Car charger for a Gigabeat F40.

[vexecuter]

Hi there,

I am wanting to use a 4.5v 600mA in car charger (not an official Toshiba charger) to charge my gigabeat but the gigabeat says on it 5V 3A DC input. Is it safe to use this adapter? Or is it going to blow up my gigabeat?

Regards

Offie.

[scharkalvin]

Being that the output voltage is lower than the original I don't think it will harm it, but it might not charge it either.  Look for a unit that puts out 5v +/- 5%.  The real critical issue is that the connector be wired up correct.  Reverse polarity WILL cause damage to the player!

[vexecuter]

Ah i see. Nope, no +/- at all. So if the charger is DC, then I am safe to give it a go and see what happens?

What about the ampage? It's a 600mA charger for a 3A device.... won't that damage it?

Offie.

[vexecuter]

Can I also add that charging is a secondary aspect really as I am mainly wanting to use it in "Car adapter mode" whilst i'm out doing deliveries. As long as it triggers the player into thinking it is being charged and pausing/playing songs, then I am happy.

[scharkalvin]

Well a car charger wouldn't put out AC.
Make sure that the connector to the gigabeat is polarized correctly.
Many (most?) are wired so the center is + and the outside is - but use
a meter to make sure.  (I don't remember which way the player's connector
is wired, it might be in the manual, but if you have the AC powered charger
that came with it you can use a meter to check it.)  If your car adapter is wired
backwards you will have to fix that!

[scharkalvin]

Most adapters use a current limited regulator so they can't be
damaged by a load trying to pull too much current.  They simply
shut down.  Some might have an in line fuse and if so you might
blow the fuse.  Many car adapters hide the fuse inside of the
lighter plug.

[vexecuter]

Ok - i am nooby at this sort of stuff. So a 600mA 4.5v adapter which is DC will not harm my Gigabeat, however it may not charge it. Also, I have to make sure (I am not sure how to do this!) that my car's cigarette lighter is not reversed in polarization and that the adapter isn't either.... i'm very confused by the latter 2 things I have to do....

[Mad Cow]

Just get on of those variable output/polarity chargers from an electronics store. They have a little dial that selects voltage, and a removable/reversible plug. It shouldn't cost more than $10. The gigabeat shows the polarity on the back, it's that diagram that looks kinda like

Code: [Select]

- --C-- +

which means positive is on the inside.

[vexecuter]

Ok well i've established the polarity is fine. I haven't got the adapter yet but they cost a fortune here in the UK (if anyone knows otherwise, please show me a site for gigabeat compatible adapters!!) i've got my eye on one on ebay though at the moment...

No one has answered my question about the AMPAGE. 600mA going into the gigabeat which is supposed to have 3A. Is that going to be a problem? I've established that a lower voltage won't be....

Offie.

[AlexP]

OK, lets clear up a few things.

It is not the polarity of you cigarette lighter you are testing, it is the polarity of the output of the charger.  The gigabeat requires a centre positive charger, that is that the middle of the plug is positive relative to the outside (in this case by 5V).

The fact that it is DC does not guarantee that it will not harm your gigabeat.  DC is a good start (I sincerely hope no-one would try and put AC into their DAP), but it must be DC with the correct characteristics.

The other important things here are voltage and current.  Too high a voltage will damage your player, but less and specifically here 4.5V should not do so.  However, no guarantees it will work perfectly (or indeed that you won't explode your gigabeat.  Unlikely, but I'm not guaranteeing anything!).

The rated current on a charger is what it can supply.  If this is higher that what your device requires, no problem, the device will only draw what it needs.  If it is lower, the effect will depend on the charger.  If it has some form of current limiting built into it, it should just supply what it can.  If it doesn't, you may burn out the charger or blow some form of protection (such as a fuse).  If you do just draw the 600 mA that it can supply with no blowing, then the gigabeat will just charge slower than with your normal wall adapter.

Edit:  For universal charger type things in the UK try Maplin.  They are a little overpriced compared to the net, but at least you can go to a shop.

Edit 2:  Both vexecuter and scharkalvin, please stop double posting as per the posting guidelines you have agreed to.

[scharkalvin]

If the adapter does not supply enough voltage it's possible that the battery might
discharge into the adapter (Kirkoff's law)...depends on the power supply design of the player.  Also the battery and the power supply may both share the load.

I only posted a second time to add more info I left out in my first post.
(sorry, senior moment!)

[AlexP]

If the adapter does not supply enough voltage it's possible that the battery might
discharge into the adapter (Kirkoff's law)...depends on the power supply design of the player.  Also the battery and the power supply may both share the load.

Yes indeed.  The gigabeat battery seems to have a maximum voltage when charged of low 4.somethings, so 4.5V is a little close, but probably OK.  However, me personally I would just get a 5V charger.  5V is a very common value, and really shouldn't be too hard to find.  You can buy cigarette lighter chargers that come with multiple tips pretty easily.

[vexecuter]

I've bought one off ebay for $9.99 including shipping to UK. That's not bad... I don't mind waiting about 3 weeks for it to arrive either... hah! Thanks guys. :-)