Inverter wattage output.

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Lee_D

Guest
This is on topic as I want to put an old PIII machine in the 101 to use for
navigation software and also when parked up to use a TV card through to
allow viewing of Satelite reception save carrying yet more bulky tv stuff
with me (note therefore it won't be viewable on the move)

How do I work out what size inverter to fit? When parked up we will be
running off the mains on site or from a generator when in the
field...literally.

I'm keen to keep costs down so not interested in a 12 volt power supply, I
also understand inverters help stabalise the power spikes from the
alternator etc.

Only other expense should be... re-radiating gps antenna and a tft screen.
The other kits ready to go...

Lee D
--

www.lrproject.com

Workshop photos from Landrover repairs
& other such tinkerings.
Home of Percy the Jag powered Landrover


 
Am i correct in assuming that you are not planning on using the nav software
on the go? I can assure you that your HDD will not survive long if you are.

Most PSU are typically around 300watts for a PC so that should give you a
good point to start from.

Regards
Stephen


 
On Mon, 25 Oct 2004 12:01:43 GMT, "Lee_D" <[email protected]> wrote:

>This is on topic as I want to put an old PIII machine in the 101 to use for
>navigation software and also when parked up to use a TV card through to
>allow viewing of Satelite reception save carrying yet more bulky tv stuff
>with me (note therefore it won't be viewable on the move)
>
>How do I work out what size inverter to fit? When parked up we will be
>running off the mains on site or from a generator when in the
>field...literally.

If you open up the case on your pc and look on the power supply it
will tell you what wattage it is. Use this as a maximum figure.
Usually they are somewhere between 250 and 350 though you can get
higher (and lower)
Realistically, the machine will not be using the full wattage
available from the PSU. If you look at the manual for the motherboard
that will probably tell you how much power it consumes. I'd guess it
will be getting on for 100 or so just for the motherboard and CPU.

Other stuff in the PC will increase that number - so allow more
available wattage for things like the expansion cards (such as
graphics and sound). Hard disks and CD drives will also use some more.
Probably 25W or so each, and more when they have to spin up.

From this you can work out what sort of wattage you will need to
supply to the PC, and then select the right sort of inverter.

this may help you work it out:
http://www.jscustompcs.com/power_supply/

You may find it easier to build yourself a PC specifically to work
better with less available power, or just use a laptop!
There are some nice 12v mini motherboards around. I just built myself
a little pc based on a ready made box. That has a 230w psu, and runs
quite happily off my 300W inverter on a knackered battery.

>I'm keen to keep costs down so not interested in a 12 volt power supply, I
>also understand inverters help stabalise the power spikes from the
>alternator etc.
>
>Only other expense should be... re-radiating gps antenna and a tft screen.
>The other kits ready to go...

Aim to find a tft screen that runs straight off 12V - it will make
your life a lot easier! (many screens do run from 12v, and just come
with a tranformer to let you run them off the mains)


 
On or around Mon, 25 Oct 2004 15:20:32 +0200, "fanie"
<[email protected]> enlightened us thusly:

>Am i correct in assuming that you are not planning on using the nav software
>on the go? I can assure you that your HDD will not survive long if you are.


for a limited-use PC it should be possible in theory to have it work without
a HDD at all, just have lots of RAM...

 
On Mon, 25 Oct 2004 16:00:22 +0100, Austin Shackles
<[email protected]> wrote:

>for a limited-use PC it should be possible in theory to have it work without
>a HDD at all, just have lots of RAM...

Been here... It's reasonalby easy to keep the o/s on an eprom chip
(or memory that can be made bootable). Given some of these USB memory
stick jobbies are now available for around a 100 quid for 2gig - you
could easily have something you could remove from the vehicle without
too much hassle for security reasons too.

 

"fanie" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Am i correct in assuming that you are not planning on using the nav
> software
> on the go? I can assure you that your HDD will not survive long if you
> are.

Yep noted.

I think I'm right in saying that the Nav software works without reference to
the HDD once the maps and route has been calculated if I recall correctly.
Only other time I've noticed any momentary lag is when it recalculates the
route when I get lost.

Given that the 101 Ambulance is actually smoother than the Rangie when it
comes to suspension I'm not too worried. The laptop managed 1700 miles last
summer. That said I dare say the HDD drive on the laptop is designed with
greater tolerances.

