don't charge my tablet. When It's plugged in, for a couple of seconds it says Charging (AC), and then it just switches to discharging. I've tried all the aforementioned chargers and cables in different combinations, and the ONLY ones to work correctly is the Lenovo combo.
Is there a specific reason to this? Also tried all 4 cables connected to my PC.. They all don't charge efficiently at all.
look at the Voltage and Amperage of the adapter !
Lenovo use 2A if I remember well, the other use only 1A
quyTam is correct... most USB chargers are between 500mA and 850mA. The dual battery design of the tablets requires a min of 2A to charge correctly. This is why most computer USB ports will not charge the device.
However... the changer isn't the only thing restricting the power. The cable you are using can also effect power. Not all cables are created equal.
I stopped by Staples just after getting my tablet and picked up a 4 port 2.1A USB wall charger. It will charge my phone, Bluetooth, and tablet. There are also really nice 2A "extra battery" devices out there that allow you to a charged battery with you that will power and recharge your device.
I also recommend the dock for the tablet... it has a 65w power supply and charges the tablet in a 1/3 the time then the usb chargers.
where to get a charger
i tried 2Amp chargers....didn't help/
my brother says:
"the pins are slightly different/off/longer/shorter/what DID lenovo do here?"
as a safety i bought:
http://www.ebay.com/sch/?_kw=886605022780&_clu=2&_fcid=100&_fvi=1&_localstpos=&_stpos=&gbr=1
just in case...
it costs an arm and a leg for a microUSB charger, but not charging the device for a couple of days would cost me more :S
just another things that makes the TPT slightly less then perfect
o,O
Charger
I use a Dell Axim x51 charger and an LG cable from an old phone. Seems to work very well and eBay prices for the charger are less than $4.
http://rootzwiki.com/topic/8523-rev...arger/page__st__40__gopid__448194#entry448194
In my experience a 1A charger will also work. Nothing less than 1A will do anything.
I keep my Lenovo charger in my home office and use a 1A phone charger next to my bed for overnight charging.
I too have a 4 port mains to USB charger: 2A but I thought it was distributed to the 4 ports. If all were being used then each port would only be .5A.
Will have to try it out. If it works it would lighten the travel load of chargers.
Gottoon said:
quyTam is correct... most USB chargers are between 500mA and 850mA. The dual battery design of the tablets requires a min of 2A to charge correctly. This is why most computer USB ports will not charge the device.
However... the changer isn't the only thing restricting the power. The cable you are using can also effect power. Not all cables are created equal.
I stopped by Staples just after getting my tablet and picked up a 4 port 2.1A USB wall charger. It will charge my phone, Bluetooth, and tablet. There are also really nice 2A "extra battery" devices out there that allow you to a charged battery with you that will power and recharge your device.
I also recommend the dock for the tablet... it has a 65w power supply and charges the tablet in a 1/3 the time then the usb chargers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's for sure. I thought the dock was a waste of money until I forked out on Amazon. Saves so much time it isn't funny....
Sent from my Nexus S using xda premium
The tablet needs to see 5.3 V, when using >500mA.
Already thinner USB-Cables increase the voltage drop
so the thinkpad wont charge, even with the original charger.
It may have less to do with your charger than with the cables. I bought extra long (6 and 10 ft) USB cables for charging phone and my TPT. The 28AWG of any length won't charge the TPT. The 24AWG 6 ft and 10ft cable *will* on a 2A charger. I haven't tried other combinations. I believe it will charge on a 1A charger as well, but would likely require the larger 24AWG cable.
Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk
Design Flaw in Thinkpad Tablet prevents Landscape Mode Charging for Developers
I actually sent my 1838-22U in for service, thinking that there was a hardware problem preventing charging while connected via USB. At first I had noticed that while connected directly to a PC via USB for development purposes (no docking station), the unit indicated that it was charging. However, it seemed to be discharging faster than it was charging and slowly worked its way down to unusable. Lenovo Tech Support indicated that they had heard of this happening, and that I should send it in to have its system board replaced. I sent it in only to find that all they had done was replace the battery and reload the firmware. I did notice, however, that when I connected the USB cable, it appeared to go into charging mode for a couple of seconds then switch into discharge mode. I asked Tech Support about this and they said they this was actually the way it should have been behaving all along, and that this was by design.
