Build a 12VDC MagSafe Charger to Keep Your MacBook Topped Off Wherever You Are

I used to work in a computer repair shop, and one of the most common forms of damage we saw were broken DC jacks on laptops. Those jacks are almost always attached directly to the laptop motherboard, and can easily snap off if someone trips over the charger cord. Apple came up with a clever solution in 2006 with MacBook Pro’s MagSafe connector. A MagSafe charger connects to the laptop with magnets so it’s almost impossible to damage the jack. But those are proprietary connectors, which makes it hard to find compatible accessories. If, however, you have an old (preferably damaged) MagSafe charger, you can follow this guide to convert it to 12VDC use.

You may want to build a 12VDC charger like this one if you need to use your Apple MacBook off-grid. Whether you have a solar setup, or are in your car or RV, the power is almost certainly coming from a battery at 12V — and it’s DC (Direct Current) as opposed to AC (Alternately Current). Your MacBook requires something like 20VDC to charge. The power coming from the outlet on your wall, however, is AC (120V in the United States). Your charger converts that 120VAC to the 20VDC your MacBook needs to charge. But, if you’re off-grid, then you’d start with 12VDC, use an inverter to generate 120VAC, then use your MagSafe charger to convert that back to DC. Even if you aren’t concerned about efficiency, that’s just a bit silly.

With this setup, you’re removing both the inverter and converter from the equation. This project only requires an old MacBook charger with a compatible MagSafe connector and a DC-DC boost converter. In this case, a 12V-to-19V converter was used. The MagSafe connector itself is the only part of the original charger you’ll keep, so it’s best to use a broken charger if you can find one. All you have to do is connect the two wires from the DC-DC boost converter to the two wires (ground and positive) on the MagSafe connector. When 12V is supplied to the boost converter, it will put out power to the MagSafe connector so you can charge your MacBook!