Is it possible to feed a notebook from 12V car battery?


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regards,

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\../
\/os

On Thu, 3 Jul 2008 19:45:58 +0200, "Linea Recta"
<mccm.vos@abc.invalid> wrote:

>Is it possible to feed a notebook from 12V car battery?

Sure if you have the proper electronics between the car battery and
the laptop. For my Thinkpad, I have a converter I bought at
RadioShack, It has a variable DC output (settable by user) with 12v
input. You can set it for whatever DC voltage in that your laptop
requires.


--
Charlie Hoffpauir
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~charlieh/

Linea Recta wrote:
> Is it possible to feed a notebook from 12V car battery?
>
>
If you have to ask, you shouldn't be doing it.
95% of the time, it works just fine. Problem is
when you're in the 5% and your laptop dies.
It's unlikely that the internal battery will charge.

Now, I'll answer the question you didn't ask...
The problem is not the battery, it's the CAR!
There are HUGE electrical transients in the car electrical
system that can easily FRY your laptop. Car electronics
has protection against this. Your laptop Does NOT!

You can probably buy a 12V adapter from your laptop
vendor.
I prefer the 12VDC-120VAC converters and to use the laptop
AC supply. More stuff, but probably won't hurt your laptop.
And you can use the converter with other stuff and your
next laptop and the one after that.
mike

"mike" <spamme9******.com> schreef in bericht
news:wD8bk.136$Z11.55@trndny05...
> Linea Recta wrote:
>> Is it possible to feed a notebook from 12V car battery?
>>
>>
> If you have to ask, you shouldn't be doing it.
> 95% of the time, it works just fine. Problem is
> when you're in the 5% and your laptop dies.
> It's unlikely that the internal battery will charge.
>
> Now, I'll answer the question you didn't ask...
> The problem is not the battery, it's the CAR!
> There are HUGE electrical transients in the car electrical
> system that can easily FRY your laptop. Car electronics
> has protection against this. Your laptop Does NOT!


BTW I do use a PPC and BT GPS receiver on car adaptors (for navigation). Up
til now no problems with that.


>
> You can probably buy a 12V adapter from your laptop
> vendor.
> I prefer the 12VDC-120VAC converters and to use the laptop
> AC supply. More stuff, but probably won't hurt your laptop.
> And you can use the converter with other stuff and your
> next laptop and the one after that.

You're right, I think that's the easiest option, also because the notebook
doesn't have a 12V in connector. In fact, I was curious to learn how such an
inverter works, so I searched at www.howstuffworks.com but it seems they
don't have a clue...
Would you know a link about this subject?



--
regards,

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\../
\/os

"Charlie Hoffpauir" <invalid@invalid.com> schreef in bericht
news:5j4q641java40nnn2t4hbprmgsog673rrs@4ax.com...
> On Thu, 3 Jul 2008 19:45:58 +0200, "Linea Recta"
> <mccm.vos@abc.invalid> wrote:
>
>>Is it possible to feed a notebook from 12V car battery?
>
> Sure if you have the proper electronics between the car battery and
> the laptop. For my Thinkpad, I have a converter I bought at
> RadioShack, It has a variable DC output (settable by user) with 12v
> input. You can set it for whatever DC voltage in that your laptop
> requires.


Afraid my laptop doesn't have a DC connector. And I ain't gonna drill no
holes...



--
regards,

|\ /|
| \/ |@rk
\../
\/os

"Linea Recta" <mccm.vos@abc.invalid> wrote in message
news:486d2117$1$14342$e4fe514c@news.xs4all.nl...
> "Charlie Hoffpauir" <invalid@invalid.com> schreef in bericht
> news:5j4q641java40nnn2t4hbprmgsog673rrs@4ax.com...
>> On Thu, 3 Jul 2008 19:45:58 +0200, "Linea Recta"
>> <mccm.vos@abc.invalid> wrote:
>>
>>>Is it possible to feed a notebook from 12V car battery?
>>
>> Sure if you have the proper electronics between the car battery and
>> the laptop. For my Thinkpad, I have a converter I bought at
>> RadioShack, It has a variable DC output (settable by user) with 12v
>> input. You can set it for whatever DC voltage in that your laptop
>> requires.
>
>
> Afraid my laptop doesn't have a DC connector. And I ain't gonna drill no
> holes...
>


??? Well that is a first, no DC input, what does it run on, water? This is
an unusual laptop indeed.

Linea Recta wrote:
> "mike" <spamme9******.com> schreef in bericht
> news:wD8bk.136$Z11.55@trndny05...
>> Linea Recta wrote:
>>> Is it possible to feed a notebook from 12V car battery?
>>>
>>>
>> If you have to ask, you shouldn't be doing it.
>> 95% of the time, it works just fine. Problem is
>> when you're in the 5% and your laptop dies.
>> It's unlikely that the internal battery will charge.
>>
>> Now, I'll answer the question you didn't ask...
>> The problem is not the battery, it's the CAR!
>> There are HUGE electrical transients in the car electrical
>> system that can easily FRY your laptop. Car electronics
>> has protection against this. Your laptop Does NOT!
>
>
> BTW I do use a PPC and BT GPS receiver on car adaptors (for navigation).
> Up til now no problems with that.

