Sorry if this has come up before - I've tried a search of existing
posts.
Lots of shops offer cheap 'emergency chargers', usually as far as I can
see these are just three AA or AAA cells in series linked directly to a
connector. Does this mean that all phones can be safely charged by the
resulting 4.5V supply, or could these damage some phones with batteries
rated below 4.5 ?
"Jon" <jonathan.gurney@wlc.ac.uk> wrote in message
news:1159281027.640633.138500@i3g2000cwc.googlegro ups.com...
> Sorry if this has come up before - I've tried a search of existing
> posts.
>
> Lots of shops offer cheap 'emergency chargers', usually as far as I can
> see these are just three AA or AAA cells in series linked directly to a
> connector. Does this mean that all phones can be safely charged by the
> resulting 4.5V supply
>
Yes, all modern phone internal regulators can cope with 4 to around 9 volts
>
> or could these damage some phones with batteries
> rated below 4.5 ?
>
No
>
> Jon
>
Steve Terry
Steve Terry wrote:
> > Lots of shops offer cheap 'emergency chargers', usually as far as I can
> > see these are just three AA or AAA cells in series linked directly to a
> > connector. Does this mean that all phones can be safely charged by the
> > resulting 4.5V supply
> >
> Yes, all modern phone internal regulators can cope with 4 to around 9 volts
>
> > or could these damage some phones with batteries
> > rated below 4.5 ?
>
> No
If all phones can deal with a 4-9 volt input, why the b**gering hell do
they all have incompatible charger sockets? Is it just about extorting
more and more money from the consumer for duplicates/replacements, or
is there a technical reason I'm missing?
In article <1159432889.033497.113050@i42g2000cwa.googlegroups .com>, spam@johnband.org says...
>
> If all phones can deal with a 4-9 volt input, why the b**gering hell do
> they all have incompatible charger sockets? Is it just about extorting
> more and more money from the consumer for duplicates/replacements, or
> is there a technical reason I'm missing?
>
>
Probably for the same reason there is handsfree and headphone socket
incompatibility, different kinds of flash storage not to mention data
cables. That and not fixing firmware bugs or including firmware
upgrades: "if you want those buy another phone"...
Now where was that report about mobile phones to be made more
environmentally friendly and how it is all the users fault by leaving a
charger on for 5 minutes too long?
"John B" <spam@johnband.org> wrote in message
news:1159432889.033497.113050@i42g2000cwa.googlegr oups.com...
> Steve Terry wrote:
<snip>
>> > or could these damage some phones with batteries
>> > rated below 4.5 ?
>>
>> No
>
> If all phones can deal with a 4-9 volt input, why the b**gering hell do
> they all have incompatible charger sockets? Is it just about extorting
> more and more money from the consumer for duplicates/replacements,
>
Yes
>
> or is there a technical reason I'm missing?
> John Band
>
Nope
Haven't you noticed that AAA cell emergency chargers come with
multiple type sockets. No reason wall chargers couldn't do the same,
or the phone makers adopt a single standard
In article <2mySg.40201$SH2.38781@newsfe4-gui.ntli.net>, g4wwk@tesco.net
says...
>
> "Jon" <jonathan.gurney@wlc.ac.uk> wrote in message
> news:1159281027.640633.138500@i3g2000cwc.googlegro ups.com...
> > Sorry if this has come up before - I've tried a search of existing
> > posts.
> >
> > Lots of shops offer cheap 'emergency chargers', usually as far as I can
> > see these are just three AA or AAA cells in series linked directly to a
> > connector. Does this mean that all phones can be safely charged by the
> > resulting 4.5V supply
> >
> Yes, all modern phone internal regulators can cope with 4 to around 9 volts
I did come across one that couldn't handle a USB charger which was a
Nokia N-Gage. A crappy pound shop version resulted in it beeping and
saying "not charging" on the display.
Don't know if that would count as "modern" though.
"Steve Henson" <nospam@nospam.invalid> wrote in message
news:MPG.1f8615cfc97e0ba89896c9@news.clara.net...
> In article <2mySg.40201$SH2.38781@newsfe4-gui.ntli.net>, g4wwk@tesco.net
> says...
>>
>> "Jon" <jonathan.gurney@wlc.ac.uk> wrote in message
>> news:1159281027.640633.138500@i3g2000cwc.googlegro ups.com...
>> > Sorry if this has come up before - I've tried a search of existing
>> > posts.
>> >
>> > Lots of shops offer cheap 'emergency chargers', usually as far as I can
>> > see these are just three AA or AAA cells in series linked directly to a
>> > connector. Does this mean that all phones can be safely charged by the
>> > resulting 4.5V supply
>> >
>> Yes, all modern phone internal regulators can cope with 4 to around 9
>> volts
>
> I did come across one that couldn't handle a USB charger which was a
> Nokia N-Gage. A crappy pound shop version resulted in it beeping and
> saying "not charging" on the display.
>
> Don't know if that would count as "modern" though.
> Steve.
>
Probably not high enough voltage from the charger
<hairydog@despammed.com> wrote in message
news:qbi0i29anp74vgd57d1ggje3vp4pu54piv@4ax.com...
> On Thu, 28 Sep 2006 15:07:48 GMT, "Steve Terry" <g4wwk@tesco.net>
> wrote:
>
>>No reason wall chargers couldn't do the same,
>>or the phone makers adopt a single standard
>
> Tesco sells one that does just that, but it doesn't do Panasonic
> or Sony, so I didn't buy it.
> Iain
>
I came across one in a novelty shop which used only 2 AA cells,
has a little switch on it for usual 3.6v, and 6 volt phones like
old motorolas, with multiple adaptors.
Has some sort of inverter in to to produce about 5 and 8 volts
from 2 AA alkalines, so ideal for a pair of lower Ni Mh rechargeables
instead, switched to high, still gives about 6v for 3.6v phones.
Unfortunately the shop ran out of stock, and didn't get any more
Charging from 3 AA/AAA cells 
Linear Mode
