I am thinking about constructing a small computer to use on a boat where 12v power is available from the boat batteries. The voltage would normally vary from about 11-15 volts, as the battery is charged and discharged. The battery bank is substantial. Does anyone know of a PC power supply that would work off of a battery with this characteristic?
I know that I could buy a laptop, and use an inverter. I already have one on the boat, and do this all the time. However, I want to integrate the system a bit more, and be able to use the computer as a media center on the boat(music and TV tuner), for navigation, inventory, etc, and I think that I can accomplish this better if I build one myself. The small case designs described on Tom's intrigue me, but I haven't seen any power supplies that I could use without going thru an inverter.
You need regulated 12v for stability, I've seen 12v regulators (active) and ITX power supplies that run off 12v.
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Thanks. I thought there might be something available, but I searched and could not find one. I realize that the battery supply will need to be regulated, because the boat battery voltage does vary - it rarely goes below 12v (only when I run the microwave), but is frequently above 12v when the various charging sources (solar, windmill, shore power, engine) are running.
I will search again - any hints about manufacturers would be appreciated.
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