UPS for Laptop

S

Syndyre

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Hey

Just wondering if it'd be possible to plug my laptop into a standard desktop UPS for when Eskom decides to play with our power. Obviously the laptop has a battery but seeing as it uses little mains power relative to a desktop PC I thought I might be able to power it off the UPS for quite a bit longer. Would that be possible? :)

TIA
 
Buy a cheap generator - cost me less than a new battery and so much more fun :D
 
That's my second option. :D Just thinking of something slightly more portable too. How noisy are small generators btw? And how cheap is cheap?
 
Syndyre said:
That's my second option. :D Just thinking of something slightly more portable too. How noisy are small generators btw? And how cheap is cheap?
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They're portable - only need one hand to carry it around and they do make a bit of noise, sounds like a lawnmower or weed-wacker - if its too loud you dont have the tv's volume high enough :D

I've seen my model at builders for r600 but that was a floor model they were getting rid of - new it still cost under a grand iirc.
 
Oh k cool thanks, always thought they were R5000 plus, I'll just have to get a long extension cord with it and dump it in the corner of the garden :D
 
Syndyre said:
Oh k cool thanks, always thought they were R5000 plus, I'll just have to get a long extension cord with it and dump it in the corner of the garden :D
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The bigger ones cost about that - one of them is what I've promised myself if we have more than a dozen cuts in the 1st 6 months.

The little one I have is rated for 700w which is enough for our laptops, routers, wireless ap's, a 51cm tv, dstv and more than a dozen of those energy savers with a couple hundred watts to spare.
 
Luckily I haven't had a power cut this year yet, including the last few days with the Eskom load shedding so something like that should be fine as a backup for the inevitable when it does happen, thanks:)
 
Syndyre said:
Luckily I haven't had a power cut this year yet, including the last few days with the Eskom load shedding so something like that should be fine as a backup for the inevitable when it does happen, thanks:)
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Rub it in why dont you.
 
Lol, at least you've got the generator, if my power goes out I really do suffer!
 
Syndyre said:
Lol, at least you've got the generator, if my power goes out I really do suffer!
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In that case please let me know when your power is out so I may taunt you :D
 
bwana said:
Buy a cheap generator - cost me less than a new battery and so much more fun :D
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If you do buy a generator, make sure that the output is clean enough not to cause your machine problems. The cheapest generators provide a square wave rather than sine wave output and electronic equipment may be unhappy with that.
 
bekdik said:
If you do buy a generator, make sure that the output is clean enough not to cause your machine problems. The cheapest generators provide a square wave rather than sine wave output and electronic equipment may be unhappy with that.
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Would it be a problem even for laptops that convert that power to DC?
 
Syndyre said:
Would it be a problem even for laptops that convert that power to DC?
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Might be - they use a similar power supply.

You probably could get around this of you have a proper UPS which runs through an inverter, as it is designed to accept dirty input. A generator would have the effect of prolonging the UPS battery as long as the genny was available.

The other thing to be aware of is to ensure that the power ratings of an UPS or generator are sufficient for whatever is going to be powered by them. Overloading will at best cause the thing to shut down, at worst to burn out.
 
bwana said:
And then when you are gone I shall taunt you a second time. :pNo. The laptop's adapter should be able to cope.
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I'm just hoping it either doesn't go out or goes out after I've got a generator/UPS :D

bekdik said:
Might be - they use a similar power supply.

You probably could get around this of you have a proper UPS which runs through an inverter, as it is designed to accept dirty input. A generator would have the effect of prolonging the UPS battery as long as the genny was available.

The other thing to be aware of is to ensure that the power ratings of an UPS or generator are sufficient for whatever is going to be powered by them. Overloading will at best cause the thing to shut down, at worst to burn out.
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Thanks, wouldn't be running much off either of them I don't think anyway, probably just a laptop, external hard drive and flourescent light. :)
 
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