If it's a CAR ADAPTER, it has the protection or the device has
internal protection. Laptops usually do not.

Curious how you're gonna run it off a battery if it has no dc input???
There exist laptops with 120VAC input only. Toshiba made some back in
the day...but most current ones use an AC adapter that provides DC to
the laptop.
>
>
>>
>> You can probably buy a 12V adapter from your laptop
>> vendor.
>> I prefer the 12VDC-120VAC converters and to use the laptop
>> AC supply. More stuff, but probably won't hurt your laptop.
>> And you can use the converter with other stuff and your
>> next laptop and the one after that.
>
> You're right, I think that's the easiest option, also because the
> notebook doesn't have a 12V in connector. In fact, I was curious to
> learn how such an inverter works, so I searched at www.howstuffworks.com
> but it seems they don't have a clue...
> Would you know a link about this subject?
>
Nope, but if you have a quesiton.
>
>

Linea Recta wrote:
> Is it possible to feed a notebook from 12V car battery?
>
>
Yes and No.... ;-)

Many (most?) laptops need more than 12V (16 to 19V seems common).

Car batteries do kick out more than 12V; more like 13.5 when charged;
around 15V in car while charging.

Use a 'car adaptor' for your laptop... along the lines of the following

http://www.powerstream.com/ADC-p006.htm

http://www.laptop-chargers.co.uk/dc.htm

http://www.computerbatteries.co.uk/


These will give protection from over/under voltage, spikes etc...

I have run laptops off car batteries (via adaptors) 'in the field' for
GPS surveying/mapping etc.

Guy

"mike" <spamme9******.com> schreef in bericht
news:2wbbk.227$9W.129@trndny04...
> Linea Recta wrote:
>> "mike" <spamme9******.com> schreef in bericht
>> news:wD8bk.136$Z11.55@trndny05...
>>> Linea Recta wrote:
>>>> Is it possible to feed a notebook from 12V car battery?
>>>>
>>>>
>>> If you have to ask, you shouldn't be doing it.
>>> 95% of the time, it works just fine. Problem is
>>> when you're in the 5% and your laptop dies.
>>> It's unlikely that the internal battery will charge.
>>>
>>> Now, I'll answer the question you didn't ask...
>>> The problem is not the battery, it's the CAR!
>>> There are HUGE electrical transients in the car electrical
>>> system that can easily FRY your laptop. Car electronics
>>> has protection against this. Your laptop Does NOT!
>>
>>
>> BTW I do use a PPC and BT GPS receiver on car adaptors (for navigation).
>> Up til now no problems with that.
>
> If it's a CAR ADAPTER, it has the protection or the device has
> internal protection. Laptops usually do not.
>
> Curious how you're gonna run it off a battery if it has no dc input???
> There exist laptops with 120VAC input only. Toshiba made some back in the
> day...but most current ones use an AC adapter that provides DC to the
> laptop.


Yes, my mistake. It seems I was tired yesterday. This laptop of course also
has a connector for the mains adaptor (it says 19V 4.74 A on the adaptor).


>>
>>
>>>
>>> You can probably buy a 12V adapter from your laptop
>>> vendor.
>>> I prefer the 12VDC-120VAC converters and to use the laptop
>>> AC supply. More stuff, but probably won't hurt your laptop.
>>> And you can use the converter with other stuff and your
>>> next laptop and the one after that.
>>
>> You're right, I think that's the easiest option, also because the
>> notebook doesn't have a 12V in connector. In fact, I was curious to learn
>> how such an inverter works, so I searched at www.howstuffworks.com but it
>> seems they don't have a clue...
>> Would you know a link about this subject?
>>


> Nope, but if you have a quesiton.


Just curious about the principle, how DC to AC could work. But I think I
have found some info in the meantime...




--
regards,

|\ /|
| \/ |@rk
\../
\/os

"Pete D" <no@email.com> schreef in bericht
news:486d3aa0$0$3058$5a62ac22@per-qv1-newsreader-01.iinet.net.au...
>
> "Linea Recta" <mccm.vos@abc.invalid> wrote in message
> news:486d2117$1$14342$e4fe514c@news.xs4all.nl...
>> "Charlie Hoffpauir" <invalid@invalid.com> schreef in bericht
>> news:5j4q641java40nnn2t4hbprmgsog673rrs@4ax.com...
>>> On Thu, 3 Jul 2008 19:45:58 +0200, "Linea Recta"
>>> <mccm.vos@abc.invalid> wrote:
>>>
>>>>Is it possible to feed a notebook from 12V car battery?
>>>
>>> Sure if you have the proper electronics between the car battery and
>>> the laptop. For my Thinkpad, I have a converter I bought at
>>> RadioShack, It has a variable DC output (settable by user) with 12v
>>> input. You can set it for whatever DC voltage in that your laptop
>>> requires.
>>
>>
>> Afraid my laptop doesn't have a DC connector. And I ain't gonna drill no
>> holes...
>>
>
>
> ??? Well that is a first, no DC input, what does it run on, water? This is
> an unusual laptop indeed.


