marinerscafe
New Member
I have a Dell Inspiron 6400 and want to run it, and charge its battery, on a 12 volt cigarette lighter output. I have heard some cause interference when downloading weather maps. What is avaible that is reliable?
Running your computer on 12volts
- Thread starter marinerscafe
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AngusMcDoon
Well-Known Member
It was EdBeynon who did some testing of downloading weather maps onto his netbook using a Sony multiband radio. He did find interference from the charger stopped reliable reception of the weather maps signal.
His solution was to unplug the charger for the duration of the download and temporarily run on battery power.
Can you do the same?
temptress
Well-Known Member
Get a good quality 12v charger and make sure it has a ferrite. You should be OK.
charles_reed
Well-Known Member
I use a Maplin solid-state transformer - it works on all 5 laptops with which I've used it over the last 6 years.
The Dell 6800, won't recharge the batteries on the transformer.
The 150 watt version has 11 "noses" fitting nearly every laptop I've come across.
I use either a Nokia E70 or 5200 as a modem and download the NOAA GRIB files from the internet, via a cellular link.
Very fast, much more reliable than using SSB and Pactor and far less power hungry.
I find zygrib the "best" GRIB reader to use, especially as my laptops dual boot into either Windows or Linux.
The latter OS uses about 60% of the power used by Windows (NT4, 2000, XL and Win7) as well as giving a new lease of life to an elderly 6800 Dell.
With the inadequate (in standard form) HDD capacity of the 6400 and the power-guzzling habits of dual-Core CPUs you may be well advised to look at such dual booting.
fliti
Well-Known Member
On the same subject, has anyone found a way of charging a computer staright from 12v without stepping up through 240v and back down via trasnformer and charger? What are the issues and what kit do you need?
BruceDanforth
Well-Known Member
Try a 12V car charger. You can get them on ebay.
Philthy
Well-Known Member
Something like this should do the job:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/100W-12V-AC-DC-Multi-use-Car-Laptop-Charger-5v-USB-/130392125119?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Computing_LaptopAccessories_PowerSupplies&hash=item1e5bf9eebf#ht_2186wt_1137
It works from 12v DC or mains, and has a spare USB socket as well, if you should need to charge something without firing up the laptop.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/100W-12V-AC-DC-Multi-use-Car-Laptop-Charger-5v-USB-/130392125119?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Computing_LaptopAccessories_PowerSupplies&hash=item1e5bf9eebf#ht_2186wt_1137
It works from 12v DC or mains, and has a spare USB socket as well, if you should need to charge something without firing up the laptop.
Malabar
Well-Known Member
I tried an e bay 12v car charger and it did not work on my Dell Latitude. However a Maplins 12 v inverter has proved excellent.
DevonMark
Active Member
Some Dell laptops have a 19 volt input requirement (look on the laptop's charger to see its output) - obviously they won't work with a 12v supply. The answer is, as Malabar says, to use an inverter.
BobnLesley
Well-Known Member
12 volt computer power
...Some Dell laptops have a 19 volt input requirement (look on the laptop's charger to see its output) - obviously they won't work with a 12v supply...
We got a cigarette lighter plug in job from Maplins a few years ago, which offers voltage ranges of something like 14 to 19 volts and whilst our Acer mains transformer states that it runs at 19.2 volts, it still works fine; though if we've run down the internal battery, it does re-charge faster using mains power or indeed the inverter.
...Some Dell laptops have a 19 volt input requirement (look on the laptop's charger to see its output) - obviously they won't work with a 12v supply...
We got a cigarette lighter plug in job from Maplins a few years ago, which offers voltage ranges of something like 14 to 19 volts and whilst our Acer mains transformer states that it runs at 19.2 volts, it still works fine; though if we've run down the internal battery, it does re-charge faster using mains power or indeed the inverter.
edsailing
Well-Known Member
I got a cigarette plug laptop power supply from Maplins last year 12v in, 15-24v selectable out, rated at 70 watts, cost about £15. Prefer it to using an inverter as more efficient.
BruceDanforth
Well-Known Member
Well obviously you need to buy the right one for your laptop...
temptress
Well-Known Member
IMO an inverter is NOT the answer. Use a 12v laptop charger that steps the Volt sup to the desired amount. Many available on the market.
Why take 12V DC convert to 240V AC then back to 19v DC? Use the right tool for the job.
Haven't-a-Clue
Well-Known Member
Totally agree. Maplin's 12v step up DC transformer about £25 when I got mine, works just fine and has done all I've asked of it for the past 3 years.
DevonMark
Active Member
Sorry, should have added this in my post: Some Dell laptops have an unusual pin and I don't think any of the ones supplied with the standard 12v plugin things will work. Thus you either need Dell's own 12v charger or equivalent or an inverter. If, like me, you already have a 12v adapter for other items but it doesn't fit your laptop then an inverter is not a bad choice. If 80%-90% efficient then it is no great shakes and it means you now have a future proof way of charging phones, etc.
As an aside the mobile and laptop manufacturers were supposed to be standardising chargers which would be a great help. However, they don't seem to be making great progress...
As an aside the mobile and laptop manufacturers were supposed to be standardising chargers which would be a great help. However, they don't seem to be making great progress...
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CharlesSwallow
Well-Known Member
Laptop power supplies generally
Why do they need to get so hot? Surely they can't be very efficient when they do. Lots of other AC-DC power units run virtually "cold"
Chas
Why do they need to get so hot? Surely they can't be very efficient when they do. Lots of other AC-DC power units run virtually "cold"
Chas
nathanlee
Well-Known Member
Most (all) laptops I've encountered require more than 12v. It's often 16 or 19v. I can't remember what my netbook is though. Anyway, bottom line is, you can't run them directly off 12v. All the adaptors will have a transformer of some sort... oh, and remember, if your laptop is a 12v model, it probably expects 12v, not 13.4 or whatever your alternator is throwing out.
duncan99210
Well-Known Member
Maplin do a range of 12v power supplies that deliver up to 20 volts DC to a slack handfull of plugs that will suit most (but perhaps not all) laptops. The power drawn through the thing is as small as practicable considering the need to provide up to 150 watts to the computer. Inevitably, the unit gets a little hot, as does the mains unit when used - voltage conversion up or down is a relatively wasteful process. However, in comparison to using an inverter and running the normal mains power unit on it, the wastage is minimised. Maplins do offer units up to 300 watts or so - probably use one of those to power a printer?
Conachair
Guest
Downloading Wefax i need to not only run laptop off battery but switch off fridge and turn off any flourescent lights as well. Not so bad if reception is good but not always the case.