jimi
Well-Known Member
is there a simple device that does such a thing so I can run my shiny new laptop from the boat's 12 v system?
upping the voltage from 12v to 16v
- Thread starter jimi
- Start date
woody001
Well-Known Member
I believe u can get universal laptop power supplys that will do the trick.
tazzle
Well-Known Member
One of these should do the job - they also have a 120w version if you've got a big screen model. Check their website here
Mike21
Well-Known Member
capt_birdseye
Active Member
I just connect my Laptop to the 12 volt boat supply, even though the Mains adaptor says the input voltage to the Laptop is 16 volts DC. It works fine ! Cheers ! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
jimi
Well-Known Member
Thanks all!
Sheff
Well-Known Member
I also have the Maplin adaptor and can recommend it.
Just make sure it can cope with the demand from your laptop as it is 6A max at 12V.
If your laptop is more power hungry than that then you may not want it on board.
Just make sure it can cope with the demand from your laptop as it is 6A max at 12V.
If your laptop is more power hungry than that then you may not want it on board.
Ships_Cat
Well-Known Member
If you get a step up adapter and if you want good reliability I suggest checking the maximum input voltage rating on it if you intend running while the engine is charging - I use one that is rated to 16v and it is much happier than the lower rated ones. I have also found that reliability is improved if select one that is rated about 25-30% higher for wattage, at least, than the notebook under charge.
In the end, if the notebook uses a 6 cell Li-ion battery pack it will likely be a 10.8v pack (2 lots of 3 cells @3.6v each paralleled and voltage is normally written on the pack) in which case the machine will, as another has said, likely run quite happily (but may not charge the battery) off the boat's 12v supply even if its supplied charger is 18 or whatever volts. So what I do is run the notebook off a DC step up converter (or occasionally off the boat's inverter) but also keep on board a made up cable to run it straight off the boat's 12v supply if needed.
By the way, Acer are very well regarded in this part of the world both for bang for the buck and reliability - was initially my first choice until I came across another with a serial port as standard.
John
In the end, if the notebook uses a 6 cell Li-ion battery pack it will likely be a 10.8v pack (2 lots of 3 cells @3.6v each paralleled and voltage is normally written on the pack) in which case the machine will, as another has said, likely run quite happily (but may not charge the battery) off the boat's 12v supply even if its supplied charger is 18 or whatever volts. So what I do is run the notebook off a DC step up converter (or occasionally off the boat's inverter) but also keep on board a made up cable to run it straight off the boat's 12v supply if needed.
By the way, Acer are very well regarded in this part of the world both for bang for the buck and reliability - was initially my first choice until I came across another with a serial port as standard.
John
temptress
Well-Known Member
You need to protect the laptop from 'spikes' in the power supply. Are you doing this? If not you are ricking either a fire (from overloading the laptop wiht too many amps) or just blowing the capacitors inside which will be costly to fix.
charles_reed
Well-Known Member
yes
you can buy them for about £20 from most of the replacement laptop battery suppliers. the one I have is a ComOn, with 7 alternative output plugs producing 3500milliamps, at switchable 15v, 16v, 18v, 19v, 20v, 22v and 24v. It should be good for simultaneous operation as well as recharging batteries with all but the most powerful laptops.
I would avoid the naive assumption that supplying lower-than-designed volts to your laptop does no damage. It's less damaging to go slightly higher on supply volts than lower than the designed input.
you can buy them for about £20 from most of the replacement laptop battery suppliers. the one I have is a ComOn, with 7 alternative output plugs producing 3500milliamps, at switchable 15v, 16v, 18v, 19v, 20v, 22v and 24v. It should be good for simultaneous operation as well as recharging batteries with all but the most powerful laptops.
I would avoid the naive assumption that supplying lower-than-designed volts to your laptop does no damage. It's less damaging to go slightly higher on supply volts than lower than the designed input.
Ships_Cat
Well-Known Member
Re: yes
I would avoid the naive assumption that supplying lower-than-designed volts to your laptop does no damage.
Actually the voltage that the machine is designed for is written on the battery. It will be found that it is always, on modern machines, much less than the charger voltage - Li-ion battery packs are internally regulated both for charge and for limiting maximum discharge.
So the naive assumption is to assume that it will be damged by voltages lower than the charger's /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif.
As to Tempresse's warning about spikes - you have spikes Tempress? In which case the answer is to get yerself a decent DC supply in your boat for the sake of everything else that you hang of that supply. Consider fitting a surge suppressor for their sake if your DC supply has a problem (they are cheap so fit one in any event).
John
I would avoid the naive assumption that supplying lower-than-designed volts to your laptop does no damage.
Actually the voltage that the machine is designed for is written on the battery. It will be found that it is always, on modern machines, much less than the charger voltage - Li-ion battery packs are internally regulated both for charge and for limiting maximum discharge.
So the naive assumption is to assume that it will be damged by voltages lower than the charger's /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif.
As to Tempresse's warning about spikes - you have spikes Tempress? In which case the answer is to get yerself a decent DC supply in your boat for the sake of everything else that you hang of that supply. Consider fitting a surge suppressor for their sake if your DC supply has a problem (they are cheap so fit one in any event).
