Laptop Setup
Submitted: Friday, Feb 16, 2007 at 20:39
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Member - Jason S (SA)
I have finally got my hands on a Laptop. Bought it for the Fiance and her Uni (
Well that was how I sold it to her !! ).
I was wondering a couple of things.
1. Where have members got their laptops in vehicle? Pics really appreciated.
2. Are you running an inverter to power it or have you found another way?
3. Software. I will be getting into the Ozi explorer and the Hema maps. Just too go to go past but I was wondering if I can use my Magellan XL to feed the info to the computer. Does the Ozi software accomodate this ?
Cheers !
Reply By: Sand Man (SA) - Friday, Feb 16, 2007 at 21:04
Friday, Feb 16, 2007 at 21:04
Jason,
!MPG:18!
This is how
mine is mounted in the Jack.
Uses a Ram Mount quick release clamped to the panic handle on the centre console.
No Inverter required. The Dell Notebook has a multi power input capability.
Either a 240 volt AC Power cord or a 12 volt DC power cord connects to the Power pack. It is also possible to buy a universal 12 volt adapter from Dick Smiths or Jaycar.
The Magellan XL will connect to the Laptops USB port. You can also buy a dual power/data cable to power the GPS from the ciggy socket. This saves the internal battery from becoming flat. Works extremely
well with OziExplorer.
The Ram Mount and Laptop Cradle and Power/data cable with a USB connector can all be purchased online from GPSOZ.
AnswerID:
222182
Follow Up By: Member - Jason S (SA) - Friday, Feb 16, 2007 at 22:12
Friday, Feb 16, 2007 at 22:12
Exactly what I am after, cheers Sand Man.
Just wondering is your laptop able to be swivelled around?
Do you find any vibration issues?
Cheers
FollowupID:
483009
Follow Up By: Sand Man (SA) - Saturday, Feb 17, 2007 at 08:05
Saturday, Feb 17, 2007 at 08:05
Jason,
The Ram Mount is held by a rubber coated ball top & bottom.
The quick release mechamism allows the mount to be swivelled to any direction and angle that you require and then you lock it up again.
Minor vibration on rougher tracks, but that is mainly due to the mounting structure of the "panic" handle everthing else is clamped to.
I didn't want any screw holes etc.
The standard Laptop Ram Mount has an option for a floor mounted three legged bracket which you should be able to see on the GPSOZ Website. (Under Ram Mounts)
Happy to be of help mate.
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Shaker - Sunday, Feb 18, 2007 at 13:14
Sunday, Feb 18, 2007 at 13:14
Would that mounting affect the airbag?
FollowupID:
483300
Follow Up By: Member - Jason S (SA) - Monday, Feb 19, 2007 at 01:52
Monday, Feb 19, 2007 at 01:52
Yep, see where your going Sand-man. Thanks
I am going to get me one of those !!
$338 bucks ! Wow, but if they are the best, .........
Cheers
Shaker,
The Ram apears to be able to swing out the way of the airbag system. It can be swung to the left between the seats by the look.
FollowupID:
483422
Reply By: Member - Jack - Friday, Feb 16, 2007 at 21:07
Friday, Feb 16, 2007 at 21:07
I will buy into the power side of things.
I'd suggest you get hold of the Kerio 12v dc power sources. I got
mine from Dick Smith's. They have a range of plugs, so you should not have any trouble getting the right fitting. This avoids the necessity of running 240v in the vehicle, and I think is a better (safer) source of power for your laptop.
The GPS gurus can handle your Magellan queries.
Jack
AnswerID:
222183
Follow Up By: Member - Jason S (SA) - Friday, Feb 16, 2007 at 22:17
Friday, Feb 16, 2007 at 22:17
Cheers Jack
I was wanting to steer clear of running 240v. I am a fan of keeping it simple.
The only thing is the laptop runs about 16v. Is that able to be handled by the Kerio?
Cheers
FollowupID:
483011
Follow Up By: Member - Jack - Saturday, Feb 17, 2007 at 07:41
Saturday, Feb 17, 2007 at 07:41
Yes ... the Kerio comes with a lot of different fittings including some blade type fuse things which control the amount of power to the computer. The instructions will have a table showing the computer model number etc and the correct blade fuse thing to fit.
We ran a Dell off it last year, and we were also able to help out a fellow traveller because we had with us the full kit of fittings etc.
Jack
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Sand Man (SA) - Saturday, Feb 17, 2007 at 08:17
Saturday, Feb 17, 2007 at 08:17
Don't want to weaken your good advice Jack, but just one thing worth pointing out to readers of this post.
While the Kerio adapter (about $130 from memory) may be able to power the Dell Laptop (if you obtain the correct plug) it will not charge the Laptop's battery.
