AC laptop universal - which brand do you recommend

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exodus

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Hi all. I am in australia (240v power)

I have a powertech under/over voltage safe etc....but it hardly ever has a tip for moden laptops.

powertech does not offer upgrade kits which is very disappointing because it wasn't a cheap unit.

looking for recommendations. I'd also like one with USB and USB-C charging, along all the tips for latest notebooks.

cheers
 
For short term testing I bought one of those 24 pack of tips, which all have the standard 5.5 x 2.1 barrel connector female and pretty much every connector you will need such as Lenovo, HP etc. I use that with a bench supply or a spare OEM adapter. I got mine on Amazon, I am sure there will be something similar locally. Just be aware some HP/Lenovo/Dell may not work as they require special adapters with power sense that they use to determine if it's OEM or aftermarket.
 
NviGate Systems said:
Just be aware some HP/Lenovo/Dell may not work as they require special adapters with power sense that they use to determine if it's OEM or aftermarket.
Click to expand...

Need to include Apple as well. It's been my experience that if a non-OEM adapter gets rejected by the machine it'll usually charge when the machine is powered down.
 
For clients I never recommend universal laptop adapters. It's best to go with an OEM adapter if possible. For temporary use however (such as in the shop to power client laptops), I've used this adapter with good results:


This is what I use in the shop. Of course, these are cheapo Chinese knockoff adapters so I unplug them at the end of the day when I close the shop so they don't pose a fire hazard. I just wish a reputable company like Targus made a universal laptop charger with more than a couple of tips. Their charger only includes 5 tips and you have to buy additional tips individually for $6 apiece! There's like 30 tips (minus the 5 it comes with), so if you want to buy their charger with all the tips they make you'd be out a whopping $215! That's 25x$6 + $65 for the charger itself.
 
i looked at the huntkey mentioned earlier, but it only has five tips, making it useless for a repair shop. I seen a set of 34 tips from soulbay but it has no mention of compatible adaptors. e.g. i have a powertech adaptor from jaycar but it has too few tips .
 
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sapphirescales said:
I just wish a reputable company like Targus made a universal laptop charger with more than a couple of tips. Their charger only includes 5 tips and you have to buy additional tips individually for $6 apiece! There's like 30 tips (minus the 5 it comes with), so if you want to buy their charger with all the tips they make you'd be out a whopping $215! That's 25x$6 + $65 for the charger itself.
Click to expand...
I, in Canada, have the Targus APA31CA Universal Wall Power Adapter for Laptops."
Targus, just last week, sent me a tip that was not included in their original kit, at no charge.
Unfortunately, they were not willing to send me all of the missing tips.
They need to know the model # of each laptop that you do not have the tip for so that they can 'run compatibility tests'.
 
I have two - one for Lenovo type connectors - Another for more standard connectors, both are generic.
I only use them for testing - never to sell to clients. I purchase original adapters for clients, for safety reasons.
 
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