A Laptop near a speaker?
Submitted: Tuesday, Feb 06, 2007 at 23:13
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Member - Fizz (NSW)
I've built a shelf high in my Troopy cabin, above the head of driver and passenger, and just in front of the cargo barrier. I will be carrying the laptop up there, turned on and running OziExplr, with the screen duplicated on a dash mounted hi-res LCD monitor.
Does anyone know whether I can also mount radio speakers up there with one fairly close to the laptop? or would the speakers' magnetic fields interfere with the computer? (or vice versa?)
Would appreciate some advice.
Graham.
Reply By: Richard Kovac - Tuesday, Feb 06, 2007 at 23:21
Tuesday, Feb 06, 2007 at 23:21
Fizz
I would dowt it as a laptop has speakers in it, as long as your speakers are small it should be OK..
Regards
Richard
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Reply By: Miss'n Nissan - Wednesday, Feb 07, 2007 at 00:49
Wednesday, Feb 07, 2007 at 00:49
Don't know much about mounting things in cars, but I do no that putting even weak fridge magnets on your computer can damage it. I would be careful.
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Reply By: Member - John and Val W (ACT) - Wednesday, Feb 07, 2007 at 07:21
Wednesday, Feb 07, 2007 at 07:21
Fizz, since the laptop has an LCD screen that isn't sensitive to magnets (a CRT screen is very sensitive), the only concern would be the effect of the speaker's magnet on the hard drive (and floppy disks if you use them). I reckon you shouldn't have any trouble provided the speaker (especially the magnet) is at least a foot away from the drive. I wouldn't go much closer because, like everything else in a laptop, the shielding on the drive will have been reduced to a minimum.
HTH
John
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Follow Up By: Mike Harding - Wednesday, Feb 07, 2007 at 17:24
Wednesday, Feb 07, 2007 at 17:24
Sounds about right to me John.
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Reply By: Member - Tim - Stratford (VIC) - Wednesday, Feb 07, 2007 at 08:42
Wednesday, Feb 07, 2007 at 08:42
Graham,
Put the speakers as far away as possible - a mate left his laptop on his bed in the backpack carrybag - forgot same and turned the electric blanket on - Hard drive wiped/damaged/crashed - not through heat but the magnetic field.
Tim - Stratford.
AnswerID:
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Reply By: Tathagata - Wednesday, Feb 07, 2007 at 08:48
Wednesday, Feb 07, 2007 at 08:48
It should be fine. It would be best to ensure your speakers are shielded...but most decent speakers are these days.
Id be more concerned about the laptop shaking around on the cage, vibration isnt good for most laptops and it may pay you to pad it with foam (which is then likely to cause heat issues). Just be aware of the vibration and heat issues when you mount the laptop.
Ive considered locating the laptop in the back of the car and using a bluetooth screen on the dash (with bluetooth mouse and keyboard to control it all). But in the end I think its much easier to just mount the laptop on the dash and control it directly.
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Follow Up By: F4Phantom - Wednesday, Feb 07, 2007 at 09:32
Wednesday, Feb 07, 2007 at 09:32
How do you shield a magnet, the same way you shield gravity?
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Follow Up By: Member - Fizz (NSW) - Wednesday, Feb 07, 2007 at 16:01
Wednesday, Feb 07, 2007 at 16:01
F4Phantom. Go here for your answer:
Site Link
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Follow Up By: F4Phantom - Wednesday, Feb 07, 2007 at 17:22
Wednesday, Feb 07, 2007 at 17:22
www.coolmagnetman.com/magshield.htm
your right, you can shield a magnetic field,
well not completly but you can mostly contain one with the right materials. I knew magnets were infinate but didnt know they could themselves be effected so much rarther than objects be effected by them. The shape of the shield is not important but you cant have holes in it. This is all very interesting and worth a read.
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Follow Up By: Mike Harding - Wednesday, Feb 07, 2007 at 17:22
Wednesday, Feb 07, 2007 at 17:22
>How do you shield a magnet
Mu metal.
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Follow Up By: Member - Fizz (NSW) - Wednesday, Feb 07, 2007 at 17:47
Wednesday, Feb 07, 2007 at 17:47
Mike, can you get this stuff in Aus or do you gave to get it in from USA? I've found
places in USA, but haven't found anyone here.
Graham
FollowupID:
481006
Follow Up By: Mike Harding - Wednesday, Feb 07, 2007 at 18:22
Wednesday, Feb 07, 2007 at 18:22
Sorry Fizz, don't know.
Last time I had need to use it was in Europe about 20 years ago.
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Follow Up By: Member - John and Val W (ACT) - Wednesday, Feb 07, 2007 at 22:04
Wednesday, Feb 07, 2007 at 22:04
Hey this is getting out of hand! Mu metal will be hard to find, expensive, and will not give 100% protection anyway. If you must go for magnetic shielding, suggest use soft steel sheet (eg galvanised iron) and fold a box from it for the laptop. This won't give quite the performance of mu metal, but maybe 95% instead of 98% is still good enough to deal with something that probably wasn't going to be an issue anyway! I'd shield the laptop rather than the speaker if you decide to go up that path.
HTH
John.
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Reply By: Member - Paul H (NSW) - Wednesday, Feb 07, 2007 at 09:25
Wednesday, Feb 07, 2007 at 09:25
Fizz,
Does your troopy stereo have an aux input? I have my computer running through my kenwood stereos aux input so it plays through the normal car speakers.
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Reply By: Member -Signman - Wednesday, Feb 07, 2007 at 09:27
Wednesday, Feb 07, 2007 at 09:27
Also, where your mounting your 'puter, is probably the hottest position in the vehicle. Up there- close to the roof !!! Hot air rises etc etc. Before you mount the lappy, hang a thermometer there and see what temps you get.
BTW- I'd be interested in seeing the design of the shelf (for my own use)...
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Follow Up By: Member - Fizz (NSW) - Wednesday, Feb 07, 2007 at 10:24
Wednesday, Feb 07, 2007 at 10:24
Thanks Signman and all the other repliers.
I think I've got vibration/insulation/ventillation etc under control - will do a post on the finished thing eventually.
It looks like I need to talk to speaker specialists about shielding the speakers.
The speakers are not for the computer - they're for the radio, which hasn't got an aux in jack. I think the Xenarc monitor's speaker should be sufficient for computer sound, but if not, we'll work out some sort of FM transmitter to put computer sound through the radio - Woolies sell one for ipod use that's about $20, compared to the $100+ I paid for a Griffin Roadtrip a year or two ago. (PS The Xenarc is ordered but not here yet - so I can't give an opinion on it yet)
Graham
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