Is it possible to charge a laptop using an external battery? Examples of external batteries
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 Charger 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!
Long trips, or even just a breakdown of the charger, lead to the fact that you have to look for new way obtaining energy to operate gadgets. If the cause is a hardware malfunction, it is recommended to fix it one way or another, because none of the alternative options won't full replacement. However, there are still several ways to charge laptop computer without having a working charger with you.
What is laptop charging
Today, laptop computers have become widespread, displacing traditional personal computers in popularity. While regular PCs run on network power, these mobile devices have a built-in or removable battery, but its power and charge are limited. This is why netbooks and ultrabooks need regular power supply. To do this, a charger is used, through the wire of which electricity is transmitted from the network. Using other equipment, you can get energy from alternative sources.
Is it possible to charge a laptop via USB
To all modern gadgets You can connect a USB adapter through the dedicated socket to view and transfer files, but charging them the same way can be a problem. For example, if you connect a smartphone to a netbook, the first gadget will act as a charger for the second, and not vice versa. In order to understand why this happens, we need to clarify a little about the ports themselves.
Netbooks use two types of ports: USB 2.0 and USB 3.0. They pass a charge of no more than 4.5 W. For comparison, for a battery to receive power to operate, it needs at least 30 watts. Therefore, it is impossible to charge a laptop via USB due to insufficient power. Alternative: use a new, recently released type of equipment - Type-C. It is also called USB 3.1. Bandwidth Type-C reaches 100W. The disadvantage is that this connector is only available in modern, expensive models, such as the Chromebook Pixel or MacBook.
How can you charge a laptop without charging?
Even if the answer to the question of whether it is possible to charge a laptop via USB was negative, this does not mean that there are no other options. Alternative methods Lithium ion battery charging includes:
- compact electric generators;
- storage external batteries;
- auto power adapter;
- portable inverter connected via car cigarette lighter;
- Power Bank(power bank).
From solar battery
The essence of this equipment is to transform solar energy into electricity. Two types of solar panels are suitable for charging a netbook: mini-batteries, portable and having low power, and stations, large, complex in design, but capable of maintaining the functionality of the device for a long time. If the problem of powering your gadget is relevant for you only when going outdoors, the first type will suit you. The second one is too inconvenient to use in case of deterioration weather conditions.
Power portable solar battery does not exceed 19 W, and this value is not constant and is achieved only in clear weather. However, it is mobile, and its application is very simple:
- Connect the equipment to the power socket.
- When the charging process is complete, remove it.
- Keep in mind that you cannot work on a netbook all this time.
From an external battery
A special type of portable equipment – external battery Provides power to the device for about a couple of hours. Considering that a standard laptop computer works for about 120 minutes without a network connection, an external battery doubles this time. It will not replace a full-fledged charger, but compared to the previous method it has its advantages: it can be used in any weather. How to do it.
Sometimes you need to work on your laptop for a couple of extra hours away from the outlet, and an external laptop battery helps with this. There are many external batteries and mobile chargers, but most of them are not suitable for laptops. Typically, a laptop requires a power supply voltage of 19 V, less often 12 V, and mobile chargers for phones and tablets produce a voltage of 5 V, so you should look for a 'power bank for a laptop' or 'portable battery for a laptop'.
In addition to matching the output voltage of the battery and the supply voltage of the laptop, it is necessary that the output current of the charger is not lower than the current consumed by the laptop.
The next factor that needs to be taken into account is the connectors; the charging plug must match the laptop socket, and the polarity of the power supply must also match. Usually on external contact There is a ‘-‘ power supply, and on the internal one there is a ‘+’. Often external batteries come with a bunch of adapters for Various types nests, but this does not give an absolute guarantee. So check the availability of the required plug before purchasing.
Finally, when choosing an external battery for a laptop, you should pay attention to its capacity. The larger the battery capacity, the longer the laptop will run on such a battery. Battery capacity can be measured either in milliAmpere hours (mAh) or in Watt hours (Wh), I recommend comparing the capacity in Watt hours because the capacity in milliAmpere hours depends on the battery voltage and the comparison will be correct only if the voltages are equal both batteries.
