Tethering eating battery, usb not charging fast enough

[Shouse]

Anyone else have this issue? I'm tethering using wireless Tethering for root users and it's murdering my battery. the usb port couldn't even keep the battery stable. I currently have it charging from the laptop turned off. Does this sound normal? Do I have something eating my battery up?

 

[Bigjohn]

Anyone else have this issue? I'm tethering using wireless Tethering for root users and it's murdering my battery. the usb port couldn't even keep the battery stable. I currently have it charging from the laptop turned off. Does this sound normal? Do I have something eating my battery up?

Is your screen staying on while tethered? what other USB devices do you have plugged in? your usb bus can only provide 500mv, where the wall charger is 700.

 

[Shouse]

nope

 

[n0gik]

Anyone else have this issue? I'm tethering using wireless Tethering for root users and it's murdering my battery. the usb port couldn't even keep the battery stable. I currently have it charging from the laptop turned off. Does this sound normal? Do I have something eating my battery up?

You have WIFI NET on, MOBILE NET on, and you're essentially shoveling data continuously between those two transceivers with the CPU - which I'd assume is the most significant user of available current capacity. Even though your screen is off, the CPU cannot sleep because it has to do 'the shoveling' continuously. USB port is only going to give you 500 mils to charge the battery AND do your phone's bidding. (WIFI NET, MOBILE NET, CPU) You need to have a supply source capable of giving you more current than your laptop can supply. I believe the charger that comes with the Sprint Hero can supply what you need and may be the best choice for powering a tethered handset. Good luck.

 

[thasolution]

You have WIFI NET on, MOBILE NET on, and you're essentially shoveling data continuously between those two transceivers with the CPU - which I'd assume is the most significant user of available current capacity. Even though your screen is off, the CPU cannot sleep because it has to do 'the shoveling' continuously. USB port is only going to give you 500 mils to charge the battery AND do your phone's bidding. (WIFI NET, MOBILE NET, CPU) You need to have a supply source capable of giving you more current than your laptop can supply. I believe the charger that comes with the Sprint Hero can supply what you need and may be the best choice for powering a tethered handset. Good luck.

I concur, I've been using wifi tethering instead of the usb tethering for just that reason. I know that when i had my HTC diamond I could tether usb because there was a program to make the phone charge faster through usb. I wish there was a program for our Hero's to do the same thing.

 

[HeikoMax]

I was thinking about this issue having just discovered the ability to tether my Hero via USB cable. While not an ideal solution, I thought that I would use a mini-USB splitter to simultaneously connect with my laptop and a wall charger if I am concerned about depleting my Hero's battery. Luckily I have a couple of splitters from other HTC phones.

 

[Bigjohn]

I was thinking about this issue having just discovered the ability to tether my Hero via USB cable. While not an ideal solution, I thought that I would use a mini-USB splitter to simultaneously connect with my laptop and a wall charger if I am concerned about depleting my Hero's battery. Luckily I have a couple of splitters from other HTC phones.

Hmm - could there not be a potential problem, putting voltage back TO the pc?

 

[n0gik]

Hmm - could there not be a potential problem, putting voltage back TO the pc?

Not likely. The typical handset USB data port (like on the Hero) will have an isolation diode allowing only the ability to power the phone, rather than to have the phone apply power (back-feeding) toward an external device. Similarly, a laptop or other USB hosts are protected in this manner as well.

 

[n0gik]

I was thinking about this issue having just discovered the ability to tether my Hero via USB cable. While not an ideal solution, I thought that I would use a mini-USB splitter to simultaneously connect with my laptop and a wall charger if I am concerned about depleting my Hero's battery. Luckily I have a couple of splitters from other HTC phones.

A poor-man's method for certain, but short of a single source to sink your current draw, that should work as well! I've never measured the actual draw, but I have to believe under an active tether/charge condition that the Hero is going to draw less than 3/4 amp total. However, as the battery reaches full charge, the current to sustain the activity should level-off and remain fairly even.

 

[Bigjohn]

Not likely. The typical handset USB data port (like on the Hero) will have an isolation diode allowing only the ability to power the phone, rather than to have the phone apply power (back-feeding) toward an external device. Similarly, a laptop or other USB hosts are protected in this manner as well.

My concern is within the WIRE. The The wires from both ends of the splitter are connected within the connector, which happens PRIOR TO the electricity entering the phone.

That diode would need to exist within the two (split) sides of the splitter.....

 

[n0gik]

My concern is within the WIRE. The The wires from both ends of the splitter are connected within the connector, which happens PRIOR TO the electricity entering the phone.

That diode would need to exist within the two (split) sides of the splitter.....

I can't say what's in your splitter. If you're concerned about it, don't hook it up! Simple enough?