powering up..?

roger.the.cab

roger.the.cab

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Hi folks.. this is my first post.
I am looking to travel full time around the UK as a photographer.
As such, it is a priority that I am able to edit my images.. to this end I am hoping to find a way to power my desktop computer whilst on the road.
Any advice and/or assistance would be appreciated.
Thanks
RTC
 
:welc:
Can you switch to a laptop?
That would be on a battery some/most of the time, or be a lower power drain when on an AC adapter.

A desktop is a mains powered chassis & tv screen.
 
You could use an inverter, a device which changes 12v battery power to 230v mains power.
As well as an inverter you would need more batteries and a means of recharging them.... Possibly each day... Such as solar panels.
 
Wissel built himself a 12v powered system if I remember correctly.

Look for 'Sailing Uma' on YouTube. They edit high quality video on a sailing boat with very limited power.

I don't do video or photo editing, but I do work in the van with a desktop equivalent laptop & second screen without difficulty. 200W solar on the roof & 2 x 85AH gel batteries. Modern laptops will charge through the USB-C port, so easy to power form 12v.
 
Kevenh hi.. thanks for the response..
I considered a laptop of which I have a small Acer Aspire which I use (or used before the current situation) during my backpacking trips abroad.
I suppose I could get hold of a laptop with a larger screen and memory it would just mean getting used to editing on a smaller screen.
I am looking at the possibility of fitting solar panels, but even so, this might not e of much help..
Seeing as I would be offgrid most of the time while taking pic's.. perhaps it would be easier for me to use a site (hook up) for 1 or 2 days while editing..?

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You'll need at least a couple of batteries and as much solar on your roof as you can. Regular lead acid batteries are relativley cheap and will last you years, if you have the budget investigate LiFePO4 (lithium) Batteries as they will charge quicker and last longer. (y)

On your heavy editing days you could always pull onto a site and enjoy mains mook up (y)
 
roger.the.cab said:
Kevenh hi.. thanks for the response..
I considered a laptop of which I have a small Acer Aspire which I use (or used before the current situation) during my backpacking trips abroad.
I suppose I could get hold of a laptop with a larger screen and memory it would just mean getting used to editing on a smaller screen.
I am looking at the possibility of fitting solar panels, but even so, this might not e of much help..
Seeing as I would be offgrid most of the time while taking pic's.. perhaps it would be easier for me to use a site (hook up) for 1 or 2 days while editing..?
Click to expand...
An EFOY fuel cell would give you a back up charge to help out on poor solar days.
 
TheCaller said:
Wissel built himself a 12v powered system if I remember correctly.

Look for 'Sailing Uma' on YouTube. They edit high quality video on a sailing boat with very limited power.

I don't do video or photo editing, but I do work in the van with a desktop equivalent laptop & second screen without difficulty. 200W solar on the roof & 2 x 85AH gel batteries. Modern laptops will charge through the USB-C port, so easy to power form 12v.
Click to expand...
TheCaller hi.. that might work.. using a decent laptop with second screen :unsure: The thought of editing on a laptop screen does not do it for me.. but using a second screen would work,..
I am thinking of fitting 1 or perhaps 2 solar panels.. what are these gel batteries you mention.?
RTC
 
Jim said:
You'll need at least a couple of batteries and as much solar on your roof as you can. Regular lead acid batteries are relativley cheap and will last you years, if you have the budget investigate LiFePO4 (lithium) Batteries as they will charge quicker and last longer. (y)

On your heavy editing days you could always pull onto a site and enjoy mains mook up (y)
Click to expand...
Jim hi.. yes, did give that some thought (the using a site for a day or so) the lifePO4 lithium are these to use as the leisure batteries.?
RTC

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roger.the.cab said:
Jim hi.. yes, did give that some thought (the using a site for a day or so) the lifePO4 lithium are these to use as the leisure batteries.?
RTC
Click to expand...

LiFePO4 batteries are superior to lead acid in terms of weight, size, discharge capacity, charging speed, electrical efficiency (important for solar) etc. Their only disadvantages are much higher cost and the requirement for compatible chargers.
 
