Tablet Charger

[Anonymous]

My partners tablet charger has stopped working, I think the cable is broke *if you fiddle it, it works. It’s only 8 months old.

I have tried to find a replacement on the net and keep getting chargers for all sorts of tablets but can’t be sure.

I have contacted the seller and they suggest she phones to sort it. cash tills a ringing in her ears with phoning.

All we want is the exact charger for the tablet, the model number on the charger doesn’t seem to find anything (not sure if it’s the correct number till I see the charger) XL520LA

We have chargers that fit but I am weary of using, maybe different ohms etc.

iT Tablet

Number on the tablet itself = it-704 android version 5.1 build no lmy471

Can anyone help.

[Richard]

According to the questions and answers on Amazon, it can be charged from a PC or a wall wart USB charger – but be careful with those items. Some of the cheap ones go bang and will take your kit with them. If you go that route get a known good one from a reputable make. USB leads are available from many sources. The plugs and sockets at the device end can be a mine field take great care to match them up.

I recently bought a mobile for someone that came with a three pin UK socket USB charger, it went bang the second time it was plugged in, fortunately before the device was connected for charging, a diode had cooked and burnt out. Examining it suggests it was ‘not out of the top drawer’. A three pin to two pin shaver socket adapter would have been a better item that would have allowed the supplied manufacturer’s two pin device charger to work.

[Ed P]

The most important thing for a tablet charger is its amperage. Phone chargers do not have the oomph you need close to 3 amps. I use one of these as it has overcharge safety cut-outs etc. Inspect the various pics on the Amazon site and you will see a diagram showing which charger outlet is appropriate for which load.  Over charge protection is important if you are in the habit of charging overnight.

[Dave Rice]

Don’t worry about the specs too much John, but the greater the amperage the quicker it will charge and phone chargers are the same as tablet chargers. If it takes a micro USB cable that’s all you need to know.

Have a look at the Duracell 2.4A Micro USB Mains Charger for £9.99 inc postage from Amazon, it ticks all the boxes.

If you want one that can charge two at once, Anker USB Charger £8.99 + Triple pack of Braided Cables £6.89

[Richard]

Dave Rice wrote:

Don’t worry about the specs too much John, but the greater the amperage the quicker it will charge and phone chargers are the same as tablet chargers. If it takes a micro USB cable that’s all you need to know. Have a look at the Duracell 2.4A Micro USB Mains Charger for £9.99 inc postage from Amazon, it ticks all the boxes. If you want one that can charge two at once, Anker USB Charger £8.99 + Triple pack of Braided Cables £6.89

Dave, one slight caveat on micro charger cables, I have so far encountered three different sizes of micro plugs and sockets and I understand there may be more. In theory the leads and devices are supposed to sort out the charging needs and capabilities by some form of negotiation, but I lack confidence in that option! Is not not the case that a 5 volt charger will never over run a down stream device? Some modern chargers have options to put out up to 24 volts at high currents, so care is needed. This might be more of an issue with portable computer chargers. The latest Samsung phones use a symmetrical mini USB socket with a plug that can go either way, the standard mini plug will not fit.

I bought a short lead for the car, but he mini plug was maxi length and a different shape, so could not fit any device I have or have seen.

The Duracell you linked to has a fitted lead and mini plug, so extra leads are not required.

I recently bought a pack of the leads that you linked to and can vouch for them as being what you need for ‘standard USB to mini USB’, – though not for the more recent Samsung mobiles.

Sadly it appears that not all mini USB are created equal.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the info Richard

Thanks Ed she has no source for a USB charger cheers for the link.

Thanks Dave

She has a phone charger within which the cable comes out (USB) the plug and could be used on a computer. cheers for the link/s.

Now a good idea come to mind, we could charge it in the car.

[Dave Rice]

I find it’s very slow to charge using the cigarette lighter.

[JayCeeDee]

Quite a detailed explanation ( with photos ) on WIKI.

I use an old Kindle charger to charge my Sony Z3C phone. It’s a USB cable out of a 13A UK plug to MicroUSB and it’s fast and hasn’t given me a problem in 2 years.?

[Ed P]

Thanks for the wiki link. I always wondered how Panasonic got away with calling their totally non-standard (and easily lost) camera charger. a mini usb charger Now I know!

[JayCeeDee]

?

[Richard]

Dave Rice wrote:

I find it’s very slow to charge using the cigarette lighter.

I assume you use an adapter so I wonder if that has a limiter?

It appears that USB is one name and picking up from Ed’s comment and my experience, it covers a thousand sins, or more.

[The Duke]

Dave, the ciggies 12v is dependent on the adapter. I got a 3amp one (anker) a while back and it chargers very fast. You can even now get fast charger ones that will cram the charge in.

