laptop on the move

Post by **Sandi** » 03 Sep 2008, 09:10

Hi, Newby here. Fab site you've got. I'm the proud new owner of my first T25. I'm going to be living and working from it a lot over the next few months. Does anyone have advice please about using my laptop - power surges, when wild camping, mobile broadband etc It's fairly high spec and I don't want to zap it.
Thanks

Post by **HarryMann** » 03 Sep 2008, 09:36

How are you charging the laptop when wild camping? Through an inverter off the vehicle?

Because they have batteries which act as a form of mains surge protection, laptops are much more immune to problems of power surge that desktop PCs.

Here is a therad that might be of interest re:onboard computer, Sat Nav eqpt, ICE etc.

https://club8090.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.p ... sc&start=0

Post by **Sandi** » 03 Sep 2008, 11:36

I have a standard leisure battery and a couple of 12v cig lighter type things, plus electric hookup when I'm not so wild! I'm very new to all this, don't really understand about inverters though I have read bits about them on these forums. Would that be a good thing to get for this then

Thanks

Post by **ghost123uk** » 03 Sep 2008, 11:40

HarryMann wrote: Because they have batteries which act as a form of mains surge protection, laptops are much more immune to problems of power surge that desktop PCs.

Sorry Harry but I cannot agree with that 100%

A laptops external power supply be it fed with the usual 240V or one of the commonly available ones with a 12V input are not immune to surges or spikes.

The laptop itself has also delicate circuitry just inboard of the power jack and also in the battery itself.

However I don't think it is a major issue if you do as I do.
I use a really good quality laptop power supply that is designed to be fed with 12Volts and I always unplug it when starting up the engine. It is fitted with a high quality ciggy lighter plug and goes into a high quality ciggy socket.

Many laptop makers can supply a 12V power supply, what make is yours Sandi ?

Re mobile broadband.
There are lots of very good deals these days from mobile phone companies who now supply a thing called a "G3 Adapter".

This gives good broadband performance anywhere mobile phone reception can be found. I have seen them for £15 per month with perfectly usable data download figures. Go for the ones that fit into a "cardbuss" or sometimes known as a "PCMCIA" slot, provided your laptop has one, some of the very latest ones do not have them. The USB type G3 adapters are a bit prone to getting damaged and in my experience do not work as well.

If you need any further advice on this, just ask, it is part of my job to give impartial advice on such matters

E D I T = spelling !!

Post by **robbon44** » 03 Sep 2008, 11:45

an inverter is a clever box that enables you to put a standard plug fed electrical item in to a 12v ciggy lighter point.

ciggy lighter point -----> inverter box -----> standard 3 pin plug ----> mobile phone charger

etc...

i have only ever used it for charging stuff...eg mobile phone, mp3 etc where i dont have a ciggy lighter addapter.

i dont know how big an appliance you can run off of it as the feed must be 12v (the battery) but i think it simply charges up a battery in the inverter to enable a 230v AC feed.

i think its all about changing the DC to a AC and storing some power...

im sure a leccy master will enlighten us here.

(got mine free with the bus !)

Post by **Sandi** » 03 Sep 2008, 12:07

My laptop is custom built, 4GB RAM, intel Core 2 Duo processor, used for high res photographic work. I am beginning to get my head around all this power supply stuff so thanks everyone for all your tips.

Post by **syncroand101** » 03 Sep 2008, 12:11

Have a look at

http://www.psaparts.co.uk/

The do all sorts out power supplies inc laptop adapters etc.

Post by **ghost123uk** » 03 Sep 2008, 12:38

Sandi wrote:My laptop is custom built, 4GB RAM, intel Core 2 Duo processor, used for high res photographic work. I am beginning to get my head around all this power supply stuff so thanks everyone for all your tips.

In that case, as it will be harder to identify what voltage, current and size of laptop plug you have, a modest inverter ( 12 volt to mains adapter ) might be the best way to go.

Get a decent one !! ( with safety cut out and low battery shut off - more info needed = just ask

)

Consider what else you might like to use it for ( though I recommend you only use for things other than charging phones and laptops etc only if you really have to )

For charging things a 150 to 200 watt one will be fine and won't hammer the leisure battery.

Post by **HarryMann** » 03 Sep 2008, 12:43

Sorry Harry but I cannot agree with that 100%

99%?

Only speaking from experience at home and on the road...

We live in a very bad street for power cuts (try power/on/off 9 times/day for 2 days a month ago; last one was night before last, a lightning strike spike that turned off all the mains PCs).

We also use laptops heavily for on and off-road SatNav in the truck, charging via an inverter when necessary, on the move and off road and still connected often when engine or inverter(cheap 300W, but has cut-out) turned off (or flooded)... has also been smashed against dashboard a few times off-road.

No problems with current Dell or previous Toshiba laptops due power spikes domestically or on the road - we've obviously been very lucky so I'm touching wood!

Post by **Hacksawbob** » 03 Sep 2008, 15:02

I thik Ghost meant to say a 3g adapter not g3. anyway the laptop supply is dc and so is your van. Converting the dc to AC in an inverter and then back to dc is incredibly wasteful but inverters are there to do just that. It is possible to get a DC DC converter with a charge regulator built in. Nothing too high nothing too low volts wise) do a google for car puters I'm not sure if an off the shelf solution is available but its a few years since I looked into it I'm sure someone will have a solution on the market by now.

Post by **lloyd** » 03 Sep 2008, 16:08

Link to 12v to notebook power adapters:
http://osprey-talon.amazonwebstore.com/ ... sories.htm
Might consider buying same brand / manufacture as your notebook

Post by **ghost123uk** » 03 Sep 2008, 16:59

ghost123uk wrote:
Sandi wrote:My laptop is custom built, 4GB RAM, intel Core 2 Duo processor, used for high res photographic work. I am beginning to get my head around all this power supply stuff so thanks everyone for all your tips.

In that case, as it will be harder to identify what voltage, current and size of laptop plug you have, a modest inverter ( 12 volt to mains adapter ) might be the best way to go.