12V PC's

[pau1gray]

12V PC\'s

I know alot of people on here use laptops for navigation, but has anyone found a 12V power supply for a PC.
One option is to use an inverter to give you mains but the mains is only changed into 12V,5V and 3 V inside the PC.
So there must be a 12V power supply on the market?
Regards
Paul

 

[vyv_cox]

Re: 12V PC\'s

They are called auto DC power adaptors. They convert 12V to a range of voltages to suit many laptops, mine does 15 - 22V in steps of a couple of volts. Bought mine at Maplin's. I have run my laptop on it throughout much of this year, although not for navigation. Didn't take the 230 V adaptor so ran on the DC adaptor even when the boat was on mains power.

 

[pau1gray]

Re: 12V PC\'s

Thanks for the reply but was looking more for a desktop
PC as opposed to a laptop

 

[rickp]

Re: 12V PC\'s

You can get 12v DC PSU's that plug directly into the motherboard these days. Have a look at these.

Rick

 

[jimbouy]

Re: 12V PC\'s

You can buy 12v dc supplies for ITX PC's and depending on your desk top pc in terms of wattage etc you may be able to use one....

web"]http://www.icp-epia.co.uk/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=16]web page[/url]

 

[aztec]

Re: 12V PC\'s

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/COMPAQ-EVO-D510-SF...1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[thalassa]

Re: 12V PC\'s

I run this setup on the boat, with excellent results. But beware of the type of converter. Many mini-PSU's have a narrow voltage band (11 - 13 V ). You cannot run these with the engine or battery loader on. Choose one for "mobile" use.

 

[Signed Out]

Re: 12V PC\'s

So what's actually needed? One of these will directly replace the standard 240v PSU and that's it? If this is the case, yippee.

Otherwise, I saw Evesham are making mini PCs that have an external power supply. I didn't see the voltage, but I guess it'll be DC, thus making it easy to get a transformer that goes from 12v in Maplin.

 

[thalassa]

Re: 12V PC\'s

It is indeed a direct replacement. Typically a 11-20V supply side connector, other side plugs into ATX mainboard connector. either directly (connector soldered on the PSU board) or indirectly (separate connector), plus a supply connector for HD and CD, but more often than not, not much more. The selection of PSU type depends on the space you have in the case. Soldered-on ATX connectors can vary 90 degrees, which makes quite a spatial difference . The overall advantage of the setup is silence (no fans), if you choose a mainboard that is not to power-hungry, and ruggedness, if you cushion the regular HD somewhat. The endresult is a PC which is more reliable than a laptop. Urban myth has it that laptop HD's are more rugged, but reality is quite different. The low price of regular HD makes having a carbon-copy HD worthwhile.
IMHO, of course.

 

[rickp]

Re: 12V PC\'s

Yup - I should have said to go for the 11-20v ones, you're right.

FWIW I use a Pack Box case from here with one of the 12v DC PSUs and the heat transfer kit along with a via motherboard to get a completely fanless system. Slap in a laptop hard disk and you've got a lovely system with only the hard disk as the moving part.

Rick

 

[macd]

Re: 12V PC\'s

"i don't have a drink problem.... i drink... then fall over... it's not a problem"

...and...don't tell me...on the whole you'd rather be in Philadelphia

 

[Talbot]

Re: 12V PC\'s

or you could hard wire a number of USB 2 GB hard discs and save even more power.

 

[Signed Out]

Re: 12V PC\'s

Very nice toys, very tempting. Thanks for the lead. I may be asking more advice... Jem.

 

[aztec]

Re: 12V PC\'s

"on the whole you'd rather be in Philadelphia"

where?

is that west of Exeter?