Giveaway of the Day Forums

1. 

   Dragonlair
   Member

   I'm not getting any help over on the Amazon forum so maybe you guys know more than they do!

   It's a simple idea but it may not be easy to explain. I have a lot of micro USB cables from my various Amazon devices as well as the plug (power adapter). There are two types of cables - just standard Micro USB ("D" shaped plug) and "C" (oval plug). There are two types of power adapters - 5W and 9W. The new "C" cables come with 9W plugs but they say you can use the older 5W plugs but they won't charge as fast.

   My question is can you use the older plugs with the 9W adapters. I suspect so because I THINK the Echo Dots come with the older cords and 9W adapters.

   Basically - can I use the cord that came with my HD8 (older 'D' shape) with the new 9W adapter SAFELY? Will there be any negative issues if I do so?

   Please help, Amazon isn't helping me!

   Posted 4 years ago #
2. 

   mikiem2
   Moderator

   It'll be/work fine.

   Any device that uses electricity will only draw the current [amps] that it needs -- the average home outlet can supply 15 amps, but a lamp using an LED bulb for example will use only a small fraction of that. The likely reason that you haven't found a clear-cut answer is that the cable & ends must be able to safely carry the amperage used -- this was a problem with many of the 1st 3rd party USB C cables available -- so if you used your old style charging cable with a 9 watt adapter for a device that actually used 9 watts, the cable, or more likely the plug might get hot enough to cause a problem. Unless the device you plugged in shorted out however, that's not going to happen -- old style USB charging cables never supplied 9 watts, so no device using that D-shaped plug would have been designed to use or require more than 5 watts. But in a world where everybody is worried about being sued, the old James Bond line comes into play: "Never say Never", so you don't get a common sense answer.

   DO Pay attention to wall warts [adapters] since there are some awful [potentially unsafe] units out there, though I'd trust those made by Amazon itself for their Kindles etc. Buying a cheap USB power meter [I paid about $4 for mine on sale] can also sometimes come in handy. We've got some [usually older] adapters that put out 1-1.5 amps, and some that put out 2 amps. Using that meter I found for example that my wife's oldest Kindle will not use 2 amps, so I can use one of the older adapters with it & it won't take any longer to charge. She also uses a power strip with USB charging ports -- that meter showed that the 1st power strip she tried wouldn't supply the 2 amps her newer Kindles can use. And finally, the Greatest thing in the world my wife found for charging her Kindles are magnetic cable adapters -- she really loves the ease and convenience connecting the charging cable that way, rather than fiddling with the connector to get the cable plugged in.

   amazon[.]com/s?k=usb+power+meter&crid=7IBB8I5C9TWW&sprefix=usb+power%2Caps%2C164&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_7_9

   amazon[.]com/s?k=magnetic+usb+adapter&crid=1MZ9YQOY0XJ8H&sprefix=magnetic+usb%2Caps%2C166&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_10_12

   Posted 4 years ago #
3. 

   Dragonlair
   Member

   Thanks!

   The Amazon forum, mainly for digital stuff and electronics but it does have a "lounge" for other items, has Amazon selected moderators but is not directly associated with Amazon. Nothing "official" is ever told and that can be very frustrating!

   There are several over there that are pushing the magnetic connectors because of the number of people who complain about broken ports on the device.

   It's confusing to know exactly what to get because they never say just what the cables are supposed to support in terms of power. They do say that, even though they supply the 9W power adapter, you can get a 15W adapter and special Type C to Type C cable. The extra power will save you 1 hour on a full charge and that doesn't seem enough savings to warrant the extra cost for cable/adapter.

   So, you're saying, I can use the cables I have with whatever power adapter (or port in a surge protector -- I use that in one case), and they will just use whatever the cord and device will allow.

   Thanks a lot!

   Posted 4 years ago #
4. 

   mikiem2
   Moderator

   We haven't had any of the ports break [knock wood], but our eyesight isn't what it used to be, and especially when the device [kindle, phone, tablet etc.] is in a case, it seems impossible to tell which way to orient the plug on the cable. So we try it one way, and if it doesn't go right in we flip the cable end over, then flip it again when that doesn't work, and so on. While it only takes 1/2 a minute or a minute of fooling around with it, it's frustrating that something that should be so simple isn't. With the magnetic connectors my wife uses, one half stays on the charging cable, and each of her Kindles has one of the small adapters that it mates to. The magnets are strong enough that she just has to get the adapter on the cable close and it snaps right into place.

