Product Tips

Product Tips

AC & Car Adapters

All of our AC adapters are shipped with a 6 foot, US power cord. Most are 2 prong, however some adapters require a 3 prong cord.
We also sell the power cords separate from the AC Adapters. Please look at the Power Cords section under the Laptop Batteries & Power section for available items and prices.
Power adapter output is rated by Voltage, Amps, and Watts (voltage * current). When matching a replacement AC adapter, the following factors will apply :
- Voltage : The output tolerance for voltage is + or - 1 volt. This means that the replacement adapter's voltage should be within 1 volt of your original. For example, an adapter rated at 19V can be used on computers with input voltage requirements of 18-20V.
- Amps : This specification is listed as the maximum current that the adapter is capable of producing. This current is not sent to the computer, instead the computer will only take as much as it needs. (ohm's law) The current rating of an adapter must be greater than or equal to the rating of the original adapter. In most cases the replacement adapters have a higher rating. This will not cause a problem, it just means that the adapter's maximum capacity is greater.
- Watts : Some computers will describe their adapters in terms of power (watts). This specification describes the maximum power that the adapter is capable of producing. The power rating in watts is found by multiplying Volts * Amps. For Example, if your computer had a rating of 19V / 3.42A it would require a maximum of 19V * 3.42A = 65 Watts. The adapter required would need to have a rating of 65W or greater to satisfy your computer's power needs. A watt rating is becoming more common with the newer Pentium 4 laptops because these laptops generally require more power than all older computers.
All of our AC adapters will accept input voltages of 100V-240V and input frequencies of 50Hz-60Hz. The adapter will automatically detect the input voltage and adjust itself accordingly. If you take your adapter overseas all that you will need will be the plug end adapter to allow the US plug to fit into the local sockets.
Only models specifically described as Auto/Air Adapters may be used in aircraft. Although most of our adapters may work by using an adapter plug, only those items listed as "auto/air" adapters are designed for use in aircraft. We would not recommend using an adapter not designed for aircraft in flight.
Note that many of the newer Pentium 4 laptops require more power than can be supplied by the standard aircraft in seat power system. Maximum seat power is 70-75W and many of these computers require 90-120W, so these model may not have airline adapters available.

Battery

There are several steps you can take to insure that you get maximum performance from the battery :

Break In New Batteries : New batteries come in a discharged condition and must be fully charged before use. It is recommended that you fully charge and discharge the new battery two to four times to allow it to reach its maximum rated capacity.
Prevent the Memory Effect : Keep the battery healthy by fully charging and then fully discharging it at least once every two to three weeks. Exceptions to the rule are Li-Ion batteries which do not suffer from the memory effect.
Keep the Batteries Clean : It's a good idea to clean dirty battery contacts with a cotton swab and alcohol. This helps maintain a good connection between the battery and the portable device.
Exercise the Battery : Do not leave the battery dormant for long periods of time. We recommend using the battery at least once every two to three weeks. If a battery has not been used for a long period of time, perform the new battery break in procedure described above.
Battery Storage : If you don't plan on using the battery for a month or more, we recommend storing it in a clean, dry, cool place away from heat and metal objects. NiCad, NiMH and Li-Ion batteries will self-discharge during storage; remember to break them in before use. Sealed Lead Acid (SLA) batteries must be kept at full charge during storage. This is usually achieved by using special trickle chargers. If you do not have a trickle charger, do not attempt to store SLA batteries for more than three months.
For Notebook Users : To get maximum performance from the battery, fully optimize the notebooks power management features prior to use. Power management is a trade off: better power conservation in exchange for lesser computer performance. The power management system conserves battery power by setting the processor to run at a slower speed, dimming the screen, spinning down the hard drive when it's not in use and causing the machine to go into sleep mode when inactive. The notebook users guide will provide information relating to specific power management features.

There are two ratings on every battery : Volts and Amp-Hours (Ah).

Amp-Hours (Ah) : The Ah rating may also be given as milliamp-hours (mAh), which are one-thousandth of an amp-hour (for example, a 1Ah battery is 1000mAh). Amp-hours are a rating of the amount of energy that a battery can store. Another way of looking at it is to say that the higher a battery's amp-hour rating is, the longer the battery's run-time will be. Some of our batteries will have higher amp-hour ratings than the original battery found in your device and will not cause any incompatibilities.
Volts : While the voltage of the battery may not be identical to the original battery, the voltages must be within a reasonable range.In order to rate the voltage of the cell, a voltage value between 3.0 and 4.2 must be picked. The voltage that is picked is called the "nominal" voltage, which means that it is for naming purposes only, whereas the actual voltage of the cell depends on the state of charge. Note that : A Li-Ion battery labeled 10.8V is the same as a Li-Ion battery labeled 11.1V. A Li-Ion battery labeled 14.4V is the same as a Li-Ion battery labeled 14.8V.

Battery Life : The life of a rechargeable battery operating under normal conditions is generally between 500 to 800 charge-discharge cycles. This translates into one and a half to three years of battery life for the average user. As the rechargeable battery begins to die, the user will notice a decline in the running time of the battery. When a battery that originally operated the notebook for two hours is only supplying the user with an hour's worth of use, it's time for a new one.

Memory Effect : NiCad batteries, and to a lesser extent NiMH batteries, suffer from what's called the "memory effect". What this means is that if a battery is repeatedly only partially discharged before recharging, the battery "forgets" that it has the capacity to further discharge all the way down. To illustrate: If you, on a regular basis, fully charge your battery and then use only 50% of its capacity before the next recharge, eventually the battery will become unaware of its extra 50% capacity which has remained unused. The battery will remain functional, but only at 50% of its original capacity. The way to avoid the dreaded "memory effect" is to fully cycle (fully charge and then fully discharge) the battery at least once every two to three weeks. Batteries can be discharged by unplugging the device's AC adapter and letting the device run on the battery until it ceases to function. This will insure your battery remains healthy.

New Battery Isn't Charging : New batteries are shipped in a discharged condition and must be charged before use. We generally recommend an overnight charge (approximately twelve hours). Refer to the user's manual for charging instructions. Rechargeable batteries should be cycled - fully charged and then fully discharged - two to four times initially to allow them to reach their full capacity. (Note: it is normal for a battery to become warm to the touch during charging and discharging).

New batteries are hard for the device to charge; they have never been fully charged and are therefore "unformed". Sometimes the device's charger will stop charging a new battery before it is fully charged. If this happens, remove the battery from the device and then reinsert it. The charge cycle should begin again. This may happen several times during the first battery charge. Don't worry; it's perfectly normal.