External charger for Pre3 battery

[apeka53]

I'm searching for an external charger for my spare Pre3 battery to charge them outside my phone.
I was recommended the universal charger from CellularTech, but don't know if this would the best choice. The CellularTech charger has adjustable + and - contacts, so it should match the Pre3 batteries contacts. Actually I don't know which one of the 5 contacts on the battery is the + and -? Who does know this?
Any other alternatives and experiences with Pre3 battery chargers yet?
Thanks.

[tbonanno16]

Hi Everyone- there is one universal charger that works- I tested it on the Mugen battery I got and it works perfectly! Here is the link:
Universal Battery Charger | Universal LCD Battery Charger | Buy @ AccessoryGeeks

The Mugen battery is marked with the "+" and "-" posts- they are the outermost ones on either side. If you put your battery in and line up the posts with the connectors the charger LCD screen glows blue to confirm successful charging. It's not perfect, and don't plug in the charger upside-down- the battery comes loose, but at least it will charge my spare batteries!!!!

[carldc]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it looks like the Palmpilot universal charger from CellularTech has a USB option whereas the AccessoryGeeks Universal LCD Battery Charger does not. Am I seeing correctly? Not necessarily a deal-breaker, but I'd want to have as much info as possible before buying.

[apeka53]

@tbonanno16: That's good news! I'm surprised, because from what I've learned, you can't charge a Pre3 battery with an external charger, because the battery has a built-in chip/circuit, that controls the charging procedure (that's why it has 5 contacts)..
Anyway, if your charger seems to work with the Mugen (SL or XL or both?) batteries indeed, I now wonder if you can also charge the original HP Pre3 battery with it. Did you test that?
I'm also curious what is so different with this charger and other external chargers, e.g. the one from CellularTech for this type of batteries..
You're sure, your Mugen battery was really completely charged and didn't show wrong info on the LCD screen? Does the LCD goes off after the charging is completed?

I ordered the charger from CellularTech earlier, but it didn't work, because of the issues mentioned above. When telling them that, they responded very nice and reimbursed me the money..

Too bad AccessoryGeeks doesn't ship to Europe..:-( I would have to find a solution for that...

[patapoof]

Intellicharger Universal Battery Charger | eBay

I have used this charger for many camera and phone batteries. I have NOT tried it on the mugen or oem pre3 battery yet ...it has MANY features incl a separate usb port to charge a 2nd device, a good LED system for charge state, a good insertion module, works fine on 220v, charges other types of batteries, autodetects polarity, revives (worked on a dead LiIon battery I have for another device), fit/finish is very nice...

I have the one that does it all, they make other models for LiIon+AA/AAA or LiIon only for less money ...I saw that here...

http://www.logicbattery.com/l_charger.htm

full function one cheaper on amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Full-Intelli-U...bosnation0e-20

and the more I look the cheaper it gets:

http://www.filmtools.com/luminair-fu...i-charger.html

I wonder about use of a cheap charger for expensive hard to find batteries...

so, finally, I will hook it up and try it out on both mugen & oem and report...

[eblade]

Hmm. I need something like this with 5 ports on it.

[apeka53]

@tbonanno16 and/or patapoof: Any more answers/experiences with charging an original HP Pre3 or Mugen Pre3 battery using the battery charger from AccessoryGeeks or Intellicharger? See my posting #4
Thnx

[billyboy]

Did anyone test any of the chargers listed above? I've just ordered a Mugen 1400mAh and would really like to charge both batteries at the same time.

[apeka53]

To my knowledge external chargers won't work with Pre3 batteries. Because these batteries contain a special buit-in chip that controls the charging process (that's why the 5 contacts), they can't be charged in external chargers who only have two + and - contacts...
Sad but true...

[p41m3r]

The additional contacts are important (for e.g. battery temp before and during charging) and I'd think twice about these.

[billyboy]

So it sounds like my only option is another Pre 3. Good job I love this bloody phone! Ha!

-- Sent from my Palm Pre3 using Forums

[p41m3r]

Originally Posted by billyboy

So it sounds like my only option is another Pre 3. Good job I love this bloody phone! Ha!

The phone is hardly to blame here; HP and 3rd party manufacturers didnt see it fit to make chargers for spares. I wouldnt be surprised if the hardware team had at least one in development when the lights went out.

Maybe someone can code an app (or update Dr Battery) to alarm/notify when the current battery is charged so that the drained spare can be swapped in. If done at night (I did that w/ my dumb phones) you should be set for the following day.

[somline]

Originally Posted by apeka53

To my knowledge external chargers won't work with Pre3 batteries. Because these batteries contain a special buit-in chip that controls the charging process (that's why the 5 contacts), they can't be charged in external chargers who only have two + and - contacts...
Sad but true...

I don't think so. They just doubled the + and - ( to get more current through). A std. phone battery these days has at least 3 contacts. One for +, one for - and one for the one wire interface to the battery chip.

EDIT: You should use a charger that communicates with the battery chip. Meaning at least 3 contacts.

[billyboy]

Originally Posted by somline

I don't think so. They just doubled the + and - ( to get more current through). A std. phone battery these days has at least 3 contacts. One for +, one for - and one for the one wire interface to the battery chip.

EDIT: You should use a charger that communicates with the battery chip. Meaning at least 3 contacts.

Do you know of any such chargers?

[Dsol]

I can confirm that the last charger listed in patapoofs post #5 (Luminair brand) does NOT work. I work in the area and went by their store (Filmtools in Burbank, CA)today and they were nice enough to let me try their test unit. The sales guy was very familiar with the unit and told me has has about a 99% success rate but no luck with the HP OEM battery. I am wondering if the Mugen battery works differently because tbonanno16 got a a different charger to work on that one, or of course if that charger would work on the HP battery.



-- Sent from my Palm Pre3 using Forums

[somline]

Originally Posted by billyboy

Do you know of any such chargers?

Unfortunately no. Never searched for. I'm using 3 TouchStones.

[sshaka]

Originally Posted by somline

I don't think so. They just doubled the + and - ( to get more current through). A std. phone battery these days has at least 3 contacts. One for +, one for - and one for the one wire interface to the battery chip.

EDIT: You should use a charger that communicates with the battery chip. Meaning at least 3 contacts.

And what is each pole in the 5-pin battery?

[vasekvi]

I just got another Pre3. I had to have a spare battery and charger.

-- Sent from my Palm Pre3 using Forums

[ToniCipriani]

Buy the Digipower TC-U100 Universal Lithium Charger at TigerDirect.ca

This one works, I tried it in person back in Hong Kong, but didn't buy because that shop was too expensive... Think can be found on eBay for $10. I just use my spare parts Pre 3 for charging batteries these days.

Mind you some of the universal chargers don't work because the pins are too thick. I bought one on DX and it didn't work.