Along similar lines to a post I had written up in the past about the difference between recharging from the mains power and USB there is something worth knowing about recharging your gadgets in the car.
Not all rechargers are the same and can vary in the amperage they can output. Lower amperage chargers can slow down the rate at which your gadgets which could be below the peak supported rate of recharge. You should also keep in mind that chargers with multiple USB ports on them will divvy up the available amperage across the sockets in usage which could again reduce recharging efficiency below the optimal rate.
However, before you run out and buy the highest amperage rechargers you can find for use in the car you should also remember that cars will have a limit on how much current will flow through the lighter socket(s). Often, this may be capped at 10A but you should check the vehicle documentation to see what your vehicle will tolerate. You should also account for current used up by the charger however small but I would allow 1A just as a buffer (that’s probably a gross overestimate but a bit of breathing room doesn’t hurt).
So, in a nuthsell:
- make sure the charger will output enough amperage to cope with the peak demand from your gadgets,
- add in some headroom to account for the charger itself (1A as a generous amount),
- make sure the total amperage of the charger plus headroom doesn’t exceed 90% of the maximum output available from the car (just to be safe),
Hopefully that will keep your gadgets juiced up for those long road trips!
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