# 12VDC powered computers & Boost/Regulators



## Runners (Nov 6, 2003)

There is a way to put together a 100% 12VDC powered computer & wide screen monitor - less than 50 watts total energy draw. That's less than 5 amps off your 12vdc battery, less than a 60watt bulb (for the AC folks).

Samsung Monitor Model S20B300 runs less than $120.00 and runs fine on 12VDC
*http://www.samsung.com/us/function/search/espsearchResult.do?input_keyword=S20B300&keywords=S20B300
*
Intel makes a 12VDC Motherboard, DN2800MT, Dual Core w/HDMI & VGA video outputs about $120 with 4G of RAM (add/reuse your favorite SATA drive)
*http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/search.html?keyword=DN2800mt
*We have SEVERAL of these boards, they're got enough horse power to run WIN8 32 or 64bit - multi-task and a good enough graphics driver to play DVDs (BluRay gets choppy at higher resolutions). 18watts or 1.5amps @ 12vdc with a SSD (solid state drive, a spinning HD adds about .7 amps).

Add a GOOD 12vdc battery *boost/regulator* that's low noise, reliable $200 and you can run your PC -AND- other 12vdc devices for literally HOURS on a car battery.
*http://stores.tgelectronics.org/Categories.bok?category=Boosters
*I trust _only _these boost/regulators to protect my $4000+ Elecraft K3 radio, and other expensive electronics_ running during an outage or HAM radio special event station. _The last thing you'll want to hear on your radio is some cheap electronic crap squealing like a pig stuck on a root! They are _quiet._

Furthermore with cheap old 12v 70ah AGM batteries, we have run a 100watt transmitter 6-8hrs at remote special event stations, calling all day long, pulling 22amps off a single 70ah battery with one of these boost regulators. Set the cut-off @ 9vdc and the boost regulator can provide 14vdc to your PC and other devices for HOURS - if you're device shuts down @ 10-11vdc, without a boost/regulator, you're screwed!. (We have 4 of them... in a power outage, or an emergency situation - who cares if you drain a battery _completely FLAT_ to keep important devices running.)

I'm writing this on our "weather computer", using this arrangement, with (3) 30ah batteries running a Peet Bros weather station & this PC. It's trickle charged with a 6amp solid state converter, I saved from a throw-away electronic device. _When I cracked it open, I saw a nice little Pot (like a mini-volume control), and simply bumped the voltage up to 14vdc to keep the batteries peaked._ 

When our electric bills started hitting the $300+ a month mark, we started dumping the 300 watt PCs & the 200 watt monitors for a more energy saving solution. Since all the HAM radio equipment already runs off 12vdc, it made sense to migrate more devices. As home schoolers with 8 kids, _you do the math..._ 4-6 PCs running at a time = 2000-3000 watts _down to less than 300 watts._

Bill... 5 years...? has it been that looonnnngggg?


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