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I made an external battery for my Air

M

Mayhem29

macrumors newbie
Jun 21, 2013
10
0
Monkeyat said:
@rubbit
If you have that budget, just get a HyperJuice http://www.hypershop.com/Product/Power/P18-SILVER.html. Honestly, it's safer and straight forward ! This is not a pub for them, I myself have a HobbyKing kit I've made... but with a much lower budget. With HyperJuice, for example, you don't have to standby during the charging to watch for fire or explosion risk ;)
Just my opinion if you have 100 bucks to spend on it !
Click to expand...

That won't charge a macbook?
You need this or better: http://www.hypershop.com/Product/Power/MBP2-100.html

I've also heard great things about the Energizer XP 18000 and Anker Astro Pro 2.. you just need the airline adaptor or DIY adaptor to make it work
 
B

Boblister

macrumors 6502a
Mar 14, 2008
932
0
North West UK
Slightly off topic. Has anyone opened up a Hypermac. I have the MBP-100 and the battery has lost it's capacity. I am thinking of replacing the battery inside with a LiPo or a LiFe and utilising the existing circuitry in the Hypermac for charging and protection. Just can't see how to open the damned thing.

I would be very worried about using a non protected LiPo battery. I fly model helicopters, quadcopters and aircraft and have seen LiPo's explode. Very messy. All the craft I fly which use these batteries have circuitry to protect the battery from over discharge. If you over discharge a LiPo it dies and very rarely returns to life again. Always use a quality charger. LiPo chargers use a CC-CV method of charging. They charge initially at a constant current and revert to constant voltage in the final stages of charge to top up to 100%. They have safety timers and some also have temperature sensors to sense abnormal charging. One of the chargers I use is this which can do full analysis on batteries of any chemistry. Not cheap though.
 
M

Monkeyat

macrumors regular
Feb 14, 2009
108
3
linjac951 said:
This is a great thread but what a waste of time, there's a kickstarter that will double battery life of a macbook air and its the size of a normal hand

http://www.getbatterybox.com
http://www.lenmar.com/chugplug
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/phorce/phorce-the-worlds-first-smart-bag
Click to expand...

Waste of time, really?
  • BatteryBox: it's a fake! A 12,000 mAh battery that weights only 8.81oz (250g)? $140 !
  • Chugplug: Huge and heavy pack! $160
  • Phorce: the only very nice idea... but let's wait for the price!
Otherwise, my kit costed only $60 and it's still working very fine !!!
photo0062l.jpg
 
S

skinny*k

macrumors regular
Feb 21, 2011
130
0
California
Also, the Phorce for Mac uses an Apple Magsafe Airline adapter, which has been discontinued by Apple. The website hasn’t been updated since Noovember of 1012; I have to wonder where the manufacturer is going to get those adaptors from.

From the website:

“Phorce for Mac connects to your MacBook via an Apple Magsafe Airline adapter (this is included).”
Last updated: Wed, Nov 21 2012 4:04 PM PDT :confused:
 
H

hadaak

macrumors newbie
Aug 31, 2014
12
0
Hi everybody. I'm gonna be an intruder here since I don't have a mac but a dell precision m3800 :D I was looking for a commercial external battery pack but was not convinced by the products either because of the price or the reviews on amazon. I did find the hyperjuice stuff but for apple only I guess. I started looking for a diy project and found this page. just what I was looking for :) I checked the HB site. My laptop needs more power than the MacBook pro. The dell charger is 130W charger, 19V and 6.67A current output rate. I have an internal 6 cell battery which is configured to stop charging when it reaches 90% charge. This battery lasts 2 hours and half for my use. what would be the right setup to get additional 4 or 5 hours for this power hungry little beast? I can't seem to find any 19v lipo battery on the HB site. Would 18.5 be enough. What about amperage ?
Thanks.
 
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cerberusss

cerberusss

macrumors 6502a
Aug 25, 2013
932
364
The Netherlands
I bet half a volt doesn't make that much of a difference but doesn't that laptop have an exchangeable battery pack?

The reason people use an external battery is because the one in the Air cannot be switched.
 
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H

hadaak

macrumors newbie
Aug 31, 2014
12
0
cerberusss said:
I bet half a volt doesn't make that much of a difference
Click to expand...

