iPod 3rd Gen iPod Charging Question.

[Fusionskies]

Hey, I just bought a 'for parts' 3rd generation iPod on eBay for a good price, (I've always wanted to own this model, and I am fairly confident that I can fix it, since I think it just needs a HDD swap). I have done it before with an iPod photo, which turned out just to have the data cable seated incorrectly.

I know iPods from the early generations can only receive charge via firewire, and I have loads of firewire cables, but not one with a 30 pin connection on it.
I would buy an official cable, but of course they are no longer sold via apple, and their resale price on eBay is floating around the £50 mark, which was quite a bit more than the iPod itself.

Does anyone who has more knowledge about classic iPods know if this generation can charge via a modern usb from an iPhone wall outlet?
When this generation was introduced, Steve said that the capability to provide power wasn't in USB at the time, but since they now can, would it work?

I have heard it can charge via a car charger as its a 12v power supply. Does this mean I can simply use a 12v apple charger as well? I would rather not fry the poor thing.



Thanks!

 

[Slix]

My sister has one of these iPods and we have the appropriate chargers, but she said that if you plug it into a USB wall charger, it says "Accessory Not Supported" and does not charge it. This was the only iPod that required FireWire for charging, unfortunately. Hopefully you can find a cable someplace! Try checking your local Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace maybe.

 

[Fusionskies]

My sister has one of these iPods and we have the appropriate chargers, but she said that if you plug it into a USB wall charger, it says "Accessory Not Supported" and does not charge it. This was the only iPod that required FireWire for charging, unfortunately. Hopefully you can find a cable someplace! Try checking your local Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace maybe.

I understand now why a lot of accessories never supported this iPod. I ended up finding a third party cable on eBay, it was pricy, but not as much as the official apple ones. I don't have the brick, but I have a Cinema Display with a firewire connection, I am hoping that I can charge the iPod that way, as it runs off a 65w brick.

Thanks for clearing it up for me.

 

[Slix]

I understand now why a lot of accessories never supported this iPod. I ended up finding a third party cable on eBay, it was pricy, but not as much as the official apple ones. I don't have the brick, but I have a Cinema Display with a firewire connection, I am hoping that I can charge the iPod that way, as it runs off a 65w brick.

Thanks for clearing it up for me.

Great! The Cinema Display should charge it, if it's connected to a Mac via FireWire. I use mine that way. Not sure if it'll work without the FireWire connection though. Worth a try for all the options!

 

[Fusionskies]

Great! The Cinema Display should charge it, if it's connected to a Mac via FireWire. I use mine that way. Not sure if it'll work without the FireWire connection though. Worth a try for all the options!

I use my rMBP with the display which of course doesn't have FW, but I can swap my old MacBook in there as of course it has a 400 port. If it charges, it's a bit clunky, but that'll do fine.

 

[Slix]

I use my rMBP with the display which of course doesn't have FW, but I can swap my old MacBook in there as of course it has a 400 port. If it charges, it's a bit clunky, but that'll do fine.

I did just try an iPod connected to my Cinema Display and disconnected the FireWire port on my Power Mac, and it does not charge at all that way. Luckily, you can always just use the older MacBook to charge without connecting to the Cinema Display too. Glad you have a solution.

 

[Fusionskies]

I did just try an iPod connected to my Cinema Display and disconnected the FireWire port on my Power Mac, and it does not charge at all that way. Luckily, you can always just use the older MacBook to charge without connecting to the Cinema Display too. Glad you have a solution.

Oh well, the MacBook surely will provide enough power. Failing that, I also have an old iMac that has a firewire port on it, so that should be able to supply power too.

These iPods are so awkward to charge. I have an iPod Photo as well that just works via usb, but the 3rd gens just give off extra cool points.

 

[Philbo67]

Oh well, the MacBook surely will provide enough power. Failing that, I also have an old iMac that has a firewire port on it, so that should be able to supply power too.

These iPods are so awkward to charge. I have an iPod Photo as well that just works via usb, but the 3rd gens just give off extra cool points.

You might be able to get an original charger on eBay, failing that look for a Bose Soundock series 1 as this is one of the few that can power a 3rd gen iPod. I did a 128gb ssd conversion last year and for ultimate cool managed to get a white soundock. Sound is unreal compared to iPhone & Bluetooth.
Good luck with your mod, old iPods all sound & look great.

 

[Fusionskies]

Hey man, thanks for the advice, I will be in the market for a speaker soon enough, so its good to know which one will just work straight away without any guesswork.

I ended up just buying an official firewire charger on eBay. To be honest it was not too expensive, (around £17), but I figured it was best to buy now, instead of 5/10 years into the future with the way prices are trending. (iPods are always going to be sought after anyways, they will never go down now).

I absolutely love my 3rd gen, and I use it a lot now.
I plan on getting a 1st gen through time, if I find one for the right price.

- Kyle.

 

[retta283]

If anything, iPod prices are going up. This generation used to go for $20-$30 USD in 2018 or so, and now they can go for $70+ easily. Same goes for a lot of other models.

 

[Fusionskies]

If anything, iPod prices are going up. This generation used to go for $20-$30 USD in 2018 or so, and now they can go for $70+ easily. Same goes for a lot of other models.

I got mine for £20, and all it needed was a new battery.

 

[limebook]

Sorry to rehash an old thread. Is there 30pin dock that had the power to charge the 3rd gen iPod.
I have pulled it down in prep to change a battery and add ssd, only to realize I’ve been using the wrong charger.