I recently purchased a 51v and without much research, bought two Belkin F8D0004 3-in-1 chargers, along with some other odds and ends.
I quickly discovered this Belkin item is not 3-in-1 and upon further investigation at AximSite, found out why. Thanks to all of you.
After much thought, I decided on a plan of action and am adequately satisfied with the outcome. Following are some observations and what I ended up doing.
4-Cell Extenders
I thought perhaps one of the 4-cell AA battery extenders would be a good idea. Before investing in one, I bought a $2 Radio Shack (You have questions, we have blank stares) 4-cell AA case. I had some 2500 mAh NiMH cells and used them for my test. For the 51v anyway, an extender would be useless. They may charge the main battery somewhat, but they certainly don't "parallel" the main battery. These extenders charge ONLY. When the 4-cell battery pack drops below a certain level, it won't even charge anymore. I would avoid these. If you require extended run with access to ac or dc power, get a larger main battery.
The Belkin F8D0004
The Belkin cable will not sync the 51v, as you've already clearly stated. However, with some relatively easy mods, it will be a good charging cable or a sync cable that mimics a cradle without the A/C adapter attached. In other words, a properly modified cable will sync the PDA and charge it via the USB +5 volts when off (If you're connected to a USB that is delivering a full +5 volts). I'm considering the switch idea suggested earlier, but what I have is working OK. I'll discuss the mods below.
The F8D0004 comes with a nice form factor charging system, using USB connectors that connect to the A/C or auto chargers. If you also purchase the Belkin travel kit for the Palm Tungsten, you get some keen international adapters that allow the A/C wall wart to plug directly into foreign A/C receptacles. My inquiry to Belkin indicated the international adapters were not available individually. However, you can pick up relatively inexpensive international transformers and adapters that you can use for lots of other things when overseas.
The +5.4 volts coming from the Belkin chargers is present on pins 1 and 3 only inside the Belkin Axim connector. The OEM Dell connector has 5.4 volts on pins 1-4. Pins 2 and 4 inside the Belkin connector are not used. After determining that the Dell internal connector and Belkin connector are made by Hirose, with a model number of ST-60, I discovered that the contacts have a current rating of 0.5A and the specs state further that 1 A max. can be carried via 4 random contacts (my comment: "as in not adjacent", which those 4 pins are). After reading what Kenban was seeing for current draw, I became a bit concerned that charge current would stress pins 1 and 3 and might even cause damage to the Axim. To be on the safe side, I soldered the 4 contacts inside the Belkin connector together. This should ensure no damage to the pins. This cable will be my high current charging cable for the car, at home, and when overseas. I won't be syncing when away from home, so it's not an issue.
I bought a second Belkin F8D0004 kit for $38 and modded the connector so that it is a sync cable only. I'll use this at home. This is slightly cheaper and maybe more convenient (especially if I get a 3300 battery) than going with another $40 Dell sync cradle and power supply. I converted this cable into a sync only cable by breaking the solder track that connects pin 21 to pins 1 and 3 and then moved the red wire over to the center
via on the PCB. This will stop the problem of the 51v thinking that 5.4 volts is available for charging. It has been tested and it works.
If you're interested in seeing the technical details of the Hirose ST-60, you can view a pdf
here.
That's about all I have for my first post to the AximSite. It's been an informative and enjoyable time. If you're interested in seeing a bit of a diary for my 51v, hop on over
here.
Best wishes.
Copp_car
So, here is my question. I am looking at purchasing this 4-in-1 kit