Shoutbox

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Originally posted by Kobol
Nope.  The only directions on the AC Adapter were to install the correct tip, which I did.

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the amp and voltage output of an adapter (or anything for that matter) has got little to nothing todo with the kind of plug. (in most cases). Never think that you have a correct adapter when the plugs match; a plug doesn't say anything (goes in general for those who read this too).

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Originally posted by Kobol
However, even with the AC Adapter unplugged, the battery still says overvoltage.

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This most likely means your battery is fuxored (by wrong setting of adapter or shortcut by old adapter).

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Originally posted by Kobol
Yeah, this is the first time its happened.  The old charger had a tear in the wire and no longer functioned and a replacement was really really expensive so I opted for the Universal one that wasnt as expensive.  Everything else works fine but the battery.

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Personally I never ever use so called "universal adapters". In general they are of very low quality, their output fluxuates (this is something you almost never find on such adapters: the stability of them) and they seldom output the exact voltage or amp as you set them to.

There is a good reason why the replacement adapter is expensive!!! (minus the brand you pay for; but still...)

Anyways, all you have to do if the wire was cut, was to replace the wire or part of the wire and it would be perfectly fine. Unless the adapter itself was burned up, but in that case it simply wouldn't work anymore and you've only lost, like, $0.0001 for the wire.

Now you possibly have a very low quality adapter _and_ maybe a fuxored battery.

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Originally posted by RaceProUK

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Originally posted by Kobol

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Originally posted by Old Adapter

Input: 100 - 240V~ 1.6A (1.6A)  50-60Hz
Output: 19 V == 3.42A (3.42A)

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Originally posted by New Adapter

Input: 100 - 230V~ 2A   50-60Hz
Output: 15 - 24V == 65W Max

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The newer adaptor runs at a higher current, and has a variable voltage. Both of these can cause problems.

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No that's wrong...

The new adapter has a variable current because it has a variable voltage, not a "higher current". The current depends on the voltage. That is also the reason why they print out the maximum power output and not the current output.

If his old adapter has an output of 19V and 3.42A, it means the power consumption is 19 x 3.42 = 64,98W, aka 65W.

If the new adapter is set to 19V, the current will be 65W / 19V = 3.42A... Exactly the same as the old one.

Conclussion: the adapter should be absolutely perfect for the job (if set right, and with the condition that it doesn't fluxuate too much).

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Originally posted by RaceProUK
The new adaptor should have a voltage setting on it at least though. Since you're getting 'overvoltage' errors, you've probably got it set too high.

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correct...

But beware! Do not set the voltage too low either. eg: let's say you set it to 10V, what will the current be? 65 / 10 = 6.5A!!! result: fuse blown... If it has a fuse at all of course. Which is another disadvantage of cheap adapters, they simply melt down or blow up and quite often in the process take the equipment which is hooked to it with it.

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Originally posted by Adeptus
The voltage setting on most universal laptop power supplies is determined by the plug adapter being used.

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Absolutely not true. Plugs have got absolutely nothing todo with voltage settings... If they do, it would be a crappy adapter.

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Originally posted by Kobol
lol, theres no setting thing, the only thing I can actually change is the tip that the adapter uses and thats supposed to control the current flow or something like that.  I'm using the tip number it said for my laptop model, so idk.

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If that would be the case, put that adapter in the bin immediatly as that isn't the correct adapter at all.

If this is the case the 15V-24V does not mean you can select the voltage you want, it means the adpater will output whatever voltage depending on the voltage of your power grid at home. eg: if that is only 100V AC, then the adapter will output 15V DC. If it is 240V AC, then the adpater will output 24V... In which case this would be a crap adapter as an adapter should output a fixed voltage, especially for computers who are extremely sensetive to such things.

Compare this to the text on the old adpater, eventhough it says you can plug it in to a powergrid which gives 100V to 240V AC, it will always output 19V DC!!!!!



A universal variable adapter should _always_ have a voltage selection button. Usually in the form of a small turn button. If it hasn't, it is not an universal variable adapter at all and just a common cheap thing (which they call universal because it has some different sizes of plugs).

It is an universal _variable_ adapter which you need (a good one) or a fixed adapter with the correct output specs 19V==3.42A. The plugs don't matter that much as you can buy and/or find plug converters in all kind of sizes and shapes.

All in all, spend some money on buying an original one (after you tried fixing the wire of the old one; be carefull you don't mix up the + with the - ; it is DC afterall). Quality doesn't come cheap....

Hi,

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Originally posted by CookieRevised
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Originally posted by Adeptus
The voltage setting on most universal laptop power supplies is determined by the plug adapter being used.
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Absolutely not true. Plugs have got absolutely nothing todo with voltage settings... If they do, it would be a crappy adapter.

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Originally posted by CookieRevised
Personally I never ever use so called "universal adapters".