> Most PSU are typically around 300watts for a PC so that should give you a
> good point to start from.

Ta

Lee D


 

"Mother" <"@ {m} @"@101fc.net> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Mon, 25 Oct 2004 16:00:22 +0100, Austin Shackles
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>for a limited-use PC it should be possible in theory to have it work
>>without
>>a HDD at all, just have lots of RAM...
>
> Been here... It's reasonalby easy to keep the o/s on an eprom chip
> (or memory that can be made bootable). Given some of these USB memory
> stick jobbies are now available for around a 100 quid for 2gig - you
> could easily have something you could remove from the vehicle without
> too much hassle for security reasons too.
>

I like this idea.. whats more I can move the planned routes and points of
interest too with minimal faffing between the 101comp and laptop etc etc.
I'll follow that up. Looking at Infomaps specs it 3,7 gb hdd space but thats
for all the maps (whole of Europe). As I'm unlikely to be able to afford to
cover them all in one day then 2 gig should eat it.

I take it these usb drives just mimic a HDD or what have you?

Lee D


 
On Mon, 25 Oct 2004 15:54:37 GMT, "Lee_D" <[email protected]> wrote:

>I think I'm right in saying that the Nav software works without reference to
>the HDD once the maps and route has been calculated if I recall correctly.
>Only other time I've noticed any momentary lag is when it recalculates the
>route when I get lost.
>
>Given that the 101 Ambulance is actually smoother than the Rangie when it
>comes to suspension I'm not too worried. The laptop managed 1700 miles last
>summer. That said I dare say the HDD drive on the laptop is designed with
>greater tolerances.

You can fit laptop drives into normal PC's if you like. Theyre a
little bit more expensive, and you need an adaptor to plug em in with
(costs a few quid from maplins).

 
On Monday, in article
<[email protected]>
[email protected] "Austin Shackles" wrote:

> On or around Mon, 25 Oct 2004 15:20:32 +0200, "fanie"
> <[email protected]> enlightened us thusly:
>
> >Am i correct in assuming that you are not planning on using the nav software
> >on the go? I can assure you that your HDD will not survive long if you are.
>
>
> for a limited-use PC it should be possible in theory to have it work without
> a HDD at all, just have lots of RAM...

The other "trick" is to get an adaptor which allows a Compact Flash card
to look like an IDE drive.

I am not sure that all this will work well with Windows software. You
really need to run a RAM-disk for writing data, and Windows is a bit
slapdash about where in the system it needs to write to.

Cheap computing while static -- easy.

Cheap computing while moving -- hard



--
David G. Bell -- SF Fan, Filker, and Punslinger.

"History shows that the Singularity started when Sir Tim Berners-Lee
was bitten by a radioactive spider."
 
David G. Bell wrote:

> The other "trick" is to get an adaptor which allows a Compact Flash card
> to look like an IDE drive.
>
> I am not sure that all this will work well with Windows software. You
> really need to run a RAM-disk for writing data, and Windows is a bit
> slapdash about where in the system it needs to write to.
>
> Cheap computing while static -- easy.
>
> Cheap computing while moving -- hard

David,

I am working on a project with With a 512M USB2 card and a mini-itx
motherboard, power consumption is around 15 W

Still playing with a Linux distie, with X and Wine on it. Any suggestions ?

Steve
 
Steve Taylor wrote:

> David G. Bell wrote:
>
>> The other "trick" is to get an adaptor which allows a Compact Flash card
>> to look like an IDE drive.
>>
>> I am not sure that all this will work well with Windows software. You
>> really need to run a RAM-disk for writing data, and Windows is a bit
>> slapdash about where in the system it needs to write to.
>>
>> Cheap computing while static -- easy.
>>
>> Cheap computing while moving -- hard
>
> David,
>
> I am working on a project with With a 512M USB2 card and a mini-itx
> motherboard, power consumption is around 15 W
>
> Still playing with a Linux distie, with X and Wine on it. Any suggestions
> ?
>
> Steve
Good luck with Wine - I haven't managed to get it to do anything useful.
JD
 
On or around Tue, 26 Oct 2004 05:53:18 +1000, JD <[email protected]>
enlightened us thusly:

>Steve Taylor wrote:
>
>> David G. Bell wrote:
>>
>>> The other "trick" is to get an adaptor which allows a Compact Flash card
>>> to look like an IDE drive.
>>>
>>> I am not sure that all this will work well with Windows software. You
>>> really need to run a RAM-disk for writing data, and Windows is a bit
>>> slapdash about where in the system it needs to write to.
>>>
>>> Cheap computing while static -- easy.
>>>
>>> Cheap computing while moving -- hard
>>
>> David,
>>
>> I am working on a project with With a 512M USB2 card and a mini-itx
>> motherboard, power consumption is around 15 W
>>
>> Still playing with a Linux distie, with X and Wine on it. Any suggestions
>> ?
>>
>> Steve
>Good luck with Wine - I haven't managed to get it to do anything useful.

if you've enough resources on the machine, you could use VMware. Virtual
machine, you install windows on the virtual one and then you can always exit
to the linux shell and terminate it when it hangs :)


 

I've just sold a piece of kit on ebay that would do fine - it had had a
laptop HDD in it and would be fine even for mild off roading. 2.5" HDD's
are a hell of a lot more robust than you think, the I-pod's got a 20GB in it
and that can take a bashing.

Check out
http://www.cappuccinopc.com/default.asp

This is the stuff I had along with a Lilliput 7" widescreen touchscreen and
a USB mouse running Destinator mapping SW -

There's usually a load of SH stuff for sale at www.mp3car.com

If it's cheap sat nav ure after and u dont need it to work on the top of
snowdon ( roads only) then the TomTom go unit is amazing value and works a
treat. www.tomtom.com


Steve


"Lee_D" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> This is on topic as I want to put an old PIII machine in the 101 to use
> for navigation software and also when parked up to use a TV card through
> to allow viewing of Satelite reception save carrying yet more bulky tv
> stuff with me (note therefore it won't be viewable on the move)
>
> How do I work out what size inverter to fit? When parked up we will be
> running off the mains on site or from a generator when in the
> field...literally.
>
> I'm keen to keep costs down so not interested in a 12 volt power supply, I
> also understand inverters help stabalise the power spikes from the
> alternator etc.
>
> Only other expense should be... re-radiating gps antenna and a tft screen.
> The other kits ready to go...
>
> Lee D
> --
>
> www.lrproject.com
>
> Workshop photos from Landrover repairs
> & other such tinkerings.
> Home of Percy the Jag powered Landrover
>
>


 
StaffBull wrote:
> a Lilliput 7" widescreen touchscreen

Cute isn't it ? With the VGA and two video inputs ?

Steve
 
StaffBull wrote:
> yep
Got partly paid in monitors when I did some consulancy work in the
states in May - 120 quid.

<sidling up to Martyn> Psst Martyn, wanna buy a new monitor ?
<Ducks Missiles from his Missis>

Steve
 
got mine from e-bay via hong kong bout £150
Theres a new 8" version out now mates got one but the touch sesitivity is
not as good.
"Steve Taylor" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> StaffBull wrote:
>> yep
> Got partly paid in monitors when I did some consulancy work in the states
> in May - 120 quid.
>
> <sidling up to Martyn> Psst Martyn, wanna buy a new monitor ?
> <Ducks Missiles from his Missis>
>
> Steve


 
StaffBull wrote:
> got mine from e-bay via hong kong bout £150
> Theres a new 8" version out now mates got one but the touch sesitivity is
> not as good.
Once again we are getting screwed here. I wonder if its a an
anti-dumping duty thing ?

Steve
 
I tend to buy all my electrical "gizmos" form HK and as long as you get them
to label it up as a gift and valued under $20 it sails through customs and
no extra duty :)

All that tax we pay goes towards making the UK a far better,safer and
healthier place to live you know. Oh I'm sorry I had my rose tinted specs
on!!
"Steve Taylor" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> StaffBull wrote:
>> got mine from e-bay via hong kong bout £150
>> Theres a new 8" version out now mates got one but the touch sesitivity is
>> not as good.
> Once again we are getting screwed here. I wonder if its a an anti-dumping
> duty thing ?
>
> Steve


 
In article <[email protected]>, StaffBull wrote:
> I tend to buy all my electrical "gizmos" form HK and as long as you get them
> to label it up as a gift and valued under $20 it sails through customs and
> no extra duty :)
>

Apparently labeling things as "sample" has the same effect. The company I
work for regularly ship from the far east and do this quite often.

--
simon at sbarr dot demon dot co dot uk
Simon Barr.
'97 110 300Tdi.
 
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