The User Manual (see attachment) states only that it might not charge, and that it will only discharge if the tablet "exceeds USB 2.0 power limits" (i.e. 500ma).
Well, the Thinkpad Tablet seems to be pretty good at doing that.
Here's where I present to the development community a conundrum. How can one develop in landscape mode while charging (even slowly)? In portrait mode, one can use the accessory docking station, which uses its own charger and charges through the proprietary connector next to the micro USB port, while separately allowing the USB to be used for data. In landscape mode, there is no such option. I will accept that the unit may draw too much current to charge well via a 500ma USB data connection, but then Lenovo should provide a optional charger that connects directly to the same proprietary connector used by the docking station. This is done elsewhere. For instance, Motorola realizes that the Xoom draws too much current to charge via a USB data connection, so they don't even bother with it - they provide a dedicated charger connection and charger.
==UPDATE== 25-May-2012
SOLUTION FOUND
The solution to using a data connection and charging the Thinkpad Tablet at the same time, without relying on the portrait-mode-only Dock Station, is to connect through a powered USB hub which supports the USB Battery Charging Specification (with a Charging Downstream Port). The specification provides at least 1.5A, which quite handily satisfies the Thinkpad. I found such a hub, the GWCTech HU2V40, on Amazon for $15.99.
If you get this model, note that only one of the 4 ports can be used for high-current charging. It includes a tiny "Smart Charger Adapter" but which appears to block the data connection (at least when when used with the Thinkpad). In other words, ignore the little black passthrough adapter included with it, and plug directly in as you normally would. The instructions don't explain the purpose of the passthrough adapter.
Hi everyone!
I just wanted to ask this: I just bought a 90W charger for my laptop. It is a "Targus Compact Charger for laptop and usb tablet"
It charges my laptop and also has that usb port which charges through a cable, compatible devices. Only that on that usb port, it says that it charges 2.1A, which is a lot. My phone charger does only 550mAh.
So the question, shouldn't I charge my phone through the adapter?
Thanks in advance!
Hello all,
My Umi z charger cable has broken. Tried charging with One plus 3T charger but it doesn't work.
Anybody can recommend what charger cable shall work and where it shall be available?
I have no problem charging with any mix if cable and charger ..even standard USB chargers with adaptor to c fitting
Any decent USB A to USB C cable should work.
Use Nexus's usb cable
I have a Nexus 6P and I use the tiny cable they gave with the phone to charge Z pro with my laptop.
It charges pretty quickly with that cable on my laptop. But yea any decent cable would do. You can also order chargers on Umi's website.
I use this cable...
https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B01MY27YKY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
In principle, however, every cable should be suitable.
Make sure it is suitable for data transfer and loading.
Some cables have too much resistance, and then the charging time increases.
I have an Astro1 charger (2nd gen, rated at 2A), and have found that it will not charge my LG G5 phone (H850). The phone recognises it as a charging device when connected (I get a message in the notification tray saying that a USB charging device is connected), but I don't see the usual lightning bolt on the battery icon, indicating that it is charging. If I leave it connected the charge level of the phone remains constant – it never increases. I am using the charging cable supplied with the Anker charger, along with a Micro-USB to USB-C adapter. The adapter has been tested with my Anker desktop charger and it works fine.
Any idea why the Astro1 won't charge the G5?
Have you tried different usb cable? Also does the charger work on other devices?
I have successfully used non oem chargers/b micro cables on my h831 (should be same on h850 unless updates blocked it).
Right now its charging from a hard wired b micro 2.1a blackberry charger with b micro to c adaptor.
So yea test charger on another device, check cable/adaptor rule them out.
Sent from my LG-H831 using Tapatalk
I've just tried 3 different cables. The 2nd one was the one supplied with another Anker charger - that didn't work either. However I then tried a third cable which I got from eBay, and that seems to charge fine. I'm surprised that the eBay cable seems to be more effective than the ones supplied by Anker