How to charge a laptop using an external battery. The best solar powered option
An article about laptop recharging options.
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IN modern world working day, work office, maybe at home, in the country, in a cafe, in nature. This requires a laptop and Internet access. However, providing power to the laptop in the field is the first task.
To power your laptop you will need a portable external battery.
The external battery can be powered by a car generator adapter, a special adapter and a current converter.
Device power options
- using an external charger
- using a solar battery
- using a car inverter
Charging with solar batteries
The battery allows you to convert solar energy into electricity. The portable solar battery is small in size, convenient for hiking, traveling, and outdoors. However, this is a low-power device.
Solar batteries for laptop
The solar battery has higher power and is larger in size. This makes installation difficult.
Charging with an external battery
This device is portable. Capable of keeping the device operating for two hours. Has a lithium-ion battery.
External battery for laptop
Developers provide the market with a variety of models of external batteries, differing in capacity, size, design and configuration.
Advantages of an external battery
- no dependence on weather conditions, sun, rain, snow
- complete with special adapters for powering tablets, laptops, smartphones
Charging using a car inverter
Since there is no electrical outlets, an inverter will help you provide power to your laptop. Disadvantage: Recharging the laptop must occur with the car turned on as a power source.
Charging using a car inverter
The nuances of recharging from an external battery
For a laptop, it is advisable to use a battery with a capacity of 20,000 milliamps per hour.
It is advisable to have an output voltage switch: 12V, 16V or 19V. The battery must have a USB input for connecting a cable from a laptop.
Exactly, using these parameters, you can choose a laptop battery in the catalog of any online store.
The step-by-step process of recharging a laptop using a portable battery is no different from recharging a smartphone. We have already written about this on our website in the article listed at
You can choose a portable battery to power your laptop on the popular Aliexpress store website by following the link
Happy shopping, happy recharging!
Video: The simplest external battery for a laptop
Sometimes in long journey you need to take a laptop. However, a situation often arises when Charger fails or there is no source nearby alternating current. In this case, the question arises: “How to charge a laptop without charging?”
What to do if the charger fails on the road?
If the charger breaks down during inopportune moment, you can try to repair the adapter yourself. You need to check the condition of the cable that connects to the laptop. In most cases it deteriorates from misuse or, for example, when the battery is not fully latched.
You can try to disassemble the charger. It happens that one or more wires come off. In other cases, when the charger does not work, it is necessary to either replace it or use unconventional means of recharging the battery.
Features of using solar panels for batteries
If you spend most of your time outdoors, and you need a laptop for work or entertainment, then one of the ways to extend the working time laptop computer from a battery - purchase a solar battery. It connects directly to and allows you to recycle energy sunlight into electricity.
In general, there are 2 types of laptop charging: stations designed to maintain functionality large quantity electronic equipment, and portable mini-batteries with low power. The first option is not suitable for going outdoors: the huge dimensions and complexity of the installation do not allow you to quickly stop the work in case of precipitation.
The main advantage of this charging method is that it can extend the operating time by a couple of hours (depending on the power). A standard portable one has a voltage of 19 V. However, it is important to consider that this indicator can only be obtained in clear, cloudless weather. This power is enough to charge a laptop battery.
The only drawback of a solar battery is the inability to work on a computer while charging. This is because maximum voltage at 19 V - the value is not constant. Through certain time the battery will gradually lose its energy characteristics. Thus, when thinking about the question of how to charge a laptop without charging, you should remember that buying the above-mentioned device will only be beneficial if you are going to be in a sunny place for a long period of time.
Extending laptop life using an external battery
Another way to charge a laptop without a charger is to purchase this portable equipment, which allows you to increase the operating time of your computer by several hours. In most cases standard laptop can function without recharging for about 2 hours. At the time of buying external battery, this period can be increased by approximately 2 times.
Answering the question “how to charge a laptop without a charger”, we note that on this moment exists big choice external adapters, differing both in size and in the amount of energy required to work without a network.
Another advantage of this charging method is that the external battery comes with branches that allow you to charge a smartphone, digital camera, or tablet. As for the disadvantages, these include the size of the battery. However, in the online store you can choose a battery with a small charge capacity that fits in a hiking bag or backpack.
Thus, charging a laptop using external battery can be carried out anywhere, regardless of weather conditions (which cannot be said about batteries using solar energy) and the location of the computer.
Charging a laptop in a car
If you can't do without a laptop in long trip, there is a need to recharge it. Even if the charger functions normally, most cars do not have an outlet to keep the device in working condition (expensive foreign cars are an exception).
There is an option - to purchase a portable 17 V inverter. It is important to note that in most electronics stores you can choose a charger for any computer model. When solving the question “how to charge a laptop without charging”, you should know that this method of recharging a laptop is only possible when the car’s ignition is on. Otherwise, there is a risk of draining the battery due to high energy consumption.
These methods of charging a dead battery are suitable primarily for those who do not understand electronics and cannot independently diagnose a malfunction in a failed charger. Moreover, if there is no nearby service center servicing your laptop model, the options considered can be considered the only way out in a situation where there is a need to urgently recharge a laptop or tablet.
