Laptop Mounts

[jrandol]

Hey all, I found a few threads on the laptop mounts for our trucks that are made by a TDR member. I remember there use to be an ad in the vendor promotion area from the builder of these but it is gone. Does anyone know of a website so I can find this individual? Just bought the Delorme GPS software program and going to mount my old laptop in the truck if I can find a good mount. Gall dang this bombin bug and this website are so bad!! If it aint power mods its other toys for the truck. I swear this thing gets more money spent on it than I do for myself :{

 

[TnLRacing]

Contact TDR Member Figgy, Im not sure if it was is ad or not, but he has made several great LT mounts for TorqueThis and TTMT

 

[jrandol]

Thanks!! Just sent him a PM

 

[Figgy]

I didnt see your PM?

 

[ToolManTimTaylor]

Whoah settle down figster he is in ky , It takes a lil longer than exactly 7 hours for a P. M to get here. Be patient pal sheesh LOL



Dude, Just wanna chime in fig on the laptop mount in my truck for a sec. I noticed something while driving thru the backsticks of VT tonite. We barnstormed down a municipality road that is a washboard dirt road with the gps software cursor cruizing along. When I noticed something that you may not have meant to do with your mount fig. By setting the Fig Mount up and bolting in the base to the seat you created an anti vibration dampener! My screen was hardly moving down that awful road! The mass of the seatframe VS the laptop mount actually absorbs bumpy roads? Hmmm Figster we gotta talk!!! NASA is looking for someone like you.

 

[jrandol]

Originally posted by ToolManTimTaylor

Whoah settle down figster he is in ky , It takes a lil longer than exactly 7 hours for a P. M to get here. Be patient pal sheesh LOL



Hey TMTT easy!! I am a recent transplant to KY, from Colorado, my brain is still a little slow from 20 years of high altitude living.



ACtually Figgy, I am cool for now, I am going to hold off an this till after the twins are here

 

[ToolManTimTaylor]

Wow ! Imajine how long fig would wait for a colorodian P. M

 

[Figgy]

Dude, You Kill me...

 

[ToolManTimTaylor]

I Try

 

[jrandol]

Hey TMTT, I'd say put up or shut up but I think with those new EDM's in your truck I would get me a whoopin :{ Man I need some power, the truck is weak :{

 

[ToolManTimTaylor]

I dunno Jeff I stil gotta get down to YOUR dyno to make me feel better So Are ya Computin' and Commutin' yet?

 

[OTRPU]

I caution you guys that once your lalptop batteries are fully charged they should be removed while you're using any external power source. Leaving them in will slowly drive a stake through their heart. Also it's better for their health to run them down until exhausted on occassion then recharge immedietly. I ruined my last DELL battery by leaving it in while plugged into AC nearly fulltime. One question I have concerning using DC to DC as opposed to DC to inverter is the screen is so much brighter when on either 110VAC or DC to inverter. Will DC to DC external power source also provide the increased brightness? If not then my vote is DC to inverter. I use both a laptop and a stand alone GPS in my truck daily. In bright sunlight they can be difficult to see, and on the batteries they are almost useless during the day. Any you DC to DC guys give me some additional insight? Inverting isn't terribly efficient, but is convenient, but it can be hard on starting batteries. I have a couple Trojan 6V Deep Cycle batteries that I power the inverter with. Last thing I need is starting battery problems in the winter on the road.



Cheers,

Steve J.

 

[Pawpaw]

OTRPU,



While that might've been true in years past, newer laptops that use Lithium-Ion batteries are much less affected by running on external power. Also, deep cycling is not necessary.



I've been using laptops on external power (110v/inverter/DC-DC) for years with very little problem. I typically wear the laptop out before the batteries die. For me, the battery is there for the times external power is not available nor practical.



It's not that the screen is brighter on external power, rather that it is dimmer when on batteries. Check your bios power management. It's probably set to reduce screen brightness when running on batteries. Got to conserve that battery power!



A computer is a digital device. The internal voltages are supplied by regualtor circuits inside the laptop, whether you're running on batteries or external power. If the voltage from your laptop's power supply or your aftermarket DC-DC converter goes up, those regulator circuits will compensate and only provide the proper voltages to the computer. Of course, this only works up to a point, then the magic smoke comes out.



I've been using a Targus DC power supply (auto & airplane) for the last several years and on 3 different laptops. No power related problems at all.