I thought so but I'm not sure.

cerberusss said:
but doesn't that laptop have an exchangeable battery pack?
Click to expand...
No. It's like a MBP. Internal six cell battery or 9 cell battery. If you want to add a second hard drive you can't buy the 9 cell battery as it's bigger and does not leave space for a second hard drive.

Pic with a 6 cell battery and second hard drive. The first hard drive is an Msata one under the yellow ribbon.
dell-precision-m3800.34243156.jpg


And here is a pic of the m3800 and the MBP:

3.jpg
 
H

hadaak

macrumors newbie
Aug 31, 2014
12
0
I guess 18.5v will do. I'm thinking about this one:

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__16227__zippy_flightmax_8000mah_5s1p_30c.html

Z80005S-30.jpg


----------

As for amperage I guess I'm good too. I found an explanation of how much you can draw from a battery based on its discharge rate. So according to the battery spec I can draw 240 amps :eek:

https://www.commonsenserc.com/page.php?page=c_ratings_explained.html

Here's the easy way to find your battery's discharge rate just multiply the number from the C rating by the pack's capacity. Keep in mind that 1000 milliamps equals one amp. Here's an example, using an 11.1V 2000mAh 10C

11.1 volt 2000mAh -10C
2000 milliamps = 2 amps
2 Amps x 10 = 20 amps continuous discharge

This means that you can safely draw up to 20 amps continuously from that 11.1V 2000mAh 10C without doing damage to your battery.
 
H

hadaak

macrumors newbie
Aug 31, 2014
12
0
Not sure I get you there ! I want a lipo charger balancer for the batterey I mention earlier in my posts. The charger is described as compatible with the 6 cell lipos.
 
S

skinny*k

macrumors regular
Feb 21, 2011
130
0
California
Quote: “The reason people use an external battery is because the one in the Air cannot be switched.”
That isn’t the only reason, though; there’s also economy, longer run-times, and avoiding the hassles that some laptops have when changing batteries. Then too, if you have an older laptop, you may not even be able to find a spare battery. Of course, some people just enjoy the creative process—including Mac people; go figure… :)

Quote: “... I want a lipo charger balancer for the batterey I mention earlier in my posts. The charger is described as compatible with the 6 cell lipos.” [sic]
While you need do compatibility with your battery, you do need to shop and compare up-to-date reviews, because some chargers are really poorly-made junk. The model aircraft sites are really good for reviews, but keep in mind that things like fast charge rates for chargers and batteries, and high discharge rates for batteries, aren’t important for laptop use, so don’t pay more for any features that you won’t need. If you travel much, you might like the choice of using mains power OR a 12v input for the charger, otherwise, you can choose one or the other. If you do your homework, you won’t have any regrets, but if you don’t… well… YMMV.
 
H

hadaak

macrumors newbie
Aug 31, 2014
12
0
I have an issue here. Dell laptops are know to disable charging and enable cpu throttling when you don't use a dell adaptor. the dell adaptos has an internal circuitry which is checked by the laptop on boot. I have found some info on how to bypass the cpu throttle using RMClock but not sure I will be able to charge the internal battery while using the lipo.
 
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skinny*k

macrumors regular
Feb 21, 2011
130
0
California
hadaak said:
I have another issue here. Dell laptops are know to disable charging and enable cpu throttling when you don't use a dell adaptor. the dell adaptos has an internal circuitry which is checked by the laptop on boot. I have found some info on how to bypass the cpu throttle using RMClock but not sure I will be able to charge the internal battery while using the lipo.
Click to expand...

hadaak, you are waaayy in the wrong place; try Google or a Dell or pc forum.

EDIT: FWIW, I wouldn't use a battery to recharge a battery anyway; its inefficient and wastes battery cycles. You'd be much better off just using one, and then the other, to power your laptop. Doing that, not being able to charge from the external battery would be a blessing. :)
 
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H

hadaak

macrumors newbie
Aug 31, 2014
12
0
I'm not that waaaay in the wrong place I think. I cannot find a commercial external battery with a max output of 6 amps. and if I make a custom one I'm not sure the Dell laptop will not just refuse to use it. I even contacted the hyperjuice guys but their battery only gives 4.5 amps max. and that may overheat the the hyperjuice battery if there is a sustained power demand beyond the 4.5 amps. so I'm stuck with making a custom one I guess. but I will first try to make sure the software hack will make it possible to use a non dell charger or custom external battery without throttling down the cpu to 800MHZ.
 
