power supply for laptop computer

KERIO Auto Air N/Book Adaptor from DSE cat no m9695 $148
can be set for various voltages.Hooroo

Yes, the Kerio is very good and will also work in aeroplanes which have the in seat power socket.
Bad news is it was on special last month for much less- but you didn't want to know that, did you?
Good news is the Targus?? brand one is about $200 and does the same job.
Cheers

Why spend $200 on the Targus when the Kerio is $148

I paid $58 for my Kerio at DSE but I did spend $2056 total. They told me it is the cost priceHooroo

I bought a Kerio at Dick Smith last month on special for my Fujitsu notebook in my caravan
T-terrific as it charges my lead acid 12v gel cells for the flood light properly without attention

I the years that we have been supplying mounting solutions for laptops in vehicles I have always found that you get what you pay for with inverters. The Dick Smith / Tandy cheapies are usually a waste of money. I would only use a quality power supply and choose one over rated for my needs. These things produce heat and it needs to be transfered and disipated so a tiny unit with no heatsink is just asking for trouble. Also something to consider is most plug into your lighter socket and most wiring to these sockets is not thick enough to be safe for long term power drain. I recommend to our clients to get the inverter hard wired back to the battery or main fuse box with heavy gauge wire.
Lastly you should also remove your laptop battery (if charged) while youare using an inverteror mains power supply. This will definatly prolong the life of your battery.

Tony,
Why do you say to remove battery when charged.
Aren't they smart chargers in the laptop and therefore surely they wouldn't overcharge- or am I missing something???
Cheers

Hey David,
Yep , most are smart chargers but the problem is at what point do they kick in to start charging. Some may have a bios or software setting to telll the chargers when to kick in but if the battery is not discharged properly this MAY happen when its only used 10% of its power. Ths will cause the battery to develop a "memory" and it will not charge properly. Only Li-Ion batteries will not do this. Check to see which type you are using.

Jaycar also flog a universal one for about $90.

Grouse!!! I'm off to Dick Smith.

cheers

i agree why stuff around with adapters i have a 300 watt inverter
runs the laptop and has a heap of other uses, 240 volt drill ,cameras ect
all works fine

Bob that is about as useful in a mobile setup as a politician in a crisis
Some prefer the correct solution and quality not slow junk and wires to get you all tangled up in a vehicle. Have you got the keyboard mounted on the steering wheel with the screen setup directly in front of you.

forget the inverter - buy a Mini-ITX PC and a LCD screen - both run off 12 volt - 17x30x5cm is a pretty small pc for something that has the lot (even firewire for the digital video camera)

Rodney, I agonised over how to get the best result. The laptop could not be mounted in a manner that I felt happy with. When the screen was in the right place the keyboard wasn't. Nor was the laptop's display adequately visible in dalylight. I needed an adequate screen size as looking at a map on a PDA is like watching a peep show through a keyhole. The proponents of PDAs obviously haven't seen how much better a full screen display is than the cigarette box sized image they have. So I purchased a 15" Samsung display which has performed perfectly. I have the display plugged into the laptop which sits closed out of the way. The mouse is an optical mouse which sits on the centre console between the front seats (I rarely have to use the keyboard once Oziexplorer is running). The display is mounted on a bracket that rises up from the transmission tunnel. It is midline, and rises about 15 cm above the level of the dash so doesn't encroach on my view of the windscreen, but is easily visible to driver, and three passengers. Despite your concerns, cabling hasn't been a problem. Two cables run forward along the transmission tunnel to the display, two cables run back from the GPS which is mounted on the dash. The inverter and power board are located in the rear of the vehicle. The lap top sits in a pocket behind the drivers seat. This arrangement performed faultlessly on a recent trip to the channel country and Territory on all types of track. I then thought, if this works so well, why not use an old Wintel box instead of a laptop? After all, why pay for a display that isn't used. The computer could be easily located in the rear of the vehicle, an perform just as well as the laptop, as mapping isn't one of the most processor intensive activities. So what I suggested is a low cost option for those that find the cost a laptop prohibitive, and the viewing area of a PDA grossly inadequate. So it may in fact be the "correct" solution for some people.

I use the Kerio to charge my 12 volt lead acid gell cells for my spotlights
Does proper job and I do not have to watch them to make sure they do not overcharge or charge properly
If your Australian wild life was not upside down I could sleep at night like most normal people.