[tmellen]

I had an MP3 playing stereo in my previous car, and it would charge my 6800 (Titan) just fine. It would not, however charge my Omnia. When I got my new car, I toyed with a cigarette lighter USB adapter. It also does not charge the Omnia, so I bought a charger.

The problem I believe, is that USB specs allow for 5V, 100MA MAX on a device without specific drivers. USB drivers for specific devices tell the port on a computer how much amps to use up to 500MA (although it's shared between all ports on a hub). Dumb devices like car stereos and lighter adapters are only allowed to pump 5V, +/-100MA because they don't know what's being plugged into them.

This is why Blackberries only charge when the software has been installed on a machine (common gripe about blackberries). It needs 500ma to overcome the drain of having the phone on.

This is also why some external USB HD's use the split Y cable. The drive only uses 5v, but it needs +700MA to function correctly.

I also believe that this is why some people report USB charging is reported to work for some, and not for others. With the correct Samsung drivers installed on the PC (Shown be the recent ROM release that many people didn't have them or even know where to get them) the correct amperage is charging the Omnia fine. For those without the drivers, the trickle charge is too little to positively affect the phone while it's powered on.

My 2¢.

-Tom