iGo Juice - in flight problems?
 

I have an iGo adapter that I use to power a IBM T40. There are a few things I wanted to post. I'm not sure if this is normal, or if I should get a new one.

(Note: According to the iGO documentation, I am using the proper adapter)

- Running on AC, the battery indicator on the T40 looks different with iGO than it does with the IBM transformer. For example, it flickers when it's done charging.

- On a few occassions the iGO adapter has "knocked out" the in-seat supply while in the air. This happened a few times on UA744s, and recently happened again on a LH343. I thought this was odd because these aircraft have totally different plugs in the seat. On the LH flight, it was running fine for about 1 hour, then I noticed the laptop switched to battery all of a sudden. I tried unplugging and repluging the iGO plug, but I just got a red-light from the seat indicator (which went back to green when I unplugged the iGO).

Thanks.

Send a tech support email to Igo stating the following

- Notebook used
- Tip number used (and if a rev mark is on the other side of the tip)

This is NOT normal behaviour. With the correct tip, the performance should be similar to your factory power supply (a little slower charge though on some notebooks).

Igo does rev the programming info on each tip to "tweak" them... Check to see if the tip you are using should still be used on that notebook.

Also on LH, borrow plug adapter from the flight attendents. The US plug doesn't always work well on the LH 110V supply, converting it to a Europe plug with a wide base ensures the plug always stays in.

IIRC, the Thinkpad T40/41 draw about 70-72 watts, which is at the top limit of both the Juice 70 and of the power supplies on the airplanes. I'm just guessing, but maybe the power sources on the planes on which you experienced the problem were emitting less than the required 70 watts (my laptop only draws 47 watts so I haven't had the problem).

FWIW, have had no problems using the Igo Juice with my T41 the past 3 months on AA. The tip I use has an A on one side, a "4" on the other.

I've been using a T40 since they first came out. Just recently I bought an Igo Juice because I was trying to lighten my load. I was carrying an APC in-seat adapter, which had worked fine on many trips. I haven't yet used the Igo, and now I'm wondering if on the next trip I should take both -- just in case.

My biggest problem has been UA aircraft in which the in-seat did not work, for many reasons. The most confusing one was on a B-757 in which the plug was there, the little green light was on, but no juice. When I asked the FA, she checked the ship's equipment log and said that in-seat power was not installed. Huh?

Cheers,
Leo

Hi

I have just got an Igo Juice for my Toshiba Portege M100, but it doesnt work with it! It uses tip 6 which on mine has an A on the side.

When I plug the tip onto the igo juice it makes the blue light flash. then when i plug into my Tosh the light goes mad and no power is recieved at the laptop.

I got in touch with tech support and they want me to send it back to them. Now to be honest as I live in the UK i dont want to do this. Anyone got any suggestions?

Cheers

James

jamojdm: I have a Protege M200 using Tip 6A works fine... I'm not certain if the older Protege had the same exact power profile.

If you disconnect the cable from the tip to the Juice and replug it does it still fail to setup correctly?

You may either have an specific issue with the M100 and this tip or a defective tip... I would email Juice/Igo support.

Have them send you a NEW Tip 6, rev A before you need to post/mail it bag to Igo. That should take aprox 4 days to get to you.

I emailed them back saying I dont want to send it all back, just waiting for a reply.

I've followed what the knolegebase says about pluging it in with the laptop on etc, but that makes no difference.

I'll test it on my old tecra and my parents satellite when I next go home.

Cheers


James

My T41 power supply is labeled as 16V and 4.5A, which I make 72 Watts. That is up from 54 Watts for the earlier model T series (eg my old T21). But the higher end of the power consumption is only when charging the battery, so once it is fully charged, I would expect the actual power draw to be well less than 72 Watts.