Impossible to tell if it's charging

I've just discovered that my new car cigar lighter needs to have the
ignition on in order to work so the only way to charge is when on the
move. This is particularly inconvenient in the case of my new Motorola
HF820 Bluetooth remote loudspeaker which comes only with an in-car
charger - and instructions to charge the unit up for 2-3 hours. Since I
rarely make car journeys of this length, I have no way to charge up the
HF820 using the supplied accessories. Worse, the 2-pin port on the
HF820 doesn't accept my V3 mini USB mains charger. This is very shoddy
since I bought both items from Motorola in the expectation that the V3
wall charger would be compatible with the HF820.

So, I was forced me to buy yet another Motorola product, the CH706
Charger Adaptor which claims to convert the adapter on my V3 wall
charger to fit the HF820. But guess what? I can't tell if it's working
or not. There is no charging indicator on any of the three items
(HF820, CH706 and V3 mains charger) so I can't even tell if I have
connected them together properly. The only charging light is on the
HF820 in-car charger which I can't use.

Please tell me I have made a mistake and that there IS a way to tell
that the HF820 is actually charging via the CH706! Otherwise, I made an
awful decision to go to Motorola for my new phone equipment. TIA.

Stan

---

› See More: Impossible to tell if it's charging

"Stan The Man" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:270420051115231450%[email protected]...
> charger - and instructions to charge the unit up for 2-3 hours. Since I
> rarely make car journeys of this length, I have no way to charge up the
> HF820 using the supplied accessories. Worse, the 2-pin port on the
> HF820 doesn't accept my V3 mini USB mains charger. This is very shoddy
> since I bought both items from Motorola in the expectation that the V3
> wall charger would be compatible with the HF820.

But if you plug it in for 1/2 hour in the morning and 1/2 hour in the
evening, it would almost be completly charged. I'd doubt you'd use that
entire charge over night so when the progess was repeated the following day,
it would have a full charge. That is, the 2-3 hours are not needed all at
one time. You just need to charge it every so often and it will keep a good
charge on it.


> Please tell me I have made a mistake and that there IS a way to tell
> that the HF820 is actually charging via the CH706! Otherwise, I made an
> awful decision to go to Motorola for my new phone equipment. TIA.

Have you read the manual on the phone? Usually the battery indicator on the
phone flashes when it's being charged and stops flashing when it's fully
charged.

In article <[email protected]>, Todd
Copeland <[email protected]> wrote:

>"Stan The Man" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:270420051115231450%[email protected]...
>> charger - and instructions to charge the unit up for 2-3 hours. Since I
>> rarely make car journeys of this length, I have no way to charge up the
>> HF820 using the supplied accessories. Worse, the 2-pin port on the
>> HF820 doesn't accept my V3 mini USB mains charger. This is very shoddy
>> since I bought both items from Motorola in the expectation that the V3
>> wall charger would be compatible with the HF820.
>
>But if you plug it in for 1/2 hour in the morning and 1/2 hour in the
>evening, it would almost be completly charged. I'd doubt you'd use that
>entire charge over night so when the progess was repeated the following day,
>it would have a full charge. That is, the 2-3 hours are not needed all at
>one time. You just need to charge it every so often and it will keep a good
>charge on it.

According to the manual I shouldn't do that. The first charge at least
should be continuous.

>> Please tell me I have made a mistake and that there IS a way to tell
>> that the HF820 is actually charging via the CH706! Otherwise, I made an
>> awful decision to go to Motorola for my new phone equipment. TIA.
>
>Have you read the manual on the phone? Usually the battery indicator on the
>phone flashes when it's being charged and stops flashing when it's fully
>charged.

I'm not charging a phone. I'm _trying_ to charge the HF820 Bluetooth
wireless speaker.

Stan

On Wed, 27 Apr 2005 13:02:31 +0100, Stan The Man <[email protected]>
wrote:

