Seeking advice with power adapter repair

[Sauro]

I've got two Mac power adapters - one for an iBook and one for a Macbook. The iBook adapter is a 45w output device (24.5V 1.875A) and the Macbook adapter is 60W Output (16.5V 3.65A). The connectors are different for each laptop. I attempted to re-solder the wires to the circuit board of the Macbook adapter, but I must have screwed something up as I'm not longer getting voltage readings.

My question is whether the laptop would be able to receive a charge if I were to splice the head from the Macbook line to the iBook adapter. I know the wires are exactly the same (annoying coaxial setup), so the splice should be no issue. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Note: An adapter with Output: 18.5V~4.6A is said to work with this laptop as well.

 

[xanis]

Or, you could just buy some new power adapters off craigslist or eBay and save yourself time and aggravation. Just saying.

 

[Sauro]

But you don't understand - it's for a lady. I already fixed one of her kitchen drawers...that got me a York peppermint patty. I could get a sandwich out of this.

 

[theflyingpig]

God has abandoned you comrade. You must repent your sins, or you and the laptop will burn in the pits of hell for eternity. This is my promise.

 

[Paladin3]

Originally posted by: Sauro
But you don't understand - it's for a lady. I already fixed one of her kitchen drawers...that got me a York peppermint patty. I could get a sandwich out of this.

Caution, my friend, or next week you will be laying the foundation for a new house in hopes of eventually laying...

 

[xanis]

Originally posted by: Sauro
But you don't understand - it's for a lady. I already fixed one of her kitchen drawers...that got me a York peppermint patty. I could get a sandwich out of this.

I have a crazy idea, and it might just work... buy a new power adapter and tell her that it's the old one that you fixed.

 

[Number1]

Originally posted by: Sauro
I've got two Mac power adapters - one for an iBook and one for a Macbook. The iBook adapter is a 45w output device (24.5V 1.875A) and the Macbook adapter is 60W Output (16.5V 3.65A). The connectors are different for each laptop. I attempted to re-solder the wires to the circuit board of the Macbook adapter, but I must have screwed something up as I'm not longer getting voltage readings.

My question is whether the laptop would be able to receive a charge if I were to splice the head from the Macbook line to the iBook adapter. I know the wires are exactly the same (annoying coaxial setup), so the splice should be no issue. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Note: An adapter with Output: 18.5V~4.6A is said to work with this laptop as well.

You're going to feed 16.5 volts to a device designed to operate at 24.5 volts? That is a full 20% below what is needed. Why in the world would you think that it could possibly work?

 

[skyking]

Originally posted by: Number1

Originally posted by: Sauro
I've got two Mac power adapters - one for an iBook and one for a Macbook. The iBook adapter is a 45w output device (24.5V 1.875A) and the Macbook adapter is 60W Output (16.5V 3.65A). The connectors are different for each laptop. I attempted to re-solder the wires to the circuit board of the Macbook adapter, but I must have screwed something up as I'm not longer getting voltage readings.

My question is whether the laptop would be able to receive a charge if I were to splice the head from the Macbook line to the iBook adapter. I know the wires are exactly the same (annoying coaxial setup), so the splice should be no issue. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Note: An adapter with Output: 18.5V~4.6A is said to work with this laptop as well.

You're going to feed 16.5 volts to a device designed to operate at 24.5 volts? That is a full 20% below what is needed. Why in the world would you think that it could possibly work?

The york peppermint has gone to his head!

 

[Sauro]

Originally posted by: Number1

Originally posted by: Sauro
I've got two Mac power adapters - one for an iBook and one for a Macbook. The iBook adapter is a 45w output device (24.5V 1.875A) and the Macbook adapter is 60W Output (16.5V 3.65A). The connectors are different for each laptop. I attempted to re-solder the wires to the circuit board of the Macbook adapter, but I must have screwed something up as I'm not longer getting voltage readings.

My question is whether the laptop would be able to receive a charge if I were to splice the head from the Macbook line to the iBook adapter. I know the wires are exactly the same (annoying coaxial setup), so the splice should be no issue. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Note: An adapter with Output: 18.5V~4.6A is said to work with this laptop as well.

You're going to feed 16.5 volts to a device designed to operate at 24.5 volts? That is a full 20% below what is needed. Why in the world would you think that it could possibly work?

I would be feeding a 24.5V adapter to a 16.5V device. If I understand it right it would be greater power over a longer period of time (as opposed to the other adapter). I'm not quite sure why this seems so unreasonable.

 

[Soundmanred]

Originally posted by: Sauro

Originally posted by: Number1

Originally posted by: Sauro
I've got two Mac power adapters - one for an iBook and one for a Macbook. The iBook adapter is a 45w output device (24.5V 1.875A) and the Macbook adapter is 60W Output (16.5V 3.65A). The connectors are different for each laptop. I attempted to re-solder the wires to the circuit board of the Macbook adapter, but I must have screwed something up as I'm not longer getting voltage readings.

My question is whether the laptop would be able to receive a charge if I were to splice the head from the Macbook line to the iBook adapter. I know the wires are exactly the same (annoying coaxial setup), so the splice should be no issue. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Note: An adapter with Output: 18.5V~4.6A is said to work with this laptop as well.

You're going to feed 16.5 volts to a device designed to operate at 24.5 volts? That is a full 20% below what is needed. Why in the world would you think that it could possibly work?

I would be feeding a 24.5V adapter to a 16.5V device. If I understand it right it would be greater power over a longer period of time (as opposed to the other adapter). I'm not quite sure why this seems so unreasonable.

NONONONONONONONONONONONONONONO!

 

[Sauro]

No is easy, but an explanation would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Number1]

If you feed it to much power you may very well fry the computer. There is a reason why they use different size connectors.

Don't do it.

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: Sauro
No is easy, but an explanation would be greatly appreciated.

If you feed 24.5V to a 16.5V device, you're going to be doing more than repairing a power adapter.

You can feed a device with a higher amperage rating than it calls for. You do this with a lightbulb all the time: Your wall outlets can feed up to around 15 amps, though not for a very long time. A 60W lightbulb will only take 1/2 amp. But if you take a lightbulb rated for 120V and feed it 240V, it'll blow out almost instantly.

Voltage refers to how much the electrons want to be somewhere else. Amperage refers to how many electrons pass a point in a given time.

So think about a static shock, and a spark you might see. That's very high voltage, quite a few thousands of volts. The electrons really want to move between your finger and whatever metal thing you're touching. But there aren't very many of them, which is why you remain fairly alive after the spark is gone, thus the amperage is quite low, maybe only a few millionths of an amp.
If you were connected to a power source at the same voltage, but with a lot of amps behind it, then you're dead. Now you'd have a lot of electrons that really want to move, and they're going to use your body as a conductor. Congratulations, you're human toast.

Now back to the laptop. If the device is rated to take 16.5V, then it's meant to take electrons with a certain desire to flow. As a result of its own internal resistances, it will only take in a certain amount of current.
If you expose it to electrons with a potential of 24.5V, about 48.5% higher than it's rated for, they're going to force their way through your laptop's components, and cause damage in the process.



Cliffs:
- Do NOT feed a device more voltage than it is rated for. This will damage it.
- It IS ok to give a device the proper voltage from adapter with a current rating higher than the device's rating.
Along those same lines, do NOT give the device power from an adapter which has a current output lessthan the devices rated power draw. This will cause the adapter to overheat, and could easily damage it.

 

[Sauro]

Thank you very much for that response Jeff. I guess a valentines day power adapter is in order.