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How do I power a laptop from a 12-V car battery?
Hi folks --
I want to run a laptop from a 12-V automobile battery. What do I need to do that in a straightforward, vanilla, bulletproof, reliable way? Thanks! -- Pete |
#2
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How do I power a laptop from a 12-V car battery?
you need to buy an inverter
"pete" wrote in message ups.com... Hi folks -- I want to run a laptop from a 12-V automobile battery. What do I need to do that in a straightforward, vanilla, bulletproof, reliable way? Thanks! -- Pete |
#3
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How do I power a laptop from a 12-V car battery?
In alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt pete wrote:
Hi folks -- I want to run a laptop from a 12-V automobile battery. What do I need to do that in a straightforward, vanilla, bulletproof, reliable way? Buy an adapter. -- _____ / ' / â„¢ ,-/-, __ __. ____ /_ (_/ / (_(_/|_/ / _/ _ |
#4
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How do I power a laptop from a 12-V car battery?
pete wrote:
Hi folks -- I want to run a laptop from a 12-V automobile battery. What do I need to do that in a straightforward, vanilla, bulletproof, reliable way? Thanks! -- Pete The most flexible way is to use an inverter. This will allow use of our things, like a DVD player also, 12VDC adapters tend to be expensive and limlted to a particular machine, while inverters are cheaper and will support a wide variety of machines. |
#5
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How do I power a laptop from a 12-V car battery?
On Oct 2, 1:18 pm, pen wrote:
pete wrote: Hi folks -- I want to run a laptop from a 12-V automobile battery. What do I need to do that in a straightforward, vanilla, bulletproof, reliable way? The most flexible way is to use an inverter. This will allow use of our things, like a DVD player also, 12VDC adapters tend to be expensive and limlted to a particular machine, while inverters are cheaper and will support a wide variety of machines. I don't know enough about it to even guess, but I was hoping that, because the laptop runs from an internal DC-battery source, that I could come out with 12V from an external battery and somehow convert that 12V to whatever DC voltage the laptop needs. Is that possible without first converting to AC? Thanks again. -- Pete |
#6
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How do I power a laptop from a 12-V car battery?
pete wrote:
I don't know enough about it to even guess, but I was hoping that, because the laptop runs from an internal DC-battery source, that I could come out with 12V from an external battery and somehow convert that 12V to whatever DC voltage the laptop needs. Is that possible without first converting to AC? Unlikely. Most laptop batteries are 18-20V, not 12V. |
#7
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How do I power a laptop from a 12-V car battery?
On Oct 2, 2:28 pm, pete wrote:
Hi folks -- I want to run a laptop from a 12-V automobile battery. What do I need to do that in a straightforward, vanilla, bulletproof, reliable way? Thanks! -- Pete I would check the voltage out put of your laptop. |
#8
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How do I power a laptop from a 12-V car battery?
"pete" wrote in message ups.com... On Oct 2, 1:18 pm, pen wrote: pete wrote: Hi folks -- I want to run a laptop from a 12-V automobile battery. What do I need to do that in a straightforward, vanilla, bulletproof, reliable way? The most flexible way is to use an inverter. This will allow use of our things, like a DVD player also, 12VDC adapters tend to be expensive and limlted to a particular machine, while inverters are cheaper and will support a wide variety of machines. I don't know enough about it to even guess, but I was hoping that, because the laptop runs from an internal DC-battery source, that I could come out with 12V from an external battery and somehow convert that 12V to whatever DC voltage the laptop needs. Is that possible without first converting to AC? ...snip,, Answering that one, specific question: yes. That's what an invertor does: changing a dc (straight-line) voltage to pulsating dc voltage enables amplification to *higher* dc voltages. Using a mere adapter, a wire whose one end plugs into cigar lighter and other end into laptop *may* supply LOWER dc voltages, but not HIGHER. So, beware! It takes those adaptor-fittings PLUS an invertor to allow higher dc voltages from cigar lighter. And, as a.p. said, lots if not most laptops operate on nearer to 18-20 volts dc. BTW: got a neighbor who asked why his car-adapter operated his laptop but failed to re-charge his laptop-battery. Turns out he has a mere adapter--meaning it operates his 19-volt laptop on the car's 12 volts. I thought he was being stubborn by not tossing it; but now, almost 2 years later he's still running it that way--and apparently w/o troubles. I'm sure it runs in a step-down mode and I feel that eventually *may* take a toll on his system. Of course, he still cannot re-charge his 19-volt battery from his 12-volt lighter! HTH, s |
#9
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How do I power a laptop from a 12-V car battery?
"Timothy Daniels" wrote in message ... "sdlomi2" wrote: Using a mere adapter, a wire whose one end plugs into cigar lighter and other end into laptop *may* supply LOWER dc voltages, but not HIGHER. Some retailers call a simple plug interface an "adapter", some call a DC-to-DC power supply an "adapter". This is an example of the former: http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...ductId=2289559 This is an example of the latter: http://www.meritline.com/car-power-a...-computer.html *TimDaniels* You're exactly right. That 2nd one has what must be a solid-state invertor to increase 12v to 16,18, 19,20-v, etc. I have one almost identical and carefully tested the output before plugging my laptop into it. I don't have a pic, but imagine just the wire and plug-ends but w/o the invertor-- that's what my neighbor has. IIRC he bought it at a flea market. Only good for 12-volt (or less) products, def. not higher voltage ones. BTW: why are u using my last name? sd lomi2 |
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