Could someone explain USB chargers / specs to me. We seem to have an ever growing selection of devices that charge via USB, some of which have mains chargers. I understand the difference between the connectors, what I’m struggling with is ampage rating. If I use a mains USB plug rated at 1000mA with something that requires 100mA is it going to melt or does the main charger regulate the current required. Does it depend on the mains charger.

I need one charger unit I can take to the States that will charge mobile phones (HTC & Blackberry), Kindles, a GoPro and a couple of DS’s and I don’t want to take all the chargers & leads they came with plus a laptop just to top up the batteries.

USB charging is ‘intelligent’ – it’ll trickle charge unless the host / device negotiate a higher rate. They should all be interchangeable, though some devices (hello, iPad) will flat out refuse to charge from a charger they don’t like. If it’ll charge an iPad, it’ll charge anything.

As I understand it, anyway.

Go for the one that will work with US voltage (120?) and supplies the highest current. 1000mA sounds fine. Devices that need less will only draw what they need.

Incidentally,

The small microUSB is now a ‘standard’ socket, agreed on by many many companies (including Apple, which confuses the brown out of me). Going forward, having dozens of unidentifiable bespoke chargers should die out.

Cougar is correct. I say go for highest current so all of your devices charge as quickly as possible.

Ta

That was pretty much the conclusion I’d reached but wasn’t sure and didn’t want to test out the theory!

Rubber, thanks for the reminder, once saw an American colleague plug his laptop into the UK mains 😯

once saw an American colleague plug his laptop into the UK mains

After sleeping over at my house one night, a mate of mine did that with my Japanese Playstation. It was loud enough to wake me up, upstairs.