So I'm on vacation in Mexico for 3 or 4 months, and my Pismo G3 power source melted down. I'd like to charge the battery
a little, since it will give me about 45 minutes of use (so I can access bookmarks, etc). The charger was the 45 watt model.
How would one do this
"in the field" so to speak? I have access to alkaline batteries, soldering iron, small electroncs transformers, and the 12 volt AC transformers which you might find in
halogen track lights. Can I rig up something to charge my battery briefly? (Outside of the laptop, of course)
I am looking for some schematic of the Pismo battery with its 6 terminals; which are the two that count?
I've ordered a new power supply off eBay, but this being Mexico it will take about 4 weeks to get. Life is slow here; the mail is even slower.
steve
I was just offered use of an iBook charger (i'll have to adapt the plug).. but is that the way to go right now?
sr
Clamshell iBook chargers (45W for 300MHz - 466MHz models) will work without adaptation. Take it from me -- rewiring an iBook charger is *not* something you want to do very often.
You can also use the charger from a PowerBook 3400 -- that's what I'm using on my Pismo, Lombard, and Wallstreet.
The chargers for Titanium PowerBooks, Aluminum PowerBooks, and white iBooks (500MHz and up) have the smaller plug and won't work with your Pismo without rewiring the plug.
There were adaptors made to change the size of the plug but it most likely be easier to find the correct power supply than the adaptor.
Let's say that I want to use the plug from the working 800 Mhz iBook charger-- to fit my non-working 400MHz Pismo... So I can charge up the battery and retrieve data from it.
Of course, it doesn't fit This we know.
The white iBook plug is similar in size and shape to a common audio plug (RCA phono jack)...
if I remember reading an earlier post correctly. Right?
So I cut off my old Pismo plug, because the charger is junk now, and attach it to the 'female' end of an RCA phono jack from Radio Shack... and
use that assembly to link the white iBook charger to the black Pismo computer.
This way I am not cutting up the white iBook charger cable (which isn't mine).
There is a diagram of polarity, with respect to these plugs, somewhere else in this forum.
If i do it correctly, what's the worst that can happen?
Is there a 45 watt/65 watt compatibility problem?
Will PISMO warn me that I am using the wrong power source, and that damage will occur, or that I will die? Horribly?
Anyway, just trying to prevent trouble before it happens..
sr
the way i see it, as long as the voltage is correct as well as polarity, 65w will work as good as 45w.
Well, since the RCA adapter from Radio Shack won't have the multi-ring post inside the big sleeve, you won't have all the connections you need. Could be that you'd just not have the LED control for the power/charge indicator. Could also be that you'd short something out and fry your power supply and/or Pismo.
No, not from the Pismo side. The Pismo will only use the power it needs, no more. If, however, you were trying to run a 15" or 17" PBG4 from a 45W power supply, the PB wouldn't be able to draw enough power, and may (1) not be able to charge the battery, (2) shut down randomly, (3) act generally flaky, or (4) just not power up.
DON'T use an RCA jack. That will fry your computer. You can use an audio connector, I think for the pismo you need a 1/16" audio connector. The sleeve, the outside ring, is just ground.
i'll have to cut off the white iBook charger plug end, to hook it all up.
I'd use tiny alligator clips on the pin shaft if it weren't for the base ring which is in the way.
I thought of using a female pin jack to hook to the iBook charger plug; but it won't fit
because the base ring is in the way.
I have the feeling that the base ring, if I pulled it out, won't go back in again
(when I return the charger to its owner)
soooo....
i'll just start asking around town here (in central mexico) if anyone has a dead
Macbook or charger which I can cut the plugs off.
thanks for the advice about not using an RCA plug however!
sr
You are very welcome, I had the unfortunate experience of helping my friend kill his beloved graphite clamshell, and do not want you to repeat it
If you could find an iBook's dc-in board you could probably reuse the connector to make an adaptor. I have several, unfortunately I am nowhere near mexico. I'm sure you could find a dead-gpu ibook victim without too much trouble.
You're close - NOT RCA but stereo 6.5mm aka headphone jack (large). Add a small rubber grommet around the very base of the plug so the tip ring and sleeve line up correctly inside the Pismo socket. Rat Shack will have grommets of the correct diameter.
YMMV this is just what I've read, and seems true from my examinations.
Hi, sounds like you are well on the way to solving the problem.
A couple of things, is the adaptor dead or is it the cable or plug? I find a lot of times the wiring breaks at the strain relef going into the plug at the computer end. It's still a PITA to fix as you have to split the plug apart to resoldier and then shrink wrap.
I know you have already ordered an adaptor off eBay but may I suggest this kit, the IGO Juice 70 about $25-$40 on eBay right now, which is an AC and DC adaptor plus it comes with various plugs so it can be used with other computers not just the Pismo (which I use it for). Kensington also sold this adaptor under their brand name but the kits are the same. Make sure you get a new one with a full set of tips....
Kevin