So if you have a Dell, the better option is to buy their proprietary Auto/Air adapter (only $90 when I bought
mine) which replaces the standard power pack entirely.
The new adapter allows either a 240 volt AC cable to be plugged in to the input socket of the adapter, or a 12 volt DC cable into the same input. This enables the Laptop to be both powered and charge the internal battery at the same time and you only need to carry around the one adapter, whatever you are using it on.
The Kerio Adaptor otherwise is a very good, compact 12 volt power source.
I have one of those as
well which I use on another (non-Dell) Laptop.
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Member - Jack - Saturday, Feb 17, 2007 at 08:25
Saturday, Feb 17, 2007 at 08:25
Oooops .. Sandman, you are spot on ..I had forgotten about the Dell plug not powering the battery ... (old timer's disease???). Before we went away I went looking for a 12v charger for the Dell but could not locate any (on Dell's website) so went chasing the Kerio plug.
The Kerio used to charge up my old Toshiba battery, however.
Thanks for the heads up ...
Jack
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Mainey (WA) - Sunday, Feb 18, 2007 at 13:11
Sunday, Feb 18, 2007 at 13:11
Member - Jason S (SA) posted this followup;
" The only thing is the laptop runs about 16 volt. "
That would be a good reason to use regulated 240 volt via an Inverter.
FollowupID:
483299
Follow Up By: Member - Jack - Sunday, Feb 18, 2007 at 15:38
Sunday, Feb 18, 2007 at 15:38
Not quite ...
In the Kerio package you get a variety of what they call "Output Voltage Adjustment devices".They are colour coded. They look similar to a blade type fuse in appearance (but aren't).
From my Kerio handbook ...
Purple (15v) ... Blue ... (16v) ... Red ... (18v) ... Green ... (19v) ...
Orange ... (24v) so they seem capable of dealing with a range of voltages. They still have a cigarette lighter attachment to the power source. I originally used
mine to power a Toshiba before we went to Dell.
The only funny bit was the bit I had forgotten ... that bloody Dell have their own weird power plug arrangements and I guess nobody can/will copy it. I have a Kerio adaptor for our Dell but it does not charge the battery, it simply provides power to the computer. And it works.
Jack
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Mainey (WA) - Monday, Feb 19, 2007 at 01:34
Monday, Feb 19, 2007 at 01:34
So because it does not recharge the note-book battery, you can only use it when attached direct to the Kerio power system ???
Do I then understand that you have to use the note-book (Dell's name for a lap-top) only when it's in the vehicle and can't take it with you into the 'van' or 'tent' etc where there is no 12v power source, because it will still have a 'flat' battery ??
I think it would be beneficial to have a battery charger available, and also have the opportunity to run 240v electrical gear off a 'budget priced' inverter, which is about the same price as the Kerio system.
A Pure sine wave inverter is just a tad more expensive, with appropriate benefits
FollowupID:
483418
Follow Up By: Member - Jason S (SA) - Monday, Feb 19, 2007 at 01:50
Monday, Feb 19, 2007 at 01:50
Cheers Jack,
I got the laptop out and I need to give it 19v @ 3.42A. This is off the back of the AC Adapter.
Would that work with the Kerio?
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Member - Jack - Monday, Feb 19, 2007 at 07:20
Monday, Feb 19, 2007 at 07:20
Jason:
Is your laptop a Dell? If not then you don't have a battery charging problem. Seems Dell is the "odd man out" in the Kerio scenario.
My Kerio does have a 19v Adjustment, and its maximum output current is 5amp.
If you have a Dell, then Sandman's suggestion that you may be better off with Dell's proprietary Auto/Air adapter, which would have a battery charger makes sense.
Or an inverter, as has been previously suggested.
I am personally happier with a 12v charging source over a
12v -> 240v situation. Comes down to personal preference, and availability of the right "bits" for your situation.
Hope we are helping you somewhere in all of this. : )
Jack
FollowupID:
483427
Follow Up By: Member - Jack - Monday, Feb 19, 2007 at 07:31
Monday, Feb 19, 2007 at 07:31
For Mainey:
This problem is confined to Dell computers and I am unsure what brand of computer Jason has.
We were on the road for 6 months last year with the Kerio and Dell, and used to recharge the computer battery when we had access to 240v. In the meantime we were able to use it off the 12v supply. When the Kerio is supplying the power you are not using
battery power, so it does not drain the battery source.
But (here comes the disclaimer) ... we did not have the computer running all the time as we travelled (we were not running a GPS/moving map software with it) but for recording a travel log, photos etc etc ...
Still, if we were running it all the time it would have been fine runing off the 12v source. Dell have a 12v supply that does charge the battery as you travel (see Sandman's previous comments), so if he has a Dell and does not wavt a 240v source, then this could be a solution for him.