   There is one thing to note whenever you see claims about faster charging. The lithium batteries all these devices use wear out. There are all sorts of recommendations on what may make them wear out sooner, and faster charging, when it's available, is one of them. So you're not just saving money by not buying the more expensive cable & adapter, you're saving money because the battery will last longer too.

   Posted 4 years ago #
5. 

   Terri218
   Member

   Speaking of batteries, my phone is losing battery life very quickly. I have it on battery saver mode but still have to charge it every night. Does anyone know if the battery can get a better charge, if I have to replace it or if I have to replace the phone itself? It's an LG phone from Sprint. It's s lower end model and I've had it for about a year and a quarter.

   Thanks as always.

   Posted 4 years ago #
6. 

   Dragonlair
   Member

   I've never had a port break either. I've found that for the "standard" micro USB cables, there's a symbol molded on the "top" of the plug that you can feel (even if you can't really see it as black on black) that helps orient the cable. For an Amazon device, that's the front of the device. For the old AXS Trio, that's the BACK (that one is weird). That's the advantage of the newer Type C cables. They're oval, not 'D' shaped so there is no top or bottom. If you're silly enough to try to plug it in sideways (wider than the device you're plugging into), you've got other problems.

   Obviously - this site can't handle the win 10 emoticons! It deleted the rest of my post when I did that! I'll try to put that part back.

   People are posting on the Amazon digital forum about batteries failing all the time. The solution is usually to either reboot (for Amazon - hold the power button for 40 seconds while ignoring all messages) or to plug into your PC or Mac for 24 hours for a charge. Why a PC/Mac works different than house current is never explained but it seems to work. If those steps don't work, then it's time for a replacement of some sort. If your device does not have a replaceable battery, then it's time to replace the device. In most cases, if the battery compartment doesn't open, it's cheaper to replace the device than to repair it.

   Posted 4 years ago #
7. 

   Dragonlair
   Member

   BTW - as for kindles -- I find it extremely frustrating that you cannot turn them off!!! You can put the screen to sleep and put it in airplane mode to minimize battery drainage but there is no "power off" as there is with fires.

   I also, personally, prefer the fire method of handling books than the kindle. That's beside the color issue. The kindle method of handling collections is just flat clunky for me (as well as very slow compared to the HD 10's 2 GHZ processor and 2 GB ram).

   The one advantage of the kindle -- easier to read outdoors!

   Posted 4 years ago #
8. 

   mikiem2
   Moderator

   Some sites say a phone's battery only lasts 2-3 years, but I *think* the more reliable stat is that they lose around 20% after 400 charges. If your LG phone has an easily replaceable battery it's not such a big deal -- if it doesn't you can Google using the phone's model number and probably find directions on replacing it, and decide if it's worth a try, needs to head to a repair shop, or if like Dragonlair says, it makes more sense to see if you can trade it in. But that's *IF* the battery needs replacement. You can Google to find out the battery life of your phone and compare that to what you're getting -- the life you're getting might be normal or almost normal. You might also have one or more apps, or even part of the Android OS itself that's more active than needed, and that'll help drain the battery.

   medium[.]com/@lauren.c.stephen/13-tips-to-extend-the-lifespan-of-your-phone-battery-16c2af5ca59f

   Posted 4 years ago #
9. 

   Terri218
   Member

   One thing I've noticed is that sometimes Waze turns on by itself which is a big battery drain. Is there any way to prevent that?

   My phone is about 16 months old. I'n sure I've done more than 40 charges since I;ve charged it almost every day. Is that bad?

   Thanks again.

   Posted 4 years ago #
10. 

    mikiem2
    Moderator

    The only thing I saw in a quick Google is:

    Waze can be activated manually so that it will work when you activate the application. The way to activate this feature is to go to “Settings” and choose “Privacy”. Then, tap on the “Location Service” option, select “Waze”, and the “You see: Never / Always” option will appear.

    You can choose “Never” if you only want to activate Waze when used. When you select “Always” it means your Waze application will always be active. The “Always” option will be suitable if you always commute every day. This feature allows the Waze application to run as a background. Once you exit Waze as a background, this application no longer uses location services.

    I *think* most people charge their phones at least once a day. How long a charge lasts depends on the phone [some last longer on a charge than others], the size of the battery, how bright the display is set, on some phones where you can have a higher/lower screen resolution, the higher resolution uses more battery, if the radios are always on [Bluetooth, WiFi, NFC], if you have app notifications on, if you have an app or apps that are constantly running that won't/don't sleep. Huawei phones often get better battery life by being VERY aggressive about going to sleep -- you *might* be able to adjust the settings on your phone to make it more aggressive the same way.

    Posted 4 years ago #

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