[nickbettschen]

Hey so im just looking on some input


I was reading sometihng today were someone said that using ur Micro Usb charger will ware the contacts out on the playbook and they suggested using the Mag/3 pin charger

i was just wondering if thats ture and is it worth the 79.99CDN price point (thats just the price i saw at future shop last night Id probably shop around for sure) to do the switch?

Also just how much faster is the charge with the Mag/3 Pin V.s. Usb

[anon(2692400)]

Hey so im just looking on some input


I was reading sometihng today were someone said that using ur Micro Usb charger will ware the contacts out on the playbook and they suggested using the Mag/3 pin charger

i was just wondering if thats ture and is it worth the 79.99CDN price point (thats just the price i saw at future shop last night Id probably shop around for sure) to do the switch?

Also just how much faster is the charge with the Mag/3 Pin V.s. Usb

I have both and use both, the 3 pin is twice as fast, but its buggy sometimes i have to do a restart to get it to charge. I have a feeling that issue will be taken care of, but the standard charger is also good. On the price point you should be able to find it on sale for around $30US in different places.

Good luck.

[MPG Vancouver]

I have both and use both, the 3 pin is twice as fast, but its buggy sometimes i have to do a restart to get it to charge. I have a feeling that issue will be taken care of, but the standard charger is also good. On the price point you should be able to find it on sale for around $30US in different places.

Good luck.

Ditto with above. I prefer the 3-pin but often have to fiddle with how the PB is seated to get a connection. There has been more than a few times that I have a fully discharged PB that sat on the charger over night. I didn't know it was a software issue. I was thinking, instead, that I might need to clean the metal contacts.

[peter9477]

There has been more than a few times that I have a fully discharged PB that sat on the charger over night. I didn't know it was a software issue. I was thinking, instead, that I might need to clean the metal contacts.

It's not a software issue, other than one aspect which is that it may show you a lightning bolt symbol (if the left-most pin doesn't make contact) and yet not actually be charging.

There are numerous threads about this now. Basically the design of the chargers is flawed and it's a hardware issue. Cleaning them may help, though not always and that's treating a symptom and not the underlying cause.

[nickbettschen]

Is it ture tho about the Usb Port wareing out and not working cause i do find i use it a lot unpluging and pluging stuff in it

[_StephenBB81]

The Mirco USB Port is designed for a tolerance of a minimum of 10,000 connect-disconnect cycles,
Basically you need to plug it in every day 28 times to wear out the port in 1 year.

For many of us the life span of the port is probably close to 5 years with 3-8 connects per day

[nickbettschen]

so if im just buying it for the worry of waring it out its really not needed?

[_StephenBB81]

so if im just buying it for the worry of waring it out its really not needed?

IF your only intention is to save your USB port, I don't think it is needed

BUT!! I personally have both the Power Cord, and the Charging dock, because they charge my PlayBook up considerably faster than the USB.

AND! I have a box sitting beside me right now to send my PlayBook Back to RIM to have them repair my MicroUSB port as it stopped working a few months ago, but I use it too much for work to send it away just yet. having the charger means I still get to keep my playbook charged

[greatwiseone]

I have the 3pin charger, and it's a bit fuzzy to use. It charges very quickly, but you have to make sure that the right contacts have been made. Various places have the 3 pin charger on sale, and so you should be able to get it at a much lower price.

I wouldn't be too worried about wearing out the Micro USB.

[dejanh]

It's not a software issue, other than one aspect which is that it may show you a lightning bolt symbol (if the left-most pin doesn't make contact) and yet not actually be charging.

There are numerous threads about this now. Basically the design of the chargers is flawed and it's a hardware issue. Cleaning them may help, though not always and that's treating a symptom and not the underlying cause.

Do you know of any way to fix the third pin? Mine is slightly in-set and it is not always making ideal contact but it still works.

@OP - Craigslist is your friend I got a BNIB docking station for forty bucks.

[peter9477]

Do you know of any way to fix the third pin? Mine is slightly in-set and it is not always making ideal contact but it still works.

If it's the cradle charger, there are threads covering two repair techniques so far. I used a soldering iron to adjust mine, and another fellow used a file to make mechanical modifications allowing the PlayBook to sit lower, relative to the connector, than it would before. Both allowed the pin (especially the left-most) to make a firmer contact.

If it's the non-cradle rapid charger, the same type of repairs are theoretically possible but to date no one has reported having attempted it.

[randomact45]

Hey so im just looking on some input


I was reading sometihng today were someone said that using ur Micro Usb charger will ware the contacts out on the playbook and they suggested using the Mag/3 pin charger

i was just wondering if thats ture and is it worth the 79.99CDN price point (thats just the price i saw at future shop last night Id probably shop around for sure) to do the switch?

