Running a computer when not on hook up

GinaRon

GinaRon

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We are hopefully upgrading and the van we have seen (and I want) has a solar panel fitted already but Ron wants to know how he can run a computer without being hooked up. Does he need an inverter? or is there a different piece of kit he requires anyone::)
 
Laptop Charging

Just buy the correct 12v charging lead from Maplin or Amazon Go to Maplins website and look up the 12v carging lead for your brand of Laptop this will charge from any 12v power source.

Alf

GinaRon said:
We are hopefully upgrading and the van we have seen (and I want) has a solar panel fitted already but Ron wants to know how he can run a computer without being hooked up. Does he need an inverter? or is there a different piece of kit he requires anyone::)
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Either a 150w inverter to use with your laptop PSU or better a DC converter from Maplin to convert 12v to the voltage of your laptop.

I would recommend a small lap top or notebook for the van which does not take too much power or space.
 
Just be careful if using 12v direct that the step down voltage is very close to that required by the laptop.

Best solution in my opinion is to invest in a laptop with a long battery life (ultrabook style) and keep it charged up when you are on the move or with ehu.
 
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I use a netbook & large lappy on the boat & in the van - mostly without hook-ups & using 12v supply units off e-bay. check the output voltage & wattage off your existing power supply & buy a 12v unit that matches that (don't forget to match the polarity & plug type too!)

My netbook battery was getting a bit feeble due to age so I also bought an extra power version off flea-bay & now it runs for 4 hours anyway without any impact on the batteries, plus I can recharge it while driving. the battery cost about 15 quid including postage & the 12v supply was roughly the same. Two excellent accessories for staying on line.

If you have BT broadband you can have access to thousands of free WiFi hotspots all over the country.
 
Most if not all laptops / notebooks require 18 - 21 volts the most common being 19 volts so a 12 volt step up adapter would be suitable (it is similar to an invertor but it steps the voltage up to the required voltage and then converts it to DC and stabilises it to suit the laptop) usually there will be less losses doing it this way than stepping 12 volts up to 240volts with an inverter and then plugging the laptop mains adaptor into the invertor which in turn steps it down to the required voltage. Do make sure the adapter you choose has the correct DC voltage and sufficient current output and the DC jack plug will fit into you laptop as there are many different DC input jacks.
 
If buying a new lappy, just make sure it is a 12v one, there are plenty about, especially in the smaller, more convenient sizes - or get a notepad style one, they usually include a 12v charger anyway.
 
Go for an inverter and use your normal charger, much more versatile and allows you to recharge shavers, torch batteries etc. etc.

I would suggest one about 300 watt with two sets of leads, including one of the cigarette lighter type, which you can plug in to the cab lighter socket to recharge the laptop when you are travelling.

Any power losses going this way are pretty negligible.
 
Sparks said:
Can you confirm it's a laptop you'll be using?

It's not unheard of for people to use an 'ordinary' computer when mobile.
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I don't know many people who would use a desktop type :scared:

Maybe if you had a big American style RV you could fit in a desktop. I'd still go for a laptop though. They are built for going on the move. You have transit shocks to consider when moving, and components like lap top HDDs and its general build are more durable in that respect.
 
Jean Genie said:
Go for an inverter and use your normal charger, much more versatile and allows you to recharge shavers, torch batteries etc. etc.

I would suggest one about 300 watt with two sets of leads, including one of the cigarette lighter type, which you can plug in to the cab lighter socket to recharge the laptop when you are travelling.

Any power losses going this way are pretty negligible.
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I have a 12v battery charger unit for AA & AAA cells, an excellent bit of kit. Throw your shaver away, girls, you don't need it on holiday. Inverters are dearer than a 12v supply unit as well as wasting power. But each to their own.
 
A 12v battery charger is yet another expense, and some ladies do use shavers, indeed, some do have a tame man who HAS to be well shaven.

And I am quite sure cheaper inverters are more readily available then dedicated 12v laptop chargers.
 
Jean Genie said:
A 12v battery charger is yet another expense, and some ladies do use shavers, indeed, some do have a tame man who HAS to be well shaven.

And I am quite sure cheaper inverters are more readily available then dedicated 12v laptop chargers.
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Wrong again JG ..... getting to be a habit. :D

A cheap inverter can do a lot of harm to certain electronic equipment.

I would never run a 300 watt inverter from the cab cigar socket. There are usually 2 and one of them is CLEARLY marked 180 watt.
 
I happily run a 1,000 watt one from the cab socket, of course I do not connect electric kettles, microwaves or vacuum cleaners to it. Re the 'damage', I have had a laptop 12v charger melt in situ, but never had a problem with any inverters, so I challenge you to prove your point.

My personal experience is go the inverter way and forget much of the nonsense generated by people with vested interests in equipment.
 
Jean Genie said:
I happily run a 1,000 watt one from the cab socket, of course I do not connect electric kettles, microwaves or vacuum cleaners to it. Re the 'damage', I have had a laptop 12v charger melt in situ, but never had a problem with any inverters, so I challenge you to prove your point.

My personal experience is go the inverter way and forget much of the nonsense generated by people with vested interests in equipment.
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With that attitude you are either a teenager or you really do think you know it all.

Regarding your laptop charger melting .... did you buy it off ebay? Lots of fake items sold there.

A 1000 watt inverter will waste power as they are only 80 to 90% efficient and hammer the life out of batteries if you are not careful.

Anyway, I don't know why I am wasting my time, you know everything.
 
maingate said:
With that attitude you are either a teenager or you really do think you know it all.

Regarding your laptop charger melting .... did you buy it off ebay? Lots of fake items sold there.

A 1000 watt inverter will waste power as they are only 80 to 90% efficient and hammer the life out of batteries if you are not careful.

Anyway, I don't know why I am wasting my time, you know everything.
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No, I did not buy it off Ebay, and re knowing it all you seem to be the one with an issue there.

I am offering first hand advice gained over many years, take it or leave it, I do not care


By the way, I am careful, I have standby items and tend not to use such a large inverter as a rule.
 
I agree an inverter and the laptop power supply unit are a feasible option. However a typical inverter will have a quiescent current with no output load of anything from 0.5 Amp To over 1 Amp depending on the efficiency of the unit this is a substantial additional drain on your batteries especially today as when i checked the solar panel charge rate is less than 0.1 amp (80 Watt panel) on this miserable cloudy day. My Compaq 12v laptop power supply has a quiecent current of 75 milliamps and when powering my laptop draws 1.5 amp from the batteries.
 
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