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Could my charger be ruining USB cables?

Posted on 3/16/17 at 8:46 am
Posted by The Last Coco
On the water
Member since Mar 2009
6952 posts
Posted on 3/16/17 at 8:46 am
Alright, I'm frustrated and need some help. I bought a 2 USB & 2 outlet charging station to facilitate charging multiple devices. It looks similar to this:



Around the same time, I purchased 3 6' long USB-micro USB cables from Anker. After a month or so I started noticing that devices plugged into the Anker cables were no longer charging so I chunked them thinking the cables were bad. Well it started happening to more and more devices on factory cables and now I've narrowed down the issue to the fact that after using a cable when plugged directly into the USB outlet on my charging station, the cable seems to stop working, even when used on other chargers.

I've since stopped using the charging station but am having trouble finding this problem documented elsewhere. How could this be happening and is there anything to be done to fix it? Thanks.
Posted by Dam Guide
Member since Sep 2005
16678 posts
Posted on 3/16/17 at 10:41 am to
NEVER THROW AWAY AN ANKER PRODUCT!!!!! Well until you contact them and get new stuff. They will replace that shite.

Could be that device. Could be something else, hard to say over the internet.
This post was edited on 3/16/17 at 10:43 am
Posted by Uncle JackD
Member since Nov 2007
59541 posts
Posted on 3/16/17 at 11:08 am to
This is true ^^^^

Anker has incredible customer service
Posted by Footbaw
Fulshear, TX
Member since Oct 2015
427 posts
Posted on 3/16/17 at 11:56 am to
From a purely theoretical standpoint, yes.

The charging station is supposed to regulate amps. The USB cables are just a pathway for that regulated flow.

If you've narrowed it down to a specific port or ports (USB), and the other port types (AC socket) aren't killing any devices or cables, then you've kind of already figured it out.

Luckily the ports regulated enough to not kill your devices.
Posted by Spock's Eyebrow
Member since May 2012
12300 posts
Posted on 3/16/17 at 9:44 pm to
Those ports could be damaging the end of the cable. That's the only way. Nothing inside a USB cable to fry.
Posted by The Last Coco
On the water
Member since Mar 2009
6952 posts
Posted on 3/18/17 at 10:13 am to
quote:

Those ports could be damaging the end of the cable. That's the only way. Nothing inside a USB cable to fry

Any other thoughts then? I have thrown away (or at least stopped using) probably $40 in USB cords because they no longer charge my devices, either via the charging station I previously mentioned or through any other charger (wall mounted chargers, USB port on computer, Anker battery pack charger, car charger...). I have one cord that was never used on the charging station because it was a dedicated cord used elsewhere and it works fine. I have used it with every other charger I own (besides the charging station) and it is great.

I guess like you're saying, the ports on the charging station could be damaging the ports on connectors on the cables? Seems odd but possible.

My devices recognize that they're plugged into a charging cable when I use the bad cables, but it actually drains the battery instead of charging it, or constantly cycles between charging and not charging while draining the battery.
Posted by Spock's Eyebrow
Member since May 2012
12300 posts
Posted on 3/18/17 at 1:14 pm to
quote:

I guess like you're saying, the ports on the charging station could be damaging the ports on connectors on the cables? Seems odd but possible.


I agree it's unlikely, but it's the only explanation based on what you've described.

quote:

constantly cycles between charging and not charging while draining the battery.



I've only ever seen that with a bad charger. The cable was fine.

Posted by Yruyur
Member since Oct 2017
1 post
Posted on 10/31/17 at 6:52 pm to
I have the exact same problem you describe but using a DeWalt 20v usb charger to power my camera. The cables work for about a day then they are only recognized as a data connection and drain the battery. I can use another charger with the bad cables and it drains them. There must be something to this. I have gone through about 6 cables now. I have tried all different brands of cables. Thick and thin. Same result.
Posted by bencoleman
RIP 7/19
Member since Feb 2009
37887 posts
Posted on 11/1/17 at 3:39 pm to
So far every cable I've used with my charging block has stopped working after about a week. It's gotten expensive. Everything worked fine for a couple of months but not anymore.
Posted by SG_Geaux
Beautiful St George, LA
Member since Aug 2004
80634 posts
Posted on 11/1/17 at 4:39 pm to
You wouldn't have this issue if you bought Anker chargers.
Posted by airfernando
Member since Oct 2015
15248 posts
Posted on 11/2/17 at 11:38 am to
Highly unlikely it's the cable at fault. If it's the cable, then the charger is probably pulling too many amps. Make sure the rating for amps on the charger isn't too high for the cable.
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