Jump to content

USB power not enough


mojocho

Recommended Posts

Alright you techie sport tourers, I've got a SAE connection USB port that is connected to my battery tender pig tail.  If I stream music and run GPS, the power is not enough to fully charge or even maintain the current battery level on my Samsung Note 5.  I just dies a slow death.

Anyone else run into this issue and found a solution?  I'm planning a long trip in a months time and would like to run both apps.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Need at least a 2 amp usb port and a quality usb cable that charges at at least that rate. My solution was a battery tended usb adapter and and braidedheavy duty usb cable. Links to the stuff I have are listed below and I run two different GPS tracers and GPS navigation, usually Pandora and I leave my screen on all the time and it's always 100%when I get to where I'm going. I've ran my galaxy s5 and my galaxy S7 with this set up.

https://www.amazon.com/Battery-Tender-081-0158-Disconnect-Charger/dp/B00DJ5KEF4

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01GJC4WRO/ref=yo_ii_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

 

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have 2.1 amp with a cable that is from a wall unit rated for 3.1.

Guess I'll look into a 3.1 USB.  Was wondering if my battery is not putting out enough after the conversion from 12 volt to 5 volt.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Voltage regulators need a minimum input voltage to output full power usually that is around 9V or so for a 5V regulator. If your battery is that low you have other issues.

Samsung Notes have a big screen and use quite a bit more power than you smaller phones. A 3 amp charger should be sufficient. Another option would be to get an adaptive fast charger. A fast charger provides a higher voltage (9V I think) to phones like the Note 5 that support it allowing an even higher power input to the phone. They make these in cig lighter plugs for cars and they will not be water proof but might be a good option to power up your phone when you can.

Craig 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Make sure the charging cable your using is a fast charging cable. Not all usb s cables are created the same. You can have a 2.1 amp usb port but if the cable isn't a high rate cable you still won't keep charge.

Edited by 2talltim
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I wonder if the phone requires a special cable by design. It could also be resistance in the cable or connectors, or a weak voltage regulator. A linear regulator only needs maybe 2V above the output voltage, but they waste power and could even go into thermal shutdown, I think. Not sure how much input voltage a switching regulator needs, which is probably what the USB charger uses, and it also has a current limit. Anyway, even if the bike's charging system isn't working right, the batter should have enough power to charge a phone!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just to report back in case someone else is curious or have similar problems.

Additional information.  I've tried my previous set up on two different bikes with similar lackluster charging.  So I'm sure it is not battery or bike related.

On my Galaxy Note 5 I'm sure the GPS and streaming of music with screen always on was just too much.  USB connector was a dual port 2.1 Amp pigtailed off my Batter Tender SAE connection that is connected directly to the battery.

As suggested I looked for a 3.1 Amp USB and went ahead and found a new micro USB cable that is a .  Here are the items I purchased:

https://www.amazon.com/Motopower-0609A-Waterproof-Motorcycle-Charger/dp/B01DYE54LI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1493406044&sr=8-2&keywords=3.1+amp+SAE

https://www.amazon.com/Anker-PowerLine-Premium-Motorola-Smartphones/dp/B019PZPYK6/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1493406067&sr=8-3&keywords=anker+cable+micro+usb+1+ft

I would rather have kept my Battery Tender connector on the battery, but the short USB connector cable limited this.  Turned on my GPS and Music with battery level at 80%.  100% in about 20 minutes.  

Only complaint is that neither item has a rubber cover to protect the SAE connection points from the weather.

Appreciate the comments from everyone.  Hope this helps others.

 

Edited by Tonik
Fixed link cuz I'm a nice guy.
  • Upvote 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, mojocho said:

I had no idea they made those.  Nice find, I just ordered one too.  I have an old fashioned aux power outlet rigged up, then one of those plug in usb adapters.  You rock man, tyvm.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

I just installed that 3.1 amp charger. The wires or insulation is thinner than it is on the cable from the Battery Tender. My phone indicates slow charging. Tried a couple different cables. It charges fast on the AC adapter. It's probably the cable itself. The data pins might need to be shorted or connected together with a resistor.

 

motopowa.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, hiro said:

So, does that cable tell the phone to enable fast charging? Or should I try opening up a cable and shorting the data lines?

None if that is needed. The right adaptet and cable and it works. Go to an att or Verizon store. Samsung makes a kit with both ready to go.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I tried this as an experiment and the "slow charge" warning went away, but I haven't confirmed higher charging current. That probably still requires the data lines to be shorted on the phone side. The tape simply insulates the data lines.

FZUYNVGHSRTBVEY.MEDIUM.jpg?width=614

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The setup I referenced in my last post worked well for me.  Allowed me to stream Spotify and use GPS app and kept my Note 5 at 100% charged.  The cable is a thicker gauge wire that seems to allow for a better flow of power.  Coupled with the connector.  All of these items are relatively inexpensive.  The adapter alone could still be limited by the cable or the connector from the battery.  regardless, my set up now works.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

26 minutes ago, mojocho said:

The setup I referenced in my last post worked well for me.  Allowed me to stream Spotify and use GPS app and kept my Note 5 at 100% charged.  The cable is a thicker gauge wire that seems to allow for a better flow of power.  Coupled with the connector.  All of these items are relatively inexpensive.  The adapter alone could still be limited by the cable or the connector from the battery.  regardless, my set up now works.  

Remember the length of the cable is important after the 5 Volt USB conversion.  Doesn't take much length to add significant resistance...so buy USB cables as short as possible.   The output can be rated 3.1Amps, but if the the resistance downline is hi, the charging current will never approach 3.1A. Connection resistance is a factor to, so maybe some contact cleaner can help.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, mojocho said:

The setup I referenced in my last post worked well for me.  Allowed me to stream Spotify and use GPS app and kept my Note 5 at 100% charged.  The cable is a thicker gauge wire that seems to allow for a better flow of power.  Coupled with the connector.  All of these items are relatively inexpensive.  The adapter alone could still be limited by the cable or the connector from the battery.  regardless, my set up now works.  

Have you tried running an app that shows charging current? Just to compare the two cables. I guess I need to see how the current setup works on the road.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Qman said:

Remember the length of the cable is important after the 5 Volt USB conversion.  Doesn't take much length to add significant resistance...so buy USB cables as short as possible.

This is why I wanted the USB adaptor closer to the device. The 12V side is a little more efficient at transmitting power over distance than 5V. Plus, it puts the Battery Tender connector in a convenient place.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...