We are often caught by surprise when our laptop runs out of power, and we don’t have the chargers with us. This usually leads us to think of various ways that can help boost our laptops’ battery levels. We often ask ourselves if the standard transmission cables can charge a laptop, and if they can, can an HDMI cable be used?
HDMI cables can be used to charge your laptop. These cables transmit small amounts of power in them along with the video and audio signals. You can tap this power and charge your laptop’s battery. It will, however, require some adjustments and redesigns for that to be effected.
The re-adjustments include making your laptop a receiver and not a source of the signals. This is because power is always transmitted to a receiver. Once the re-adjustments are made, you will be able to charge your laptop effectively.
In this article, I will show you how to charge your laptop with an HDMI cable. I will also tell you other alternatives you can use to charge your laptop without a charger.
How To Charge Your Laptop With An HDMI Cable
Do you wish to know how to charge your laptop using a HDMI cable? Well then buckle up. Contrary to what people think, it is possible to charge your laptop using an HDMI cable.
However, you have to remember that charging your laptop with an HDMI cable may not be as efficient as charging with the original laptop charger. Additionally, for you to charge using a HDMI cable, your machine needs to support the HDMI technology.
There are several methods you can follow to charge your device with an HDMI cable. They include:
1. Using a HDMI cable and a USB type C port
To use this method, ensure that your laptop has a USB type C port. You then need to connect the LCD TV monitor that supports HDMI, to your laptop via the USB type C port using HDMI cable.
You will then need to connect the other end of the cable to a charging strap connected to the external battery. Once your remote device is powered on, the monitor will automatically swap to the HDMI signal, hence charging your laptop.
2. Using a HDMI adapter
Your laptop need not run low on battery when you have an HDMI adapter. you can use it to power up your machine. To use this adapter, you need to connect your HDMI to an external AC adapter or a power source such as a solar battery so as to charge your laptop. solar batteries can generate enough power to charge your laptop quite well.
Is There A Way To Charge A Laptop Without A Charger?
If you are a laptop user, you often wonder if you can charge your laptop without a charger. Most of the time, your laptop runs out of power at the least opportune time. The low battery notification makes many of us troubled especially when we have no charger.
There are several ways to charge your laptop to the maximum without using a charger. These ways will help you boost your battery levels tremendously. They will also guarantee you a peaceful time doing work on your computer without having to worry that it may shut down unexpectedly.
One way is using an HDMI cable as mentioned before. Nonetheless, you need to be careful when using the HDMI capable. note that laptop chargers have inbuilt charging adapters that provide regulated current and voltage to charge your machine. An HDMI cable does not have such features. I recommend using an HDMI capable only when you are stuck, to keep your acne safe.
Other ways you can charge your laptop without a charger include:
1. Using a power bank
A power bank is just portable battery storage for your laptop. Using a power bank is simple. All you have to do is connect it to your laptop, and the charging process will begin.
What makes a power bank even most suitable is that you don’t need to connect it to an outlet while charging your laptop, as is with an HDMI capable
Power banks are made of different power storage abilities and charging technology. Each different power bank has its unique features and capabilities. You will be able to charge a high power-consuming laptop with a type-c power bank than you would with a type-A. Type-A power banks can only charge less powerful laptops.
Type-C power banks, on the other hand, have a high power capacity. They can therefore charge a more powerful laptop battery more efficiently than type-A. Conversely, the type-A universal chargers can only power up less powerful batteries due to the low capacity to store electric power.
It is important to note that most power banks can only charge a laptop’s battery once. They are not made with a high capacity to hold a lot of power that can charge several laptops at once. Therefore, you should ensure that you have more than one power bank if you know you will take a long time without the original laptop charger.
2. Using a Car Battery
Using a car battery to charge your laptop is another way to boost your laptop’s battery. With this method, you have to use an inverter that can power up to 300 watts. Although that amount of power may not be enough to run other power tools, it will be pretty efficient in charging up the battery of your laptop to total capacity.
A significant setback for this method is that you will have to leave the inverter on the vehicle’s floor. This makes it prone to accidents as someone may step on it and damage it.
Despite that, using the car battery to charge your laptop allows you to move with your laptop in and out of the car. This allows you to find the most suitable place to continue doing your job comfortably.
