[Tango Mike]

I'm the OP on a recent thread about this topic. My retina-display iPad was getting very warm whether connected to the standard Apple charger on my desk or in the cockpit using a USB adaptor in a power outlet with a USB to lightning cable. It never overheated to the point of shutting down, but I just didn't think it should be anywhere near that warm.

Turns out the iPad had a charging problem. I received a warranty replacement and thought I'd solved the issue because it stays much cooler at my desk. I expect it to be warmer in the cockpit due to the difference in ambient temperature, but when connected to ship's power, it feels just as warm as it did before.

That difference, being substantially cooler in the house but about the same in the cockpit, makes me suspicious of the power outlet in the airplane and/or the USB adaptor I'm using.

I've read/been told that all charger methods aren't created equal, and I'm wondering if a different connection method might work better, like the ones that plug directly into the outlet and terminate in a lightning plug.

Has anyone dealt with this problem and solved it?

Thanks in advance for any assistance.

 

[F1R]

Apple products all have a specific wattage charger supplied with them. If using a non apple device specific charger, I try not to exceed that wattage or amps for that device.

 

[Tango Mike]

Apple products all have a specific wattage charger supplied with them. If using a non apple device specific charger, I try not to exceed that wattage or amps for that device.

I was just looking at that, and Apple's description for the Incase High Speed Mini Car Charger specifies 2.4 amps as providing the "fastest possible charging of iOS devices."

The Just Wireless model I have, which I bought at an Apple store a year or so ago, is listed on their site as delivering 2.1 amps.

From what I can tell, they're all supposed to have integrated circuit protection, so maybe the choice of charger brand, or whether it's a corded charger as opposed to the USB type, makes no difference.

Some replies to the original post indicated that direct sunlight on an iPad will always heat them up. I've tried positioning it in the shade as best I can, but that's not all that easy with the wonderful visibility of RVs. The Kroger shade is great, except that the sun always seems to find a way past it.

This is a work in progress, it seems.

Tosh

 

[cfiidon]

Wattage worries

A device such as an ipad is going to draw the energy it needs to recharge, up to the limit of a supplying device. For instance, if an a Ipad needs 2.1 amps for maximum charge rate, and you connect a charger that is capable of producing 10 amps, the Ipad will draw only what it needs. The 10 amp charger would not "push" 10 amps to the device.

My IPad mini gets warm. Remember that it is in a hot environment, the processor is working fast for the chart software, and the screen is dialed up as bright as it can be. Quite a different environment from your office desk.

Here in Florida it's 85-90 (on a cool day). Lots of airflow in the vicinity of the Ipad. I have it in a ram locking holder. I did drill plenty of cooling holes in the back of the case. It has not shut down on me yet.

I first got an el cheapo USB adapter and cable for the ipad. The charger produced lots of interference in the radios. I bought a Belkin dual USB charger and it is quiet as a mouse, and keeps,the ipad fully charged.

The el cheapo went to my car where it interferes not with the autovonics.

Don

 

[Tango Mike]

Thanks for this explanation, Don.

I realized all along that an iPad cold-soaked to the temperature in my study will react very differently under conditions of use and charging than it will when heat-soaked in the cockpit. Mine has never shut down either, but it gets hot enough to the touch that I've been worried about whether something was wrong with the way I'm charging it.

I'm not using a mount, but the iPad is in a protective case that covers the back. I've removed it to see it that makes any difference, and it doesn't feel as if it does.

It may be that the only indicator of being too hot is a shutdown.

Tosh