notebook charger powering laptop

garv123

I ended up leaving my laptop charger in college by mistake and was wondering if i would do any harm running my laptop off my mams acer netbook charger when i needed too for the week
I plugged it in for a second and it said charging.

My laptop is 19v 3.42A and the netbook is 19v 2.15A

garv123

garv123 wrote: »

I ended up leaving my laptop charger in college by mistake and was wondering if i would do any harm running my laptop off my mams acer netbook charger when i needed too for the week
I plugged it in for a second and it said charging.

My laptop is 19v 3.42A and the netbook is 19v 2.15A

I wouldn't recommended it. Best case scenario is the machine will run slower and/or the battery will not charge. Worst case is it'll blow the netbook PSU.

unkel

I had the same issue recently and I opted for the slightly more cavalier option compared to Karsini

It worked fine - the laptop was charging and at the same time I was running programs. The charger was getting hot enough though.

If you want to play it safe, just switch off the laptop, connect the netbook charger so the laptop battery gets charged. Then when the laptop is fully charged, disconnect the charger and run the laptop until it needs charging again. Switch it off, connect the charger, etc.

_AVALANCHE_

unkel wrote: »

The charger was getting hot enough though.

This, I'd imagine it'd goose the charger before the laptop.

If you want to play it safe, just switch off the laptop, connect the netbook charger so the laptop battery gets charged. Then when the laptop is fully charged, disconnect the charger and run the laptop until it needs charging again. Switch it off, connect the charger, etc.

Do this.



Or you could get one of those multi volt adapters (don't know proper name) that you can set to whatever charge/volt you want, I have one this years, never had a use for it though. Handy to have all the same.

I'll check Argos and see if they have one....try your local electrical store.

garv123

thanks for the help. Il turn it off and charge it like said and have a look in town for the "volt thingy"
I get a good 2 hours out of the laptop battery so il survive.

GarIT

Just from past experiences whichever is lower goes first. If the laptop has lower amps it will break first or if its the charger that is lower it will go. I'd say 99/100 times you'd be fine when only the amps are different and its the charger that's lower. Just don't use it for ages until it overheats.

GarIT

GarIT wrote: »

Just from past experiences whichever is lower goes first. If the laptop has lower amps it will break first or if its the charger that is lower it will go. I'd say 99/100 times you'd be fine when only the amps are different and its the charger that's lower. Just don't use it for ages until it overheats.

It's ok to use a higher rated PSU on a lower rated device (provided the voltage is the same) as the device will only draw what it needs. For example, it's fine to use a 19V, 4.74A PSU on a laptop which needs 19V, 3.42A. I still wouldn't be happy using a lower rated PSU on a device which needs more.

GreenWolfe

Karsini wrote: »

It's ok to use a higher rated PSU on a lower rated device (provided the voltage is the same) as the device will only draw what it needs. For example, it's fine to use a 19V, 4.74A PSU on a laptop which needs 19V, 3.42A. I still wouldn't be happy using a lower rated PSU on a device which needs more.

Wouldn't you have to check that the polarity of the replacement matches up too?

EarthlyPangaea

EarthlyPangaea wrote: »

Wouldn't you have to check that the polarity of the replacement matches up too?

Of course, but with laptops I've never seen the polarity reversed. Any I've seen have had the positive terminal on the inside.

GreenWolfe

Karsini wrote: »

Of course, but with laptops I've never seen the polarity reversed. Any I've seen have had the positive terminal on the inside.

Just in case, Murphy's Law and all that!

GarIT

EarthlyPangaea wrote: »

Karsini wrote: »

Of course, but with laptops I've never seen the polarity reversed. Any I've seen have had the positive terminal on the inside.

Just in case, Murphy's Law and all that!

There all the same, you couldn't sell universal chargers if they weren't

Inspector Gadget

Yep, definitely all centre-positive - at least the hundreds I've seen (used to repair lappies once upon a time). Most modern lappies are 19v too, though I've seen older ones range from 15-22v. Amps/watts are everything, Karsini is spot on.

Patrick2010

I got one of those "volt thingies" in Tesco after my laptop charger died.