Belkin Battery Pack “Can” Charge iPod

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Belkin Battery Pack “Can” Charge iPod

The Belkin Battery Pack states that it will not charge the iPod, rather it will just provide power to the iPod when you plug it in directly. I’ve discovered that when you plug the battery pack into the dock, place the iPod on the dock, it will charge your iPod and allow it to function normally as if plugged into the adapter.

Editor’s note: Please click ‘Read more’ for an official comment from Belkin on the above discovery.

Thank you for the heads-up. You are right, we just tested the Battery Back-up unit with the iPod with Dock Connector and IT IS charging it. According to our product managers this behavior will happen. It is an issue with the way that Apple implemented their accessory detection scheme.

Basically the iPod can only recognize one accessory attached to the FireWire connector. In this case the accessory is the Docking Stand. When the Battery Pack is attached to the Dock the iPod does not see the Battery Packs identification so it cannot disable its own charging circuit.

In order for Apple’s accessory detection scheme to be fool proof, no accessory can have the male and female connectors.

This will not harm the iPod in any way so it is safe to continue using it.

John Soriano
Sr. Sales Representative
Belkin Corporation

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Comments

21

The Belkin doesn’t charge the iPod Battery. Rather, it takes over the job of running the iPod and the internal iPod battery “rests” while the Belkin is connected and charging the iPod.

When the Belkin is discharged, you can disconnect it and STILL use the iPod internal battery which has been idle.

Or, you can do it the other way around—Play with the internal iPod battery and when it’s dead, plug in the Belkin.

I like the first method better because then, switching to the iPod battery, I know I have about 8 hours left if it was fully charged.

Regards,
Steven

Posted by Steven Sanders on April 28, 2004 at 3:29 PM (PDT)

22

i just bought a new ipod and a belkin battery pack. when my ipod went dead, i plugged in the battery pack. but the ipod simply flashed the ‘battery dead’ picture, over and over. i couldn’t power up my ipod. is there something wrong with my ipod? i can only use the battery back-up if the ipod’s internal battery has juice?

does this mean the ipod needs more voltage to run than the battery pack can provide?

Posted by chris on June 12, 2004 at 6:48 PM (PDT)

23

Help. I just purchased the Cambridge Soundworks MP3 Playdock. I plugged my IPOD Photo 40G in it and poof, my IPOD stopped working. I tried to reset, nothing. I tried to charge, nothing. Its now appears to be completely dead. 2 questions: is there anything I can do to fix it and was the power on the Playdock too much for the IPOD (i.e., why did it stopped working)? Note: My IPOD had been completely charged overnight as it was docked all night and up until I plugged it into the Playdock, it was working just fine.

Posted by janet r. on July 30, 2005 at 9:38 AM (PDT)

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