This calculator is required for a lot of kids in our school district and it’s still a common probem without a simple answer. Schools, testing agencies (that allow the Nspire to be used during SATs and ACTs) and TI collaborating to insure a stream of money to TI…
Anyway, options:
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# There is a cheap device that purports to charge NSpire batteries once removed from the calculator. Search for “Mains Battery Charger for Texas Instruments Select TI-Nspire” current one is from China, $9 shipped, allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. I have not tried this yet.
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# There is a cheap device on ebay that purports to charge NSpire batteries once removed from the calculator. Search for “Mains Battery Charger for Texas Instruments Select TI-Nspire” current one is from China, $9 shipped, allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. I have not tried this yet.
# The port on the calculator is actually just a custom shaped USB Mini. I have been able to charge my TI-Nspire by using a standard USB charger that ends with a USB Mini male (being sure to match the output amperage and voltage, obviously). What this means is that a USB Mini female port could be retro-fitted into an Nspire, and any technician who can replace surface-mount devices could do the repair WITHOUT having access to TI’s custom jack or any other custom hardware. I have not tried this yet either.
# The third option is to get one of the TI-Nspire 10-device multi-chargers. These use the calculator’s data port to charge, not the actual charger port. I have not done this yet as these chargers are as expensive as the calculators themselves. Search for “ti-nspire cx cas docking station” So far the cheapest I’ve found is $80, which gets close to justifying buying a new/used calculator that doesn’t have any issues…
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That nobody has found a way to make a single charger that simply uses that data port is supremely frustrating. But the industry isn’t motivated to help consumers when schools and standardized testing agencies are supporting their monopoly.
This calculator is required for a lot of kids in our school district and it’s still a common probem without a simple answer. Schools, testing agencies (that allow the Nspire to be used during SATs and ACTs) and TI collaborating to insure a stream of money to TI…
Anyway, options:
# There is a cheap device that purports to charge NSpire batteries once removed from the calculator. Search for “Mains Battery Charger for Texas Instruments Select TI-Nspire” current one is from China, $9 shipped, allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. I have not tried this yet.
# The port on the calculator is actually just a custom shaped USB Mini. I have been able to charge my TI-Nspire by using a standard USB charger that ends with a USB Mini male (being sure to match the output amperage and voltage, obviously). What this means is that a USB Mini female port could be retro-fitted into an Nspire, and any technician who can replace surface-mount devices could do the repair WITHOUT having access to TI’s custom jack or any other custom hardware. I have not tried this yet either.
# The third option is to get one of the TI-Nspire 10-device multi-chargers. These use the calculator’s data port to charge, not the actual charger port. I have not done this yet as these chargers are as expensive as the calculators themselves. Search for “ti-nspire cx cas docking station” So far the cheapest I’ve found is $80, which gets close to justifying buying a new/used calculator that doesn’t have any issues…
That nobody has found a way to make a single charger that simply uses that data port is supremely frustrating. But the industry isn’t motivated to help consumers when schools and standardized testing agencies are supporting their monopoly.