[rfkuehn]

I plugged my 9930 charger into my PB with a nearly-dead battery. Got the "plug" icon, not the "bolt", on the battery icon. Left overnight, next morning battery icon showed a full charge.

Does this mean that a phone charger *will* work, just slowly? Or just a fluke?

Also read elsewhere that its fine to use the PB charger on a phone, I assume it works faster?

[Chaddface]

Correct, it will work just slower.
I use the PB charger for my 9800 and a rapid charger for the PB.
The charger that comes with the PB is sold as a premium charger for many BB phones including the 9930.
https://forums.crackberry.com/e?link...token=ZU6bb8Kr

[peter9477]

I just happened to post a response in this thread, effectively answering this question too: http://forums.crackberry.com/blackbe...ml#post7189382

[ridesno159]

According to BlackBerry the charger for your phone is NOT compatible with the PlayBook. I've asked why a couple times in the last few months on that blog but have received no answer or a response that even addressed my question.

The Power Button and Charging your BlackBerry PlayBook �Inside BlackBerry Help Blog

If you own a BlackBerry� smartphone, the charger that you use for it is not compatible with your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. The BlackBerry PlayBook tablet charger, however, is capable of charging both a BlackBerry PlayBook tablet and a BlackBerry smartphone.

Personally, I use my phone chargers to charge the PlayBook all the time. It does go slower but seems to work just fine.

[Chaddface]

According to BlackBerry the charger for your phone is NOT compatible with the PlayBook. I've asked why a couple times in the last few months on that blog but have received no answer or a response that even addressed my question.

The Power Button and Charging your BlackBerry PlayBook �Inside BlackBerry Help Blog



Personally, I use my phone chargers to charge the PlayBook all the time. It does go slower but seems to work just fine.

How could that be? If it's OK to use the low output of a USB port then how could using a charger with an output in between the included charger and USB be bad. Strange. Someone teach me.

[peter9477]

How could that be? If it's OK to use the low output of a USB port then how could using a charger with an output in between the included charger and USB be bad. Strange. Someone teach me.

It's perfectly acceptable to put it on the phone charger, except for the fact it's slow.

"If you own a BlackBerry� smartphone, the charger that you use for it is not compatible with your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet." <-- I'd interpret that statement as meaning merely "the phone charger doesn't really have the oomph needed to charge at a reasonable rate".

Although the article has some good info (like getting the "10s power button press turns it fully off" part right), it also is clearly written as a bit of a marketing piece.

You'll note the party line on "... the BlackBerry� Rapid Charger, ... charges my BlackBerry PlayBook tablet up to two times faster than the standard BlackBerry PlayBook tablet charger". Well, yeah, it does, but as they always fail to point out the only way you'll get "two times faster" is if you're actively using the PlayBook while charging. If you are charging in standby, it's actually 3.5h for the regular charger and 3.2h for the rapid chargers... not exactly 2x faster!

[hytran]

How could that be? If it's OK to use the low output of a USB port then how could using a charger with an output in between the included charger and USB be bad. Strange. Someone teach me.

I don't think it's necessarily bad. But I know I can use my PB while plugged into the USB or BB charger and discharge it faster than the charger can keep up.

[FF22]

And to make the thread more complete (in my opinion), you can also charge using a usb connected to a computer but it will be VERY slow and if you are using the pb, the computer-usb will probably not provide enough power and your battery will drop. BUT there is also a special usb-charging-only cable that will provide more power (but it does NOT provide a data connection - no Desktop Manager connection or z: drive type of link).

[ajax09g5]

BlackBerry Smartphone chargers ARE compatible with the PlayBook. The PlayBook charger charges at 5v/1.8a, where the smartphone charger charges at a rate of 5v/.75a which means the PlayBook Rapid Charger charges 2.4 times faster than smartphone charger.

Furthermore, if you were to use your device while connected to a smartphone charger you may notice the battery life decrease because there isn't a sufficient volume of charge to operate and charge the device, and this is why you receive a Plug icon rather than a Lightening Bolt.

The PlayBook Magnetic Rapid charger charges at a rate of 12v/2.0a and where there are 3 connectors this indicates that the charger is splitting the charge to two batteries. So the actual charge with the Magnetic Rapid Charger is 6v/2.0a to each battery rather than a shared 5v/1.8a with the usb charger. This is why the magnetic charger charges 25% faster than the provided 5v usb charger.

Hope this helps!

[Chaddface]

where there are 3 connectors this indicates that the charger is splitting the charge to two batteries. So the actual charge with the Magnetic Rapid Charger is 6v/2.0a to each battery rather than a shared 5v/1.8a with the usb charger.

Since the corded magnetic charger can be plugged in either direction that would mean the two end pins charge and the middle is communication? I would have thought the batteries would be directly connected. How would this allow for separate charging?

[ajax09g5]

The center pin is ground and the two outer pins are to each battery.

[Chaddface]

The ground was a big oversight on my part. So I suppose there is some circuitry inside that monitors and splits power to the appropriate place?
I do a lot of mechanical troubleshooting but my electrical skills end at whether or not a part is getting power and how much. I marvel at the specialist that comes in to repair the circuit boards on our equipment.

[ajax09g5]

Yes your right, within the complicated circuitry there are items within the charger and PlayBook itself to regulate the charge being distributed. Where this is a more solid connection the voltage and amps can be higher because it can handle it, where the max voltage with a USB port is 5 volts.

[dugggggg]

BlackBerry Smartphone chargers ARE compatible with the PlayBook. The PlayBook charger charges at 5v/1.8a, where the smartphone charger charges at a rate of 5v/.75a which means the PlayBook Rapid Charger charges 2.4 times faster than smartphone charger.

Furthermore, if you were to use your device while connected to a smartphone charger you may notice the battery life decrease because there isn't a sufficient volume of charge to operate and charge the device, and this is why you receive a Plug icon rather than a Lightening Bolt.

The PlayBook Magnetic Rapid charger charges at a rate of 12v/2.0a and where there are 3 connectors this indicates that the charger is splitting the charge to two batteries. So the actual charge with the Magnetic Rapid Charger is 6v/2.0a to each battery rather than a shared 5v/1.8a with the usb charger. This is why the magnetic charger charges 25% faster than the provided 5v usb charger.

Hope this helps!

The PB's instantaneous charging power is a function of the charger's available power---but it is also limited by a throttling algorithm dependent only on actual battery voltage and temperature. In other words, charging power incrementally approaches zero as battery voltage approaches 4.21 volts. This is easily observable using Battery Guru.

Any correlation with the regulatory labeling on the various chargers is purely coincidental and cannot reliably be used to compare charging rates---even by supposedly "splitting" the pod's 12V output across two batteries hardwired in parallel.

[Wolfgan]

The center pin is ground and the two outer pins are to each battery.

Do anyone knows where to get just the connector or it's specs? I'm thinking on adapting one for a car charger not based on the usb connector...
TIA, Wolf.

[FF22]

Do anyone knows where to get just the connector or it's specs? I'm thinking on adapting one for a car charger not based on the usb connector...
TIA, Wolf.

That seems interesting. I have a feeling that the part would be hard to find. And unfortunately, it is not well-designed as there seems to be a tendency for one of the spring-loaded pins to sit too low making contact a bit problematic.