But tbh the 3amp 12v will charge my Pixel in about an hour, up to 80%, like most phones now the last 20% it turned to trickle/slower gentler charge.

You can’t go wrong with anker charger and battery related stuff. For years they build for other brands, I can only assume in a few years time once they have a solid brand, their prices will be twice what they have been the last two years. Their stuff is excellent.

John can only assume your tablet is a micro usb, micro usb is a standard size, but not all micro usb cables are made equal, buy a reputable make.

Richard- as I just said, there is only one micro usb. There are many smaller usb types, but only one micro. The other is mini usb, and usb C. Mini USB never took off in the phone/tablet market, the only one I seen was the original android phone, the G1, after that evey android device had the micro usb, untill the last few years when the higher end started the adoption of usb C, which is fan-bloody-tactic.

Cheaper electronics adopted mini USB, and the PS3 controllers used mini USB for charging/data, mail cos micro usb wasn’t really a thing around R&D of the PS3. Probably the same reason the G1 used it. That was 2008.

 

[Richard]

Steve, I referred to the letters USB covering a range of sins, there are two minis A and B and there are a range of other sockets and plugs. The point I wanted to make is that it is dangerous to assume that the letters USB are all you need to know, there is a whole world of other stuff that can cause you grief. As I said I have three different ‘small’ USB plugs at the moment and several different voltage chargers, not just 5 v at 500ma, one does 5v at 2 amps, (not 500ma) and 9v at 1.67 amps, but a different ‘small plug’ another does 5v at 550ma with a probably mini plug and so on.

[The Duke]

USB A is  a ‘mini USB’  and B is a ‘Micro USB’  . totally different ports, a generation apart,with almost zero ecosystem crossover.

It’s not like USB 2 and 3, that are physically (in looks) the same. And live together in the same ecosystem.

There is only one  type of micro USB,  But your correct on the power end. 2.4amp will do for most things. The devices themselves  will regulate the power they need so always best getting a more powerful power plug . If given the choice, for similar cash get a 3amp, as you’ll get a bit more life out of it.

You are always best getting a separate cable and power brick, as the crappy micro usb conector will always fail, it’s a flawed design. I won’t buy an all in one plug and cable, not that you see them much these days.

Ive found usb C conector to be very dependable. I’m yet to have one fail. I bet mine will fail tonight! Just the fact is reversible puts it above the B standard. With out all the extra data throughput and power capacity, plus more.

[Richard]

From Wikipedia there is a mini a a mini b and micro a and micro b, I have a long Slieve USB ‘small’ – sold as a mini that does not fit anything I have seen. I was not careful enough!

 

[Ed P]

Steve USB A with no other description is in fact the old ‘Big’ USB. It normally has a male or female descriptor.

[The Duke]

Well Richard, I’m not one to not admit I was wrong. But in this case you are wrong.

Only messing, it seems I’m wrong.

However I’ve just looked up and I’ve never come across a micro type A or a mini type A, I think I may of come across but never known the name of a standard Type B.

As I still haven’t figured out how to embed an image I’ll link to a chart I downloaded.

https://goo.gl/photos/KuqdnyCiJuuMw9d69

 

Ed- yes I knew that I was just feeling to the smaller variants. Wrongly as it turns out.  B-)

[Anonymous]

Dave Rice wrote:

I find it’s very slow to charge using the cigarette lighter.

True Dave, I was thinking more on a long run, like hols.

That’s a point Richard with the adapter I don’t think you could get a double fag lighter as these days it’s used for sat nav charger, on long runs

[Richard]

The Duke wrote:

Well Richard, I’m not one to not admit I was wrong. But in this case you are wrong. Only messing, it seems I’m wrong. However I’ve just looked up and I’ve never come across a micro type A or a mini type A, I think I may of come across but never known the name of a standard Type B. As I still haven’t figured out how to embed an image I’ll link to a chart I downloaded. https://goo.gl/photos/KuqdnyCiJuuMw9d69 Ed- yes I knew that I was just feeling to the smaller variants. Wrongly as it turns out.

Yes Steve, I had that image but could not paste it into the message. It is all set out in the very long Wikipedia account. Earlier I said about 24 volts, I might have been a bit out, in the same account it said ‘only’ 20 volts… still enough to fry many items.

[Bob Williams]

We have two chargers which work on both WFox phones and my Lenovo Tab 3/8″ tablet. One is a genuine WFox cable, the other is the tablet charger. There is also the original Kindle charger, which works with the tablet but not the phones. I find that, if I connect the tablet charger to my phone, I have to remove the phone cover before it will plug in.

We also have a car charger, which works with them all, but the Tucson has 2x USB sockets for that and seems to be just as quick as the mains chargers. (There is also a dedicated Media USB socket on the car, which is great.)

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Author]

Posts