The Only Car Charger You Need for the Nexus 7

Search This thread
By:
Advanced…
C

chjade84

Senior Member
Sep 3, 2010
191
115
There are so many threads on car chargers that actually work for the Nexus 7 and yet none of them seem to have reliable answers. Maybe it works, maybe not. Does it do "AC charging"? Is the amperage high enough to keep it running while I use it? Do I have to short Data+ and Data-? Does it work with OEM or aftermarket cables? Is it expensive?

It's enough to make you just want to keep the Nexus in the house. So I'm here to help - just go buy this:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0088U4YAG/ref=pe_175190_21431760_M3T1_SC_dp_1

Tom Fagerland was kind enough to provide links from Amazon UK, available in both black and white:

White: http://www.amazon.co.uk/PowerGen-Ch...ZY/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1351432753&sr=8-15
Black: http://www.amazon.co.uk/PowerGen-Charger-KeyBoard-Samsung-included/dp/B0088U4YAG/ref=pd_sim_ce_1

It's a 3.1A dual port car charger for $12.99 on Amazon with a full 5/5 review. I just got mine and it's well built, very sturdy (almost OEM quality) and has two USB ports, one for Apple devices "A" and one for non-Apple devices "NA". The "NA" port will charge the Nexus 7 and the "A" port will charge most other non-tablets, including the Galaxy Nexus. It works with the OEM Nexus 7 cable, a Monoprice cable and a Galaxy Nexus cable.

So that's it. Just go buy it and be happy. It will charge quickly if you leave the tablet off but will still charge it if you keep using it. :)

EDIT 2-11-13: This charger has been charging my Nexus 7 virtually every day (40 mins/day) for over 3 months now with no problems. :)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For those of you wanting to know some more specifics, here they are. (You don't have to care, honest! Just go buy the thing.)

I did a test with my 7 starting at 40% battery. I did a "worst case scenario" of Wi-Fi on and connected, Bluetooth on, GPS on and using Google Navigation, Spotify streaming and the screen on at 100% brightness throughout charging. I powered the adapter off a variable DC power supply that shows current draw as well as voltage. I used 12.2 VDC to simulate a car's battery. Below is the relevant portion of the battery monitor graph.

attachment.php


It does indeed charge using the "NA" port with no modifications. The power supply showed an average current of 0.50A @ 12 VDC which once converted to 5 VDC is 1.22A not counting for the small loss in the DC-DC converter. It did get as high as 0.62A (1.51A @ 5VDC) but seemed to level out at 0.5A for the vast majority of charge time. (FYI I assume Watt's law applies here when stepping down voltage - feel free to correct me.)

I checked on the progress every 30 mins and here are the results:

00:00 - 40%
00:30 - 48% (+8%)
01:00 - 55% (+7%)
01:30 - 62% (+7%)
02:00 - 68% (+6%)
02:30 - 76% (+8%)
03:00 - 83% (+7%)

This is where I stopped. It seems to be very capable of providing a decent charge while under heavy use. At this point I turned everything off and waited another 30 mins and found it charged another 12% while "idle". At that rate it could charge from empty in around 4 hours. It would take around 7 hours to charge completely if being used heavily, but it's not just "maintaining" a charge or discharging slowly - it's actually gaining a charge.

So there you have it.
 

Attachments

  • Screenshot_2012-10-27-20-51-58.jpg
    Screenshot_2012-10-27-20-51-58.jpg
    15.7 KB · Views: 74,617
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: pixel-edge, variable47, c4pp4 and 17 others
J

JaSauders

Senior Member
Aug 10, 2011
430
87
What about the "A" port makes it exclusive to Apple devices only? I own zero Apple devices, so would this dual USB charger effectively be... a single one for my uses?
 
C

chjade84

Senior Member
Sep 3, 2010
191
115
Troute said:
Powerful car chargers (2Aand above) usually affect your FM radio reception, how does that one go?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

I haven't heard of that one myself, but I tried it out and it seems to have no discernible effect on FM radio reception.

