Brock Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 Want to take a laptop on holiday so the wife can continue her studies. Will be staying on Caravan Club sites with mains power. Will not need the intranet, just Word for typing up notes.Is there anything to worry about or should I be OK? I hear laptops are not so good away from mains power at home. Is it to do with consistency of power level? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duetto owner Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 with hookup, just plug in as normal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Dwight Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 John, No problem with lap tops in the van, we use ours for all sorts of things including TV when we need to especially Winter time. Its been used as a Sat Nav using the 12v ciggy socket. Mostly for Photos etc. Its even been dropped and still works OK. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rapido-lass Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 I use my lap top with no problems whatso ever - electric hook up on the Caravan Club sites is the same as at home. Please be careful if you are going to use it especially abroad, as we have had someone try the door and think that it could have been as we had used the laptop the night before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vindiboy Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 Sorry to high jack your thread but does any one know if I can get a 12volt charger for my lap top , I currently use it on my inverter, but I am converting 12 volt to 230 volts and then back down to whatever the lap top needs, it seems a long way round if you know what I mean.I really mean a charger for the lap top I can plug into the cigar lighter in the van. *-) *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GJH Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 vindiboy - 2009-06-01 11:13 PM Sorry to high jack your thread but does any one know if I can get a 12volt charger for my lap top , I currently use it on my inverter, but I am converting 12 volt to 230 volts and then back down to whatever the lap top needs, it seems a long way round if you know what I mean.I really mean a charger for the lap top I can plug into the cigar lighter in the van. *-) *-) I bought one on eBay similar to This One. You need to check that the unit supplies the appropriate output voltage and comes with a tip suitable for your machine. You need to make sure that the tips are plugged in the right way round so as not to reverse polarity; the unit I bought has different size prongs on the tips so they can only be plugged in one way but I've been told earlier units didn't have that protection. Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vindiboy Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 Many thanks ,I will follow that up. :-D :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian81 Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 vindiboy - 2009-06-02 12:13 AM Sorry to high jack your thread but does any one know if I can get a 12volt charger for my lap top , I currently use it on my inverter, but I am converting 12 volt to 230 volts and then back down to whatever the lap top needs, it seems a long way round if you know what I mean.I really mean a charger for the lap top I can plug into the cigar lighter in the van. *-) *-) I use a Kensington 120W laptop power adapter. The advantage of this is that you can change the tip at the end and have one specifically for your laptop that automatically takes care of voltage and polarity. Tips are available to charge other items such as USB devices and phones. As well as running off 12v it also can run off any mains voltage from 110 to 240 and has a plug that can plug into an aircraft seat. Costs a bit more than Graham's suggestion which I used before the Kensington until it went kaput! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carioca Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 am i missing something or just a bit slow, but when i read this people are talking about 12v but on my acer laptop the reducer says it has 19v output so do i need a 12v adapter or a 19v one yours confused :$ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GJH Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 carioca - 2009-06-02 11:51 AM am i missing something or just a bit slow, but when i read this people are talking about 12v but on my acer laptop the reducer says it has 19v output so do i need a 12v adapter or a 19v one yours confused :$ Devices such as those which Ian and I mentioned have variable output voltages. The device I have has output settings of 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 22 &24 volts DC. My Acer laptop and netbook both require 19v and the device I have works with both of them. Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyishuk Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 Just a word of caution using your laptop in the Van. Take heed of the advice about being seen using it. A friend of mine had his laptop stolen whilst the m/home was unattended. Don't know if they were targeted or just unlucky. Either way it was gone when they got back ! BACKUP your work !!! onto a Password encoded USB memory stick ( about £15 or so) If using XP proffesional you can encrypt your files / folders on the hard drive. (Provided you have set a user / logon environment and not a start up straight into user mode. Its worth encrypting, so if the worst happens it is unlikely that anyone will get hold of sensitvie or personal information. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308989 tells you how. Rgds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GJH Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 I use Targus Defcon Security cables on laptops and other devices at home and we take the one we use for the netbook with us for use in the van. The combination locks provide more security than the keyed locks. Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RogerGW Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 Brock - 2009-05-29 9:10 PMWant to take a laptop on holiday so the wife can continue her studies. Will be staying on Caravan Club sites with mains power. Will not need the intranet, just Word for typing up notes.Is there anything to worry about or should I be OK?I use a laptop every day on my travels and have had no problems with power. I always stay at sites with a mains supply and run the PC off that.Occasionally I use it when in a layby or similar -- typically when I can't get a good Internet signal at the site. If I'm on it for more than an hour, I'll plug a 12v connector into the cab's lighter socket.If you buy a multi-purpose connector, first check that it has the right tip for your machine. I use a Lenovo Thinkpad and had to get a special-purpose 12v connector for it.Also, if you're going to use the PC this way for more than, say, an hour, run the van's engine. It's easy to flatten the cab battery otherwise. I've done that in a car. 8=(As others have said, data and physical security need looking after, too. If your PC's insured, the insurer might insist on its being locked away when not in use.Roger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 Apparently many of the Dell laptops should use a "Dell only" 12 volt charger. Something to do with the pin in the tip... other chargers will apparently "run" the laptop, but not charge its battery. This means that in the event of a power failure, you are missing that battery backup and, depending on the OS, use of harddisk encryption programs etc this may cause some hassles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carioca Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 GJH - 2009-06-02 1:02 PM carioca - 2009-06-02 11:51 AM am i missing something or just a bit slow, but when i read this people are talking about 12v but on my acer laptop the reducer says it has 19v output so do i need a 12v adapter or a 19v one yours confused :$ Devices such as those which Ian and I mentioned have variable output voltages. The device I have has output settings of 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 22 &24 volts DC. My Acer laptop and netbook both require 19v and the device I have works with both of them. Graham hi graham what i don't understand is how i get 19v from a 12v battry, does the adapter work like a inverter? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GJH Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 carioca - 2009-06-03 4:08 PM hi graham what i don't understand is how i get 19v from a 12v battry, does the adapter work like a inverter? It isn't an inverter because that would be converting DC to AC. I think it is a DC to DC transformer but not sure of the technical terminology. All I really know is that it takes 12v DC input and produces whichever is selected of 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 22 or 24 volts DC output. Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 A transformer generally increases the output from the incoming supply, I believe that's how mains supplies are provided - the power output from power stations etc is transferred at a lower output to local sub-station and then transformed (increased) to the required mains level. Or something like that!!! :D It's a long time since I went to a talk by Johnny Ball on the subject!!! :$ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian81 Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 GJH - 2009-06-03 7:15 PM carioca - 2009-06-03 4:08 PM hi graham what i don't understand is how i get 19v from a 12v battry, does the adapter work like a inverter? It isn't an inverter because that would be converting DC to AC. I think it is a DC to DC transformer but not sure of the technical terminology. All I really know is that it takes 12v DC input and produces whichever is selected of 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 22 or 24 volts DC output. Graham Sorry Graham it is an inverter of sorts. Most modern electronics do not use a conventional iron cored transformer with copper windings as these are heavy, inefficient and only capable of working at one voltage. Modern power supplies if running from ac rectify it to a dc and then 'chop' it at a high frequency. Then the voltage is transformed to whatever voltage is required by a small ferrite transformer and turned back into a dc . The 12v units just dont have to rectify the ac rather just chop and transform! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian81 Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 Mel -if I recall power is generated at about 11,000 volts and then a transformer converts is to 132KV or higher before it is transformed back to lower voltages to supply homes etc. The higher voltages enable more power to be transferred on a given conductor as the resistance of the said conductor is constant so less energy is lost in transfer....... could carry on with the maths but that would bore all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 Ooooo ... do you use coloured lights, metal balls and things like Johnny does to explain it though? 8-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GJH Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 ian81 - 2009-06-03 7:56 PM Sorry Graham it is an inverter of sorts. (snip) Thanks Ian. Still don't get the full science. Pure laziness really because I should - reached the stage where I'm content to know it works :-D Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peter Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 Mel B - 2009-06-03 6:28 PM A transformer generally increases the output from the incoming supply, I believe that's how mains supplies are provided - the power output from power stations etc is transferred at a lower output to local sub-station and then transformed (increased) to the required mains level. Or something like that!!! :D It's a long time since I went to a talk by Johnny Ball on the subject!!! :$It's the other wayround Mel. It's generated and output at very high voltage (32KVA) 3 Phase and high voltage and virtually no amperage so it can travel down narrow cables without heating them up and is transformed to 240V at very high amperage for consumption. I think I've got it right, (someone will soon tell me if I've not). :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy_C Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 ian81 - 2009-06-03 8:03 PM Mel -if I recall power is generated at about 11,000 volts and then a transformer converts is to 132KV or higher before it is transformed back to lower voltages to supply homes etc. The higher voltages enable more power to be transferred on a given conductor as the resistance of the said conductor is constant so less energy is lost in transfer....... could carry on with the maths but that would bore all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't know what the generated voltage is, but the backbone of the National Grid carries electricity at 400kV. Years ago I worked for what used to be the CEGB, at the national store for electricity pylons, you'd be amazed at how many different sorts there are :) AndyC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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