AC laptop adapters...substitutes ok?

[simple girl]

Well, as we speak I only have about 1.5 hrs of battery life left on my laptop. My AC Adaptor appears to have fried out - green light doesn't come on when I plug it in. I did some research on the web, and it appears this is a common problem with my laptop (it's a Dell Inspiron 1525). I've only had it maybe a year or two.

I researched the Dell site and even they don't list an adaptor that is compatible with my laptop. I called them, and the tech guy told me the part number that should work, but when I double checked it on their website, it still didn't officially list my model computer as compatible. So I'm thinking - if Dell wants to sell me a $69 AC Adaptor that doesn't officially list my computer as compatible, why not order something from Amazon or Radio Shack that isn't "Dell", but runs more around $25? However, I don't want to fry my laptop by being cheap!

DH will be able to help me with this (he's a techie), but he's at work right now, so I thought I'd pick your brains...lots of computer techie's right here!

Any advice is welcomed. Of course, I may not reply, b/c my laptop may soon be dead!

Adaptor: 65 watt
Input: AC 100-240V-1.5A, 50-60 Hz
Output: DC 19.5 V, 3.34A

 

[RunningBum]

Make sure the output on the adapter matches. 19.5V is a bit unusual, but some of those adapters are variable output. And make sure the plug matches. If your laptop is listed as compatible, both should match.

I left my adaptor in an airport once, and had to buy a generic kind with variable output and lots of different plugs, and got a combo that matched, and it seemed to work fine.

 

[TromboneAl]

Quite likely that you'd be fine with a knock-off, but I understand the worry. There are plenty on eBay.

I have two adapters so that I can leave me laptop at two locations in the house, but I don't remember how I got the extra one.

 

[RoccoPacco]

I had my laptop power supply fizzle out on me as well. I went to Fry's and they had a universal power supply with many different tips. It was about $60 -- and now will work on both of my husband's and my laptops.

 

[megacorp-firee]

I paid too much at best buy for a universal power supply ($100), but I was under the gun and could not afford to have my main laptop out of service (with some critical files that I needed to access ASAP). I have since learned to make sure I have an immediate backup of critical files on my notebook, flashdrive, and archive backup drive.

I believe you need to ensure that you have the same or more power output (watts).

 

[HFWR]

Any supply should work if:

1. It is rated 19.5v;
2. It is rated 3.34A/65W or more;
3. It has a plug of the same size and polarity (i.e. the positive and negative terminals are the same)...

 

[simple girl]

Thanks everyone! DH just looked at it, and by his magic touch it is now working again. I swear he is like the Fonz.

He is not convinced it is totally fried...going to keep an eye on it, but I am now prepared. I found what appears to be an exact match on E-bay (thanks T-Al), and it meets all the specs you guys outlined. And only about $20.

Oh, and I do keep all of my files backed up on a jump drive. I learned that the hard way a few years ago...but a scare like this is always a good reminder!

If it fries completely and I purchase one on ebay, I'll let you guys know how it works. Thanks again for all of the feedback!

 

[RunningBum]

If he was McGyver, he could make you a new power supply with a coat hanger, a stick of gum, a light bulb, and a shaker of salt. But you wouldn't have it until 3 seconds before your job or some critical deadline depended on having it powered up.

 

[LOL!]

On Dell's, the motherboard contains the battery-charger circuitry. It often fries before the AC-adapter is dead. So what happens is that you can't charge your battery in your laptop, but you can still use your computer either via the AC-adapter or by charging your battery elsewhere (like another laptop).

 

[RunningBum]

My Dell Inspiron now boots up with a message that the battery isn't recognized, and cannot be charged. I can hit a key to continue. I read up on it, and it would appear that the battery is going out.

It's not a huge deal, because I almost always run on AC power, but sometimes I move it to another place in the house, so I don't want the battery to totally die. I thought I'd monitor and see how much life it has left doing those quick moves. Well, the plug went out once and it drained almost all the way down. I plugged it in, and got the charge back up to a bit over an hour. That's happened a couple of times now, and it still recharges. So it looks like I'm ok, except that I have to hit a key during startup, and only have about an hour or so of battery life.

Any idea what's up with that?

 

[yakers]

There are external batteries that can be connected to the AC imput line to extend battery use.