Alternative method to charge via AC for the Vita

A

Average Fury

CAGiversary!
For those of you looking for a more "portable" way to charge your Vita via AC, I discovered today that the AC adapter for the Galaxy S III can be used in place of the rather bulky setup that normally comes in the box.

You can find the adapter on Amazon for a little less than $7 here: http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Charg...ZSQK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1356389376&sr=8-1

I haven't had the Vita for too long, so I can't comment on how long it takes to charge this way compared to the OEM charger. Keep in mind that this probably voids the warranty, though I haven't run into any problems yet.
 
this sounds like a nice backup charging cable for the vita....problem is im not too keen on third party cables that were meant for another mobile device (espcially one made in china)......hows the voltage on this cable? does it exceed the limits on the vita's charging voltage?
 
[quote name='cargo555']this sounds like a nice backup charging cable for the vita....problem is im not too keen on third party cables that were meant for another mobile device (espcially one made in china)......hows the voltage on this cable? does it exceed the limits on the vita's charging voltage?[/QUOTE]

Do you think any official cable is made in USA anymore? Even the Vita charger is made in the Philippines.
 
[quote name='cargo555']this sounds like a nice backup charging cable for the vita....problem is im not too keen on third party cables that were meant for another mobile device (espcially one made in china)......hows the voltage on this cable? does it exceed the limits on the vita's charging voltage?[/QUOTE]

Sorry, I should have mentioned that I was talking about the adapter only. You'll still need to use the original Vita-to-USB cable, or buy a backup if you need it. The micro usb that comes with this adapter is going to be of no use, unless you have a compatible device laying around the house somewhere that needs charging.

Basically this setup means that you only need your Vita USB cable and adapter when you're out and about; no need to bring along the cumbersome power cord and AC brick.

To answer your other question, I really have no idea about the voltage. I assume that they're compatible with each other, since the Vita can draw a charge from it while it's on, whereas I'm unable to produce the same results with a generic iPod/iPhone charger.
At this point, I'm not worrying too much about damaging the Vita due to exceeding the voltage; usually these types of devices and chargers have their own way of checking if they're within safe limits before they work.
 
For the not-so-tech-savy among us -- any USB adapter is gonna do the trick as they're all 5V. It's required by the USB standard. Why an iPhone charger wouldn't work I don't know. Probably some proprietary Apple nonsense.

That said, the USB adapter suggested in this thread isn't even a good choice as it only goes up to 700 mA whereas the Vita requires 1500. It's not gonna damage your Vita, but it's gonna take a long-ass time to charge. Instead just head over to eBay and get a 2000 mA adapter from Hong Kong for like... a dollar. You'll be able to charge tablets on it as well as they require 2000 mA, and a device will only take as much amperage as it needs so it won't damage your Vita.

And no, using a third-party adapter does not void any warranty... Heck, you can even crack open your Vita and swap the battery without voiding your warranty.
 
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