[ILQSO] Powering a laptop

[Donald Pitchford]

I have a Toshiba Satellite laptop that powers directly from 12VDC. It 
is great as you can hook it to a deep cycle battery and go for the full 
24 hours of Field Day without any noise or worry. Unfortunately, it is 
a 486 and the keyboard is dying. I have been looking around and have 
not yet found a replacement. Either they need around 17 VDC, or the 
people selling them don't have a clue what it needs. The ads and boxes 
aren't much help either. The last I knew Dell was selling a series 
called (something like...) MOBIL. They are laptops designed 
specifically for use in mobile installations. They are extra rugged, 
and I assume powered directly by 12 VDC. I don't know their price 
range, either. Also, IBM makes a series of mini-desktops, that are 
about the size of a think laptop. We use them in some of the banking 
equipment that we sell and service. The price would be astronomical if 
you bought one from my employer, but they should be available on the 
open market. I am keeping my eye open for one of them so I can use it 
with a small monitor for APRS and Field Day logging.

If you MUST use an inverter, MCM sells one that is specifically 
designed for mobile laptop use. It is part # 28-10660. It takes 12 VDC 
in and boosts it to 18 to 24 VDC. I don't know how noisy it is. It 
couldn't be worse than the 12 VDC to 120 VAC inverters I have. One is a 
Triplite, the other a Pyramid. Both cause unacceptable noise levels in 
HF receivers.
Don, W9EBK


On Dec 14, 2007, at 2:49 PM, John Geiger wrote:

> Here is a question I have for you mobile ILQP county
> activators:  I have a laptop in the shack that has a
> noisy wall-wart/switching PS-it puts noise on various
> parts of 20m, and on 80, and probably other bands.  I
> am now thinking of trying to run it off of the shack's
> PS since that seems to be quiet.  Have you powered
> your laptop while roving directly off of 12 volts?  Is
> there any special things to look out for, or potential
> problems in doing this.  Now I know that the laptop
> might take something other than 12 volts,and I will
> check into that first and find the proper voltage
> adaptor.
>
> I guess you have seen the results of the winter storms
> hitting Oklahoma on TV.  I am happy to report that we
> were far enough south to avoid the damage.  Our power
> never went out, the antennas only got a little coating
> of ice on them which melted after a day or so, and
> there were only a few tree branches knocked down
> around town.  We do have snow forecasted for today and
> tomorrow, and it has started raining lightly out.
> Still, compared to the rest of Oklahoma, those of us
> in Lawton were extremely blessed!
>
> 73s John AA5JG