3. Charging your laptop in the car
Charging your laptop in a car is also another alternative to boost your laptop when you don’t have a charger. To charge your laptop in the car, you will need two things. You first need an AC adapter for power transmission.
This adaptor has a USB type-A connector on one end and a type-C on the other end. It is the ideal adapter to use in cars. Secondly, you will need a USB car charger.
If you have a newer vehicle, you might not need a charger since they have USB ports. You can just plugin. It is advisable not to leave your laptop unsupervised in your car to avoid the dangers of overheating.
4. Using Super batteries
Another efficient way to charge your laptop without a charger is using a super battery. Super batteries are brand specific; you will need to get one designed specifically for your laptop brand and type for it to fit.
The super batteries act as a second or spare battery for your laptop. They have different charging cables but fit in place of the original laptop battery. When the original battery runs out of power, you have to remove it and replace it with the super battery.
Having a super battery will give you ample time to finish your work on your laptop. You won’t be troubled with the low battery notification. The super battery will provide enough power to run the laptop and help you finish your task comfortably.
5. Universal Power Adapter
A universal power adapter is also another best way to charge your laptop when you don’t have a charger. The universal adapter comes with interchangeable pins that will fit most laptop brands. To charge with the universal charger is simple. You have to put in the pin that fits your charging port, and you will charge your laptop well.
Universal chargers are very flexible and portable. They allow you to tap your power from even very low power outlet points like a cigarette port in your car. A Universal charger will also allow you to set the voltage you desire to charge your laptop. However, it is essential to note that you should not set your voltage too high when using a universal charger; otherwise, you will end up with a dead battery.
Additionally, if your laptop’s battery is removable, you can charge it externally. The external charger allows you to charge your laptop when you have forgotten the laptop’s charger. Using the external battery charger is quite simple.
The external charger is a little cable that can plug into the wall socket. It has an open space on the other end that can adjust to fit your laptop’s battery. All you have to do then is to fit in your battery and turn on the power switch to start charging.
However, since you have to remove your battery in order to charge it, it will mean that your laptop will be off for that period.
It is important to note that the external chargers are brand-specific. This means you have to get a specific one that matches your laptop’s brand and model to fit. A well-fitting external charger will ensure your charging process is smooth and more efficient.
How to Care for Your Laptop Battery
Saving cycles of your battery can help you in lengthening its lifespan. Charging cycle means a full discharge to zero, then charging back up to a hundred. All laptop batteries are built to handle specific charging cycles, most being around 500 complete cycles.
Avoid overheating your laptop’s battery. When your laptop becomes too hot, it will make the battery produce a lot of power that is not routed to any particular hardware. This can permanently damage the inside of the battery and wear out the battery with a bunch of chemical reactions that aren’t necessary.
Leave it plugged in but not all the time. What determines the duration your laptop’s battery will last is the number of charging and discharging. Leaving it plugged will reduce its discharging rate and hence help in saving the battery life.
There is software that gives battery health reports. If you want to take care of your battery’s life, it will be vital if you get to know their health reports. You can download the software to ensure you don’t miss any one of them.
Some of the battery monitoring apps you should consider include battery care and battery monitor.
1. Battery care
This lightweight app will show you all the essentials of the battery you need to know about the battery of your laptop. It provides notifications, CPU and storage temperature readings, discharge cycle monitoring, and lots of other handy information concerning the health of your battery.
2. Battery monitor
This app is made for macOS. It shows battery charge in a friendly way with important info about the battery life. Additionally, the info includes cycles, alerts, battery temperature readings, and the current total battery capacity.
Enabling battery-conscious modes on your laptop is also another way to help lengthen your battery life. The battery-conscious mode will also safeguard your battery from damages caused when you let your battery reach zero percent.
Updating your computer’s software is also another best way to safeguard your laptop’s battery. Each new update is made to run more efficiently and will hence consume less power. This will reduce the discharge rate and consequently reduce the rate at which your laptop’s battery will be damaging.
If you are looking for alternatives to boost your laptop’s battery, I suppose you have grasped some valuable ideas. Forgetting your charger should no longer hinder you from working on your laptop. Get yourself some of the backup plans to ensure you have a fully powered laptop at all times.
