Onan generator charging Mac powerbook battery? October 10, 2021, 12:43:53 am Cyndy and I are taking off on a 12 day trip with no power hookups. I have some computer tasks to do on the laptop and will need to recharge the battery each day. Is it safe to plug into the 120v outlet to charge the laptop battery when it is powered by the generator?Harold
Re: Onan generator charging Mac powerbook battery? Reply #1 – October 10, 2021, 12:48:52 am yes 1 Likes
Re: Onan generator charging Mac powerbook battery? Reply #2 – October 10, 2021, 12:57:05 am Yes. I've done it many times without ever having a problem.However, in the long run you may want to consider a 12 V power adapter that will let you power the MacBook from your house batteries, avoiding the need to run the noisy generator. I've used this Coolgear 60 W charger for years in several different RVs. Its only drawback is that it needs to be hardwired... but it's worth it.Before I got this one, I tried plug-in adapters of various kinds, but they all overheated--a couple even melted! It seems you just can't do 60 watts of power conversion in a plastic case the size of a cigarette lighter plug. The Coolgear adapter has a well-ventilated metal case. It doesn't run hot, and it can't melt down. I have it mounted to the wall below my dinette table, and it runs my 16" MacBook Pro all day without breaking a sweat. 1 Likes As an Amazon Associate Lazy Daze Owners' Group earns from qualifying purchases.
Re: Onan generator charging Mac powerbook battery? Reply #3 – October 10, 2021, 01:00:35 am Thanks Andy,If we do more of this, I'll definitely look into the Coolgear.Harold
Re: Onan generator charging Mac powerbook battery? Reply #4 – October 10, 2021, 10:49:37 am I use a small cig lighter inverter.Has a 120V plug along with a USB plug. Works fine and it's in use constantly. 2 Likes
Re: Onan generator charging Mac powerbook battery? Reply #5 – October 10, 2021, 12:55:38 pm Quote from: Jota - October 10, 2021, 10:49:37 amI use a small cig lighter inverter.Has a 120V plug along with a USB plug. Works fine and it's in use constantly.Yup this is the answer. Pick up a inverter for about $25 on Amazon.
Re: Onan generator charging Mac powerbook battery? Reply #6 – October 10, 2021, 02:11:39 pm Small plug-in inverters are handy; I have several that I use occasionally. This 75 W one-piece model is the one I use most often for things like charging my toothbrush, Dremel battery, and so on. It puts out "modified sine wave" AC, and may not be sufficiently powerful for larger laptops. This 150 W "box with a cord" model (also a modified sine wave type) should be able to handle almost any laptop.These small plug-in inverters are a quick and dirty solution. But they're not the most efficient way to power a computer, since you're converting 12 VDC to 120 VAC, and then (via your computer's power supply) from 120 VAC back to 16-18 VDC. The Coolgear DC-to-DC adapter I mentioned wastes less power, so in the long run you may find it a better choice. As an Amazon Associate Lazy Daze Owners' Group earns from qualifying purchases.