12v Laptop

[Hobart]

I came accross this website:

http://mikegyver.com/IdeasnProducts/airline-car/index.html

and was just wondering if anyone has had any experience of running a laptop / macbook off 12V?

 

Thanks

 

neil

Edited February 24, 2008 by Hobart

[Nickhlx]

I came accross this website:

http://mikegyver.com/IdeasnProducts/airline-car/index.html

and was just wondering if anyone has had any experience of running a laptop / macbook off 12V?

 

Thanks

 

neil

 

You can inverters that convert the 12 volts to e.g 19 volts as "car chargers" - usually as an accessory for the PC or I think from e.g. Maplins, or DABS on the web or E-Bay - from about £15 to £50

 

Nick

[Lady Muck]

We run ours off 12v all the time - Maplins do adaptors, but they're not suitable for all laptops - if you can't get an adaptor to fit, try here: www.battery.co.uk They are really helpful and do adaptors for Macs too.

[DHutch]

Im supprised mac dont off a 12v charger for there macbook, however that seams to be the case.

- And there stupid (very clever, but unavilable) magsafe magnetic power plug being patented doesnt seam to be helping. Although im supprised thats stoped anyone making a knock off one!

 

IBM make/made 12v powerleads for there laptops, and although ive not bought one it makes a lot of sense for other manufactors to also. Not everyone uses there laptop as a desktop replacment!

- That said as my thinkpad is now an antique, and the no longer made 12v powersupplies comanding silly prices, i would almost certainly go for the inverter option. Which would also come in for anyone elses laptop, phones, my camera, mp3 player. etc.

 

 

Daniel

[chris w]

Contrary to the article on the URL, (quasi sinewave) inverters are actually very efficient @ ~90%.

 

Chris

Edited February 24, 2008 by chris w

[AjW]

Check the cabling to your 12v socket first and compare with the power rating of the laptop; My 12v charger pulls 8 Amps and the mains charger 10+Amps when run through an inverter! The result was that the 12v charger when plugged in caused a massive voltage drop, the charger detects this and turns off, the voltage rises and the charger turns on - cue endless cycle of on/off. I've changed the wiring now...

 

Quick hint; charge the battery and take it out of the laptop until needed. This will extend the life of the battery by keeping it way from the heat generated by the laptop and lower the power demands on the boat battery. If you want a desktop replacement you might be better off getting an in-car PC as some of these have power demands down to 30W!

[chris w]

Check the cabling to your 12v socket first and compare with the power rating of the laptop; My 12v charger pulls 8 Amps and the mains charger 10+Amps when run through an inverter! The result was that the 12v charger when plugged in caused a massive voltage drop, the charger detects this and turns off, the voltage rises and the charger turns on - cue endless cycle of on/off. I've changed the wiring now...

 

Quick hint; charge the battery and take it out of the laptop until needed. This will extend the life of the battery by keeping it way from the heat generated by the laptop and lower the power demands on the boat battery. If you want a desktop replacement you might be better off getting an in-car PC as some of these have power demands down to 30W!

 

For 8 amps to cause a "massive voltage drop" - I assume you mean around 2 volts - would mean that the cables to your 12v outlet must be very small and very long. If they were say 2.5mm² one would need a length of 18 metres each way (ie: 36m total) to cause this kind of drop.

 

Are you sure it's not the (possibly unregulated) 12v charger that is causing the volts drop?

 

Chris

[Nickhlx]

For 8 amps to cause a "massive voltage drop" - I assume you mean around 2 volts - would mean that the cables to your 12v outlet must be very small and very long. If they were say 2.5mm² one would need a length of 18 metres each way (ie: 36m total) to cause this kind of drop.

 

Are you sure it's not the (possibly unregulated) 12v charger that is causing the volts drop?

 

Chris

 

My charger is rated at 6 amps but actually only take a max of around 4 when the battery is flat and the laptop is running.

You can also alter the power setting of some laptops to be more energy efficient - I think it reduces ( halves) the processor speed and reduces the screen brightness, both of which are largely acceptable for most applications.

 

Nick

[steviehat]

I made a 12v charger for my Macbook .It cost me a few quid and took 10 minutes to make.

Just buy a 800w Laptop multicharger from Maplins £5.99 and a female 2.5mm power plug £1.20

Snip the cable off your mac 240 charger and solder the female power plug on to the cable. There are only two wires in there . Centre is positive. Job done !

Works great. Before i was using huge amounts of power to charge it with the inverter

Stick another female power plug on your old 240v charger and it works as before.

No need to pay $80 to have the same thing[but in white] sent from the states .

Cheers Folks

[foxhound_mike]

I came accross this website:

http://mikegyver.com/IdeasnProducts/airline-car/index.html

and was just wondering if anyone has had any experience of running a laptop / macbook off 12V?

 

Thanks

 

neil

 

 

Hi Neil

 

try laptopshop.co.uk

 

I bought a 12v adaptor for my G4 powerbook from em and it works just fine

 

good luck

 

Mike