PV Gap

Clara Said:

Why do chargers heat even if the mobile/camera/laptop is plugged out?

We Answered:

Because it is still using energy even though the item is not plunged in to it. and yes there is electricity flow in the charger and it does spend power.

Jean Said:

Wind up/eco charger for laptop and mobiles?

We Answered:

There are solar and crank-style battery chargers out there. Most for cellphones are affordable ($50 range), but the ones for the laptops ar not.

Avoid the crank style for laptops, as you'll die from exhaustion before the laptop gets anything decent.

As for the cellphones, it's probably a better use of your time to plug it into an outlet - faster and more reliable. Solar chargers are great, but not a good ROI and you need reliably heavy duty sun to get a decent charge.

BTW, shame on you if you burn through your cellphone charge daily. With a 7-day standby life, you may never get the return on investment on your "green" chargers. Spending your money burning through minutes and then burning through your charge is a bit self-defeating.

As for laptops, you might need to re-evaluate your compute usage profile, as the netbooks are meant to be power frugal, but compute underpowered. If you can live with a reduced mobile computing lifestyle, the solar chargers and crank chargers may be worth getting.

In summary, having green chargers is not as good as having green equipment to begin with.

Hope you already are and I'm just preaching to the choir.

Jamie Said:

is it possible to get a mobile charger (like for your car) for a laptop?

We Answered:

Absolutely ! Check on E bay they have chargers for everything, Make sure you buy one thats compatible with your computer. They even have Solar powered chargers ! Or you could malways go to Radio Shack and buy an A/C inverter that will then power any regaulr A/C device you bring into the car.

Tom Said:

Can a charger cable for a laptop or mobile phone cause electrocution if put in child's mouth?

We Answered:

Some of the voltages are pretty high. 19V for a Dell laptop charger I think. Although, it isn't considered "High Voltage", consider a 9 V battery on your tongue (Don't try it if you haven't before). It could cause a tingle. There are no ifs-and-or-buts about it, not a good practice.

Even if there is no tingle or mild shock, the voltage applied to saliva in the mouth will cause electrolysis. That is the breaking down of the water in the saliva into Hydrogen & Oxygen. The free Hydrogen can create acids, the free Oxygen, well, oxidizes... Just a guess but might cause damage to teeth, stomach or digestive systems over time.

Another thing to point out would be the type of charger. Some laptops for example, don't have a BRICK you plug directly into the wall. They have a plug that goes to a BRICK. This cord is lethal.

Jane Said:

How can i charge my mobile without its charger?

We Answered:

Use your Friends charger? You can also charge mobile phones when they are connected to a Computer via USB thingy, of course this would mean keeping your computer on all the time and in case you didn't know hte USB cable for the phone os what you would use ot transfer files to and form oyur computer to and from your phone.

Elaine Said:

can i use my Laptop or Mobile charger in Bali? I'm from Malaysia.?

We Answered:

Indonesia use plug points like those of Australia as well as the 3 point plugs. My advise is, get yourself an international adaptor that has multiple plugs and can be used worldwide.

This adaptor are sold at the smartshop, Mas golden boutique, travel shops. Price range is less than rm100. It is cheaper to get this adaptor than having to buy individual plug adaptor for different country.