powerbook adapter constantly breaking cord comes loose

[lucface]

my powerbook adapter is constantly breaking. the cord just before the male end that goes into the computer severs. ive been through 4 of them so far and im sick of spending 60 bucks every 6 months just to mantain my already expensive machine!
you know what? i just had an idea...
if anyone who is good at fixing stuff wants to trade 2 broken ones for one good(like new) that would work out for both of us. the adapters are fine its just the cord at the vary end near the input male piece that stick in the comp. i try fixing but couldnt figure it out. the ends are missing(i kinda broke them when trying to fix). id even send them out first and u could fix em and make sure they work good before trading. i might even send 3. idk.
or someone could tell me were i could find the end peices and wich wires to solder were.
also, im writing about this cause its happening again. and ive epoxied it together to stop it from getting any worse. but the epoxy is giving and it cracked. is there some sort of clamp a can buy at radioshack or somthing that will crip the wire on both sides of the break so the iner wires dont take any tension?

 

[law guy]

my powerbook adapter is constantly breaking. the cord just before the male end that goes into the computer severs. ive been through 4 of them so far and im sick of spending 60 bucks every 6 months just to mantain my already expensive machine!

What are you doing to your power cords? Mine is just fine coming up on two years. My only suggestions do not break any new ground - don't use your cord streached to the max (although this has never posed an issue for my unit), move closer to an outlet, simply un-plug your machne when using in a place where you can't be reasonably close to an outlet, get an extension cord, etc.

 

[California]

my powerbook adapter is constantly breaking. the cord just before the male end that goes into the computer severs. ive been through 4 of them so far and im sick of spending 60 bucks every 6 months just to mantain my already expensive machine!
you know what? i just had an idea...
if anyone who is good at fixing stuff wants to trade 2 broken ones for one good(like new) that would work out for both of us. the adapters are fine its just the cord at the vary end near the input male piece that stick in the comp. i try fixing but couldnt figure it out. the ends are missing(i kinda broke them when trying to fix). id even send them out first and u could fix em and make sure they work good before trading. i might even send 3. idk.
or someone could tell me were i could find the end peices and wich wires to solder were.
also, im writing about this cause its happening again. and ive epoxied it together to stop it from getting any worse. but the epoxy is giving and it cracked. is there some sort of clamp a can buy at radioshack or somthing that will crip the wire on both sides of the break so the iner wires dont take any tension?

Put 'em on eBay for parts. Also, Apple warranties these adaptors and this was starting to happen on one of my adaptors on a Titianium tibook once. And Apple sent me a new adaptor. But I don't' know what you are doing to it. Perhaps you should put a tiny clamp on plastic tube over the offending area to prevent this breakage.

 

[lucface]

i use my computer most of the day, every day. and im sure its from having the cord bent in dif ways for so long. i dont ever put tension on the wire. unless by accident it happens. then i would act fast to relive it. idk. but yah i do want some sorta clamp device. and the ebay thing isnt a bad idea too.

 

[Applespider]

One breaking could be an accident or a faulty adaptor, two could be bad luck.

Four suggests that you are using them carelessly, especially when there are countless others who have used them for years without anything happening to them. Review your working area, checking to make sure that the adaptor isn't 'hanging' on anything with weight on it most of the time.

Do you use the heavier duty cable to go into the wall rather than the brick? If not, give it a go, that means you can keep the brick closer to the Powerbook and put less pressure on the thinner cable, and hence where it goes into the computer.

 

[lucface]

i use the grounded extention, not just the converter. i supose if im the onely one w/ this prob it is me.
that sux though cause i dont think i am to ruff. maybe my face is... but i am always checking to make sure its not being pulled on and.... ohhh,..duh, my girlfriend uses it alot. ima tell her to watch out for it. plus now that i think of it, ive gotten more consious about it now cause ive been though so many. so yah, i can see your piont. i guess i wont drag me pb around by the cord any more...jk

 

[blackstone]

Another option is to buy a more rugged power adapter from a 3rd party supplier. After my Powerbook adapter broke, I bought one from (MCE Tech that is holding up MUCH better because the wire is thicker than the Apple adapter's wire. It's not as pretty as the Apple adapter, but way more practical for someone who's constantly plugging and unplugging and moving the 'book around from place to place.

 

[lucface]

nice, thanx for that. im definately going to pick one up before this one goes again. and im going to figure out how to fix the other ones i have. it wouldnt hurt to have four extra adapters laying around!

edit: hey does any one know if the male end on the adapter is a common one or if its mac specific? cause if i can find one i could easily connect the break.

 

[blackstone]

nice, thanx for that. im definately going to pick one up before this one goes again. and im going to figure out how to fix the other ones i have. it wouldnt hurt to have four extra adapters laying around!

edit: hey does any one know if the male end on the adapter is a common one or if its mac specific? cause if i can find one i could easily connect the break.

I spent some time looking at it when mine broke, and figured out that the interior male part is about the same dimensions as a standard cell phone earpiece plug, and the exterior metal sheath is the same as the sheath on an RCA plug. But I never tried to make it work, because I decided it wasn't worth it to experiment with a solution that could end up breaking BOTH my power adapter and my powerbook!

 

[jaw04005]

My younger brother has had the same luck. His fifth Apple Power Adapter broke a few months ago, so I bought him an iGo ice90 power adapter—the power cord, power tip and extension cable are all replaceable for a nominal fee ($9.99), and the power supply has a 2-year warranty.

So far, it seems to be working great. You can also purchase a new tip in case you get a new laptop—so it's transferable. $10 cheaper than Apple's also (although not as elegant).

 

[lucface]

I spent some time looking at it when mine broke, and figured out that the interior male part is about the same dimensions as a standard cell phone earpiece plug, and the exterior metal sheath is the same as the sheath on an RCA plug. But I never tried to make it work, because I decided it wasn't worth it to experiment with a solution that could end up breaking BOTH my power adapter and my powerbook!

yah, i know what u meen. im going to mess with it though. based on your info. but not souly! im going to do more research on the subject.


and josh;

My younger brother has had the same luck. His fifth Apple Power Adapter broke a few months ago, so I bought him an iGo ice90 power adapter—the power cord, power tip and extension cable are all replaceable for a nominal fee ($9.99), and the power supply has a 2-year warranty.

So far, it seems to be working great. You can also purchase a new tip in case you get a new laptop—so it's transferable. $10 cheaper than Apple's also (although not as elegant).

i have one actually. it is cool that u can replace the stuff. and i got all those laptop attatchments too. but it comes in 3 pieces! i can see that it will resist damage but the tip and the cord can seperate and same w/the cord and the adapter. and they do.

 

[njmac]

I'm on my 3rd one in 2 years. If it breaks again, I'll buy 3rd party

 

[CompUser]

A lot of the yo yo chargers for the iBooks at school broke. The little male part that goes into the jack broke off on quite a few of them. The school then bought the white brick adapters from apple.