JaSauders said:
What about the "A" port makes it exclusive to Apple devices only? I own zero Apple devices, so would this dual USB charger effectively be... a single one for my uses?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

I think the "A" port does not short the two data pins because Apple doesn't like that. Most Android phones don't seem to care either way though. My Galaxy Nexus works with it, I think a friend's SGS3 works as well. A reviewer notes the Kindle products worked as well. The thing to note is that charging non-Apple devices in the "A" port will only charge them at USB speed. Not perfect but it should do the trick.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Troute
W

wtherrell

Senior Member
Dec 30, 2008
2,240
701
chjade84 said:
I haven't heard of that one myself, but I tried it out and it seems to have no discernible effect on FM radio reception.



I think the "A" port does not short the two data pins because Apple doesn't like that. Most Android phones don't seem to care either way though. My Galaxy Nexus works with it, I think a friend's SGS3 works as well. A reviewer notes the Kindle products worked as well. The thing to note is that charging non-Apple devices in the "A" port will only charge them at USB speed. Not perfect but it should do the trick.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

If you are rooted and have a kernel setting to enable fast charge on USB, you should be able to use the "A" port for full power. Be sure to turn that feature off, though if you want to swap data with PC.
 
W

wtherrell

Senior Member
Dec 30, 2008
2,240
701
wtherrell said:
If you are rooted and have a kernel setting to enable fast charge on USB, you should be able to use the "A" port for full power. Be sure to turn that feature off, though if you want to swap data with PC.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

I tried this on computer USB and the notation in Battery Monitor Widget changed from USB plugged to AC plugged when connected to my computer. milliamps went from 479 to 875. Still will see what happens on various chargers. But to get 875mA from computer's USB port seems pretty darn good.
 
Chaw Rash

Chaw Rash

Member
Nov 8, 2012
35
1
Hewler
Thanks a lot for sharing this with us! seriously there are many car chargers than would never work due to low amp!! :D
 
J

jumping2

Member
Nov 10, 2012
9
3
Bought this same charger the other day. Arrived yesterday, so far so good! Excellent value for money :good:
 
IrieBro

IrieBro

Member
Aug 23, 2010
37
2
Chicago
Good Deal On Amazon

Thank you for pointing the way about car chargers that work. I have been impressed with this charger doing more than slowing down discharge. I can actually use the larger GPS of my N7 and charge my tethering GS3 at the same time. When purchasing this charger I was offered the 3.1a/15w AC charger for 20% off. It definitely charges like the OEM one. Very happy camper. :D
 
alexmaras

alexmaras

Senior Member
Sep 23, 2010
54
9
Perth
Another Option

Hey guys - there is another option that is very high quality -

The Scosche ReVIVE II works very well with the nexus 7 (at the same time as a phone too) with the 2.1A charging port. The only catch I found was that I had to short out the data connections - but I did this with a USB extension cable.
Essentially all you do is cut a USB extension cable, reconnect the power wires and then join the two data wires on the device end. This, for someone who has done some soldering, is a super easy job and takes 5 minutes, as well as making sure you don't ruin a perfectly good micro-USB charger.

The reason for shorting the Data is that some devices wont charge to their full potential (ie. only to 500mA) if they dont have the data wires shorted because the device might be connected to a computer - which wouldn't handle the full 1/2A.

anywho, it's a fantastic, very high quality charger and well worth the price.

(http://www.amazon.com/Scosche-reVIV...?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1352687110&sr=1-14)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jolest and Mojav
IrieBro

IrieBro

Member
Aug 23, 2010
37
2
Chicago
Charging Cord

I use either my OEM GS3 or N7 for the NA port. I have a Rocketfish USB charging cord when I have to use the A port. I purchased it from BestBuy a while ago, initially for my BB at the time.
 
player911

player911

Inactive Recognized Developer
Sep 8, 2006
7,952
1,205
Cincinnati
www.SnapSiteAdmins.com
This sounds great.