By the way, some battery manufacturers are cunning and indicate the capacity only in mAh and take the voltage equal to 3.6V. An honest manufacturer will indicate a capacity of 4000 mAh 10.8 V, and a dishonest one 12000 mAh; in fact, both batteries will have a capacity of 43.2 Wh, and it will seem to us that the second one has 3 times the capacity.
Well, the brand of the battery also matters: how long the battery will last, how honest the capacity is, thoughtfulness and ease of use. You should look for information on specific external batteries on specialized forums.
Actually, adding the price factor to the above factors, I started searching, found and bought the cheapest one found, an external battery for a laptop: external battery DF Charger-01 12000mAh for laptops, tablets and smartphones.
It comes in transparent packaging. What's included:
- external battery (not light weight);
- AC charger 15 V, 1A;
- output cable;
- a set of adapters for different types of laptops and mobile phones.
Let's start with the fact that the adapter Asus eee 1025CE was not included in the kit and I had to make the cable myself.
Everything went well with other existing laptops, we were also pleased with the 12 V which can charge the tablet. About 5 V we can only talk about nice bonus because I wouldn’t wear such a huge thing for the sake of a mobile phone.
At the end there are three connectors: input and output round and full-size USB. The input is supplied with 15 V from the included charging power supply; the output round can contain either 12 V or 19 V.
On the front panel there is a charge indicator that displays the degree of charge from 0 to 99%, next to it there is a power/mode selection button and two green and blue LEDs.
To enable portable battery you need to press the button, after which the indicator will display the battery charge level, 12 V will be supplied to the output of the device and the green indicator will light up. In order to obtain a voltage of 19 V at the battery output, you need to press the button again. To avoid accidental voltage increases, the battery does not respond to pressure immediately, but after a long press. Instead of the green LED, the blue LED lights up and 19 V is supplied to the output.
A long press of the same button will turn it off, but you can simply turn off the load and the battery will turn off by itself.
Attention!!! When powering a 12 V load, be careful when switching modes, as 19 V entering the 12 V input of the device may damage it.
The overall impressions of charging are positive; it copes with its functions. But there is also a decent fly in the ointment:
It takes a long time to charge from the weak supplied 15 V charger; it would be better if it were charged from a standard laptop 19 V charger.
The size of the charger and the weight (400g) are too big: mobile phone chargers with this capacity are two times smaller and lighter.
Of course, the plus of charging is that it can simultaneously charge a laptop through the main output and mobile phone via USB, but the charging current via USB is scanty. Although the stated current is 1 A, my Samsung took less than 0.5 A. Apparently the data contacts inside the charger are just dangling in the air and the phone does not understand that you can get 1A from the charger.
I will give the data from the packaging:
The manufacturer is cunning with the capacity: 12000 mAh is clearly indicated for 3.6 V. It does not prudently write about voltage and Wh.
Here is the instruction manual that was included in the kit:
Precautionary measures. 
Delivery set and characteristics. 
Appearance. 
A set of replacement adapters and charging instructions. 
Additional Information. 
I describe my personal experience Powering the laptop from external batteries. Getting ready to move to live in nature, I was inspired to solve 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 laptop’s built-in battery.
I tested all the methods described above on my acrer netbook, and it still works, I’m writing this article from it. 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 put the empty battery case in 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.
I am describing my personal experience of powering a 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. A standard 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 a laptop from external batteries, you need to install a resistor that will limit the 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 the internal battery of the laptop.
And so, look at the picture, in the first image the laptop is powered directly from 3 6-volt batteries. With this scheme, it is necessary to remove the internal battery, otherwise the internal power supply of the laptop will burn out.
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 gives 19 volts when connected in series. 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 because a regular car battery provides 12 volts, not 14 volts, which is why the laptop thinks that its battery is low , but at the same time 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.