njkayaker

There are multiple standards for connectors.

The most common connector used on computers is the "standard A". The charger linked-to above is a "standard A" charger.

You can get cables that convert "standard A" to the various other standards (micro A, micro B, mini B, type B.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Serial_Bus

cplager

The fore-mentioned European phone charger standard is 'micro-b'. Most light's I've seen are 'mini-a'. If you walk into a Best-buy and ask for mini-usb or micro-usb, these are what you are going to get.

ItsJustMe

I am almost never away from a place where I have a computer running 24/7 anyway.

If you have the computer on and running anyway, then it's actually QUITE efficient to charge from it versus the inefficiency of plugging in an adapter that's only running to charge that one thing.

Also, everyone has too damned many adapters sitting around. I have a fairly large cardboard box full of adapters for things I haven't owned in decades. I only keep them because I have the space and sometimes I have a need for a spare adapter that puts out X volts at Y milliamps, and I go digging.

It'd be much better if everyone just had the same adapter when possible.

jared@WKYC

I think the real reason for USB charging is that it makes it cheaper for the companies to make the lights without a wall charger option.

Ekdog

Wow! That's incredible.

sch

There are two slightly different mini USB charger plugs that are not compatible, which sux. I believe we can thank the camera people for that. The camera mini is
a bit fatter and hollow on the end where the cell phone mini is flatter and has plastic infill with 5 wires in the end. Wiki suggests this is an evolutionary thing and
the thinner plug is microUSB-B meant for charging mostly but can be used for data and the thicker is miniUSB-B

tpolley

the lady at the verizon store told me when i bought my galaxy s3 that the gov't mandated some sort of standardization of chargers. something to do with filling the landfills with old chargers.

it makes sense, it was way out of hand, every time you buy a new device you had to buy a new charger. now they're all moving towards micro usb. i can use the same charger to charge my phone, my headset and my bike light.

somehow apple is exempt. they still have a different, proprietary charger every time they come out with a new iphone.

Shimagnolo

The charger that came with my iPhone5 is a simple USB charger.

Now the iPad is another story; When the screen is operating, it draws more than the USB standard can supply, so the iPad USB charger has a higher output than the USB standard. However it *can* charge when the screen is off, i.e. sleeping or shutdown. An Apple info page here: https://support.apple.com/kb/HT4049?viewlocale=en_US

johnny99

miniUSB is outdated and too fat for many modern gadgets.

microUSB is the becoming the international standard. Almost all the gadget companies have agreed to use microUSB in their products. All my recent cell phones (from various brands) use microUSB. My new camera also uses microUSB.

njkayaker

???

All of the Apple chargers (for phones and tables) have USB standard A connectors. The tablet chargers have higher amp output.

============

Not quite.
https://www.danreetz.com/blog/2011/01...phone-charger/
https://www.ladyada.net/make/mintyboost/icharge.html

Shimagnolo

Interesting. Looks like I sit corrected.

Funny thing is my iPod, Ipad, and iPhone are connected to the Mac via a generic *powered* USB 2.0 hub, and all charge just fine. (The iPad must have the screen off to charge, of course). I wouldn't have expected this hub to have any special tweaks for Apple, but maybe it does. Or perhaps because they are seeing the data lines from the Mac, that keeps them happy.

PDX Reborn

Still on the fence with USB lights and such on a bicycle. I guess for me, since I own a dozen or so rechargeables in AA and AAA it just doesn't make sense for me to make the switch to USB.

a1penguin

Ditto. Try replacing the battery on that Cygolite Hotshot.

Chris516

I am inclined to agree with this. Because all the USB cables on the back of my tower, are 'dedicated(printer, keyboard, mouse). I have one USB cable on the front, that I use for charging my headlight. I also use that same cable for hotsyncing my PDA data to my tower.

Chris516

Cadmium batteries(re-chargeable or not)don't last as long, and end up in a landfill.

ItsJustMe

Yes, but hardly anyone uses cadmium batteries anymore, they suck. And NiCads should never go to the landfill (though most people just throw any old **** into the trash without thinking).

NiMH has been the choice for 10+ years and is far less toxic and lasts a lot longer, and can also be sent to a proper recycler. Definitely a win versus using alkalines.

Anything that's the topic of this conversation, USB rechargables, almost certainly uses LiIon batteries which also last quite a long time.

Burton

Something nobodys brought up is charge time. A USB has a fixed output which is very minimal and takes forever to charge a battery. Typically 5 hours to charge a Lipo battery equivalent to a couple AA cells . A smart AA cell charger can charge multiple cells individually and do an equivalent capacity in an hour.

contango 

I have two of those with UK plugs and another two with US plugs. I've also got a clip that contains four NiMH AA cells with a mini USB connector on it so I can recharge a USB device from regular batteries.

Lots of ways to do it without a computer. I particularly like the plugs that are flat, and how I can charge just about any device I own with two cables.

Shimagnolo

USB v1 and v2 specify 0.5A output. USB v3 bumps it up to 0.9A.

Then Apple has increased the output on some of their chargers up to 1.1A. My iPad announces it cannot charge on a standard USB powered hub, but when the screen is off, it actually does charge. The hub just can't provide enough current to run the display *and* charge the battery at the same time.

Looigi

I have one that's rated at 2A. However, the current draw is determined by the charging circuit/controller in the device being charged. USB merely serves as a 5V power supply in these cases.

fietsbob

Because there is an electronics screen addiction..

I went for a walk on the beach 3 kids were standing in the sand where the sea wet their feet.
only one was fully at the beach, in it,

the other 2, the older girls, were staring at a small screen in their hands.

Shimagnolo

I think you are talking about the total power draw on the *hub*.
I was talking about the maximum power draw per *port*.

ItsJustMe

0.5 and 0.9 amps are only available to devices that are capable of negotiating the higher power. If you just plug in, you're only allowed to draw 150ma.

Chargers are not proper USB com devices, they use various wiring tricks to let the device know that it can draw more power. On many Android devices, the data pins are shorted together. On Apple devices, there's usually a resistor based voltage divider on the data lines telling the device it's OK to draw more power.

vol

ttakata73

I'm too lazy to remember to charge a bicycle light so I go solar.
Since the selection for solar lights is lame, I've bought some lights that run on 3V, popped in rechargeable batteries and soldered in a solar cell.
Since my bike is stored outside, I never worry about dead lights.