usb charging

[r77r7r]

The button on my 510 started blinking rapidly- guess that means it needs recharging. Got about 3 days out of it.

Anyways, I was reading on another site about a toolbar icon that tells you when it is safe to remove things from your USB ports? I found the window on my computer, but ther's nothing there, nor do I get an icon notice.

Should I only remove my 510 from the only when it's fully charged?? I'm running Windows7 premium on a new computer.

TY,Bob

 

[OaklandCA]

no the icon is to prevent losing data etc from external devices. On the other hand use caution when charging batts directly on computer. the larger batteries can take a pretty hefty draw and the PT can actually fry your usb or motherboard. Use a usb hub or an extra wall wart

 

[Zal42]

Anyways, I was reading on another site about a toolbar icon that tells you when it is safe to remove things from your USB ports? I found the window on my computer, but ther's nothing there, nor do I get an icon notice.

This doesn't apply to the USB chargers. That icon is to let you know when the operating system has finished writing all the data on a USB memory device so you don't pull it out before it's done and end up with corrupted files.

Your USB charger isn't a "device" at all in this respect, and your operating system doesn't even know it's there. It's only using the power USB provides. You can remove it any time you wish.

 

[Zal42]

On the other hand use caution when charging batts directly on computer. the larger batteries can take a pretty hefty draw and the PT can actually fry your usb or motherboard. Use a usb hub or an extra wall wart

This isn't actually a concern except, maybe on older computers. His computer is new. He shouldn't worry about it at all.

 

[unsure]

Im a PC tech.....not an issue! I know my avatar doesn't ooze confidence! lol

 

[meems]

This isn't actually a concern except, maybe on older computers. His computer is new. He shouldn't worry about it at all.

My computer was less than 2 yrs old, windows 7..poof, fried the motherboard from charging a PCC via USB.

 

[jazdale]

I'm guessing most of us have a spare AC to USB jack floating around from our previous bad purchases.
If not, they are pretty cheap.
Hell, I bet you could ask for one on the classifieds and it would be shipped for the cost of shipping.

I wouldn't charge non-pc items from my motherboard. Too big of a PITA if it does fry the mobo.

 

[WomanOfHeart]

Play it safe and charge it using the wall wart. Like Oakland said, the USB icon on your computer is useless because you aren't transferring data and it's just better charge it from a wall socket.

 

[dormouse]

I use Rosewill 4-port 2amp USB to AC Adapter RUC6181 - with cable-type battery adapters I can charge up to 4 batteries on it. I got mine at NewEgg.

 

[jbblack]

I think I can help you out with this.

SHORT ANSWER: in a nutshell, since it's only drawing power from the USB port and not doing any kind of data transfer to or from the computer, you can safely remove it at any time.

LONG ANSWER: The only reason that you're "supposed to" use the toolbar icon to remove USB devices is that they aren't incredibly fast, when compared to the computer's short-term memory (RAM). When you're moving data to one, the computer will keep the bulk of the changes in its own memory and then write back a little at a time to keep things moving along. If it is still not all written and you just yank the drive out, then your data's most likely going to be corrupt. The icon for safely removing it forces those changes onto the disk so that all of your changes get pushed off to the drive.

Since your PV battery doesn't do any kind of data storage, it's just pulling power (5.5-6 volts DC) off the port. So you can remove it at any time without having to do anything special.

 

[unsure]

Not an issue.