>In article <[email protected]>, Todd
>Copeland <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>"Stan The Man" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>>news:270420051115231450%[email protected]...
>>> charger - and instructions to charge the unit up for 2-3 hours. Since I
>>> rarely make car journeys of this length, I have no way to charge up the
>>> HF820 using the supplied accessories. Worse, the 2-pin port on the
>>> HF820 doesn't accept my V3 mini USB mains charger. This is very shoddy
>>> since I bought both items from Motorola in the expectation that the V3
>>> wall charger would be compatible with the HF820.
>>
>>But if you plug it in for 1/2 hour in the morning and 1/2 hour in the
>>evening, it would almost be completly charged. I'd doubt you'd use that
>>entire charge over night so when the progess was repeated the following day,
>>it would have a full charge. That is, the 2-3 hours are not needed all at
>>one time. You just need to charge it every so often and it will keep a good
>>charge on it.
>
>According to the manual I shouldn't do that. The first charge at least
>should be continuous.
>
>>> Please tell me I have made a mistake and that there IS a way to tell
>>> that the HF820 is actually charging via the CH706! Otherwise, I made an
>>> awful decision to go to Motorola for my new phone equipment. TIA.
>>
>>Have you read the manual on the phone? Usually the battery indicator on the
>>phone flashes when it's being charged and stops flashing when it's fully
>>charged.
>
>I'm not charging a phone. I'm _trying_ to charge the HF820 Bluetooth
>wireless speaker.
>
>Stan

I use a regular travel charger (somewhere around $8) and a Y-Adapter
(around $12) to charge my headset and phone together. You can use the
Y-Adapter in your car too if you want.

Re the lighter going dead with no ignition. Do you have a second one
anywhere (I have one under the dash and in the back seat) that may be
live?

John

In article <[email protected]>, Spectrum
<[email protected]> wrote:

>On Wed, 27 Apr 2005 13:02:31 +0100, Stan The Man <[email protected]>
>wrote:
>
>>In article <[email protected]>, Todd
>>Copeland <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>>"Stan The Man" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>>>news:270420051115231450%[email protected]...
>>>> charger - and instructions to charge the unit up for 2-3 hours. Since I
>>>> rarely make car journeys of this length, I have no way to charge up the
>>>> HF820 using the supplied accessories. Worse, the 2-pin port on the
>>>> HF820 doesn't accept my V3 mini USB mains charger. This is very shoddy
>>>> since I bought both items from Motorola in the expectation that the V3
>>>> wall charger would be compatible with the HF820.
>>>
>>>But if you plug it in for 1/2 hour in the morning and 1/2 hour in the
>>>evening, it would almost be completly charged. I'd doubt you'd use that
>>>entire charge over night so when the progess was repeated the following day,
>>>it would have a full charge. That is, the 2-3 hours are not needed all at
>>>one time. You just need to charge it every so often and it will keep a good
>>>charge on it.
>>
>>According to the manual I shouldn't do that. The first charge at least
>>should be continuous.
>>
>>>> Please tell me I have made a mistake and that there IS a way to tell
>>>> that the HF820 is actually charging via the CH706! Otherwise, I made an
>>>> awful decision to go to Motorola for my new phone equipment. TIA.
>>>
>>>Have you read the manual on the phone? Usually the battery indicator on the
>>>phone flashes when it's being charged and stops flashing when it's fully
>>>charged.
>>
>>I'm not charging a phone. I'm _trying_ to charge the HF820 Bluetooth
>>wireless speaker.
>>
>>Stan
>
>I use a regular travel charger (somewhere around $8) and a Y-Adapter
>(around $12) to charge my headset and phone together. You can use the
>Y-Adapter in your car too if you want.

The Y-Adapter sounds like what I've got - CH706. It's working fine off
the wall plug -- and I have now discovered that there IS a charging
light on my HF820 wireless speaker - hidden inside the mute button and
totally invisible if the speaker is lying flat.

>Re the lighter going dead with no ignition. Do you have a second one
>anywhere (I have one under the dash and in the back seat) that may be
>live?

I don't know of one but I'll have a look. Jaguar XK8 Uk edition.

Stan

On my 810 the blue light indicates charging.

From:Stan The Man
[email protected]

> In article <[email protected]>, Todd
> Copeland <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> "Stan The Man" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> news:270420051115231450%[email protected]...
>>> charger - and instructions to charge the unit up for 2-3 hours.
>>> Since I rarely make car journeys of this length, I have no way to
>>> charge up the HF820 using the supplied accessories. Worse, the
>>> 2-pin port on the HF820 doesn't accept my V3 mini USB mains
>>> charger. This is very shoddy since I bought both items from
>>> Motorola in the expectation that the V3 wall charger would be
>>> compatible with the HF820.
>>
>> But if you plug it in for 1/2 hour in the morning and 1/2 hour in the
>> evening, it would almost be completly charged. I'd doubt you'd use
>> that entire charge over night so when the progess was repeated the
>> following day, it would have a full charge. That is, the 2-3 hours
>> are not needed all at one time. You just need to charge it every so
>> often and it will keep a good charge on it.
>
> According to the manual I shouldn't do that. The first charge at least
> should be continuous.
>
>>> Please tell me I have made a mistake and that there IS a way to tell
>>> that the HF820 is actually charging via the CH706! Otherwise, I
>>> made an awful decision to go to Motorola for my new phone
>>> equipment. TIA.
>>
>> Have you read the manual on the phone? Usually the battery indicator
>> on the phone flashes when it's being charged and stops flashing when
>> it's fully charged.
>
> I'm not charging a phone. I'm _trying_ to charge the HF820 Bluetooth
> wireless speaker.
>
> Stan

