footnoteblog Posted January 9, 2009 Share #1 Posted January 9, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) Has anyone found an iGo tip that may work with the new M8 charger? Also, any USB cables that may work? I'm trying to sort out the lightest/most convenient travel option with a mix of USB/Apple World Travel plugs/iGo+Solio Magnesium items. MacBook (Air or regular). Seems I can't quite settle on Apple plugs+various items, or plug adapter+(Monster cord extension or other and various chargers). Articulate thoughts, ideas, and experiences are appreciated. US --> France & England, btw. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted January 9, 2009 Posted January 9, 2009 Hi footnoteblog, Take a look here New M8 charger question; power, etc.. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
footnoteblog Posted January 12, 2009 Author Share #2 Posted January 12, 2009 Any experts on power here? thx. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bo_Lorentzen Posted January 12, 2009 Share #3 Posted January 12, 2009 Im listening for this also. I like the 12v plug which came with the charger, but a solio solution would be nice. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
footnoteblog Posted January 12, 2009 Author Share #4 Posted January 12, 2009 Well, apparently, the new charger draws 3.7V - 800mA, and the Solio Magnesium specs state "Nominal DC Output: 3V 3A" So my guess is that ... well, I have no idea. If it does work, it's just a matter of finding the right tip. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
footnoteblog Posted February 23, 2009 Author Share #5 Posted February 23, 2009 A little bumpage-- maybe someone has a clue? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
footnoteblog Posted February 26, 2009 Author Share #6 Posted February 26, 2009 Maybe a Kensington tip? Anyone know which plug that might be? Thanks. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
giordano Posted February 26, 2009 Share #7 Posted February 26, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) I'm not sure what you're getting at. The new charger accepts mains voltage (apparently from a standard C7 "figure-8" connector) or 12V (apparently from the same connector as the old charger). There doesn't appear to be any provision to power it from less than 12V and it certainly wouldn't have been designed to work off 3V. The 3.7V at 800mA is the nominal output of the charger into the battery, not what it draws. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
marknorton Posted February 26, 2009 Share #8 Posted February 26, 2009 Key to know that Li-Ion battery chargers are programmed to provide the correct charging cycle for the battery pack they are designed for including such things as over temperature sensing and a timeout in case the battery doesn't accept the expected charge. They're emphatically not designed to be a general source of power to power your iPod or your girlfriend's rampant rabbit. Chargers with a DC input can be powered from a "brick" or "wall wart" which you might use to power your laptop, for example. In a laptop, the charging intelligence is in the laptop, not the charger. The Apple chargers with the magnetic connector add an additional layer of complexity to prevent significant power being presented to the pins which could short out, so are not suitable for powering a charger. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
footnoteblog Posted February 26, 2009 Author Share #9 Posted February 26, 2009 (edited) Basically, can any of these travel adapters provide enough power to charge battery in the new rapid charger? Oh, OK it needs 12V in order to power up the battery, so any of those devices would probably not provide enough current, correct? Well, the Kensington specs say: Outputvoltage: 3 to 24-voltDC (configurable) http://files.acco.com/KENSINGTON/K33197US/K33197US-25325.pdf So maybe that would work, provided the right tip? They also have a power splitter, but it appears to have issues, and subsequently can't be found anymore. Yes, I have to do a write up on all the portable chargers I now have… Edited February 26, 2009 by footnoteblog Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
marknorton Posted February 26, 2009 Share #10 Posted February 26, 2009 Not sure I understand; if you are taking the new compact charger, surely taking a power chord/cable to suit your destination will not be a huge problem? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