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I can see that you don't use them, indeed.  It is unfortunate that not having first-hand experience doesn't stop you from arguing with people who do, though.

Kensington is one of the best known manufacturers of laptop accessories.  In fact, there's at least 70% chance that Kobol has a Kensington product; there are some others, but Kensington is by far the most common brand.

Please take a look here.  Note the line that says: "Provides the right power for iPods, mobile phones, portable DVD players, PDA's etc when used with correct tip".   This is what a tip looks like:



Take a look here to find a searchable database for the various tips available.  That's quite an assortment, ranging from laptops to cell phones.  Surely you wouldn't think the adapter (which has no buttons or switches of any kind) sends the same voltage to all of them?

So, "this is how it works":

If you were to look at the connection between the tips and the cable, you'd see four pins.  I can take a picture, if you are interested -- I own one of these things. 

Why four, when only two are required for power?  The other two pins are used by the tips (which they call SmartTips) to communicate to the power supply what voltage to provide.  Simple and ingenious.

This is, of course, irrelevant to Kobol's problem and I ordinarily wouldn't bother to respond.  However, this is not the first time it has happened.  You seem to have habit of assuming people are wrong when, in fact, they are talking about something you don't have experience with or don't understand.

Just to clarify, I am using a "Targus 70W Universal Home Charger".  Tip #3 is the tip for my Gateway 6020GZ.

Adeptus, thanks for the clarifications. But I do have experience with adapters though. I use many adapters very regulary. I deal with people comming to me to power this or that, or "I have this at home, we can use it for that" and when I take my multimeter, it shows it is not the correct one afterall, or "I forgot my adapter, do you have anything" . All this is also a part of my job.

I was not talking about one particular brand, and certainly not about a type of adapter which is actually not easy to find. Most adapters are not of that kind. I was talking in general. I have a box full of adapters (left-overs from people forgetting theirs, or bad buys, etc) where I often need to grab one, because that group has again forgotten theirs at home and they need to power that device. And none of them are of the type you describe, also if I go to a store the type you descibre is seldom found (only in specialized stores; not in the common mutli shopping market).

And even when talking about that specific brand: plugs have got nothing todo with the supplied voltage or power! Even with that brand. There is no standarization for this kind of plugs and which power they should give. There are some vague guidelines and some useuall types which give the same outage, but again, no standarization at all. For each plug they have and say it give this or that voltage and power, I can show you devices with that same plug which needs a total different power/voltage.

The plugs do not determine what power and/or voltage it will give. For that type of adapter you describe this is exactly the same. It is not the kind of plug which determines it, it is the electronics inside the adapter itself (though, which in this case is build into a part of the plug as a whole).

Go to an electricity shop and confront them with "a plug determines what power it gives" and they will look at you with a face like "one day he's going to blow something up because he connects the wrong things".

Simply saying in one sentence "The voltage setting on most universal laptop power supplies is determined by the plug adapter being used." is completely wrong. If you said "for that particular brand", then it might be correct (and even then it isn't technically correct), but certainly not "most" or "all".

If people read what you've said and take it like that, they go to a hardware store saying I need an adapater with this kind of plug. The people at the hardware store will not be able to help him because the plug does not say anything about the needed power and voltage. Or they buy one themselfs and chances are high they will end up with the wrong adapter (and possibly damaging their device). It is this I want to warn about. If you want to buy an adapter you must primearly know what power and voltage it should be. What kind of plug it needs is actually of little importance as you can buy all kinds of plug converters (<= which also again shows that the type of plug says little about its power/voltage usage).

Cookie,

I think the problem is that you are talking about generic power adapters of all sorts, while I am talking about the more narrow category of power adapters specifically marketed for use with laptops.  You don't go to an "electricity store" to get one of those, you go to a computer store.

Kensington is not the only brand that works this way.  Targus (which Kobol stated earlier is what he has) uses the same method.  Which gets us back to the original point: there is nothing for Kobol to adjust manually.

Obviously, many of the tips will fit other devices.  You are not expected to take advantage of that when using this kind of a power adapter:  there are multiple tips available that appear identical, but are labeled differently and set the adapter to different voltages.  You are expected to look at the compatibility matrix and pick the one indicated for your notebook model -- not the first that fits.

Whether this design is clever or crappy, and whether it is common or not, are matters of opinion, your location, and whether you shop computer stores or electrical supply stores, I suppose.   

Anyway, what Kobol needs to do is get a different adapter -- preferably an exact replacement from Gateway, or get someone with some electronics skills to fix the damaged cord.

quote:

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Originally posted by Adeptus
...there are multiple tips available that appear identical, but are labeled differently and set the adapter to different voltages...

(...)

...not the first that fits.

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exactly my point; it does not depend on plugs, no matter if it is for a laptop or not.