Take computer "on the road?"

[+Rose Red]

I have a 17" Toshiba Satellite P100/P105 Series Laptop Computer. I want to be able to use the laptop in the Bronco; cafes, etc. that offer free wi-fi; hotel/motel with free wireless, etc. etc. What do I need to "take it on the road?"

[+catsnfish]

I would invest in at least a 400 watt power inverter. They allow you to run/charge your laptop with the ac cord. We found for our model laptop that this was a cheaper route than the auto charger made for it. It also lets you power other ac items within reasonable amperage limits.

[+johnling]

I would invest in at least a 400 watt power inverter. They allow you to run/charge your laptop with the ac cord. We found for our model laptop that this was a cheaper route than the auto charger made for it. It also lets you power other ac items within reasonable amperage limits.

 

Ditto. I have the same machine with Microsoft Streets and trips that I loaded all the caches in lower Michigan into. GSAK and Cachemagnet are also on it.

[AZcachemeister]

As for Motels and Cafes offering free WIFI, (assuming your laptop has WIFI), you are already set!

 

For use on the road in a vehicle, I would recommend:

 

A GPS connection to the laptop.

This can be a wired connection, of a type dependent on your GPS...or a Bluetooth connection, again dependent on your GPS. Personally, I recommend a micro Bluetooth adapter for the laptop, and a stand-alone Bluetooth GPS receiver.

 

Mapping Software.

Several choices here...Microsoft Streets & Trips, DeLorme Topo (or Street Atlas), or NGS TOPO! are some of my favorites.

 

Power Supply.

A power inverter as already mentioned. No need to buy the overpriced 12V adapter from the manufacturer. Useful for battery chargers, etc.

 

Computer Operation Assistant.

Managing all the software, connections, wires and all is too much for most people to handle while driving. In some states you will be cited automatically.

[+Lunatic728]

I also have a Toshiba 17" laptop that I take with me everywhere I go.

 

What I carry with me.

Good laptop bag

400 watt power inverter

Garmin GPS 18 USB GPS with Nroute

USB Cable for my Garmin 60c

Spare cat5 patch cable for those hotels that don't have WiFi

 

I also carry a large beach towel that I have over the seat just like a seat cover and then place the laptop under the towel, just to keep it out of prying eyes.

 

The only drawback to a 17" laptop is it is heavy and carrying it through an airport can be kind of tiresome.

 

Other than that I love having a laptop with me.

[+slate6715]

If you're really serious and love applying technology to the max extent possible:

 

- Laptop w/ satellite mapping software (I use Google Earth w/ areas downloaded into cache)

- GPS connected to laptop via USB and sitting in your windshield

- Car inverter for power, 400W is a good min size

- WIFI is good for coffee shops, etc--but not so useful in your car

- Cellular internet--requires a cellular internet card or USB device. Service runs about $30-50 a month.

- A copilot to watch your position on the laptop and give you vectors, plus search for your next target. Tried doing it solo--it can be dangerous.

 

The cell internet really makes a huge difference. For a multi-day caching trip where we're following where the wind takes us, we hit a city that we have cell coverage and download a pocket query of the area. We can then search out whatever cache strikes our fancy and if we still have cell coverage, record our find right there. The cell service is pricy and requires a 1-2 yr contract, so not recommended unless you're fanatical about the hobby.

 

Some would say this is too much, and it defeats the spirit of Geocaching. We use geocaching to give our exploration of the world purpose though, so for us it's more about seeing new places than actually finding the cache. So whether this approach works for you will be up to you.

[+markandsandy]

As for Motels and Cafes offering free WIFI, (assuming your laptop has WIFI), you are already set!

 

For use on the road in a vehicle, I would recommend:

 

A GPS connection to the laptop.

This can be a wired connection, of a type dependent on your GPS...or a Bluetooth connection, again dependent on your GPS. Personally, I recommend a micro Bluetooth adapter for the laptop, and a stand-alone Bluetooth GPS receiver.

 

Mapping Software.

Several choices here...Microsoft Streets & Trips, DeLorme Topo (or Street Atlas), or NGS TOPO! are some of my favorites.

 

Power Supply.

A power inverter as already mentioned. No need to buy the overpriced 12V adapter from the manufacturer. Useful for battery chargers, etc.

 

Computer Operation Assistant.

Managing all the software, connections, wires and all is too much for most people to handle while driving. In some states you will be cited automatically.

 

Pretty much describes my setup.

