ADAPTING AN INCOMPATBILE CHARGER TO WORK WITH OCULUS

If your netbook/laptop is not compatible with one of the 5 DC plug tip sizes, and you’re comfortable with doing some basic wiring, you can follow this 10 minute procedure:

You will need:

• Charger compatible with your laptop (use the one that came with your laptop, OR buy an aftermarket one, so you have a 2nd one to use when your laptop is NOT being a robot).
• Wire stripper/cutter
• Pliers and/or small wrench, short phillips driver tip with pliers to hold it
• Voltmeter (optional)
• 1 small zap-strap (optional)
• #6 ring terminals (optional)

Procedure:

1. Cut the charger cable 2 ft (60cm) from where the tip plugs into the laptop.
2. Strip the outer housing away to expose 2" (5cm) of the + and – leads (usually white and black, or red and black respectively). You can ignore any ground leads (sometimes green). Then strip 1/4" (6mm) of the housing off the end of each lead. Do this for each half of the cut cable.
3. Wire the side attached to the AC brick into the charging dock — if you look at the dock PCB, you can wire the + lead into the screw terminal marked ‘CTR’, and the – lead into the other one, sharing the terminals with the existing wires.
4. Take the other 2ft half and snake it through the Oculus chassis (remove the other one), but make note of which side the WHITE wire of the existing Oculus chassis power lead is attached to: this is the + side.
5. You can attach the leads to fresh #6 ring terminals if you have any, and screw them into the dock contacts, or you can sandwich the bare wire ends under the nuts.
6. Reverse polarity can damage your laptop. Before testing charge, its a good idea to check polarity with a voltmeter if you have one—-positive should be the center pin.