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skinny*k

macrumors regular
Feb 21, 2011
130
0
California
I'm pretty sure that it will use an external power source; I haven't heard of a laptop that won't. The laptop will only use the power that it needs, so, as long as the battery can provide the power that it needs, in the proper voltage range, the laptop will not refuse it. An under-powered battery will run hot, and will discharge rapidly, but even a 100 amp battery won't harm anything; more is better, until you run into your own battery weight and price limits. :)
 
H

hadaak

macrumors newbie
Aug 31, 2014
12
0
you don't know Dell laptops then :) anyway I guess I'll get a hyperjuice first. if it does the job then i'm good. otherwise I'll sell it and make a custom one.
 
I

iBook_Clamshell

macrumors member
Aug 27, 2013
84
4
Wisconsin
Chipg said:
I needed more portable battery power and did not want to spend $200+ for a hyperjuce so I made my own external battery pack for my Macbook Air. It’s 65w LifePO4 battery, 4400mAh @ 14.8 volts, I do not know the total time it will last for but I used it for 6+ hours and it was still going strong, my Air is a i7 with the bigger processor, the battery is small and light making it convenient and easy to carry in your laptop bag or backpack.

My total cost including the charger is less than $80, the battery was $28 so after the cost of the mag safe connector and charger I can add more battery packs for $28 each or spend more on a larger capacity one.

Battery = $27.99 I chose this battery because it fits in a small side pocket in my laptop bag and is not big and heavy. It is 4400 mAh at 14.8 volts or about 65 watts, I think the standard 2011 Macbook airs battery is around 50 watts???? After 6 hours my air was still going off this battery with the screen brightness high and I ripped several dvd’s with handbrake, there was no ‘light’ use during this time.

Hobby King has a tool for selecting batteries, you choose your type, LifePO4 is what I ordered and select your voltage (14.8 volts) and they list batteries by mAh...

Charger = $24.95 - smart charger for 1-4 cell, if you buy a battery with more than 4 cells make sure you buy compatible charger for more cells.

I bought a used apple power adapter for $20 to remove the wire with the mag safe connector, I soldered 4mm radio shack quick connect bullet connectors on the end of the mag safe wire after I unsoldered it from the apple power adapter, the white wire is the positive wire.

This setup has been REALLY GOOD to me, for another $5 you can buy a car USB cigarette lighter 10w power adapter and connect it to this battery for an iPad or iPhone. I leave the battery in my laptop bag so all that comes out is the wire to plug into, it's a pretty slick setup that you can add more power anytime for not a lot of $.

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=17816

http://www.all-battery.com/UniversalSmartChargerfor3.7-14.8VBatteryPack-01281.aspx
Click to expand...
So you can just take any 14.8 volt battery(for the MBA) that has enough mAh and it can charge just like a regular laptop battery and it will work? I have a 2006 MacBook 13" that I want to make the battery a different shape. Can I just buy a different Li-ion battery that is the same voltage(but a different shape) and hook it up? I'd be afraid of a Lithium battery bonfire.:eek:
 
S

skinny*k

macrumors regular
Feb 21, 2011
130
0
California
iBook_Clamshell said:
So you can just take any 14.8 volt battery(for the MBA) that has enough mAh and it can charge just like a regular laptop battery and it will work? I have a 2006 MacBook 13" that I want to make the battery a different shape. Can I just buy a different Li-ion battery that is the same voltage(but a different shape) and hook it up? I'd be afraid of a Lithium battery bonfire.:eek:
Click to expand...

Not quite; the battery pack's output must be matched to, or exceed, the input voltage and amperage requirements of your laptop, and your MacBook needs a little bit more than the MBA's input requirements. Also, these batteries are charged with their own balanced chargers, unlike laptop batteries (actually, Apple builds the battery charging circuitry into the laptops, and the so called "chargers" are just power supplies.).

I'm not sure what the input requirements are for your MB, but I think that you'll need a 5-cell battery, not the 4-cell that's suitable for the MBA. I know that this thread is getting long, but if you go over it carefully you'll find everything you need to know.

As far as battery shape and voltage goes, the internal battery can be ignored; you need a battery that will meet or exceed the input requirements of the laptop's charging port, which isn't necessarily the same as the internal battery's output—they both use different circuitry to power the laptop. As for shape, the easiest is to just buy the bulky brick-type battery packs shown in the thread, or you could either dismantle one and re-arrange the layout of the cells for a flatter pack that's closer to the shape of your laptop, or build one from scratch to suit your needs.
 
