The short answer is, it depends on the length and the quality of the cable used. The original Motorola data cable was specifically designed for this charger, so you would have to do some experimentation to find out if a different cable would work. As cable length increases, it becomes necessary for thicker gauge power conductors to compensate for voltage drop. If the thickness of the gauge power conductor is not increased enough to compensate the voltage drop, the turbo charge will not activate.