It is some what of an oxymoron to take your laptop camping but you can enjoy both. To take your laptop to the beach to play games is a bit foolish but if you need to get some computing work done after sundown, than why not. Of coarse living on the road everyday is like a day at the beach.So you are enjoying your time in the shade of a tall pine knowing you have only 2 hours of battery life. How do you extend your time in the cool breeze? Two options come to mind.
- Carry a spare laptop battery. This is an easy but costly way to extend your computing time. You are limited to one type of laptop and it has no other functions.
- Carry a small rechargeable battery pack that can be recharged using a solar battery charger.
What I have done is purchased a Slime rechargeable tire inflator and a Die Hard 140 watt power inverter. For more tech info see Solar Powered Laptop.
This second option works for me because unlike a backup laptop battery, the tire inflator battery can be charged from any AC outlet, any automotive cigarette lighter outlet or my solar charger. The combination extends my computing time longer than an additional laptop battery. Most importantly all components serve dual purposes.
I use the tire inflator to keep up the air pressure in my tires and as a portable 12 volt DC power source for multiple 12v accessories. Adding the power inverter to the battery pack I have a portable 110 volt AC power source for small tools or appliances. Also the inverter can be plugged into any cigarette lighter in any vehicle or RV.
The only change I would make is the Die Hard power inverter. The fan is noisy and runs constantly even when nothing is plugged into it.
If you are a gadget person try this setup.
- Plug a cigarette lighter 2 way adapter into your portable 12v DC power supply.
- Plug a solar charger into one receptacle to charge the battery.
- Plug a 140 watt power inverter into the other receptacle to run a laptop.
For all the details on using solar battery chargers to power laptops and more go to
Info Share Solar Laptop at Search-Hints.com
Until the next post: A wise man say “’tis better to let the fly live than to dump your laptop in the dirt.”
OR_M
Testing again.
ReplyDeleteI have used solar chargers for years to maintain the RV batteries in my pickup camper when on outings. I think they are great. Your readers should be advised that when using portable solar panels like yours to keep them off the ground at night or rodents will gnaw on the cords.
ReplyDeleteGuy