Charging the Jabra Solemate when planning a trip to Costa Rica

A page showing how to charge your Jabra Solemate with a Costa Rican power outlet using USB Type B connector with a Type A USB charger and how to power the Jabra Solemate using a 3 pin Type B power charger.

Costa Rican power outlet

Varying different voltages and region codes can often be daunting when planning to stay in a foreign country especially if you've never been there before. This page was written to stop people worrying if they'll be able to charge the Jabra Solemate when they are going abroad.If visiting Costa Rica these instructions show how to supply power to your Jabra Solemate by using their standard B or A type Costa Rican 120 volt 60Hz power outlets, a majority of Costa Ricans will use the Type B power outlets. If your Jabra Solemate doesn't power up or recharges slowly when visiting Costa Rica from a different country then check that it is compatible with a 110 volt power supply. Devices which originated from another country which use a higher voltage such as 220 volts sometimes take longer to charge or won't power up, check that your Jabra Solemate is dual-voltage (normally indicated by 100-240 volts) otherwise you may need to use an additional converter to ensure proper use.

Ensure you have download version 1.34 or greater of the latest Jabra Solemate firmware from the official Jabra Solemate support site [2]. After you have set up the speaker you can turn off the default 'Solemate is connected' announcements by holding down the Volume down button when turning on the Jabra Solemate until you hear 'Sound prompts off'.

Charging the Jabra Solemate in Costa Rica

Can you use the Jabra Solemate in Costa Rica?

You can use the Jabra Solemate in Costa Rica by using a power adaptor.

What is the best travel charger for recharging the Jabra Solemate in Costa Rica?

If you are travelling with more than your Jabra Solemate or visiting more than one country the best international travel adapter for Costa Rica is a multiple USB port charger which includes swappable plugs such as a 4 port USB travel charger. Costa Ricans use two different types of power outlets (types B and A) and using a travel adapter like this will ensure that you are covered for type A. As these chargers come with interchangeable pins and can handle 100 volts - 240 volts will mean that you can travel to multiple countries around the world just by switching the supplied plugs over. If your type of Jabra Solemate is compatible with Fast Charge (please note not all USB devices can) then you'll benefit from faster charging times by using one of these USB travel chargers, and additional support for more power demanding devices like tablets. Unlike other travel chargers this will allow you to charge more than one device simultaneously without needing to buy individual power adapters for your Costa Rican trip or using up additional power sockets. Because you are only needing a single USB travel charger will help keep the overall size down, making it ideal to fold up and store in hand luggage while travelling as well as being suitable for charging your Jabra Solemate at the airport or on your flight. Due to their space saving flexibility these types of power adapters can be used at home not just abroad so when you’re not on holiday they can be used under your bedside table charging multiple smartphones and tablets with just a single power outlet.

For those travelling to Costa Rica we suggest searching for a flexible power charger like this at your preferred electronics retailer. The multipurpose power adapter illustrated is the 4 Port USB Wall Charger which has been tested successfully with multiple USB devices in numerous foreign countries.

Alternative travel adapter for Costa Rica

The 4 port USB travel charger is the most compact option for travellers from any country who only have USB devices such as the Jabra Solemate, however for visitors also wishing to use their domestic plugs these power adapters provide larger but more versatile solutions. All three power adapters offer surge protection which is necessary for travellers to counties with unstable power supplies. These power converters come with interchangeable type C, I and G plugs which cover Europe, North America, Australia, United Kingdom, Japan, China and over 150 countries around the world:

  • BESTEK Portable International Travel Voltage Converter - The BESTEK international travel adaptor has 4 USB charging ports with 3 AC power outlets and is the most popular portable power adapter for travellers originating from North America visiting Costa Rica.
  • ORICO Traveling Outlet Surge Protector Power Strip - Similarly having 4 USB ports but only 2 AC power outlets the Orico is also aimed at travellers from the US using type B plugs. This is a cheaper alternative to the BESTEK with only one less AC outlet at almost half price.
  • BESTEK International USB Travel Power Strip - This power strip has 2 AC outlets but offers 5 USB charging ports. This versatile power strip is compatible with both American plugs and popular plug types A, D,E/F, G, H, I, L and N making it suitable for a majority of travellers from around the world visiting Costa Rica. [8] [AD]
What is the best travel charger for recharging the Jabra Solemate in Costa Rica?

