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Slow charging of 8" tablet, any way to improve?

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  Slow charging of 8" tablet, any way to improve? Chris Green <cl@isbd.net> - 2016-08-25 18:55 +0100
    Re: Slow charging of 8" tablet, any way to improve? Theo Markettos <theom+news@chiark.greenend.org.uk> - 2016-08-25 19:14 +0100
      Re: Slow charging of 8" tablet, any way to improve? Chris Green <cl@isbd.net> - 2016-08-25 20:00 +0100
        Re: Slow charging of 8" tablet, any way to improve? Poutnik <poutnik4nntp@gmail.com> - 2016-08-25 21:32 +0200
          Re: Slow charging of 8" tablet, any way to improve? Chris Green <cl@isbd.net> - 2016-08-26 09:43 +0100
    Re: Slow charging of 8" tablet, any way to improve? VanguardLH <V@nguard.LH> - 2016-08-25 14:11 -0500
      Re: Slow charging of 8" tablet, any way to improve? Chris Green <cl@isbd.net> - 2016-08-26 09:47 +0100
    Re: Slow charging of 8" tablet, any way to improve? AL <noemail@none.com> - 2016-08-25 13:43 -0700

#33646 — Slow charging of 8" tablet, any way to improve?

We have a couple of Argos Bush Spira 8" LTE tablets, they work pretty
well and are good value for their price.

However they have one rather annoying issue, they are incredibly slow
to charge.  Whatever charger I try the charging current is never more
than 0.6 amps and most of the time it sits around 0.45 amps.  I have
chargers which can provide 2.5 amps and they do so with other devices. 

When the tablets are in use the charge rate is very close to zero
because the power is being used at the same rate as the charger is
providing it.  The only way to get the tablet charged seems to be to
turn it off and leave it to charge overnight.

Am I missing something obvious here?

-- 
Chris Green
·

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#33647

Chris Green <cl@isbd.net> wrote:
> Am I missing something obvious here?

What cable are you using from the charger to the tablet?  Try switching it
for another, ideally one that came with a phone/tablet.

Some cable manufacturers are believers in traditional medicine...  they
apply the principles of homeopathy to provision of copper in their cables.

Theo

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#33649

Theo Markettos <theom+news@chiark.greenend.org.uk> wrote:
> Chris Green <cl@isbd.net> wrote:
> > Am I missing something obvious here?
> 
> What cable are you using from the charger to the tablet?  Try switching it
> for another, ideally one that came with a phone/tablet.
> 
I've tried several cables, they affect the charge rate a little but
not by very much.  I.e. changing cable may get the current to go from
0.45 to 0.5 amps but nothing more.

> Some cable manufacturers are believers in traditional medicine...  they
> apply the principles of homeopathy to provision of copper in their cables.
> 
:-)

-- 
Chris Green
·

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#33652

Dne 25/08/2016 v 21:00 Chris Green napsal(a):

>>
> I've tried several cables, they affect the charge rate a little but
> not by very much.  I.e. changing cable may get the current to go from
> 0.45 to 0.5 amps but nothing more.
> 
Does the length matter ?

-- 
Poutnik ( The Pilgrim, Der Wanderer )
Knowledge makes great men humble, but small men arrogant.

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#33658

Poutnik <poutnik4nntp@gmail.com> wrote:
> Dne 25/08/2016 v 21:00 Chris Green napsal(a):
> 
> >>
> > I've tried several cables, they affect the charge rate a little but
> > not by very much.  I.e. changing cable may get the current to go from
> > 0.45 to 0.5 amps but nothing more.
> > 
> Does the length matter ?
> 
Only in terms of its resistance, I have some long, thick leads which
have lower resistance than many of my short ones.

-- 
Chris Green
·

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#33650

Chris Green wrote:

> Argos Bush Spira 8" LTE tablet

No mention how old is the item.  Old batteries become stubborn: stubborn
to charge (charge rate slows down) and stubborn to discharge (run time
decreases).  Might be time for new batteries if over 3 years old.

If it is new (newly manufactured, not sitting in storage and merely
newly bought by you), it could be due to a crappy design in the unit.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/1orx54/psa_argos_mytablet_review_cheap_nasty_and/

From its specs: "Up to 5 hours battery life (depending on usage)."  Is
that considered long for a tablet?  Seems short to me.  According to
http://www.laptopmag.com/articles/long-lasting-tablets, 5 hours is about
half the category average for battery life.  If your unit has small
sized batteries then they might be limiting the charging current to keep
down the heat (to prevent battery damage or fires).

They may have figured that slow charging would mean longer battery life
(longer to get stubborn).  By striving to get batteries to last longer,
the units have a better chance to outlive the warranty (rather than them
reducing the warranty period which reflects negatively on product
quality to consumers).

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2683012/want-lithiumion-batteries-to-last-slow-charging-may-not-be-the-answer.html
"a change that could take the average life of a lithium-ion battery from
a couple of years to around 10 years."

In the past, 3-4 years was about the lifespan of a lithium battery (that
was in use, not just stored).  Twould be nice if they lasted 10 years
but not if they burst into flames with high heat due to high charging.

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#33657

VanguardLH <V@nguard.lh> wrote:
> Chris Green wrote:
> 
> > Argos Bush Spira 8" LTE tablet
> 
> No mention how old is the item.  Old batteries become stubborn: stubborn
> to charge (charge rate slows down) and stubborn to discharge (run time
> decreases).  Might be time for new batteries if over 3 years old.
> 
They're quite new, bought in November 2015.


> If it is new (newly manufactured, not sitting in storage and merely
> newly bought by you), it could be due to a crappy design in the unit.
> 
> https://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/1orx54/psa_argos_mytablet_review_cheap_nasty_and/
> 
Yes, quite likely I fear.  However the Spiro is a replacement for the
MyTablet which definitely did have a poor reputation.

-- 
Chris Green
·

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#33653

On 8/25/2016 10:55 AM, Chris Green wrote:
> We have a couple of Argos Bush Spira 8" LTE tablets, they work pretty
> well and are good value for their price.
>
> However they have one rather annoying issue, they are incredibly slow
> to charge.  Whatever charger I try the charging current is never more
> than 0.6 amps and most of the time it sits around 0.45 amps.  I have
> chargers which can provide 2.5 amps and they do so with other devices.
 > When the tablets are in use the charge rate is very close to zero
 > because the power is being used at the same rate as the charger is
 > providing it.

My Samsung Tablet only charges at full current if I use the charger that 
came with it. Any other charger and it will still charge, but at a much 
slower rate. Then much like yours it only just keeps up when in use and 
will only fully charge it when left sleeping. Could that be the problem 
with your phones?


  The only way to get the tablet charged seems to be to
> turn it off and leave it to charge overnight.

FWIW even though my Motorola phone came with a 25 watt (12V) charger for 
quick charging I've never used it. I find it more convenient to just let 
it normally charge overnight while we both sleep. Course that only works 
if your phone (or tablet) will last through the following day.

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