Laptop buying advice forum: Need a laptop that will run off 12V

I looked into that

by mike2129 - 5/27/12 9:31 AM

In Reply to: Why not get a inverter by TWB404

Yes that would work and for any laptop. But it's not very efficient and it would drain my campervan's leisure batteries too quick. I need to stick to DC.

I'm just not sure which laptops will be happy to run off this type of power supply.

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What type batteries are these

by TWB404 - 5/27/12 9:50 AM

In Reply to: I looked into that by mike2129

How long do you want them to hold out? Have you thought about switching out the batteries for deep cycle ones? I have use the inverters for TV and stereos and found them to work quite well. The way I use to push the stereos, they had to pull more current then a laptop.

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I haven't fitted the batteries yet

by mike2129 - 5/27/12 10:06 AM

In Reply to: What type batteries are these by TWB404

I ideally they will hold out for at least one week, powering my laptop and lighting, but I have solar to top them up. I'm not aware of deep cycle batteries.

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You need to add it all up

by TWB404 - 5/27/12 10:27 AM

In Reply to: I haven't fitted the batteries yet by mike2129

Below is a Wiki link to help with deep cycle batteries. All this is going to depend on how many lights you burn and how much you use the laptop between charging cycles. There is some variables that you need to start thinking about. The first is going to be the amp hour of the batteries. The second is going to be how many watts can the solar panels produce. How are you going to tie the solar panels to the batteries? The third is going to be what do you do if the sun does shine for a couple of days. If your not familiar with these you might want to go talk to someone about designing this for you.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_cycle_battery

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