In addition, using an external battery with a large charge capacity will make it possible to recharge not only a discharged computer, but also other types of digital equipment- camera, video camera, tablet or smartphone. The choice of recharging method depends on the specific situation, as well as on your financial capabilities (a solar battery will cost an order of magnitude more than an external battery and a car adapter combined).
Conclusion
Thus, if a family trip or business trip does not allow you to do without a computer, and the charger is out of order, you can use one of the considered methods to keep the battery working. In general, the answer to the question of how to charge a laptop without charging is extremely simple: using a portable external battery, solar battery or car adapter will help solve the problem and provide the opportunity to use the PC at the right time.
I describe my personal experience Powering the laptop from external batteries. Getting ready to move to live in nature, I was puzzled by solving the problem of powering my laptop from a battery. Having rummaged through the forums, I didn’t find anything simple and accessible. Everyone suggested either a homemade adapter for power supply from a car generator, which is very difficult to assemble. Or ready-made solutions, such as auto adapters for laptops and current converters of 12 volts to 220 volts to use a regular power supply for a laptop. But all these adapters cost money, and I didn’t have the opportunity to buy something ready-made.
Here's how I got out of the situation. The laptop is powered by 19 volts, I took and purchased 3 batteries from UPS at 6 volts 4.5A. I connected them in series and got 19 volts. I cut off the wire from the power supply, the one from the unit to the laptop and connected it to the batteries, observing the plus or minus. Next, I took the battery out of the laptop and connected the power cord. I turned it on and the laptop started working.
Attention - if you power the laptop from batteries, then its own battery must be removed, otherwise the laptop will burn out. I'll explain why. Standard block The power supply provides a certain current, for example 4A, and its battery consumes all these 4A. And if you power it from external batteries, then the battery of the laptop itself will charge everything that is given to it, and external batteries can produce tens of Amperes. With such a charging current, the hardware of the laptop simply cannot withstand it and the built-in power supply of the laptop will burn out.
In order to not only power, but also charge the laptop from external batteries, you need to install a resistor that will limit charging current. For example, if your laptop is powered by 19 volts 4A, then you need to install a 4A resistor. But I know that this option also causes some difficulties, since you need to find the right resistor. There is an even simpler option: instead of a current-limiting resistor, you just need to install a car light bulb with the required number of Amperes.
For example, if your laptop consumes 4 amps, then you need to install a 4 amp light bulb. It will work like a resistor, that is, passing only 4 amperes through itself, while it itself will consume the same amount. Yes, with this scheme, the electricity consumption from external batteries will be 2 times greater, but this will allow you to charge internal battery laptop.
And so, look at the picture, in the first image the laptop is powered directly from 3 6-volt batteries. With this scheme, you must remove the internal battery, otherwise it will burn out. indoor unit laptop power supply.
In Figure “2” the laptop is powered and charged through a resistor. Turning on a resistor or light bulb will not only power, but also charge the built-up laptop battery.
I tested all the above methods on my own. acer netbook, and it still works, I’m writing this article from it. Please note that for power supply I use 3 6.4 volt batteries, this is when serial connection gives 19 volts. There are also laptops that are powered by 12…..16 volts. These laptops can be powered directly from 12 volts (auto battery), just remember to remove the internal battery. If you want to charge your laptop, then charge it through a resistor or a light bulb.
Another way to power a laptop if the laptop battery is dead
Power supply of the laptop from 12 volts, from the battery
The laptop's original battery failed, or rather it worked, but the charge lasted for about 20 minutes at most. And one fine day our electricity was cut off for 2 days, and I needed to correspond on the Internet. And I decided not to wait until the electricity was turned on, and to disassemble the built-in battery of the laptop, it was of no use anyway. There were 4 elements inside, the battery says 14.8 volts, which means each element is 3.7 volts.
Inside there are 2 main wires that are soldered to the ends of the element assembly, and several wires that are soldered between the elements. We need those 2 thick wires. which are on the sides of the element assembly. These wires are plus and minus for power, I connected a 12-volt battery to them and that’s it, we insert the empty battery case into its place and turn on the laptop, everything works.
By the way, depending on the model, the laptop may swear at the power supply and write that the battery is low, but don’t worry, this is due to the fact that the usual car battery gives 12 volts, not 14 volts, which is why the laptop thinks that its battery is low, but it does not turn off and works normally until the battery is actually discharged.
This option is only suitable for 11.1 or 14.8 volt batteries. But these are emergency options, and it is better to use devices designed for this.
The battery is weakness any laptop. The older he gets, the faster the battery drains. Therefore, the issue of recharging it becomes more and more acute, and the charger is not always at hand. Is it possible to charge a laptop via a USB port from another computer or from an external PowerBank? Let's try to understand this issue.
If I had been asked this question a few years ago, I would have confidently answered that no, you can’t! Indeed, previously the USB port on a laptop was used exclusively for connecting peripheral devices. Yes, it was possible to recharge a phone or tablet from it, but it did not have the opposite effect. Used to charge the battery special block nutrition. Moreover, often each manufacturer had it with its own individual connector, which was terribly inconvenient. Especially on the road.
