Is the old charger rumor true?

[Stevetx1989]

I am studying to be an instrument technician. I've had to take AC/DC circuits. Higher current (ma) can cause damage to a circuit and will affect the charging speeds. Generally lower current will not damage a circuit, but may cause it to work improperly. When using a higher current it can affect the battery and possibly fry your circuit. It is best to use the correct voltages/currents to ensure proper function. On another note I got a charger for my D2 that came when I needed a refurbished phone. This charger only puts out 550ma. But, this could be due to the needs of the circuitry considering they don't use just the parts for that specific phone. Not sure about the refurbished phone but I am pretty positive on the needs of a circuit.

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[Erikbal]

I use my moms LG charger every night cuz it has a longer cord, hope this isn't hurting anything. Also my phone runs exactly the same plugged in or not. I do notice that the house charger seems to charge the phone a lot faster than my car charger does.

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[Stevetx1989]

From what I know and what I've read some people experience the touch screen acting up. That could be due to lower current or voltage spikes or possibly interference of some sort. I know the touchscreen on mine doesn't work correctly when using a blackberry charger. I read that when charging, the phone uses the power from the charger not the battery so that could be the issue with the low current. But, if it is just charging low current shouldn't do any damage just charge slower. I know for a fact higher current can cause damage. Almost all chargers have the same voltage output. Frequency, I am not too sure on. I think I need to brush up on my circuitry. It's been a few semesters...

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[droid2drummer]

In my best judgment to all, I would say ONLY use the charger that was made for the particular device... That said, I do use my D2 charger on the razr. The USB that is to give me the use of the dual USB wall charger that comes with the razr ...Awesome charger...hope this may help someone. I would not advise using after market parts unless your in a bind...Peace!

Tapped on the edge of a RAZR...
PEACE! ALL!!-------->>>D2D™

 

[Snow02]

From what I know and what I've read some people experience the touch screen acting up. That could be due to lower current or voltage spikes or possibly interference of some sort. I know the touchscreen on mine doesn't work correctly when using a blackberry charger. I read that when charging, the phone uses the power from the charger not the battery so that could be the issue with the low current. But, if it is just charging low current shouldn't do any damage just charge slower. I know for a fact higher current can cause damage. Almost all chargers have the same voltage output. Frequency, I am not too sure on. I think I need to brush up on my circuitry. It's been a few semesters...

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Voltage is important, current just needs to be high enough. The phone only pulls what it needs. You can use a 2A charger, so long as it's 5V. Many problems with using old chargers are caused by not enough current, not the other way around.

 

[illmatic636]

For the $$ we spend on these phones, you should at least use a manufacturer suggested charger on it. They are generally inexpensive. The gas station specials should only be used if your stuck without a oem charger

 

[Stevetx1989]

Voltage is important, current just needs to be high enough. The phone only pulls what it needs. You can use a 2A charger, so long as it's 5V. Many problems with using old chargers are caused by not enough current, not the other way around.

I was referring to current.

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[Snow02]

I was referring to current.

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Huh? Amperage is current. You said you know for a fact higher current can cause damage. Not true. You can use any same or higher amp-rated charger provided it's 5V.

 

[Stevetx1989]

Hmmm. I was pretty positive otherwise.

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[th3lawmak3r76]

No it doesnt really matter and in some cases it can be good i tested the voltage from my old trac phone and on my new charger and my old charger actually gave me more voltage so i use that now

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[Snow02]

Hmmm. I was pretty positive otherwise.

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Nope. A simplified way to think about it: a device pulls current, and that current is pushed by voltage. Push that current too hard, something breaks, don't push hard enough, nothing happens. But a device won't pull more current than it needs.

 

[FoxKat]

Personally I would switch chargers on the Droid Razr. I had a hard time with battery life on my razr when I first got it but then I went out to california on a trip and lost the charger. So when I got back, I switched to my old blackberry storm's charger and it seems to have improved battery life on my Razr. It is a 5w 700 mah charger, I don't know if that is higher or lower than the Razrs included charger but it has improved my battery life.

First, I think you mean 5V, not 5w. Second, the one that comes with the Droid RAZR is rated at an output of 5.1v, 750mah, so it is actually capable of a higher charge current than the one you mentioned from your Blackberry Storm. So the only way that it could have "improved" your battery life is if by charging at a slower rate (700mah versus the suggested 750mah), it is actually providing a more complete charge - be it over a longer charging period.

Also worth mentioning, these phones are now monitoring your usage patterns even more closely and making minute but relevant changes to how they consume the power, so it is often reported that without any changes to the power supply, the phones are getting better battery life weeks later after activation.

Otherwise, it is a placebo effect.

 

[FoxKat]

No it doesnt really matter and in some cases it can be good i tested the voltage from my old trac phone and on my new charger and my old charger actually gave me more voltage so i use that now

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WRONG!! First, you need to test the voltage while the load is present (i.e. while the phone is connected) to get a true reading of voltage. Second, if the voltage is higher than the rated voltage for the phone, you risk doing irreparable damage to the microscopic circuitry inside those chips. There are VERY TIGHT tolerances to voltage. Amperage (or mah as it may be) is not a concern. Just as Snow02 says, the current must be AT LEAST high enough, but can be essentially infinitely higher. The device will only pull the current it needs. On the other hand, if the voltage is too high, you risk both overvoltage damage, and if the charger supplies higher current than needed - also overcurrent damage. Either way, it's a $799.99 paperweight at some point.

 

[brucin]

I use the chargers from my original Razr and Moto Q9m on my D1 and have never had an issue and I intend to use them on my Droid Razr.

 

[Erikbal]

My moto charger is hard to read but says I believe output 5.1v 850ma. My moms LG that I use says output 5.1v 0.7a. So what's the difference? According to FoxKats post I should be fine cuz the voltage is the same rating right?

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