Forum.ArchosFans.com

I've just purchased a 705 frlm a liquidation auction but it didn't come with the charging adapter. Can anyone tell me if a normal mains adapter would do the same job, and if so, what settings (ie current and polarity) should it be on???

The Archos mains charger has an output of 5.7v at 1 amp. polarity is +ve to centre pin.

Thanks Denis, most helpful indeed

No probs, you will get away with 6v, the Archos charging circuit handles this perfectly ok, You can even use 4xAA batteries in a portable application.
If you are worried about the extra 0.3v, just connect a diode in series eg type 1N4002, to cut the 6v down to spec.

A voltage of 5v will also charge the archos, it will just take a little longer

The internal circuitry cuts this to a stable 4.1v, current limited, to charge the 3.7v lipo battery of the Archos

Any charger with a rating less than 1 amp will also do, it will just take longer. Power units rated more than 1amp will also do, it won't charge any faster as the charging rate is controlled by the Archos, the extra capacity of the power unit will just mean it wont have to work so hard.

The connector to the Archos is the same as that used on older Nokia phones, in case you can find a cheap source for these.

Don't waste your money on a genuine Archos power unit, there's nothing magical about them

Is there an issue with overcharging the battery and shortening the lifespan if I choose to leave my 705 plugged in all the time? I kept my 705 plugged in all the time and within a week battery life went from a couple hours to a few minutes. Thinking of buying an external charger from http://www.newmp3technology.com/multibox3.htm , but would like to know if it has overcharge protection? Thank you.

It's the Archos itself that monitors and controls the charge, not the charger. Unfortunately it's not very good in my opinion.

There are lots of posts about batteries being ruined by leaving the Archos constantly on the charger.

Best practice is to take off charge once the green charge light flashes.