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-   -   Bulding current limiter? (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/showthread.php?t=830702)

  • Feb 21, 2017, 03:26 AM
    notthebrightest
    Bulding current limiter?
    I'll describe the issue I'm having, since maybe there is a commercial product I can buy that won't be mistaken as a bomb as I travel through air port security.

    I have an ASUS ROG gaming laptop with a monster power draw. When on the ground in most outlets, no issues. The problem comes when I'm on an air craft with outlets available. My laptop draws too much power for what air craft outlets seem to allow. I know the power input is fine because the allowable input on my power adapter is 100-240V~ 50-60Hz 2.34A. So there is almost no outlet out there that puts out the wrong power. I assume the problem resides in the 2.34A area.

    I also know that the outlet itself is not the issue (Mechanically speaking) because the same outlet will charge my phone without problem, and the stewardess has told me she has seen others with similar laptops having the same issues.

    So my question is this; Is there something I can buy (preferably) or build easy enough, that I can make look professional, to limit how many amps the power adapter draws (The outlet on the plane would turn red when it didn't provide power. This would happen even if my laptop was not connected to the power adapter) that won't effect the 19.5V DC 9.23A output rated to the power adapter. At least not too much.

    I assume the power adapter will probably push out anything it can given what it gets. And I'm willing to bet that I don't need the full 9.23A DC power output unless I'm doing some serious gaming on my laptop. Even if it does, if I can use my laptop in a low power state, I can live without gaming and just watch movies, or other low processor intensive activities. Or, even as simple as turn my laptop off for a while, let it charge, turn it back on and play some more. I assume I need a current limiter. But, is it really as easy as the diagram I get when I Google "What is a current limiter?"

    I'm an avionics technician so I have some training in electrical theory and I am competent with wiring work. But I'm not an electrical engineer who designs circuits, and most of my work is swapping boxes, or making a circuit look like it's supposed to in the wiring diagram. So even if it is a current limiter I need. How many amps should I limit the draw too, and what are the values of the components in the current limiter. What other concerns (Heat, clean power, not looking like a bomb) need I worry about when it comes to trying to make the final product look professional?
  • Feb 21, 2017, 08:14 AM
    Stratmando
    Spare Battery(s) would be Easier/Better/Cleaner. Problem is, It will look like a Lithium Ion Battery, Not sure current Law(s). May not be allowed, even though Laptop likey has a Lithium Ion Battery?
    Sorry it may not be the answer you were Looking for.
    Google "Current Regulator"
  • Feb 21, 2017, 09:11 AM
    ebaines
    The power draw is not so much related to the types of games you're running as it is driven by the power supply circuitry inside the lap top. There's nothing you can build that will reduce the power requirement of the lap top. I agree with Stratmando - bring an extra battery with you. Li-ion batteries are not allowed in checked baggage in the plane's cargo hold, but they are allowed in your carry-on bag (as long as it's not in a Samsung Galaxy 7). It seems your laptop is drawing about 250 Watts, which is an awful lot (110 volts times 2.34 amps). For comparison, the power adapter for my Lenovo laptop at work draws only 90 watts max. So another option is to get yourself a new laptop that is less of a power hog.
  • Feb 22, 2017, 08:53 AM
    notthebrightest
    Honestly, the getting a new laptop option is becoming a more and more viable option. But I don't know if there are any decent gaming laptops that won't have the same issue. The battery is not removable... Wasn't even a thing I checked for when I bought the laptop because I thought ASUS would never get that greedy... The halting action seems to be the current cutoff in the outlet itself. It turns red when my laptop is plugged in, but blue when anything else is. So I'm curious if the power adapter may still put out power if I was to limit the current allowed to be drawn from the outlet. Are there voltage regulators that limit the watts they draw?
  • Feb 24, 2017, 07:23 AM
    Stratmando
    Some things that require a lot of USB Power uses 2 Ports, 1 Of the USB has Data and Power, the other provides additional power. Probably not allowed to make a 3 to 1 cable that parallels 3 USB's? And use the unused ports of people sitting next to you?

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