Can I hack and extend my Macbook's power cord?

Asked by rexpresso (922

) July 14th, 2010

As you know if you have Mac, they come with a squared white charger that has a small adapter and also an adapter with a bulky power cord. As in: http://www.pollsb.com/photos/o/6619-macbook_charger.jpg

My question is, could I open, extend and rewire the thin cable (the DC part of the circuit), or is there any technical reason why it can’t be longer? http://aryanugraha.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/img_2047.jpg

Thanks!

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4 Answers

Yes, if you’re prepared to do it right using a soldering iron and heat-shrink tubing. If you have no experience with this kind of thing you might think twice. For starters, find out how many conductors there are (possibly more than 2) and whether there’s a coaxial shield in the cable. The hard part might be finding a matching / comparable cable. Adding a few feet will probably work. Making a super-long cable, however, might create too much resistance or capacitance in the line.

gasman (11345

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Thanks @gasman, I will take this to a store where the guy is skilled in electronics, assembling cables etc… he will know how to make it happen. Thanks for your great feedback! All the best.

rexpresso (922

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How about just using an extension cord?

CMaz (26313

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@ChazMaz the problem with that is that it’s more bulk. The extension cord would be in the AC part of the circuit. What I want to extend is the thinner and lighter DC section… :)

rexpresso (922

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