How to use a Type A power charger for recharging your Jabra Solemate from a Costa Rican power outlet

Instructions on how to recharge the Jabra Solemate from a Costa Rican power outlet with USB Micro type B cord with a Type A USB charger.

  1. In order to supply power to the Jabra Solemate using the Costa Rican power outlet you will need to use a Type A USB power plug adapter [4] and a USB 2.0 A Male to Micro B cable [5].
  2. Begin the process by plugging the Type A USB power plug adapter into the wall supply. This ungrounded plug supply, technically called the Type A power outlet [3], can be recognised by 2 thin adjacent slots next to each other where the live and neutral pins slide into.
  3. Connect one end of the Type B USB Micro cable into the bottom of the USB charger and the other end into the USB charging port on the Jabra Solemate. The USB charging port is located to the right of the speaker below the line in port.
  4. Turn on the Costa Rican power outlet.
  5. The battery indicator on the Jabra Solemate will glow red when low, yellow when half full and green when fully charged. Typically the battery will take 2.5 hours to completely charge although this may take longer if you use the Jabra Solemate during the charging process. [AD]
How to use a Type A power charger for recharging your Jabra Solemate from a Costa Rican power outlet

Powering the Jabra Solemate with a Costa Rican power outlet by using a 3 pinned Type B USB adapter

A page showing how to charge your Jabra Solemate with a Costa Rican power outlet using USB Type B connector with a Type B USB charger.

  1. To charge the Jabra Solemate from a Costa Rican power outlet you'll need a Type B USB power plug adapter [7] and a USB 2.0 A Male to Micro B cable [5].
  2. Begin the process by plugging the Type B USB power plug adapter into the Costa Rican power outlet. This plug supply, technically called the Type B power outlet [6], is identified by the 2 thin slots next to each other where the plug outlet blades slide into with a semicircle hole below for the earth pin.
  3. Then connect the USB end of the USB 2.0 A Male to Micro B cable into the bottom of the USB charger and the other end into the USB charging port on the Jabra Solemate. The USB charging port can be found to the right of the speaker below the line in port.
  4. Switch on the Costa Rican power outlet.
  5. The battery indicator on the Jabra Solemate will glow red when low, yellow when half full and green when fully charged. Typically the battery will take 2.5 hours to completely charge although this may take longer if you use the Jabra Solemate whilst charging. [AD]
Powering the Jabra Solemate with a Costa Rican power outlet by using a 3 pinned Type B USB adapter

See also

  1. Wikipedia - Wikipedia.org web page about Costa Rica
  2. Jabra - official Jabra Solemate support site
  3. iec.ch - Type A power outlet
  4. Type A USB power plug adapter - With its two-blade, ungrounded design, the Type A USB power plug adapter offers a straightforward way to convert electrical outlets in countries like the United States and Canada into USB ports for easy device charging..
  5. USB 2.0 A Male to Micro B cable - Used to connect USB devices which have a USB Mini-B port to computers, power supplies and other devices.
  6. iec.ch - Type B power outlet
  7. Type B USB power plug adapter - A Type B USB power plug adapter conforms to the NEMA 5-15 specifications, featuring 2 parallel flat blades and an extended grounding pin. Rated at 15A and 125 volts, suitable for use in the United States and Canada for converting domestic outlets to USB..
  8. 4 Port USB Wall Charger - A 4-port USB wall charger is an electrical device that provides simultaneous charging for up to four USB-compatible devices. It often includes interchangeable international plug adapters for global use..