First thing is to determine the minimum computing kit you can get away with. Think of what space you will have in your vehicle. Laptops may seem the obvious choice, but about the biggest screen you can get is 17" and that may not cut it. No doubt colour accuracy on the screen is important, not something of concern on most laptops. You are probably needing a decent GPU capability in the computer, along with a decent bit of CPU and RAM. That puts you at a high end laptop. The power demands of higher end laptops can exceed that of a 12V cigarette lighter connection. Those heavy duty "portable" laptops, won't run on their internal battery very long, so effectively you need to be able to recharge from 240V.

You can of course use a good spec laptop and have a separate, larger, monitor. But the monitor would run at 240V.

Of course a desktop and monitor has flexibility, if you have the space. But with decent GPU, CPU, RAM and such like, plus monitor, the desktop will pull a decent amount of power at 240V.

If on EHU from a site, the mains power wouldn't be a problem. If you are off grid then you'll need to be careful. You'll need a good quality pure sine wave inverter (a basic inverter will not work with sensitive IT stuff). That is going to need to be permanently wired to your batteries. Size of the inverter will be determined by the wattage of your IT kit, you'll want a little bit of headroom, but, don't overdo it. Your inverter draws more current (wattage) at 12V than you get out at 240V.

Now you need to look at your leisure battery capacity, to run that inverter for however long you expect to be editing. Remember that you need spare power in your batteries for other stuff like your water pump, lighting, etc. Lead-acid batteries should be discharged to about 50% of their capacity (go deeper especially regularly and the battery life will start to degrade) so a 100Ah battery gives 50Ah useable. Much more expensive is GEL useable to about 80% (but can take a lengthy time to fully recharge), and then there is the top end Lithium perhaps useable even to 95%. But with GEL and Lithium you may need better recharging kit from the alternator, solar or even when on EHU. Combine a couple of batteries for larger capacity.

Now consider how long you will be off grid. Can you recharge those batteries? Solar is great in summer, but winter your whole roof will need to be smothered in panels and even then you might not get enough. Driving around can recharge, but will take time, perhaps a few hours. Your engine's alternator can only output so much energy even with a more sophisticated system such as a B2B (battery to Battery) unit. So if you really do off grid for a while you may need to be looking at other generator sources.
 
The critical thing you mentioned in your post is that you plan to use your van throughout the year.
In my experience from Oct-Mar solar gain into the batteries is limited, bearing in mind demand on habitation batteries will also be higher.
My solution was to replace two AGM batteries with Lithium and a small inverter.
Not cheap, as batteries need to be integrated properly together with the possible upgrading of other components.
Lithium batteries have transform our use, albeit at a cost of 3k
 
Wondering star said:
Lithium batteries have transform our use, albeit at a cost of 3k
Click to expand...
At that sort of money he would do better to buy a decent sized laptop that would work off his existing 12v especially if doesn’t have the skills to fit all the Kit as that will cost even more from a dealer?😊
 
A laptop capable of pro photo editing will probably cost more than a Lithium setup.

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Get a generator for when you are using the laptop and are well away from other folk.
 
roger.the.cab said:
TheCaller hi.. that might work.. using a decent laptop with second screen :unsure: The thought of editing on a laptop screen does not do it for me.. but using a second screen would work,..
I am thinking of fittimy 2nd screen can run directly from 12v, although I do have mains chargers for them bothng 1 or perhaps 2 solar panels.. what are these gel batteries you mention.?
RTC
Click to expand...
Both my laptop & my 2nd screen run from 12v, although I do have mains power supplies for them both. The screens are deliberately small, but high resolution. As others have pointed out, this is not a cheap option, but no computer capable of high resolution editing is going to be described as cheap.

As far as batteries go, there are two main types, the traditional lead/acid & the newer Lithium Iron Phosphate. Lead/acid sub-divide into those with liquid electrolyte & those where the electrolyte is not free-flowing.

The liquid electrolyte (or flooded cell) batteries are the ones that have been around for generations & are the sort that you top up with distilled or deionised water. Some are optimised as starter batteries, while others are sold as leisure or deep-cycle batteries, supposedly better suited to being discharged more slowly over a longer period of time before being recharged again. There is little regulation of the market & a deep-rooted suspicion that many cheaper leisure batteries are simply starter batteries with a different label stuck on them.

While a leisure battery should withstand being discharged more deeply than a starter battery, for optimum life expectancy no flooded cell battery should be regularly discharged by more than 50% of its rated capacity.