But time passes and everything changes. At the most latest models laptops, netbooks and ultrabooks began to use a new USB port 3.1. This is the so-called connector Type C. This is what it looks like:
So thanks to technological progress it is finally possible to use USB ports for charging a laptop.
What are the differences between ports
The point is that I USB standard was developed quite a long time ago, back in 1994. And then the question of supplying pure power through this bus did not arise at all. Subsequently, over more than 20 years, quite a few types of USB connectors were invented:
But the only thing they all had in common was that they could not provide power transmission of more than 4.5 Watts. If this was at least enough for a smartphone or tablet, then for a laptop you need at least 30, and preferably 50 or more. Accordingly, charging a laptop via USB was out of the question until a more energy-intensive version appeared. And Type C became it. It is almost half the size of the usual 2.0/3.0 standard port:
But it can easily provide current transmission of up to 100 Watts in both directions - that is, both to the connected devices and from them to the host. This is quite enough not only for ordinary models, but even for gaming laptops. You can take one or two powerful power banks with you on the road and not worry about not having an outlet at hand!
What about owners of old models?
Unfortunately, they will not be able to charge a laptop via a USB port under any circumstances. They just don't know how to do it. How to be in this case? Only buy extra battery and carry it with you. Or, alternatively, save money to buy a new one mobile computer. You may object - you can’t save enough money for this! But if your work depends on it, then maybe it makes sense to invest? You decide! Good luck!
When choosing an external battery for a laptop, you cannot rely only on price and visual characteristics, otherwise your money will most likely be wasted. This is justified by the fact that the equipment may simply not be suitable for the power-hungry components of some computers, because in this case its capacity will only last for a very short period. Such an external battery for a laptop will only become a burden in the bag for its owner, without bringing any significant result in the form of a long operating time of the laptop.
Battery capacity
To do the right purchase, first of all, you need to know about the characteristics of your equipment. When you are choosing an external battery for your laptop, Special attention It is recommended to look at the capacity, comparing it with the indicator on the built-in power supply. Such information can suggest the necessary power consumption parameters based on the performance of the device components. Typically, the minimum built-in battery capacity for a full-size laptop with a display diagonal of about 15 inches is 4400 mAh.
Most laptop manufacturers and mobile devices, such as tablets and smartphones, measure the capacity of their batteries in mAh. But brands like Apple list the data on their devices using the Wh notation.
Current strength
Another important parameter is current strength. An external battery for a laptop usually operates at 2.5 A. But the optimal required parameter can be selected by finding out the current strength supplied to native device nutrition.
Connector
A very obvious and important selection criterion is also the connection connector. Laptops usually use one of several standard inputs that differ in diameter. It is worth noting that Apple products have their own connector and do not support a universal external battery for laptops without specialized adapters. For these reasons, it is recommended to base your choice on the required equipment of the device.
Universal external battery manufactured by Hyper
The optimal types of batteries support about 20,000 mAh and allow you to increase the duration several times battery life computer. The model from the manufacturer Hyper PS-221 has exactly this characteristic, and also has a wide list of supported devices. This external battery is suitable for Asus laptop, HP, Acer, Sony, Dell and even Apple thanks to the various adapters included in the kit. Charging Power Bank from Hyper is produced via a micro USB input. Interesting feature is the ability to power not only computers, but also mobile devices. This becomes real thanks to the voltage switch, which has positions for 12, 16 and 19 V.
Despite the convenience and versatility of the devices, portable autonomy comes at a price. External batteries large capacity for a laptop they have one common disadvantage - they make the bag very heavy. The weight of such a device usually reaches 500 grams.
Battery with solar panels iconBIT FTB23000S
On modern market electronics exists great amount various new products, sometimes completely useless and illogical. But it happens that developers release interesting, eye-catching and useful devices. One of these is an external battery for a laptop and mobile phone iconBIT FTB23000S . Its peculiarity lies in the ability to charge from the sun's rays. The battery capacity is 23000 mAh in accordance with the model name.
Due to the quality of assembly and parts, such a device is suitable even for use in hiking conditions. The developer guarantees stable work and the declared battery capacity, since all iconBIT products are thoroughly tested before entering store shelves. Having a portable solar battery MPS23000, you can be energy independent anywhere, be it an airport, train, mountains, beach or forest.
Business class device iconBIT FTB20000S
A similar option to the one described above is iconBIT FTB20000S. This versatile power bank for laptops also has a built-in solar panel. Stands out Power Bank pleasant soft-touch coating and plenty of adapters included in the kit. Connecting a laptop from any company, including Apple, will not be a problem.
A more rigorous design and compactness allow the FTB2000 to be positioned as a business-class device. The downside is the slightly reduced battery capacity. It is 20,000 mAh.
conclusions
External portable accumulator will allow you to recharge not only your laptop, but also all mobile electronics. This option will be optimal for travelers and people who often go on business trips.
Unfortunately, solar panels will not allow you to fully charge laptop batteries, but will only slightly slow down the discharge process. However, it is quite suitable for mobile devices.