R40 AC Adapter

[schen]

I just want to double check on this to make sure, but I think I have the wrong AC Adapter with a R40 I just bought. It arrived with the smaller 3.5a vs. the more common 4.5a adapter. I think the seller put the wrong one in the box. Isn' t the 3.5a adapter for the X Series, or can you actually use it with the R/T Series machine?

[NS]

My R52 thinkpad AC adapter is 4.5A-16V. Check your thinkpad bottom cover and see how much is the current needed and contact your seller and tell him/her about this.

http://www.powerstream.com/lta-IBM.htm

This shows that the 3.5A adapter can be used for R and T series...

AC Adapter part number: EA1060A-54 (3.5A adapter for Thinkpad A, T, X & R series, Transnote)

** Take note of the part number indicated {highlighted in blue}**

[tfflivemb2]

The R40 should be using a 72W adapter. (16V x 4.5A)

[schen]

My R52 thinkpad AC adapter is 4.5A-16V. Check your thinkpad bottom cover and see how much is the current needed and contact your seller and tell him/her about this.

http://www.powerstream.com/lta-IBM.htm

This shows that the 3.5A adapter can be used for R and T series...

AC Adapter part number: EA1060A-54 (3.5A adapter for Thinkpad A, T, X & R series, Transnote)

** Take note of the part number indicated {highlighted in blue}**

Without doing the actual calculations, the rule of thumb that I've used is that 3 spinal machine usually have a higher draw than 2 spinal machine and so on. That has usually been acurate as the X Series has on occasion been issued with the 3.5a vs. the 4.5a that the T/A are issued. Then there is the huge adapters the the behemoth G Series are issued that are something like 90watts. Of course that makes sense since the contractor for those was Quanta who made the big Dell machines that took 90watt P/S as well.

Thanks for the help on this. I'll probably try to keep it around as the traveling charger for my T30 since it's quite a bit smaller than the original. I just didn't want to use it and ruin my battery in the process to save a few onces.

[tfflivemb2]

The 3.5A was also used on the 600 series. Once the T series hit the market, they jumped to the 4.5A.

And yes, some of the X series do use the 3.5A adapters.

For the record, because I might be missing something here, but what so you mean by "spinal"?

[Terrahawk]

I'm guessing "spinal" should be "spindle". My R40 came with a 4.5A AC adapter, and all the other R40s I have purchase came with the same.

I have used a 3.5A adapter with the R40 and it does work - just don't use it when you have a flat battery and are doing something that stresses the CPU - I've seen charging wattages of 35W+ and also discharge wattages of about 30W too. Combine them both and you'd exceed the ability of the 3.5A adapter, at which anything could happen.

[schen]

I'm guessing "spinal" should be "spindle". My R40 came with a 4.5A AC adapter, and all the other R40s I have purchase came with the same.

I have used a 3.5A adapter with the R40 and it does work - just don't use it when you have a flat battery and are doing something that stresses the CPU - I've seen charging wattages of 35W+ and also discharge wattages of about 30W too. Combine them both and you'd exceed the ability of the 3.5A adapter, at which anything could happen.

Your guess on my bad typing is correct. I did mean spindle. As it turns out, the seller emailed me back and said they'd send out the 4.5a version that's suppose to come with the R40, so I'm set. Now I have the 3.5a adapter that I could probably get away with using on my T30 since it probably won't tax it as much as the A Series machines I have in the house. Thanks to everyone for their input.

[tfflivemb2]

Hey schen...I would still be careful about using that adapter on the T30 too. The spindle rule isn't accurate...infact I have never heard of it.

Yes, you can use the 56W adapter on the T30, as I was using one on my T21 until I realized that I was using the wrong one. It can cause issues with the system board, if the system board goes to draw the power that it needs and it isn't there.

If you are going to use it as back up, I would probably remove the T30 battery, so that they extra draw will not be there.

[schen]

Yeah, it will just be a back-up since I'm a little concerned with the draw as well. I have plenty of adapters; just trying to figure out what would be a good use for this one instead of just gathering dust. I'd be more concerned with the T30 with the P4-M instead of the later T4x with the P-M processors and would definitely not use it on the A3x that run 2 drives as well as the HDD. Thanks for the caution though.

Maybe it's a good excuse to buy an X Series machine!