giordano Posted February 26, 2009 Share #11 Posted February 26, 2009 Please forgive me if I'm missing the point, but 1) The new M8 charger does not use a plug-pack (wall-wart) or power brick. It uses a plain lead with your country's mains plug on one end and a standard "figure-8" connector on the other. This lead is interchangeable with the ones for many other devices, including (for me) Nikon and Pentax chargers, Toshiba and Dell laptops, and several others. So when you're travelling all you have to worry about is to take a suitable mains lead, plus any adapters you need to fit it into the wall sockets at your destination. Don't worry about the mains voltage: a good modern charger will work on anything from about 100V to 250V. 2) If you are going to have to charge batteries away from the mains, you need a 12V supply, probably at about 1A. None of the little USB portable battery packs have the oomph for that, but any car or truck cigarette lighter socket does. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
4season Posted February 26, 2009 Share #12 Posted February 26, 2009 Not sure I understand; if you are taking the new compact charger, surely taking a power chord/cable to suit your destination will not be a huge problem? They are trying to charge M8 batteries from a tiny mobile photovoltaic panel. Tricky thing is, the max rated output of that panel is 5.5 V @ 150mA. My hunch is that Solio is too little solar panel for too much battery. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
marknorton Posted February 26, 2009 Share #13 Posted February 26, 2009 I think you're right. It won't work. The Leica battery is charged at 700 mA+. As a previous poster has stated, OP should take the charger and a power cable to match his destination. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
footnoteblog Posted February 27, 2009 Author Share #14 Posted February 27, 2009 Blah. I know, I was basically trying to avoid another cable; the idea is to have on central power....one power source... ah never mind... i'm loony. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
footnoteblog Posted March 26, 2009 Author Share #15 Posted March 26, 2009 (edited) OK, I think I have a solution. It uses Kensington's travel charger (they're actually available refurbished here in the U.S. for around $30.) I will be writing up a blog post on its uses. Quickly: with this travel adapter (and Dual Charging Y-cable) you can charge a small device + Leica charger, or small device + laptop. For Mac users, you can purchase a cable from mikegyver.com (for around $90-- ouch), or modify your own cable to work with the iGo or Kensington with a soldering iron and some bits. For my example, for the Leica charger, you must use an N2 tip (not the N2B), if you want to use their dual charging cable, which can also be daisy-chained to charge multiple devices. Hope this helps. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Edited March 26, 2009 by footnoteblog Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/73671-new-m8-charger-question-power-etc/?do=findComment&comment=853579'>More sharing options...
footnoteblog Posted April 1, 2009 Author Share #16 Posted April 1, 2009 OK, maybe having a single charging unit wasn't such a brilliant idea. I've documented my study here: footnoteblog Blog Archive travel charging setups Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
footnoteblog Posted May 27, 2009 Author Share #17 Posted May 27, 2009 OK, so it turns out my original question wasn't an entirely bad idea after all; the iGo tips do work with the Solio magnesium charger/battery, so if you're remote and don't have AC power, but have sunlight, this might be a good option. So my question is which iGo tip is similar to the Kensington N2? Anyone? Thanks. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bo_Lorentzen Posted May 28, 2009 Share #18 Posted May 28, 2009 footnoteblog, I have not tried the iGo plugs.. but which ever one will fit the HTC shift.. hmmm its not listed on the website so that did not help he he. try Targus AC70u with tip #3 or better any of those airport stores will let you try plugs. you can comfortably charge on a wide range of voltage so as long as the tip fits you are good. Also I did put together a solar charger for the mini charger. http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/leica-m8-forum/85071-solar-charger-m8-mini-charger.html . Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
footnoteblog Posted May 28, 2009 Author Share #19 Posted May 28, 2009 (edited) Thanks, Bo. So this is a standard 5.5mm OD / 2.1mm ID (I think that's right) plug, that you got for the HTC Shift? I wonder if the 12V draw would overwhelm power supplies designed to deliver 5V (USB, Solio, iGo, and the like)? Edited May 28, 2009 by footnoteblog Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
giordano Posted May 28, 2009 Share #20 Posted May 28, 2009 Thanks, Bo. So this is a standard 5.5mm OD / 2.1mm ID (I think that's right) plug, that you got for the HTC Shift? I wonder if the 12V draw would overwhelm power supplies designed to deliver 5V (USB, Solio, iGo, and the like)? It is simply impossible to "draw" 12 volts from a 5 volt supply. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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