The other types of lead/acid batteries have the electrolyte stabilised so that it doesn't slosh around. AGM batteries have the electrolyte absorbed into a glass mat (hence Absorbed Glass Mat, or AGM), while gel batteries have a silica thickener added to form a gel. Both these types are sold a 'maintenance free', because you can't top them up. Because of this, it is important that they are not over-charged & should only be used with chargers with the appropriate setting for the battery type. Gel batteries in particular can be discharged further than flooded-cell batteries for the same expected life-cycle - around 80% as opposed to 50%. Properly looked after, gel batteries should last considerably longer than flooded-cell batteries. Getting the final 20% of charge into them does take longer than with any other type of lead-acid battery though. They are also limited as to the maximum current they can supply, so should not be used as a starter battery.

There is much argument about the suitability or otherwise of AGM batteries as leisure batteries & I'm not getting into that here!

Lithium Iron Phosphate are the new kid on the block & outperform all lead-acid types on all counts, but are still very expensive to buy. However, if you can afford the initial purchase cost, their cost per kwh over their lifetime is probably lower that their lead-acid alternatives, because they have a greatly increased life expectancy.

This is already a long post & I've only skimmed the surface. There are endless posts on the forum about battery types if you have a spare few days. :LOL:

You will have to fork out your 15 quid & join to ask any more questions. Some say joining has saved them a fortune, others will say it has cost them a forune because of all the fancy gadgets they never knew they needed until they found out about them on here!
 
Gromett any advice regarding what you do?

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Gromett said:
My use case it completely different. I don't do any video editing so my demands for a powerful GPU are not really there.
Click to expand...
I was thinking more along the lines of your overall power needs in order to run your equipment.
 
Even if you went the laptop route,doubtful the laptop you will need wont run from the 12v std sockets, so its solar b2b and inverter or site hook up.
 
Tombola said:
Even if you went the laptop route, the laptop you will need wont run from the 12v std sockets, so its solar b2b and inverter or site hook up.
Click to expand...

I don't see why not. Even a lowly 10A socket will give 120W, which covers most high power laptops. However, a significant number of 12V sockets are rated for 15A or 20A.
 
what about the ones that need 20v input is that a buck boost job ?
I routed round for ages to get 12v adapter for mine and am now just using inverter constantly

edit: is this where Im going wrong the 20v input is the input on the adpater?
Im now thinking this wouldnt be an issue as that would be removed with a direct 12v socket? is that right

I did have one for my last laptop but this better spec machine I struggled. even bought a few "multi" plugs and couldnt get any to fit?

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Last edited:
Tombola said:
what about the ones that need 20v input is that a buck boost job ?
I routed round for ages to get 12v adapter for mine and am now just using inverter constantly
Click to expand...

Yes, they almost all require 19-20V (except for USB PD ones, of course). These are very commonly available.
 
Minxy Girl said:
I was thinking more along the lines of your overall power needs in order to run your equipment.
Click to expand...
My power requirements are much lower due to not needing either a powerful CPU nor a powerful GPU.

On the power supply side you can only plan this once you know your requirements. As others have said, if it is important then LiFePO4 based batteries are a big advantage. A B2B charger and a suitable number of solar cells. If being able to run the computer at any time is critical then a small 1KW digital generator is recommended as a last stage backup.

I can run my entire business using a Dell XPS 13 laptop, so my back up system is much easier to handle. I simply have a couple of battery banks used to charge phones/laptops. I keep these charged up when on the road and these can recharge the laptop multiple times each. The laptop has a runtime of 10 hours. So worst case scenario I can last for a week with no incoming supply, although it wouldn't be pleasant I am sure.
 
I work from my laptop when away, a Microsoft surface, and use a 12v adaptor with it no problem, when at home I use multiple screens with it, but make do whilst away because of space constraints.
 
Tombola said:
what about the ones that need 20v input is that a buck boost job ?
I routed round for ages to get 12v adapter for mine and am now just using inverter constantly

edit: is this where Im going wrong the 20v input is the input on the adpater?
Im now thinking this wouldnt be an issue as that would be removed with a direct 12v socket? is that right

I did have one for my last laptop but this better spec machine I struggled. even bought a few "multi" plugs and couldnt get any to fit?
Click to expand...
What laptop connector do you need? Does your mains lead have a coloured 'rim' on the end that you stick in the laptop? I've found that some multi-plug kits don't have the one for my HP, the end in question is blue and that's the one I have to buy separately.

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