vB Easy Archive - SMT 5600 won't charge via USB

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SMT 5600 won't charge via USB
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Posted by: coondognd

I just got a hand-me-down 5600, but no AC adaptor, only the USB cable. I plugged it into my PC (without setting up ActiveSync) to charge once the battery got low, but in the morning, the phone hadn't charged at all, so the battery was dead. I tried another computer, same deal. No chargey.

I searched a bit, and read that the phone doesn't charge via USB unless ActiveSync is set up on the computer. So in the case where the battery fully dies, I'd need the AC adaptor, since I can't set up ActiveSync without some juice in the phone.

http://mamamusings.net/archives/200...x_dumbphone.php

Okay, that's terrible (if it's true), but I accept it. So I borrowed an AC wall adaptor from a friend with a Treo (also charges via mini-USB port), and it still won't charge.

So here are my questions:
1) Is it true that the phone won't charge via USB without ActiveSync set up?
2) Is there something special in the 5600 AC adaptor (vs. the Treo charger that I tried or any other generic AC-to-mini-USB charger) that will allow my phone to charge, or is my battery just plain dead?

Posted by: chuckknight

Please bear in mind, this is from memory and may not be completely correct. If not, then it's close.

Now that the disclaimer is finished...I believe the USB connector requires pins 4 and 5 to be bridged to activate the charging circuit. That's what is supposed to happen when ActiveSync makes the connection...and the bridging must be duplicated by bridging those two wires.

Someone on this site did it with a conductive pen...said it worked great. But, it's secondhand information, as I've not done it. I have a Blackberry charger, also mini USB...and I'm afraid to plug it in to my precious phone!

Do a little digging first...but this should give you a starting point, especially for using the forum's search function.

-- Chuck Knight

Posted by: coondognd

Ahh... that explains a lot. Thanks for the tip. That's a great jumping-off point.

Posted by: Corporate

You just need to get an appropriate driver and install it on that pc. I can upload one here, if you'd like - you don't need to install full blown activesync.

Posted by: leo777

Quote:

Originally Posted by Corporate

You just need to get an appropriate driver and install it on that pc. I can upload one here, if you'd like - you don't need to install full blown activesync.

i ll take your offer on the driver email it to me at jlmu7@aol.com thanks in advance!

Posted by: Corporate

Sent you off an email.

I'd attach it here, folks - but it won't let me.

Posted by: leo777

got it!

Posted by: coondognd

Thanks for the driver offer, but from what I'm told I needed to connect the phone to the computer at least once in order for it to charge the phone. Since it's completely drained now I think I either need the AC adapter or to jump the USB pins as chuckknight described.

Speaking of which, I did try to jump the pins by tearing up a USB extension cord I had and using a short wire to jump two of the leads, but still no luck with charging. Let's hope I didn't damage the phone in the process.

Posted by: chuckknight

Remember -- I said that was secondhand information. I've not tried it!!!

Keeping with that theme...if you want to try it, and it's successful, tell us. I'll make the same modification to my Blackberry charger.

-- Chuck Knight

Posted by: nstabl

any word on this??

Posted by: mikeo2004uk

This is strange

my C500 (SMT 5600) charges on usb fine

Posted by: Coppernob

Quote:

Originally Posted by coondognd

Thanks for the driver offer, but from what I'm told I needed to connect the phone to the computer at least once in order for it to charge the phone. Since it's completely drained now I think I either need the AC adapter or to jump the USB pins as chuckknight described.

I went about this another way. I was looking for a used 5600 as the PDA phone i really want doesn't yet exist (WiFi) in a reasonable package. So, knowing that whatever 5600 i bought i would need a car charger i bought one, and kick started a battery drained one (with no original charger). That worked. I then installed activesynch but still had problem with the USB cable. Until i discovered that the USB hub i was using had a "Self/Bus/ switch on it. Even though the hub was getting current form the transformer it was switched to BUS and thus just did not have the juice to also charge the phone.

Posted by: leo777

my experience with this smartphone is that only original oem charger will charge the phone correctly if you use aftermarket it will give you a false full charge and with the activesync had the same problem so i uninstalled activesync and reinstalled version 4.1 and that fixed the problem

Posted by: coondognd

Hey all, thanks for the further replies. Since I had no luck with my modded-USB cable, I just held out until I saw the person who gave me the phone in the first place, and he gave me his AC charger. Phone works fine now.

As a quick note about my USB wire attempts, I blame my lack of wiring experience for this not working. The method itself is probably fine. In fact, I did get the computer to detect the phone once via this method, but the connection would give out before the computer could figure out what the device was. I had only "dry-fitted" a jumper wire between the two wires of a USB extension cord I had ripped to shreds. I never soldered the connection or anything.

Oh, and one other point: Connecting pins 4 and 5 according to this diagram (which I found via Google search) did nothing.

It was only when I connected 1 and 2 on that diagram did I get any reponse at all (but like I said, that got me nowhere). So I'm not sure which I was actually supposed to use.

Posted by: wazmo

It's shorting pin 4 and 5 on the mini-USB end, not on the regular USB side. And if the phone has been completely drained, even the shorted pin 4 and 5 trick won't work to bring it back to life-you'll need an OEM adapter in that case.