Charging by USB good or bad?

Mouse9 · Regular Visitor Joined: Sep 29, 2009 Posts: 64

Does charging your TT via USB via your computer damage your computer or TT?

Theory being not must power is transferred via USB hence taking 2 hours or so to charge a TT.

Robin2 · Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 6:21 pm Post subject:

I have been doing it for years without problems
Robin
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TomTom One v3 Europe, Navcore 7.903, Western Europe 835.2420
TomTom Go 720 Europe, Navcore 8.351, Western Europe 855.2884
Satmap Active 10
Plus a lot of other PDA GPS kit, seldom used

dhn · Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 6:28 pm Post subject:

Charging by USB is neither good nor bad, it just is a way to charge the unit. It just will not be as fast as charging the unit by either the car charger or a direct AC connection, if you have a proper one for the unit.
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David

Mouse9 · Regular Visitor Joined: Sep 29, 2009 Posts: 64

Won't damage your computer will it?

I'm thinking it may cause damage to my PSU?

253 · Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 6:44 pm Post subject:

Hi,

I've been charging various units - PDAs, TT720/710, external hard drives, DVD writers from my laptop for the last 3 years on present one, and for several years before that on others with no side effects.
One of them was a little 10" Sony where everything was external - floppy, DVD and storage, never had any problems.

Go for it, I regularly use this method to top up the TT when I've not had cause to use it for a week or so.

Bob.
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Triumph Tbird 1700. And now a Bonnie T100.

dhn · Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 6:46 pm Post subject:

No, it will not damage the computer at all. Many peripherals are designed to get their power from a usb cable connected to a pc. Not just a gps.

For example, the batteries on my camera are recharged using a usb cable. So is an external drive I use (and, for that matter, a gps is really an external drive as well).
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David

Andy_P · Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 7:22 pm Post subject:

USB charging is an intelligent process (with a properly designed peripheral - maybe not the USB toy fishtanks and missile launchers!)

The item you plug in, is only allowed to request a charging current in 100mA steps, upto a maximum of 500mA (1/2 an Amp)
(this has been raised to 150mA steps and a total of 900mA in USB 3.0, but that doesn't affect us here).

That's why the charging is slower on a PC than on the dedicated car charger (2Amp max), but the PC is always in "charge"( Rolling Eyes

) and only allows what it can safely deliver.

Mouse9 · Regular Visitor Joined: Sep 29, 2009 Posts: 64

Alright thanks everyone!

Pocketgps · Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 7:02 pm Post subject:

With older battery technology slow charging was always the best method.

Newer batteries no longer require this so long as the charger produces the correct voltage.

transit · Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2009 7:01 pm Post subject:

never really thought about it but as i charge mine lots by usb its good to know its not causing any problems.
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Brad99 · Occasional Visitor Joined: Apr 12, 2008 Posts: 11

I guess that due to the limited current on USB, it's best to have the TT switched off for quickest charging.

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