Author Topic: WTF!?! Seriously! Need help. (Read 7227 times)

BlueStarLizzard · « **on:** November 16, 2011, 07:15:13 PM »

About a month ago I noticed my phone was not charging on the house charger. I figured the usb cord connection to the phone wad damaged, so I started charging with the car charger until I had the extra cash to replace the cord.
Today I went to the verizon store and bought a new cord. When I came home I plugged it in and it worked fine. I've been using the phone since and went to plug it back in and now the new cord is not charging.

I don't know what the hell is wrong, but I'm not going to spent my time (or anymore money) fixing the damn thing. The receipts in the car, so I'm pretty sure I can replace the new cord, however, if the new one busted on the first day, I don't have much hope in a replacement.

So, house cord keeps failing, but car cord still works, what the hell is wrong with this *expletive deleted*ing thing?

bedlamite · « **Reply #1 on:** November 16, 2011, 07:48:39 PM »

What kind of phone is it, and what plug does it use?

BlueStarLizzard · « **Reply #2 on:** November 16, 2011, 08:00:22 PM »

Droid with mini usb to phone, regular usb to charger.

Matthew Carberry · « **Reply #3 on:** November 16, 2011, 08:05:02 PM »

Have you tried the same (mini to USB) cord in a different "USB to wall" plug? They're like 3 bucks via Amazon.

BlueStarLizzard · « **Reply #4 on:** November 16, 2011, 08:09:29 PM »

I'll order one, I guess. *sigh* this is such a pain in the butt.

Matthew Carberry · « **Reply #5 on:** November 16, 2011, 08:22:12 PM »

I have a cord and plug at home, another set at work, one in my car with my dual port car charger plug in adapter and I think one more just cord floating around. It's $10 a set or so, I figured I would trade the $ for the frustration of moving cords around.

BlueStarLizzard · « **Reply #6 on:** November 16, 2011, 08:27:57 PM »

*sigh* the set up I had worked fine. I only charge at home and in the car anyway.

I ordered a new wall usb outlet, which at least cheaper then the damn store. Stupid verizon charged $20 for the usb cord.

And it was the only one in stock.

Perd Hapley · « **Reply #7 on:** November 16, 2011, 08:45:17 PM »

If this is your second cord, it's starting to sound like a phone problem or a battery problem. Another variable to look at is the plug you are using. Use a multimeter on it, or ask your Dad to do it, and make sure there is a steady voltage coming out of the wall.

Pardon me if you already knew this, but if it's USB anything, it is standard. Any USB of the right size will work. Higher wattages work faster. I'm a little surprised your phone has mini-USB. Sure it's not micro-USB?

lee n. field · « **Reply #8 on:** November 16, 2011, 08:46:20 PM »

Quote

I figured the usb cord connection to the phone wad damaged,

USB? Try plugging it into your computer.

CNYCacher · « **Reply #9 on:** November 16, 2011, 10:36:54 PM »

Quote from: fistful on November 16, 2011, 08:45:17 PM

If this is your second cord, it's starting to sound like a phone problem or a battery problem. Another variable to look at is the plug you are using. Use a multimeter on it, or ask your Dad to do it, and make sure there is a steady voltage coming out of the wall.

Pardon me if you already knew this, but if it's USB anything, it is standard. Any USB of the right size will work. Higher wattages work faster. I'm a little surprised your phone has mini-USB. Sure it's not micro-USB?

I'm sure she was using "mini" casually, not knowing that "mini usb" is an actual term.

doczinn · « **Reply #10 on:** November 16, 2011, 11:31:03 PM »

Dealextreme.com

Just sayin'. If you're not even sure if it's gonna break, might as well be cheap crap anyway. I've had good luck with everything but the cassette adapters.

Nick1911 · « **Reply #11 on:** November 16, 2011, 11:34:01 PM »

Quote from: doczinn on November 16, 2011, 11:31:03 PM

Dealextreme.com

Just sayin'. If you're not even sure if it's gonna break, might as well be cheap crap anyway. I've had good luck with everything but the cassette adapters.

Fair warning, drop shipping from china. Takes forever to get state side.

doczinn · « **Reply #12 on:** November 16, 2011, 11:40:13 PM »

2-3 weeks, yes.

But the shipping is free. Not sure how they make any profit on a $1.50 iphone charging cord shipped free.

KD5NRH · « **Reply #13 on:** November 17, 2011, 04:10:05 AM »

Quote from: fistful on November 16, 2011, 08:45:17 PM

I'm a little surprised your phone has mini-USB. Sure it's not micro-USB?

Moto uses mini on some of their non-smart ruggedized phones at least. Most of the Android-based phones I've seen are micro, though.

bedlamite · « **Reply #14 on:** November 17, 2011, 07:33:29 AM »

Just to confuse things a little more, there are also two minis and two micros, along with a couple proprietary plugs where only that brand will work.

GigaBuist · « **Reply #15 on:** November 17, 2011, 10:00:55 AM »

Never buy a phone charger from an actual cell phone store. It's all over priced.

The Droid has a micro USB port, not mini USB. Just point that out because if you order online you'll have to make sure you get the right one.

I pick up my chargers from either Amazon or Mertline.com (drop ship from China). Figure $1.50 for a USB cable and $1-$2 for the wall wart to plug it into.

Hawkmoon · « **Reply #16 on:** November 17, 2011, 11:05:03 AM »

Google up 'Droid and battery. My daughter had so much trouble with her Droid that Verizon replaced it with a Blackberry. There seem to be a LOT of issues with Droids over battery life, how well (or badly) they charge, what affects battery life, etc.

If all else fails, write directly to the CEO of Verizon. The stores will try to blow you off, but corporate wants you as a customer. After the third or fourth time we took my daughter back to the Verizon store, the sales guy admitted there was a problem that his techs in the store couldn't fix. I asked for the contact info for someone higher up than the store whom I could contact for some resolution. The manager came over, with an attitude, and told me point-blank that he refused to "allow" me to escalate the issue. He wouldn't allow the sales guy to do anything more for me.

Yeah, well telling a 60+ year-old Vietnam veteran that you "refuse to allow you to escalate" the matter is not a good tactic. Within 24 hours I had found the names and addresses of both the CEO of Verizon and the CEO of Verizon Wireless, and sent off letters to both. Within three days I was speaking on the telephone with a very nice woman from the president's office. I heard later from the sales guy that the manager got a bit of a talking to about how to relate to customers with problems.

AJ Dual · « **Reply #17 on:** November 17, 2011, 12:34:59 PM »

There are Android battery management apps/widgets that will considerably extend the battery life, and you can set a bunch of priorities to block apps as battery levels go lower, and turn off functions that take up lots of power, like disabling Wi-Fi, GPS, etc. until at the end only the phone function itself, and the basic Android OS is running.

I just keep an eye on what my phone is doing, and it's been rooted and has CyanogenMod7 on it, but Mrs. Dual's Evo 4G is running stock Sprint/HTC OS, and I put one of the power widgets on hers, and she seems to get about 50% more battery life out of it now.

Although I'm sure many would feel that the phone ought to have managed it's power better to begin with.

BlueStarLizzard · « **Reply #18 on:** November 17, 2011, 02:39:38 PM »

Battery life is fine. Actually, its still as good as when I bought the thing.

And the car charger works. So did the new cord when I first plugged it in.

Charged the phone completely.