I have a Galaxy S2 with Copilot Live sat nav running on it. Superb app for the price, but I'm having an issue with the phone holding it's charge whilst using it. I've got the low power modes running, data switched off, but whilst it's plugged in to the USB port on my stereo, the battery goes down rather than up or staying the same level. I've tried a USB charger plugged directly into the cigarette ligther but it still doesn't hold its charge. I've found a few high powered USB car chargers (such as this one http://www.play.com/Electronics/Electronics/4-/31046336/High-Powered-2100mah-Dual-USB-Port-Car-Charger/Product.html?_%24ja=tsid:11518%7Ccat:31046336%7Cprd:31046336). Would something like this do the trick?

Your current USB charger does not have sufficient charging capacity, so a high capacity one should do.

_{That should do it.}

iPad has a similar issue, if you use an iPhone in car charger. Not powerful enough. Need one that will do both.

If the iPad has a similar situation, you should be aware that Apple class it as a "Feature", not a "Fault" or "Problem"

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>JOKE ALERT!

If the iPad has a similar situation, you should be aware that Apple class it as a "Feature", not a "Fault" or "Problem"

>

>

>JOKE ALERT!

Lol

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

we are missing a very valid question here.

is the phone actually charging when you have it plugged in.... something does not sound right here.... for the GPS to drain the battery that badly something is defo not right.

It does charge, albeit slowly, when I have the GPS off, but with GPS on and running Copilot, the battery percentage goes down even when it's plugged in.

The amount of Milliamps being supplied via the usb is not enough to counter the effect of the number of milliamps required by the gps.

Its the current that is the problem not the voltage. Voltage is just the power or push required to overcome the resistance of the transmission medium. The current (amps) is the unit of measurement for the elecric being used. Therefore if it charges all be it slowly without gps but discharges when the gps is turned on you need more current, No? I wouldn't say there is a fault. The USB cable you have is probably primarily designed for the transfer of data not power. Laptop USB ports only have a very limited supply of current.

Might want to also look at what else you have running in the background

- What apps are still running in the backgound?

- Do you have Bluetooth on?

- Wi-fi?

its all well and good using 'Power save mode' but its not alll its cracked up to be.

I've seen this with some of the USB chargers you plug into the cigarette lighter. Some Of the cheaper ones appear to produce 0.5 amp where I believe you need a 1.0 amp one to charge correctly. Mine is a griffin double USB charger and it does the trick.

I tried a few car USB things with my HTC One X and had the same issue.

The first two I tried gave a "charging(USB)" in the battery screen.

I bought this one.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BELKIN-MICRO-CAR-CHARGER-USB-ADAPTER-CLA-CIGAR-PORT-/170463371022

It gives a "charging(AC)" in the battery screen and it just about charges when using satnav.

Biggest drain is not so much the App but the screen on these phones so turning down the brightness can help.

TBH I have this issue with my non-smart phone, it discharges faster than it charges when plugged into either of my computers, so I suspect it may be voltage issue as well; I can charge and use it using a dedicated charger, either mains connected or car charger, and both give it more voltage than a USB cable supplies.

You need a charger with at least a 1A output. I had the same problem. I had a 1A charger but the phone wasn't picking it up as an A/C charger. It was a cheapo one and guessing the data pins weren't shorted inside it to tell the phone it could draw more power than 500ma. My battery would drain while using the sat-nav app.

Bought a dock that came with a charger and now the phone charges while using sat-nav and bluetooth.

Phil

TBH I have this issue with my non-smart phone, it discharges faster than it charges when plugged into either of my computers, so I suspect it may be voltage issue as well; I can charge and use it using a dedicated charger, either mains connected or car charger, and both give it more voltage than a USB cable supplies.

Current not voltage !

I guess the "charging A/C" is a bit missleading also seeing as it must be DC from the car battery unless there is an inverter built in which i doubt is the case.

The charger in the original post is rated at 2.1 amps -which should be just the ticket.

When running Satnav on an Android phone there is a massive drain on the phone's battery The screen, GPS, data connection are all working hard not to mention Bluetooth and any other background apps that may be running. It's quite normal for the battery to discharge faster than it would be able to charge from a normal low amperage car charger.

Thanks for all the replies. I have another problem however. Whenever my little girl's in the car she has her DVD player which charges through the cigarette lighter. Now if I get a charger for my phone I'll have to buy a twin cigarette lighter socket adapter. Would this affect the rate of charge on my phone if I had my little girl's DVD player charging at the same time?

Thanks for all the replies. I have another problem however. Whenever my little girl's in the car she has her DVD player which charges through the cigarette lighter. Now if I get a charger for my phone I'll have to buy a twin cigarette lighter socket adapter. Would this affect the rate of charge on my phone if I had my little girl's DVD player charging at the same time?

No, both should be fine. The Cigarette lighter is designed to pull a lot more power than both of those running together when used for its original purpose as a cigarette lighter.

Awesome thanks. I'll be getting them ordered then!

Be aware than it MIGHT not work unless the engine is running, my netbook will only charge when the alternator is feeding those extra few volts through the cigar socket.

I guess the "charging A/C" is a bit missleading also seeing as it must be DC from the car battery unless there is an inverter built in which i doubt is the case.

The AC just means that the phone hasn't detected a USB connection and is pulling its preferred full current, most people understand that "AC" means "mains electricity" so it just saves confusing people with the technicalities between AC/DC/USB. Even if you plug the phone into the wall, the phone is receiving DC and not AC, because the inverter is built-in to the adapter and not the phone (hence why you can take the cable supplied with your mains charger and plug it into your computer, because the cable is just a bog standard USB cable capable of carrying DC current).

The AC just means that the phone hasn't detected a USB connection and is pulling its preferred full current, most people understand that "AC" means "mains electricity" so it just saves confusing people with the technicalities between AC/DC/USB. Even if you plug the phone into the wall, the phone is receiving DC and not AC, because the inverter is built-in to the adapter and not the phone (hence why you can take the cable supplied with your mains charger and plug it into your computer, because the cable is just a bog standard USB cable capable of carrying DC current).

Yes i know this read my other posts and it was more of a comedic rhetorical statement than and actual question.

The AC just means that the phone hasn't detected a USB connection and is pulling its preferred full current, most people understand that "AC" means "mains electricity" so it just saves confusing people with the technicalities between AC/DC/USB. Even if you plug the phone into the wall, the phone is receiving DC and not AC, because the inverter Transformer is built-in to the adapter and not the phone (hence why you can take the cable supplied with your mains charger and plug it into your computer, because the cable is just a bog standard USB cable capable of carrying DC current).

Fixed that for you

Edited 28 November, 201213 yr by greenstripe