I had a Griffin power jolt USB charger in the Yeti.

I've been disappointed however that charging has never been brisk, and when I'm using my Nexus 7 as a GPS, the device has used power faster than I can get it in, so over the journey the power runs down.

In an attempt to solve the problem, I bought a Scosche equivalent (2x2.4A output) but to no avail.

To investigate, I bought an inline USB ammeter, and was interested to discover that the choice of USB cable from the charger to device makes a huge difference.

I've not tried the Nexus 7 yet, but my Nexus 5 charges at 1.2A using a genuine Nokia cable but a mere 0.35A using a cheap coiled cable.

Seems like I've discovered where the problem lies!

That cheap cable is really convenient as it keeps everything tidy, but it's going in the bin

Wow

Didnt know that - but thanks!

I remember they did a test on standard SCART cables and GOLD-plated ones -

and found no difference!

So u think the difference is the actual metal cable inside or the actual plug/socket at each end of cable?

Most Android devices have 2 charging modes, 1 is full speed ahead 'wall wart' mode and the other is a limited 'usb port on a PC' mode. The cheaper cable could be wired up so that the tablet thinks it is connected to a USB port on a PC rather than a 'wall wart' (or in this case something able to provide more than 500mA).

Good to know too, Dan!

Off topic, I know, but does that explain why my Android phone takes such a long time to charge from the mains when using a USB extension lead (1m female/male)?

Off topic, I know, but does that explain why my Android phone takes such a long time to charge from the mains when using a USB extension lead (1m female/male)?

 

if it charges ok without the extension cable, then yes its the same issue.

if it charges ok without the extension cable, then yes its the same issue.

Yes it does, so thanks!

... But it's 2 linked pins in the socket that differentiate a low power PC USB and a charger USB, so as long as they are linked somewhere in the USB chain it should work high power.

And I've got a high speed adapter in the chain to force the charger to high power.

Of course, if only 2 wires on the cheap wire are connected as a "charger cable" rather than a 4 wire "data and charger cable", then it'll make no odds if the data pins are linked or not.

Perhaps is time to buy some 28/24 cables

I have a Parrot Mki9200 Bluetooth phonekit installed in the Scout which comes with USB/iPhone connectivity. If I use my SIII for satnav and use the Parrot USB connector to charge it, the best I get is the power stays the same or slowly discharges.

If I connect my SIII to this;

www.tomtom.com/en_gb/drive/accessories/chargers-cables/high-speed-multi-charger/

and use the Fast Charge USB socket, it does charge it even with GPS and mobile data active.

They sometimes do a kit where you get a case and Fast Charger for the same price.

Buttom line, what cable should I get?

If/when I work that out I'll report back