USB Charger?...

[marlon]

Hello,

There are many USB cables out there that claim to be chargers as well. Dell people deny that USB connection cables would carge the unit...Belkin and EBcases.com people say the opposite....
Anybody knows for sure?

[ux4484]

yes there's a gomadic (http://www.gomadic.com/gomadic-new/) link on the front page that sells a charging USB cable for the Axim.

[Ekkie Tepsupornchai]

Hello,

There are many USB cables out there that claim to be chargers as well. Dell people deny that USB connection cables would carge the unit...Belkin and EBcases.com people say the opposite....
Anybody knows for sure?
Definitely there are USB cables that are cable of charging PPC units... there may be some reason why the Dell units can't be charged though... Gomadic is a pretty reputable company so if they say they have a cable that charges the Dell, I'd believe them... the Dell folks you spoke with probably don't know much about these devices to be honest.

[etalianstallion]

yes there's a gomadic (http://www.gomadic.com/gomadic-new/) link on the front page that sells a charging USB cable for the Axim.

A few places offer these cables, though I don't know which ones really work and which ones don't. From what I have been reading, it sounds like the Gomadic cables are pretty reliable.

Moonlight Technologies, Belkin, PocketSolutions (I believe they resell the Gomadic cable), all offer the same kind of cable as well.

[ux4484]

well the thing to keep in mind is that it can only get 5.0 volts from the USB port, which is below the 5.4 volts of the Axim charger (and obviously a USB port would be lower current than the chargers 2.4 amp charger).
The Moonlight tech model uses one USB/charge cable that connects to either a USB port, a battery adapter, or an AC adapter. Both the AC and car adapter can provide the current neccessary to fully charge the Axim battery. I would suspect that connected to a USB port you'd maybe charge to 75-80% at best, and that would be the Axim turned off, with it on, you'll probably just prevent it from dipping below 60%.
USB charging seems more like a crutch than a real solution.

[Andy Whiteford]

I have tried cables from Brando Workshop and Seidio that both sync and charge. Reviews will appear somewhere soon but these two definitely do both tasks with the Dell.

[PetiteFlower]

DELL's sync cable does not charge, maybe that's what they meant. But like has already been pointed out, charging through a charge/sync cable is going to be a lot slower then charging through the cradle or the regular power cable. I think it would be good for travel, but better to stick with the cradle or power cable for charging at home.

I'm sure Gomadic's cable does, however, work the way it's supposed to work.

[marlon]

Thank you very much people for your ideas.
Does anyone have coupon/ discount codes to use on ebcases.com???
Again, thanks a lot.

[Sven Johannsen]

Keep in mind that all USB ports are not created equal. While voltage at a particular max current is available on virtually all, how much varies. I have heard various reports on what the standard requirement is. (I believe it is 5v at 500ma, but that is not definitive).

So, buying a sync and charge cable from anyone assures the two wires (+5 and Gnd) go where they are supposed to, it does not guarantee that your particular USB port is going to do an adequate job of charging the AXIM.

[dartman]

I bought the Moonlight Tech cable and it seems to charge my Axim fine from the USB port on my Dell laptop.

dart

[etalianstallion]

I bought the Moonlight Tech cable and it seems to charge my Axim fine from the USB port on my Dell laptop.

dart

Is the charging time significantly slower than using a normal power cable? Are you able to charge the device back up to 100%?

[dartman]

I bought the Moonlight Tech cable and it seems to charge my Axim fine from the USB port on my Dell laptop.

dart

Is the charging time significantly slower than using a normal power cable? Are you able to charge the device back up to 100%?

I'd say it was slower although I haven't charged it from a run down condition (maybe 80%). I can't say I really pay much attention to the recharge time, sorry. I'm usually doing something else. It takes it back to 100%.

dart

[ethancaine]

I would suspect that connected to a USB port you'd maybe charge to 75-80% at best, and that would be the Axim turned off, with it on, you'll probably just prevent it from dipping below 60%.
USB charging seems more like a crutch than a real solution.

According to the (nearly reliable) physics of batteries, a charge at a lower amperage will eventually charge a battery to a rated 100%. That charge may or (more likely) may not hold the charge for the expected duration. I am sure you have all experinced this with our old Ni-Cad batteries of laptops of old. Windows says 100%, but batteries die to 50% in ten minutes. Currnet batteries run on the same charging principles, they are just more efficient.

On another note, using a charging pattern that is inconsistant with what the battery is designed for is likely going to cause some damage to the electrolyte balance in the battery itself eventually. The rate of this deterioration will depend on may factors, but I am sure it will be far accelerated when compared to the manufacturer's intended battery life. :(

[Brad Adrian]

...charging through a charge/sync cable is going to be a lot slower then charging through the cradle or the regular power cable...
That exactly whiy I like the 3-piece set from Moonlight Technologies (www.moonlight-tech.com). It includes the charger cable and an adapter for charging from a regular household outlet. I don't use it everyday, but it sure does make travel easier. That's especially true if you happen to travel with more than one (or two or three) Pocket PCs at once.