Can't determine laptop polarity - HELP!

[Calab]

I have a Gateway T-6815 laptop. The power brick was lost a while ago. I now
have a generic laptop power brick.

I cannot determine the polarity that the laptop needs? There is no tip/ring
diagram. All that it has is:
____
19v ----- 3.42 A (thats a solid line over a dashed line)

So... does that tell me anything? Is it possible that the laptop doesn't
care about the polarity?

 

[John Fields]

On Fri, 2 Jan 2009 22:32:50 -0700, "Calab" <myspam@csd.ca> wrote:

I have a Gateway T-6815 laptop. The power brick was lost a while ago. I now
have a generic laptop power brick.

I cannot determine the polarity that the laptop needs? There is no tip/ring
diagram. All that it has is:
____
19v ----- 3.42 A (thats a solid line over a dashed line)

So... does that tell me anything? Is it possible that the laptop doesn't
care about the polarity?

---
http://support.gateway.com/support/ask_gateway.aspx?cmpid=topnav

JF

 

[Gnack Nol]

On Fri, 02 Jan 2009 22:32:50 -0700, Calab wrote:

I have a Gateway T-6815 laptop. The power brick was lost a while ago. I
now have a generic laptop power brick.

I cannot determine the polarity that the laptop needs? There is no
tip/ring diagram. All that it has is:
____
19v ----- 3.42 A (thats a solid line over a dashed line)

So... does that tell me anything? Is it possible that the laptop doesn't
care about the polarity?

It is very defiantly polarity sensitive don't try to use just any
connection polarity or you will damage it.

Your best bet is to go to Ebay and look for one. I just looked
and there are many for sale from $10-20 new and used. Buying a
universal supply from a regular supplier would cost much more and using a
general purpose wall wart will not work since the supply is a switching
type and the computer is very sensitive to noise in the power supply.


Gnack

 

[Per Jensen]

Calab skrev:

I have a Gateway T-6815 laptop. The power brick was lost a while ago. I
now have a generic laptop power brick.

I cannot determine the polarity that the laptop needs? There is no
tip/ring diagram. All that it has is:
____
19v ----- 3.42 A (thats a solid line over a dashed line)

So... does that tell me anything? Is it possible that the laptop doesn't
care about the polarity?

Take a multimeter, and put it on continuity reading, and then measure
inside the DC plug receptacle between the tip and ring, to an grounded
point on the laptop. The screws for the ports (VGA, DVI, Printer etc.)
is all ground.

I'll bet you that center is positive and the ring is negative, i have
never seen a laptop with the polarities crossed yet.

// Per.