Jack
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Member - Jason S (SA) - Monday, Feb 19, 2007 at 10:14
Monday, Feb 19, 2007 at 10:14
Sorry Lads,
Should have stated it is a Acer Travelmate 2483.
By what you are saying re the Kerio, I recon that it may be perfect for this application.
I will have to do some mods to plug it in to the power source of the laptop and I wouldn't mind hardwiring in the Kerio as I personally think that 3A drag is a bit much for a cig socket.
I really want to thank you Jack, Sandman, and Mainey for your input on this one.
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Mainey (WA) - Monday, Feb 19, 2007 at 11:48
Monday, Feb 19, 2007 at 11:48
Jack,
Unfortunately I bought a real kickarce DELL note-book, with ALL the fruit available, 2gb ram runs super fast, but has spent more time in various Dell agents workshops on my travels than with me for different reasons, usually associated with modem and mouse problems.
I use a 300w pure inverter, among other things, to keep the Dell battery fully charged, just like any vehicle battery, the Dell or any computer battery, will last much longer when the battery is kept fully charged.
My old Toshiba is 4yo and it's battery is just going off now, and it was getting plenty of use.
I think if you are going to use a computer without recharging the battery, because they do go flat eventually, you may be shortening the life of the computer battery.
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Member - Jack - Monday, Feb 19, 2007 at 15:54
Monday, Feb 19, 2007 at 15:54
Jason: If you think the Kerio is the best option for you, trot into Dick Smith and check it out further with them. I have had terrific service from Kerio, as I had to go to Taiwan (by email) and they were quick to respond and supply me with the Dell plug from there after I found our local DS store unable to supply that part. They (Kerio) also advised that it would not charge the Dell battery.
A pure sinewave inverter is still a good option, but my personal preference is to stick with the 12v option as I was not keen on having 240v flying around inside the car on the trip.
Mainey: So far (touch wood) our Dell has been faultless, but I agree that you need to keep the battery charged. By using the 12v option we did not need to use the battery too much between charges (usually in caravan parks). But Sandman has advised that Dell have a 12v charger, and I am investigating/enquiring about that with Dell at present.
Jack
FollowupID:
483526
Reply By: Jimbo (WA) - Friday, Feb 16, 2007 at 23:39
Friday, Feb 16, 2007 at 23:39
Jason,
I run my computer from my inverter which is mounted in the back
seat area - the seats are out and I have a false floor in their place. I do this to keep the laptop battery charged and the inverter noise is almost non-existent over the engine noise (at least to my knackered hearing :) )
Ozi Explorer software is set-up and ready to handle many GPS's - including your Magellan XL.
I have my laptop normally mounted in the rear
seat area, as I don't need to see it whilst I'm driving. But I also have a setup that allows me to mount it in front of the front
seat navigator in case they want to play with it whilst moving.
I'm sure you'll get a lot more answers shortly - hope this helps!
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Member - Jason S (SA) - Saturday, Feb 17, 2007 at 00:34
Saturday, Feb 17, 2007 at 00:34
Cheers Jimbo,
Are you running the ram mount or something else?
FollowupID:
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Reply By: SA_Patrol - Saturday, Feb 17, 2007 at 07:54
Saturday, Feb 17, 2007 at 07:54
Hi Jason,
is that Tim's yellow Rangie in your photo gallery?
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Member - Jason S (SA) - Monday, Feb 19, 2007 at 01:45
Monday, Feb 19, 2007 at 01:45
No,
I work with a girl who knows this bloke.
His name is Ramone I believe.
Now saying that he may have bought it off someone.
FollowupID:
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Reply By: bindii - Saturday, Feb 17, 2007 at 20:28
Saturday, Feb 17, 2007 at 20:28
Regardless of which power source I am using (12v,
solar, converter/generator, invertor) I run my laptop
battery - Two hours for each
battery from roughly 20 minutes power up - how much more do u need. (I power up each day one way or another to give the
fridge a boost and use a multi board).
I'm guilty of it but dont let so much technology get in the way.
Jody
AnswerID:
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Reply By: Member - Jason S (SA) - Monday, Feb 19, 2007 at 10:25
Monday, Feb 19, 2007 at 10:25
THANKYOU ALL! so much for your responses to my questions.
The experiences of other members and non are totally invaluable. To get non-baist advice on products and services these days even over the internet is getting harder and harder.
To make a mistake with anything to do with 4WDing generally leads to huge cost and getting stuck out there.
This
forum together with you negate the need to spend the wrong way and make these mistakes.
Much appreciated.
Time for me to return the favour. I have come across the BEST deal on my Laptop. If anyone is looking for an upgrade sub $1000, let me know.
Thankyou all once again!
AnswerID:
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