Charger Challenge

In the past, my daily commute to work was a hassle. Each day I carried my Pocket PC and several other gadgets with me, along with cables for each one so I could connect them to my work computer for syncing and/or charging during the day. At the end of the day I'd bring them back with me so that I could connect to my home PC in the evenings. In addition, I had cigarette lighter power adapters in my car—one for each gadget I carried with me. As you can imagine, I was frustrated with the clutter of the power adapters and the tangle of cables. I needed a simpler solution.

I've been aware of Gomadic cables for some time and reviewed their Pocket PC-to-cell phone cables in the July 2004 issue of Pocket PC magazine (http://www.smartphonemag.com/_archives/jul04/FastInternet.aspx). With the release of Gomadic's new TipExchange technology, I hoped that my cable conundrum had been solved. I decided to do a "cable challenge." I'd replace all my cables and power adapters with the Gomadic system and see if I could keep my HP iPAQ hx4705 fully charged, ready to go at a moment's notice, for two weeks.

Wide variety of cables and power adapters

Gomadic offers a wide variety of cables, power adapters, car mounts, and other accessories for Windows Mobile, Palm OS, and iPod handhelds. As mentioned, I was particularly interested in their interchangeable cable system, which allows you to use a single cable to connect a variety of handheld devices to different power sources. The USB end of the cable connects to a universal AC wall charger or a universal cigarette lighter power adapter for your car. The other end of the cable has a 1.8mm female jack that connects to your handheld device with the help of a small adapter tip. A wide variety of these adapter tips is available, allowing you to use the system with just about any Windows Mobile device as well as other handhelds.

For my "charger challenge" Gomadic was kind enough to send me a Compact Power Kit ($39.95; BCK-0092-02), which consisted of a retractable USB sync/charge retractable cable, a USB universal travel charger, and a universal USB car charger. They also sent me an emergency backup battery charger ($19.05; ID #: EBC-0092-02), which allows you to charge your device with four AA batteries when no other power source is available. The backup battery charger has a permanently attached cable that connects to the handheld device with the help of an adapter tip. Gomadic also sent me three adapter tips, which allowed me to connect the various power sources to my HP hx4705 Pocket PC, my 20GB iPod, and my BlackBerry 7100T.

Gomadic's adapter tips (lower left) let you connect the retractable cable and other power adapters to your Pocket PC or Smartphone.

Don't loose or forget the adapter tips!

One of the strengths of this system can also turn into a disadvantage. The adapter tip allows you to use one cable for a variety of power sources. But if you misplace the tip, you can't connect to any of them. I had a tendency to leave the adapter tip for each gadget wherever I last used it. A few times when I arrived at work I later found that the tip for my Pocket PC was still sitting on the dining room table where I had last charged it.

Luckily I solved my connector abandonment issues by carrying all of the Gomadic parts in a small zipper case originally designed for storing SD cards. I keep the case with my Pocket PC at all times, ensuring that I always have the proper adapter tip with me.

Another possible drawback to the Gomadic Compact Power Kit is that you can only charge one device at a time. Gomadic does carry other Power Kits that offer separate charge cables for wall and car charging. But when you're dealing with a single power source like you're car's cigarette lighter, no dual-charging solution is available.