I

iBook_Clamshell

macrumors member
Aug 27, 2013
84
4
Wisconsin
skinny*k said:
Not quite; the battery pack's output must be matched to, or exceed, the input voltage and amperage requirements of your laptop, and your MacBook needs a little bit more than the MBA's input requirements. Also, these batteries are charged with their own balanced chargers, unlike laptop batteries (actually, Apple builds the battery charging circuitry into the laptops, and the so called "chargers" are just power supplies.).

I'm not sure what the input requirements are for your MB, but I think that you'll need a 5-cell battery, not the 4-cell that's suitable for the MBA. I know that this thread is getting long, but if you go over it carefully you'll find everything you need to know.

As far as battery shape and voltage goes, the internal battery can be ignored; you need a battery that will meet or exceed the input requirements of the laptop's charging port, which isn't necessarily the same as the internal battery's output—they both use different circuitry to power the laptop. As for shape, the easiest is to just buy the bulky brick-type battery packs shown in the thread, or you could either dismantle one and re-arrange the layout of the cells for a flatter pack that's closer to the shape of your laptop, or build one from scratch to suit your needs.
Click to expand...
I need to have this internal. Maybe I could take the board out of the MB battery and hook different cells up to that. There are 6 cells, each are 3.7v and 2500mAh, the whole battery is 10.8v and 5000mAh; the power supply output is 16.5v and 3.65A. Can I just get 6 cells that are 3.7v and at least 2500mAh and solder them n instead of the 6 packs they have in there? I'm trying to fit an equivalent to the MB battery(which is 8"×2.75") into a space that is 11"×1.5".
 
S

skinny*k

macrumors regular
Feb 21, 2011
130
0
California
iBook_Clamshell said:
I need to have this internal. Maybe I could take the board out of the MB battery and hook different cells up to that. There are 6 cells, each are 3.7v and 2500mAh, the whole battery is 10.8v and 5000mAh; the power supply output is 16.5v and 3.65A. Can I just get 6 cells that are 3.7v and at least 2500mAh and solder them n instead of the 6 packs they have in there? I'm trying to fit an equivalent to the MB battery(which is 8"×2.75") into a space that is 11"×1.5".
Click to expand...

Wow... what you need to look into is rebuilding the internal battery, not external batteries; there are some important differences, and nothing on this thread will help.

The factory batteries have built-in circuitry that must be present, and its smart circuitry that might require some firmware hacking to use... Google "rebuilding apple batteries" and see what you can find.

Good luck.

Edit: I think that the hardest part would be finding battery cells of the proper dimensions—BatterySpace.com is good about showing the sizes of their products—but I suspect that there are some Mac specific venders that sell DIY kits, and a local Apple Store, or Apple repair shop, could do it for you. What I was referring to with firmware is that the battery's logic might store the Battery State information, and that might need to be reset to use new cells with the old battery circuitry for the MB to "see" the new battery... IDK though, but its something that you'll need to find out about before you proceed.
 
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skinny*k

macrumors regular
Feb 21, 2011
130
0
California
Good MagSafe cord news.

I haven't looked into this, but it appears that Apple's patent on the MagSafe plug may have expired, or that they have licensed third-parties to make them.

I found MagSafe repair cords on Amazon; these are the highest rated ones. I don't know if they contain the circuit to control charging and LED color the way Apple's does, but this at least gives an economical option to those who don't want to hack a good charger to use its plug with their external battery.

Apple Magsafe Repair Cord​

This one:

Or this one:

This is current as of Sep 4, 2014.

skinny*k
 
cerberusss

cerberusss

macrumors 6502a
Aug 25, 2013
932
364
The Netherlands
skinny*k said:
I haven't looked into this, but it appears that Apple's patent on the MagSafe plug may have expired, or that they have licensed third-parties to make them.
Click to expand...

There's a bunch of them on eBay as well. I have the feeling that the patents aren't expired or something, and these third-parties are flying below the radar for now. For example, DealExtreme used to sell them as well, and these all disappeared overnight from their inventory. All of them.

I've had good experience with a particular seller start of this year, but he's not selling them anymore. Bought about 10 of those cables-with-Magsafe-connector and repaired a bunch of power supplies from which the cable had frayed. The ones from eBay function exactly as the official/regular Apple MagSafe connectors do.
 
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