[rbenjami]

I have been using the uber-expensive Rapid Charging Pod/Stand for a few weeks with great results. Until the past two days. Two nights ago I put my PB on the stand and woke up with my battery at 60%. The lightning bolt showed on the screen, but the percentage just kept decreasing over time.

I blew off the contacts (there wasn't any dust) and tried again. It quickly (about an hour) charged from 60% to 100%.

Last night I put it on the stand again - this time it started at about 40%. I woke up early this morning to a chime sound and 0% battery remaining. Again, the lightning bolt confirmed the stand was connected. I pulled it off and put it back on, it then started charging and got to 30% after about 45 minutes.

I took out a multimeter and confirmed that the contacts on the charging stand are getting power. There is nothing wrong with my wall plug or the connection from the cord to the back of the stand.

Anyone else have this, or any similar, problem?

It seems very odd to me that the PB acknowledges it is connected to the charger by putting up the lightning bolt, but doesn't actually charge. (For anyone wondering, if I put in on the stand and just unplug it from the wall, there is no lightning bolt - thus confirming that the stand is, in fact, getting electricity when the lightning bolt appears on the screen.)

It also seems unlikely that this is just a "the % battery is inaccurate" issue. If that were the case, it wouldn't charge when removed and put back (or through the supplied regular wall charger - which I also tried and works fine.)

[asherwiin]

I've noticed the same problem, just in the past couple of days.

I'm wondering if it charging but the display is not showing the true status of the charge. I took it off the stand this morning at 9:00 am only charged to 33%, and at 2:00 pm (5 hours) it is still showing a charge of 27%... At that rate (1% per hour) my tablet should run for 24 hours - awesome!

[OnTopic]

Look at the 3 little pins in the stand. I had to return my stand because the center pin (must be spring loaded) would not stay in the 'up' position. If I gave the stand a solid rap the spring would free up but then the next time the pin would be bottomed out in the hole again.

[hemertwv]

Yes I just noticed this as well a couple of days ago, going to watch the pins

[aghs]

Look at the 3 little pins in the stand. I had to return my stand because the center pin (must be spring loaded) would not stay in the 'up' position. If I gave the stand a solid rap the spring would free up but then the next time the pin would be bottomed out in the hole again.

I hate the same issue with my stand. The spring for the pin on the right either dropped down or was crushed (which I doubt) and the stand wouldn't work. I could use a pin to pull it up and then it would work, but that got too aggravation. I took it to Future Shop and they exchanged it no problem.

I like the rapid charger a bit more and might pick one up. No springs, just the magnetic connector...one less thing to worry about.

[narci]

Did you accept the user agreement for video chat? There is a known issue of battery drain if you didn't accept it.

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[howarmat]

Did you accept the user agreement for video chat? There is a known issue of battery drain if you didn't accept it.

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lmao did you read the thread? its not about discharge its about charging with the stand...

[phonegeek#AC]

Look at the 3 little pins in the stand. I had to return my stand because the center pin (must be spring loaded) would not stay in the 'up' position. If I gave the stand a solid rap the spring would free up but then the next time the pin would be bottomed out in the hole again.

i have a couple stands and one has this same problem. I'll be returning it to best buy for a swap.


PG

[rbenjami]

Interesting. So you folks think that if one of the three spring loaded pins in the stand doesn't make contact with the small cups inside the PB side of the connector, the lightning bolt will appear, but it won't charge?

That sounds like it would create a bad ground. I imagine the three pins are + - Gnd. Right?

My left pin is a bit off. I guess I'll take it back to Staples and try for a new one. Great.

Oddly, now - maybe just a coincidence - my PB can sit on the charging pod all day and only get to 99%. I always used to go to 100% no problem; never had the stuck at 99% problem reported by many others. Are these issues connected? My battery % indicator has always seemed pretty accurate.

[narci]

lmao did you read the thread? its not about discharge its about charging with the stand...

It could be the PB is discharging as fast as it charges.

The bolt is there so it could mean that.

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[rbenjami]

It could be the PB is discharging as fast as it charges.

The bolt is there so it could mean that.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

that is not what is happening.

[FF22]

It sounds as if TWO pins fool it into displaying a lightning bolt but don't actually engage the charging circuit. For charging you need that third "stuck" pin???

[FF22]

When it works, how long does it take to charge from very low to full?

[rbenjami]

When it works, how long does it take to charge from very low to full?

never actually timed it, but probably under 2 hours to go from 10% to 90%.

[Spencerdl]

I too have the same problem. Returning the stand tomorrow.

[rbenjami]

Seems like all will fail at some point. Time for RIM to redesign and rerelease. That's too bad because I really liked it when it worked. Good thing I discovered this on day 30 after I bought from Staples. They took it back no problem. Now, had I waited a day . . .

[phonegeek#AC]

Interesting. So you folks think that if one of the three spring loaded pins in the stand doesn't make contact with the small cups inside the PB side of the connector, the lightning bolt will appear, but it won't charge?

That sounds like it would create a bad ground. I imagine the three pins are + - Gnd. Right?

My left pin is a bit off. I guess I'll take it back to Staples and try for a new one. Great.

Oddly, now - maybe just a coincidence - my PB can sit on the charging pod all day and only get to 99%. I always used to go to 100% no problem; never had the stuck at 99% problem reported by many others. Are these issues connected? My battery % indicator has always seemed pretty accurate.

Yeah it seems some of them have problems with the springs in the base. Mine is the center pin stays down so it doesn't allow it to begin charging, others it is one of the other pins that is stuck down and fooling the device into believing that it is charging when it is not.


PG

[Vidge]

Came over here looking for a solution since my rapid charger just stopped working a couple of days ago. Obviously, I'm far beyond the return period Any ideas on what I might try?

[Vidge]

OK, so maybe I had some dust in there. Blew it out, made sure the PB was firmly attached and it is charging now. Whew!

[wellard]

I've had the same charging problems, maybe a calibration issue, but with the standard charger.

[peter9477]

I also have had trouble getting my cradle to establish a good connection and actually charge. The connector sticking up in the cradle is a bit twisted and off-kilter, and I suspect it's a contact issue the same as people above.

I haven't looked to see whether the lightning bolt shows, but with my app (Battery Guru) I do see that it recognizes the cradle as present, but there's no charging current (well, power) showing.

I think the three pins are more likely to be power, ground, and a one-wire communications line, than + - and ground. There's no reason to have a negative voltage here, so the minus pin would make no sense... In any case, that could explain why it "sees" it but won't charge... it's in communication with a microcontroller in the charger, but can't actually get a charge.

If that's the case, they could definitely show us the situation with an error indicator... a big popup that says "Warning: poor contact! Please re-seat the CRADLE connection to fix." or whatever...

I think I'll have to return mine as well.

[axe50]

Outside of my return window and noticed the left contact is stuck in the down position for a few days now.

All I do is give it a light firm push down and open the battery indicator (tap battery icon) if within 2 minutes I don't see any charging increment, I remove and replace it.

Guessing its dust stuck in the contacts keeping it down. Ill blast it with the compressed air and see what happens tomorrow...its charging already

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[rbenjami]

The little pins in the stand have tiny springs that push them up to make contact with the PB. Sometimes the springs dont extend the springs back up and you dont get contact. It is pretty poor design.

I am on my third stand. I actually have a reminder set on my outlook to tell me when my 30 day return window is approaching and I have been swapping out each time for a new one. I find they tend to fail right around the 30 day mark.

[ChrisInSD]

So the consensus is: if you don't have this thing, don't buy it?

[Spencerdl]

I'm on my second stand and after a few weeks, the same thing is happening all over again......waste of money.