You're right, my stupid mistake! It has a DC power connector for the mains
adaptor (19V).



--
regards,

|\ /|
| \/ |@rk
\../
\/os

On Fri, 4 Jul 2008 19:19:45 +0200, "Linea Recta"
<mccm.vos@abc.invalid> wrote:
<snip>
>
>Just curious about the principle, how DC to AC could work. But I think I
>have found some info in the meantime...

In the most basic case, simply reverse the polarity of the DC 60 times
every second, and you get a square wave that for many purposes is
equivalent to 60 cycle AC. Various means can (if needed) be used to
smooth the wave to make it more like a proper AC sine wave, but for
most purposes the sq wave does the job.

--
Charlie Hoffpauir
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~charlieh/

"Charlie Hoffpauir" <invalid@invalid.com> schreef in bericht
news:7grs645k21dvnakrsqaifo7n3n744uf981@4ax.com...
> On Fri, 4 Jul 2008 19:19:45 +0200, "Linea Recta"
> <mccm.vos@abc.invalid> wrote:
> <snip>
>>
>>Just curious about the principle, how DC to AC could work. But I think I
>>have found some info in the meantime...
>
> In the most basic case, simply reverse the polarity of the DC 60 times
> every second, and you get a square wave that for many purposes is
> equivalent to 60 cycle AC.


50 Hz I think, for my country?


Various means can (if needed) be used to
> smooth the wave to make it more like a proper AC sine wave, but for
> most purposes the sq wave does the job.


So proper sine wave is not essential for notebooks? They are cheaper...


--
regards,

|\ /|
| \/ |@rk
\../
\/os

"Bigguy" <bigguy36******.com> schreef in bericht
news:6d6arbF134lgU1@mid.individual.net...
> Linea Recta wrote:
>> Is it possible to feed a notebook from 12V car battery?
>>
>>
> Yes and No.... ;-)
>
> Many (most?) laptops need more than 12V (16 to 19V seems common).


Well, of course I meant from car battery just as energy supplier. Indeed,
the mains adaptor of my laptop seems to give 19V.


>
> Car batteries do kick out more than 12V; more like 13.5 when charged;
> around 15V in car while charging.
>
> Use a 'car adaptor' for your laptop... along the lines of the following
>
> http://www.powerstream.com/ADC-p006.htm
>
> http://www.laptop-chargers.co.uk/dc.htm
>
> http://www.computerbatteries.co.uk/
>
>
> These will give protection from over/under voltage, spikes etc...
>
> I have run laptops off car batteries (via adaptors) 'in the field' for GPS
> surveying/mapping etc.




--
regards,

|\ /|
| \/ |@rk
\../
\/os

On Fri, 4 Jul 2008 22:55:57 +0200, "Linea Recta"
<mccm.vos@abc.invalid> wrote:

>"Charlie Hoffpauir" <invalid@invalid.com> schreef in bericht
>news:7grs645k21dvnakrsqaifo7n3n744uf981@4ax.com.. .
>> On Fri, 4 Jul 2008 19:19:45 +0200, "Linea Recta"
>> <mccm.vos@abc.invalid> wrote:
>> <snip>
>>>
>>>Just curious about the principle, how DC to AC could work. But I think I
>>>have found some info in the meantime...
>>
>> In the most basic case, simply reverse the polarity of the DC 60 times
>> every second, and you get a square wave that for many purposes is
>> equivalent to 60 cycle AC.
>
>
>50 Hz I think, for my country?
>
>
>Various means can (if needed) be used to
>> smooth the wave to make it more like a proper AC sine wave, but for
>> most purposes the sq wave does the job.
>
>
>So proper sine wave is not essential for notebooks? They are cheaper...

No, that's not the issue. Remember that your (and most notebooks) have
a device between the AC mains and the notebook. This device is a
transformer to convert the AC 120v (or whatever you have.... many work
on a wide range of input voltages) to the proper voltage level for
your laptop (perhaps around 17 v,and recitify it back to DC. The sq
wave voltage that is the input is OK since it is transformed and then
rectified again. That's essentially what takes place in one of the
small devices that takes DC in at 12 v and produces DC out at 17 v.,
except I'd guess it's done with solid state devices rather than with
transformers and rectifiers. That's why a DC to 120 v AC device works
OK to power your laptop... even tho the AC it produces may be very
"dirty" and not look very much like a sine wave, it's OK for use in
that device on your laptop cord that actually produces the 17 (or
whatever) V DC.

--
Charlie Hoffpauir
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~charlieh/

"Pete D" <no@email.com> wrote in message
news:486d3aa0$0$3058$5a62ac22@per-qv1-newsreader-01.iinet.net.au...

> ??? Well that is a first, no DC input, what does it run on, water? This is
> an unusual laptop indeed.

It runs on BATTERIES, Stupid! :p

Cheers!
--
Vig