BA 747 power supply for iPad?

BA 747 power supply for iPad?

Author
Discussion

5MUG

Original Poster:

734 posts

263 months

Friday 27th March 2015
quotequote all
We are off en famille for a 10 hour flight. We are going on a 747 and the BA website tell me that the power source in World Traveller Plus is Empower 15 volt DC. What does that mean with regard to us charging our phones/laptops/nano etc.?

Does anyone know and can you show me a picture of it!?

Thanks all as usual.

pushthebutton

1,096 posts

181 months

anonymous-user

53 months

Friday 27th March 2015
quotequote all
I think the main problem is that if you plug your devices in, the music or film will play a bit too fast. Charging is ok though.

5MUG

Original Poster:

734 posts

263 months

Friday 27th March 2015
quotequote all
Thanks pushthebutton - I had found that but it doesn't help me as I still don't know what I need to be able to use it.

We will only need to charge hopefully, not use while charging....

Will we need an adapter to be able to use the power source? If so, what sort of adapter? Will they be for sale on the plane/at the airport?

5MUG

Original Poster:

734 posts

263 months

Friday 27th March 2015
quotequote all
Ah ha! Thank you Bezerk! That'll do. smile

GCH

3,984 posts

201 months

Friday 27th March 2015
quotequote all
5MUG said:
We will only need to charge hopefully, not use while charging....
They get really weird about charging when not in use, and 9/10 will tell you to stop due to a perceived fire risk.


You used to have to use the empower adapter in all cabins on BA, so I bought one. I would gladly send you for free if I still had it - cost me a fortune 10yrs ago, but since the last club and F refresh, I had no need for it (as you can charge & use by conventional means) so I gave it to charity a while back.


Apple used to do a magsafe adapter like this: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MagSafe-Airline-Adapter-...

Edited by GCH on Friday 27th March 20:10

Mabbs9

1,072 posts

217 months

Friday 27th March 2015
quotequote all
Correct. Charging not permitted. Sorry.

poppopbangbang

1,785 posts

140 months

Friday 27th March 2015
quotequote all
Myself and a couple of other chaps got in quite a lot of trouble on a flight to Australia a few years ago for constructing our own Empower adaptors from bits we had in carry on (we used to have "flight safed" wiring kits for support as it saved a lot of time getting to circuit). I remember Pin 8 is positive and Pin 9 is gnd. Pin 6 and 7 need bridging to turn the juice on. If memory serves DT terminals fit the main power pins and DTMs fit the smaller terminals.

Might be 15V but all our 12V "cig lighter" stuff worked fine from it wink So if there is an adaptor to go from Empower to cigarette lighter then it's very likely anything you have for charging from a car will keep an iPad or similar going.

King Herald

23,501 posts

215 months

Saturday 28th March 2015
quotequote all
5MUG said:
We are off en famille for a 10 hour flight. We are going on a 747 and the BA website tell me that the power source in World Traveller Plus is Empower 15 volt DC. What does that mean with regard to us charging our phones/laptops/nano etc.?

Does anyone know and can you show me a picture of it!?

Thanks all as usual.
The entertainment available on the planes in-seat system will be enough that you shouldn't need to use you array of fruit-related electronics on the way.

Pretty much the only time I've needed to use my iPad was on a 12 hour PAL flight from Vancouver to Manila. No in-seat system, even though the plane was almost new!! eek

I'd imagine there will be a 240 volt system available anyway, in the seat, as long as you have your charger with you.

smack

9,727 posts

190 months

Monday 30th March 2015
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I have an EmPower To 120V inverter from APC for when I travel. They no longer make them (BA used to sell them onboard aparently years ago), but I picked one up from Fleabay for about $15.
My route for my monthly work trips no longer uses 747's, now 777's which has AC plugs in the seat so I don't use it often, but still keep it in my suitcase as it also can be used with 12v cigy lighter plugs in cars, so handy when I have to use or charge my laptop in hire cars.

GCH

3,984 posts

201 months

Monday 30th March 2015
quotequote all
King Herald said:
I'd imagine there will be a 240 volt system available anyway, in the seat, as long as you have your charger with you.
In first and club, yes there is a power socket. In WT+ on the 747 it is empower only. Some of the 777s have 'new' WT+ which has a normal power supply, but not much good here as the OP specifically asked about the 747

stuart313

740 posts

112 months

Monday 30th March 2015
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All/most power on aircraft is 400 hertz from what I can remember - something to do with making all the electronic components smaller I think -, my friend found a socket in the toilets a few years ago and plugged his charger for his phone into it for 10 mins, never seemed to work right after that.