Broken charging port- ?new DC board or charging station

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Level 1

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Broken charging port- ?new DC board or charging station

Hi

The charging port on my G4 is very wobbly and only charges if I hold the charger plug in at a certain angle. I think this must be a loose contact. Much abused machine. Charger itself and battery are fine.

Could I replace the charging port/DC-in board easily? (I have never taken a laptop apart)

Can I get a separate charging docking station to charge the battery outside the laptop?

Old machine, don't need portability, don't want to spend much.

Thank you

Alan

Powerbook G4, IBook G4, iMac G4, Mac OS X (10.4.2)

Posted on Aug 19, 2010 12:41 PM

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Answer 1

eww

Level 9

53,052 points

Aug 19, 2010 12:55 PM in response to Alan Mclean

Could I replace the charging port/DC-in board easily? (I have never taken a laptop apart)?

No, not easily. The 12" Powerbook is quite difficult to work on, and no place to begin a do-it-yourself computer repair career:

http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Repair/Installing-PowerBook-G4-Aluminum-12-Inch-1-1- 5-GHz-DC-In-Board/554/1

Can I get a separate charging docking station to charge the battery outside the laptop?

Yes, but not cheaply. I have no idea why these are so expensive, but they certainly are:

http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Newer%20Technology/BATCAPL12AL/

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Answer 2

Alan Mclean Author

Level 1

0 points

Aug 23, 2010 3:36 PM in response to eww

Dear eww

Thank you very much for prompt reply. The DC board replacement tutorial is beautifully clear an definitely not for me. I'll get a charger to eke out a bit more work.

Regards

alan

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