John
SvenglishTommy
Well-Known Member
Re: yes
As someone else mentioned, the actual laptop probably runs at somewhere around 11 volts, the higher voltage is for charging the battery. I currently run mine at 16V from a universal adapter, but I think will just wire it directly into the 12V supply. My adapter is a little under powered (3.5A) and it used to hum a bit and get warm, when I removed the battery from the laptop the adapter was happy as Larry. As my laptop is only for the boat, I dont need the battery at all and hopefully it will run fine from the main 12V supply and not waste any amps charging the battery or wasted in the step up.
The actual voltage of the chip and memory inside the laptop is only about 2.5V so there must be some regulation in their somewhere.
As someone else mentioned, the actual laptop probably runs at somewhere around 11 volts, the higher voltage is for charging the battery. I currently run mine at 16V from a universal adapter, but I think will just wire it directly into the 12V supply. My adapter is a little under powered (3.5A) and it used to hum a bit and get warm, when I removed the battery from the laptop the adapter was happy as Larry. As my laptop is only for the boat, I dont need the battery at all and hopefully it will run fine from the main 12V supply and not waste any amps charging the battery or wasted in the step up.
The actual voltage of the chip and memory inside the laptop is only about 2.5V so there must be some regulation in their somewhere.
charles_reed
Well-Known Member
Thanks
for underlining the point I was making that over-designed voltage is generally safer than under-design voltage.
In fact, unless you remove the battery, the voltage into the motherboard will be the battery designed voltage.
charging Li-ion batteries at, or below, their output volts is a sure short cut to ending their life.
If any doubt suggest doing the research.
for underlining the point I was making that over-designed voltage is generally safer than under-design voltage.
In fact, unless you remove the battery, the voltage into the motherboard will be the battery designed voltage.
charging Li-ion batteries at, or below, their output volts is a sure short cut to ending their life.
If any doubt suggest doing the research.
uforea
Well-Known Member
Jimi, it would have been much cheaper and simpler to to have bought the NASA Radar and just keep quiet about it.
Ted.
Ted.
Talbot
Well-Known Member
I have one of those from maplin, and it works really well.
Ships_Cat
Well-Known Member
Re: Thanks
charging Li-ion batteries at, or below, their output volts is a sure short cut to ending their life
That may or may not be so but I think that the rest of us have come to terms with the fact that the 10.8v I mention is less than the 12v of the boat's 12v DC system.
And, for the sake of cutting off any non mathematically inclined at the gates, it may be worthwhile to point out that the boat's highest DC system volts during charging will be less than the typical notebook's Li-ion battery's normal maximum charging voltage (usually 16 v minimum).
Again, as I said, Li-ion battery packs are all internally regulated - to prevent overcharge, mainly for safety reasons, and to prevent undercharge, mainly to prevent damage to the cells. If one was to try recharging at a voltage less than the battery pack voltage (say at 9v for a 10.8v pack) the pack will never be discharged to flat.
In the end one could, as you say, just take the battery out if one is of the worrying type /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif.
All Jimi's fault, he should not start controversial threads /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
John
charging Li-ion batteries at, or below, their output volts is a sure short cut to ending their life
That may or may not be so but I think that the rest of us have come to terms with the fact that the 10.8v I mention is less than the 12v of the boat's 12v DC system.
And, for the sake of cutting off any non mathematically inclined at the gates, it may be worthwhile to point out that the boat's highest DC system volts during charging will be less than the typical notebook's Li-ion battery's normal maximum charging voltage (usually 16 v minimum).
Again, as I said, Li-ion battery packs are all internally regulated - to prevent overcharge, mainly for safety reasons, and to prevent undercharge, mainly to prevent damage to the cells. If one was to try recharging at a voltage less than the battery pack voltage (say at 9v for a 10.8v pack) the pack will never be discharged to flat.
In the end one could, as you say, just take the battery out if one is of the worrying type /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif.
All Jimi's fault, he should not start controversial threads /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
John
mikefleetwood
Well-Known Member
Re: Thanks
Just a thought: if you have electric start for engine, the nominal 12V battery (usually more like 13, if fully charged) will drop considerably. Think what happens to your car radio/lights when you start. This would be more than enough to cause loss of data, etc. if the PC is operating. At least, with the internal batteries fitted supply should be maintained.
A boat supply should not be prone to too many "spikes". At high revs the alternator will produce a higher output voltage, but this is coped with by the regulator and battery, so voltage shouldn't go higher than 14 or 15V. The combination of mast, navigation light wiring (etc.) and thunderstorm may produce interesting side-effects - in which case it is probably best to disconnect the PC (or fit a decent surge arrestor). Might get momentary spikes from starter motor/solenoid release, but PC should be able to cope with that.
Just a thought: if you have electric start for engine, the nominal 12V battery (usually more like 13, if fully charged) will drop considerably. Think what happens to your car radio/lights when you start. This would be more than enough to cause loss of data, etc. if the PC is operating. At least, with the internal batteries fitted supply should be maintained.
A boat supply should not be prone to too many "spikes". At high revs the alternator will produce a higher output voltage, but this is coped with by the regulator and battery, so voltage shouldn't go higher than 14 or 15V. The combination of mast, navigation light wiring (etc.) and thunderstorm may produce interesting side-effects - in which case it is probably best to disconnect the PC (or fit a decent surge arrestor). Might get momentary spikes from starter motor/solenoid release, but PC should be able to cope with that.