I have a iPod Nano 6th Gen that I keep plugged in all the time, and a USB cable for my Phone. I modified my existing one so my Galaxy Nexus reads it as AC and charges fast, but my N7 doesn't even see it.

The one posted in the OP sounds like it'd be perfect. I could use the A for my iPod and the NA for both my N7 and GN. Fortunately the N7 doesn't require car charging very often
 
C

Croptop

Senior Member
Jun 4, 2009
79
9
Sadly, Amazon.ca doesn't sell the charger and Amazon.com won't ship to Canada. Has anyone found a good source for this charger in Canada?
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

P
Nexus 7 POGO GPIO PINS on Side
Replies
404
Views
513K
M
marce002
uberNoobZA
The USB OTG that Do and DO NOT work with Nexus 7 Thread
Replies
142
Views
251K
K
Karrax
Q
The All-in-One Nexus 7 Charger Issues thread
Replies
203
Views
122K
E
el_venga
lexi250
Nexus 7 Car Mount - No Modification to Car!!~
Replies
65
Views
109K
C
cocoabean772
L
Official Nexus Dock
Replies
766
Views
230K
R
Ruche

Top Liked Posts

24 Hours All time
  • There are no posts matching your filters.
  • 20
    C
    chjade84
    There are so many threads on car chargers that actually work for the Nexus 7 and yet none of them seem to have reliable answers. Maybe it works, maybe not. Does it do "AC charging"? Is the amperage high enough to keep it running while I use it? Do I have to short Data+ and Data-? Does it work with OEM or aftermarket cables? Is it expensive?

    It's enough to make you just want to keep the Nexus in the house. So I'm here to help - just go buy this:

    http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0088U4YAG/ref=pe_175190_21431760_M3T1_SC_dp_1

    Tom Fagerland was kind enough to provide links from Amazon UK, available in both black and white:

    White: http://www.amazon.co.uk/PowerGen-Ch...ZY/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1351432753&sr=8-15
    Black: http://www.amazon.co.uk/PowerGen-Charger-KeyBoard-Samsung-included/dp/B0088U4YAG/ref=pd_sim_ce_1

    It's a 3.1A dual port car charger for $12.99 on Amazon with a full 5/5 review. I just got mine and it's well built, very sturdy (almost OEM quality) and has two USB ports, one for Apple devices "A" and one for non-Apple devices "NA". The "NA" port will charge the Nexus 7 and the "A" port will charge most other non-tablets, including the Galaxy Nexus. It works with the OEM Nexus 7 cable, a Monoprice cable and a Galaxy Nexus cable.

    So that's it. Just go buy it and be happy. It will charge quickly if you leave the tablet off but will still charge it if you keep using it. :)

    EDIT 2-11-13: This charger has been charging my Nexus 7 virtually every day (40 mins/day) for over 3 months now with no problems. :)

    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    For those of you wanting to know some more specifics, here they are. (You don't have to care, honest! Just go buy the thing.)

    I did a test with my 7 starting at 40% battery. I did a "worst case scenario" of Wi-Fi on and connected, Bluetooth on, GPS on and using Google Navigation, Spotify streaming and the screen on at 100% brightness throughout charging. I powered the adapter off a variable DC power supply that shows current draw as well as voltage. I used 12.2 VDC to simulate a car's battery. Below is the relevant portion of the battery monitor graph.

    attachment.php


    It does indeed charge using the "NA" port with no modifications. The power supply showed an average current of 0.50A @ 12 VDC which once converted to 5 VDC is 1.22A not counting for the small loss in the DC-DC converter. It did get as high as 0.62A (1.51A @ 5VDC) but seemed to level out at 0.5A for the vast majority of charge time. (FYI I assume Watt's law applies here when stepping down voltage - feel free to correct me.)

