Power supply

[zen3]

Is it true you can use a laptop adapter for a power supply? If so how? I have a Hyperion 1210i and it has banana plugs. Also does the power supply have any effect on charging times?

[DoctorJ]

Originally Posted by zen3

Is it true you can use a laptop adapter for a power supply? If so how? I have a Hyperion 1210i and it has banana plugs. Also does the power supply have any effect on charging times?

Yes, you can. Take a snapshot of the datasheet on the power supply and we can provide further information.

[zzyzx]

Yes and yes

The psus in computers are capable of providing more stable dc voltage than you need for most purposes. All in all it is one of the most easily repurposed parts that any given person has access to.
You only need to worry if your current rating is below requirements, you can safely use a supply rated higher. The circuit will only draw the current needed to reach ground. I should mention good sense needs to be in use when using any alternate/substitute parts.

[skunkworx]

Originally Posted by zen3

Is it true you can use a laptop adapter for a power supply? If so how? I have a Hyperion 1210i and it has banana plugs. Also does the power supply have any effect on charging times?

Yes, again, it is true you can use one of these. Is it really worth it though? Only if you happen to have one sitting around collecting dust.

Reason being is that for starters, these supplies are typically very low power. They normally range from about 12V up to around 19VDC. Depending on the charger, it may only take up to 15V or so. The next limiting factor is that they usually can only do up to around 4.95A without taking into consideration drops or heat. In a perfect world, that means:

15V X 5A = 75A

Unless your charger is rated below that, most likely you will tax the living snot out of the supply trying to feed the charger and it will get hot. Sometimes so hot, you can't pick it up when in use (they're usually linear regulators which burn off the excess energy as heat, so they're terribly inefficient).

On the other hand, if you have one sitting around, all you'd have to do to hook it up is to lop off the end, find out which one is positive and which is negative, add a new connector or bullets/etc... and away you go. If it fits your need then it'll work fine, but i wouldn't use one on anything bigger than a 50W charger.

[itsparks]

Originally Posted by zen3

Is it true you can use a laptop adapter for a power supply? If so how? I have a Hyperion 1210i and it has banana plugs. Also does the power supply have any effect on charging times?

If you look inside most of those ac/dc filed chargers, you will see inside that it's just a 12V laptop psu. You have to make sure tho, that it's a higher current model some laptop psu's are only 3.3 amp and some are more.

The recent filed charger that i had that was not working had a laptop power adapter inside it was a 12V @ 5amp PERFECT

Dash