"electrical" help needed! February 21, 2008, 09:55:18 am Yahoo Message Number: 89655Okay, thank yous to Joan, Bob, Tessa, Chris, Larry, & Don (privately). Here is what my first question was:I will be using my laptop on the other side (barrel chairs) and my laptop cord might not easily reach the inverter (I need hard wired near the TV) without being in the way of some dog. So I am asking if I ought to get someone to put in another 12V plug coming down from the 12V light fixture above the barrel chairs and get another inverter for that side for ease of plugging in?? Or will this be an overkill? It seems handy to me. There’s already a double AC outlet there by the cabinet and barrel chair in the RB. I hope you can understand my explaination. I’m not so good in that dept.If you have any input I would appreciate it.Judy Wms.[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Re: "electrical" help needed! Reply #1 – February 21, 2008, 02:04:26 pm Yahoo Message Number: 89666It is a fairly easy task to install another 12v outlet especially if there is a fixture there already. Are you skilled enough to accomplish this on your own? If you are it would be cheap as well. Steve
Re: "electrical" help needed! Reply #2 – February 21, 2008, 02:58:56 pm Yahoo Message Number: 89673"So I am asking if I ought to get someone to put in another 12V plug coming down from the 12V light fixture above the barrel chairs and get another inverter for that side for ease of plugging in?"JudyYou need to be careful in doing this. Inverters, even smaller ones, require a lot of amperage. While the lighting fixtures are convenient for accessing 12-volt power, it is easy to overload the circuit. You need to know how much of the lighting circuit capacity is already being used and what the inverter's maximum current draw is. Most circuits in your LD can supply up to 20-amps.It would be best to use the Factory supplied 12-volt plug or to install a new, fused circuit for the inverter.Larry
Re: "electrical" help needed! Reply #3 – February 22, 2008, 06:50:42 pm Yahoo Message Number: 89739Judy, Instead of an inverter, you might consider getting a 12V power source for your laptop. I feel it's more efficient and you wouldn't have to listen to the noise of the inverter's fan. We have both a old Toshiba and a newer Dell laptop with us, and I had no problem finding a 12V power cord for either one. That still doesn't resolve the placement of your 12V outlets. I've added several outlets in our rig, both are run from the lighting circuits. The one up front on my computer console is on all day when we're traveling, for the Toshiba runs my GPS software, and I've had no problems with it.Toad aka Ted H. '02 FL NE-12 @ O'leno SP, FL -- www.toad.fobria.com See where we are: http://map.datastormusers.com/user1.cfm?user=6079 Posted by: "Judy Williams" I am asking if I ought to get someone to put in another 12V plug coming down from the 12V light fixture above the barrel chairs and get another inverter for that side for ease of plugging in??[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Re: "electrical" help needed! Reply #4 – February 23, 2008, 09:21:28 am Yahoo Message Number: 89756Ted H. wrote:QuoteJudy, Instead of an inverter, you might consider getting a 12V power source for your laptop. I feel it's more efficient and you wouldn't have to listen to the noise of the inverter's fan. We have both a old Toshiba and a newer Dell laptop with us, and I had no problem finding a 12V power cord for either one. Hi Ted. I think you are right but... Some laptops draw more than others. I have used my Toshiba Satellite Laptop with Street Atlas and a GPS unit as a satellite-linked navigation system several times. I use a 12v power supply with the 19v output my computer needs plugged in under the dash. I found that if I used the computer constantly, the power supply could not keep up with the drain. On my first return from Yosemite to San Francisco the laptop died just as I was approaching the Oakland area. I learned to use it for critical areas, then close the cover, putting it to sleep until I was approaching critical turn areas. That way, it kept up. I infer from my experience that the 12v system is a very good way to go if one will be leaving the computer connected for a while when not in use, so it can fully recharge, and if one will be using the computer for no more that a few hours. Ken
Re: "electrical" help needed! Reply #5 – February 23, 2008, 10:19:52 am Yahoo Message Number: 89758"I found that if I used the computer [with GPS software] constantly, the power supply could not keep up with the drain. On my first return from Yosemite to San Francisco the laptop died just as I was approaching the Oakland area. I learned to use it for critical areas, then close the cover, putting it to sleep until I was approaching critical turn areas."This is one of many reasons why a standalone GPS receiver may be a better choice. :-)Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/
Re: "electrical" help needed! Reply #6 – February 24, 2008, 06:59:05 pm Yahoo Message Number: 89805Hi, Ken, Interesting that your computer would run out of juice, so to speak, while you were driving. I've never had that problem. My 12V source is connected to the house batteries, not the truck battery. I learned that the hard way - I used to run it off the dash 12V outlet, and once after two weeks without starting the engine, the truck battery was drawn down to where I needed to jump it. That's when I added an outlet hooked to the house 12V system. The Toshiba will run all day on the adapter, a Targus. I see no difference in its operation whether on 12V or 120V. However, my newer Dell is apparently more of a juice hog - it doesn't like its 12V adapter unless the engine is running and charging the batteries. Go figure. That's why I'm nursing the 6 yeat old Toshiba along - a new HD last year, and more recently, the USB ports controller died, so I had to get a USB port MCMCIA adapter, which the GPS seems to like. To those who question why I run a laptop version of GPS, it's mainly that I like the large screen - very easy to glance at quickly. To each his own, said the old lady as she kissed the cow.Ted H.'02 FL NE-12@ Stephen Foster SP, FL-- www.toad.fobria.com See where we are: http://map.datastormusers.com/user1.cfm?user=6079Posted by: "Ken Fears"QuoteTed wrote: I found that if I used the computer constantly, the power supply could not keep up with the drain. On my first return from Yosemite to San Francisco the laptop died just as I was approaching the Oakland area. I learned to use it for critical areas, then close the cover, putting it to sleep until I was approaching critical turn areas. Ken[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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