Also just how much faster is the charge with the Mag/3 Pin V.s. Usb

I have an extra mag/3 pin charger (BRAND NEW). Blackberry sent me to me by mistake and told me to keep it instead of sending it back. I can sell it to you

[kbz1960]

I have the magnetic charger and not the stand. Never once have had an issue of it not charging. Just let it pull it in.

[Hgouck]

Like kbz1960 I have used the rapid charger (not the docking charger) and never had a problem. I just get it close and let the PB draw it in. Works for me everytime.

[peter9477]

I also have one of the non-dock rapid chargers and its worked flawlessly since I got it. In fact, based on what we know of "the problem" with the pins, it seems it shouldn't affect nearly as many of those chargers as it does the dock version.

[drumrdfox]

Recommend the 3-pin charger also. Have not had any problem with it and find its easier to plug in than fiddling around with the USB port. I just have the charger, not the dock. I have the same concerns about the durability of the USB port. Also, if the wire gets yanked, there is far less chance of damage with the 3-pin plug since it is just held magnetically.

[AggreX]

No charging issues to report on both the rapid charger pod and rapid charger magnetic cord. Both are trouble-free and extremely ez to use. The original usb charger is packed up in the box.

[Unsure2]

You can get the pod charger at a steeply discounted price if you look around, including on Ebay. I haven't had any problems charging using the pod--just set the Playbook in the slot and slide it to the side until it clicks into place. I would not be worried about using the USB to charge, but the pod is nice.

[Angus_CB]

Is it ture tho about the Usb Port wareing out and not working cause i do find i use it a lot unpluging and pluging stuff in it

Have you worn out the micro-USB charge port on your phone yet?
Just be careful with it.

[ChrisInSD]

Recommend the 3-pin charger also. Have not had any problem with it and find its easier to plug in than fiddling around with the USB port. I just have the charger, not the dock. I have the same concerns about the durability of the USB port. Also, if the wire gets yanked, there is far less chance of damage with the 3-pin plug since it is just held magnetically.

Agree. My PB completely died last weekend when plugged in overnight to the USB "blade" charger that ships with it (because the USB port failed to make a connection and it wasn't charging). I've had my PB since late Aug, and the last couple of weeks noticed that the USB charger do not seem to seat as well any more and is a bit loose. I don't want to wear out the port by using it for charging so I ordered the Rapid Charger last week from WalMart.com (US) for $25 with 97� shipping. So far so good.

And based on what I've read about the defective Charging Dock, the rapid charger shouldn't have the same problem as the main issue there is you cant get these pins to come up from the dock to touch the PB's charging contact due to a faulty spring mechanism. This is just a non-issue with the Rapid Charger as your connection is direct.

RIM should have just shipped the device with the Rapid Charger to begin with, but oh well. One positive about the PB being such a slow seller is all these OEM accessories are dirt cheap now all over the net--I had to shell out $70 a month ago for a new magnetic charger for my MacBook Pro

Good luck--but from my experience I recommend everyone just by the Rapid Charger to be safe.

[Chaddface]

The rapid charger and the dock both use the same connection. I just started having this false charging issue with the rapid charger. It would be the right most pin if the wire was going to the right. The Two left pins are flush with the top and the right pin is down about a mm. I may shave off some plastic.
Peter, any thoughts on that alarm for guru? You said you fixed the dock with solder? I missed that thread. Just a bit on the pin or did you disassemble the dock?

[pauldriver]

My three pin quick charger and docking station do no exhibit any oddness, although slight bumps will knock the magnetically held three pin quick charger loose.

A MicroUSB port may have a huge insertion life specification, but those are mechanically tested insertions, with a machine making a perfect insertion everytime.

In life, where bumps, drops, and fumbles makes engineering difficult, Micro USB is a fragile connector, more so for the cable then the socket (a intentional reverse, I believe, from Mini USB), but the sockets do wear, and it is easy to break them as a tiny tiny sliver of plastic is all that supports the pins.

Paul.

[ftortora]

I just ordered on from NCIX in vancouver there cheap!!$39.83 CAD

NCIX.com - Canada's Premier Computer Store - Online PC Discount Store, Buy Computer Accessories

[dugggggg]

Re: the USB port wearing out---generally, the plug is designed to wear faster than the socket. Logic is, cheaper to buy a new charger than repair the PB.

However, that's not the reason I got a rapid charger. I had heard that someone had dropped their PB while it was plugged in, and it had hit the floor with the plug and seriously damaged the PB---maybe even cracked the screen.

[pauldriver]

The ?Ex? G.F. hurt her phone, when it went flying while driving and plugged in, that's how I know how delicate that tiny tab of plastic inside the connector is.