    I checked on the progress every 30 mins and here are the results:

    00:00 - 40%
    00:30 - 48% (+8%)
    01:00 - 55% (+7%)
    01:30 - 62% (+7%)
    02:00 - 68% (+6%)
    02:30 - 76% (+8%)
    03:00 - 83% (+7%)

    This is where I stopped. It seems to be very capable of providing a decent charge while under heavy use. At this point I turned everything off and waited another 30 mins and found it charged another 12% while "idle". At that rate it could charge from empty in around 4 hours. It would take around 7 hours to charge completely if being used heavily, but it's not just "maintaining" a charge or discharging slowly - it's actually gaining a charge.

    So there you have it.
    View
    3
    C
    CFRTim
    ATTN Canucks

    For my fellow Canadians that are struggling to find a good tablet charger at a good price, here is your solution:

    http://www.wirelessemporium.com/p-1...pter-3-1-amp-1x1000-mah-1x2100-mah-ports-.asp

    Using online coupons I was able to get this charger delivered in Canada for $11.50. It works great. I had everything turned on the Nexus 7, BT, WI-FI, GPS, full brightness, and this adapter was charging my tablet very nice. Went from 36% to 43% in less than 15 minutes. Over time, I've tried a bunch of "cheaper" adapters from eBay and other places, and none of them were able to get it done properly. This thing is well built, well packed doesn't get hot over time. I used it with a bunch of different micro-USB cables, and they all worked. It will even charge the BB PlayBook.
    Shipping was free, and took about 4 days to receive it. I used PayPal, and here is a link for the coupons

    http://www.couponchief.com/wireless... (ID:2923)&utm_term=wireless emporium coupons

    :good::good::good::good:
    View
    3
    bsoplinger
    bsoplinger
    Because of the whole Apple will do it their way and not follow standards mentality. You can make a charger that will make iProducts fast charge or you can make one that follows the usb charge standard and make other products charge fast. Just like the whole tip/ring issue with headphones: either the Apple way or the standard. But since so many people have iProducts it makes monetary sense to ignore standards and make iProducts happy instead.

    You can get around the charger issue by getting a charge only cable that shorts the data pins and then use any charger at the cost of having to keep track of that special only for charging and can't do data cable.

    You'd think with all the cheap stuff that comes out of China somebody would make a 2" usb male to usb female adapter that had the data leads shorted out to deal with this issue but I've never seen such a thing.

    Sent from my Nexus 7 using Xparent Purple Tapatalk 2
    View
    2
    CNLiberal
    CNLiberal
    Let's put this thread to rest...

    Use this. Don't ask questions, or make comments that it's too expensive, or it's too permanent. There's been sufficient evidence that says any car charger you find simply will _not_ put out the needed 2A of power for the Nexus 7. This seems to be the _only_ solution. The best part about the DCDC USB converter is it's programmable and can power up on your schedule. It can also feed another device at 2A. Basically, you can charge your N7 and your phone simultaneously. This is perfect for the USBROM crowd as they can charge their N7, use USB OTG and charge their phones for USB Tethering as well.

    Just do it.
    View
    2
    alexmaras
    alexmaras
    Another Option

    Hey guys - there is another option that is very high quality -

    The Scosche ReVIVE II works very well with the nexus 7 (at the same time as a phone too) with the 2.1A charging port. The only catch I found was that I had to short out the data connections - but I did this with a USB extension cable.
    Essentially all you do is cut a USB extension cable, reconnect the power wires and then join the two data wires on the device end. This, for someone who has done some soldering, is a super easy job and takes 5 minutes, as well as making sure you don't ruin a perfectly good micro-USB charger.

    The reason for shorting the Data is that some devices wont charge to their full potential (ie. only to 500mA) if they dont have the data wires shorted because the device might be connected to a computer - which wouldn't handle the full 1/2A.

    anywho, it's a fantastic, very high quality charger and well worth the price.

    (http://www.amazon.com/Scosche-reVIV...?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1352687110&sr=1-14)
    View

New posts