I have a US XK8 and it has only the one lighter outlet in the ashtray
('98 model). Adding an "aways on" outlet is a fairly simple thing to do
or have done.

From:Stan The Man
[email protected]

> In article <[email protected]>, Spectrum
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> On Wed, 27 Apr 2005 13:02:31 +0100, Stan The Man <[email protected]>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> In article <[email protected]>, Todd
>>> Copeland <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>
>>>> "Stan The Man" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>>>> news:270420051115231450%[email protected]...
>>>>> charger - and instructions to charge the unit up for 2-3 hours.
>>>>> Since I rarely make car journeys of this length, I have no way to
>>>>> charge up the HF820 using the supplied accessories. Worse, the
>>>>> 2-pin port on the HF820 doesn't accept my V3 mini USB mains
>>>>> charger. This is very shoddy since I bought both items from
>>>>> Motorola in the expectation that the V3 wall charger would be
>>>>> compatible with the HF820.
>>>>
>>>> But if you plug it in for 1/2 hour in the morning and 1/2 hour in
>>>> the evening, it would almost be completly charged. I'd doubt you'd
>>>> use that entire charge over night so when the progess was repeated
>>>> the following day, it would have a full charge. That is, the 2-3
>>>> hours are not needed all at one time. You just need to charge it
>>>> every so often and it will keep a good charge on it.
>>>
>>> According to the manual I shouldn't do that. The first charge at
>>> least should be continuous.
>>>
>>>>> Please tell me I have made a mistake and that there IS a way to
>>>>> tell that the HF820 is actually charging via the CH706!
>>>>> Otherwise, I made an awful decision to go to Motorola for my new
>>>>> phone equipment. TIA.
>>>>
>>>> Have you read the manual on the phone? Usually the battery
>>>> indicator on the phone flashes when it's being charged and stops
>>>> flashing when it's fully charged.
>>>
>>> I'm not charging a phone. I'm _trying_ to charge the HF820 Bluetooth
>>> wireless speaker.
>>>
>>> Stan
>>
>> I use a regular travel charger (somewhere around $8) and a Y-Adapter
>> (around $12) to charge my headset and phone together. You can use the
>> Y-Adapter in your car too if you want.
>
> The Y-Adapter sounds like what I've got - CH706. It's working fine off
> the wall plug -- and I have now discovered that there IS a charging
> light on my HF820 wireless speaker - hidden inside the mute button and
> totally invisible if the speaker is lying flat.
>
>> Re the lighter going dead with no ignition. Do you have a second one
>> anywhere (I have one under the dash and in the back seat) that may be
>> live?
>
> I don't know of one but I'll have a look. Jaguar XK8 Uk edition.
>
> Stan

In article <[email protected]>, BruceR
<[email protected]> wrote:

>I have a US XK8 and it has only the one lighter outlet in the ashtray
>('98 model). Adding an "aways on" outlet is a fairly simple thing to do
>or have done.

I might have to do that - not myself though as I would probably set
fire to it. I've got a new lighter assembly (mother and father) to
install and it has been sitting in the glovebox for a month waiting for
the next service! It looks like a simple push-in but I don't know how
to get the old one out!

Where's the butler? Jeeves!

Stan

Evan Platt wrote:
> On Wed, 27 Apr 2005 11:15:23 +0100, Stan The Man <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
>
>>I've just discovered that my new car cigar lighter needs to have the
>>ignition on in order to work so the only way to charge is when on the
>>move.
>
>
> Did your old car charger charge when the car was off? That's generally
> a feature on the car, not the charger - i.e. I had a Ford Taurus, and
> the cig. lighter socket was always on. Now on my Honda Civic, it's
> only on when the car is on.
>
> What car do you have?


A lot of later model cars have been redesigned to eliminate the workable
lighter with the ignition off - if they have a lighter at all.
Apparently, someone kid hurt themselves when left behind in the car
alone, and now we all have to assume we do the same thing.

--
jer
email reply - I am not a 'ten'