 

I got the Street Atlas bundle with the LT-20 GPS. The current one is Street Atlas 2009 with the BT-20 Bluetooth GPS receiver (approx $85 for the bundle). I like having the separate receiver in the truck so I can leave it running when I grab the handheld for quick finds.

 

The 400 watt power inverter gets used all the time for charging my cellphone, pda, bluetooth headset, etc. Don't need to buy all those car chargers.

 

I also keep a towel or jacket or something to cover the PC at stops. Long stops it goes behind the seat of the truck.

[+Vinny & Sue Team]

Note to OP: You will want to ask the mods to move this thread to the GPS and Technology section, as you will receive many more relevant replies there!

[+Quiggle]

Moving to GPS & Technology forum.

[+Berta Nick Zoey]

It seems to me that I explored this idea a year or so ago and decided against it because in order to have a "clean" enough power supply as to NOT hurt a laptop, you would have to spend a ton of money for a very good Converter. Does anyone have any feedback on this. Or perhaps what I am thinking about would be a power converter that would convert 12 volt to whatever voltage a laptop may need. In that case the voltage would need to be cleaner so as not to bother the laptop componants.

 

If Im wrong, is there any criteria that needs to be watched for in regards to the Power Inverters?

 

Thanks

[+markandsandy]

It seems to me that I explored this idea a year or so ago and decided against it because in order to have a "clean" enough power supply as to NOT hurt a laptop, you would have to spend a ton of money for a very good Converter. Does anyone have any feedback on this. Or perhaps what I am thinking about would be a power converter that would convert 12 volt to whatever voltage a laptop may need. In that case the voltage would need to be cleaner so as not to bother the laptop componants.

 

If Im wrong, is there any criteria that needs to be watched for in regards to the Power Inverters?

 

Thanks

 

I'm using an inexpensive Coleman inverter that takes the 12 volts and converts to 120V AC. Then I plug the laptops standard AC supply into it. Never had any problems with several laptops and other devices.

 

You are right though, that if you are converting directly to the voltage the laptop uses, you would need a better quality inverter.

[+EScout]

For power, use a good quality inverter, 300-400 watts or higher. You will have extra capacity for other items and the bigger ones are usually better quality. Watch that the cig lighter that you plug it into can handle the load. Best to run wires directly to the battery (for RFI filtering, and to cut power surge on starting car, and some outlets switch off.)

 

For mapping, use one of the programs mentioned earlier. For a laptop GPS, the Delorme LT-40 is a USB unit that comes with a serial port emulator that allows you to use up to 3 mapping programs at the same time. Buy it with Street Atlas for as little as $50.

 

You might want to get a laptop bracket. Ram Mounts has very nice brackets for convenience and safety. At their site, you enter your make and model car, and they have a mount suggestion with no drilling of car needed (uses seat bolts.)

 

For internet, the cellular plans are the best, but expensive. Starbucks offers 2 ways to get Wifi for free. If you have ATT high speed plan at home (like DSL) you have unlimited free access at every Starbucks. If you buy one of their gift cards, you get one free session per day up to 2 hours (you have to buy a drink using the card once every 30 days.) For multiple sessions in a day, you will have to get more cards, each one being registered to a unique person and email. The signal is strong enough that I can use it sitting in my car outside at every Starbucks I have tried.

Edited September 23, 2008 by EScout

[+markandsandy]

Many public libraries also offer free wi-fi. North of you here in King County, all the County libraries have wi-fi, and many can be reached from the parking lots.

 

Your county may vary.

[+hogrod]

I was actually surprised at all the recommendations for a 300-400watt power inverter, most laptops need nowhere near that much power. Check your power brick in the power cord, all three of my laptops use under 75watts.

The inverter I use is 100watts, and fits nicely in my laptop bag. Never had any issues using it in the last few years. That's not even considering that most newer laptops get 2-4hrs of battery life so if you don't plan on using it all the time, you might be able to get by with just the internal battery.

[+rambrush]

I use the Ram mount and a ram mount for the gps. I then have a cell phone running windows mobile pro 6.1 with wmwifirouter. I set up a wirless network in the vehicle. Connect the cell phone to a cell phone amplifier and hi gain external antenna.

The laptop finds the internet and then we are good to go. This requires a invertor for power and several lighter sockets to power everything.

If the need arrises I can plug in the mobile printer and run it hardwired or through the wireless network.

[+BlueDeuce]

...

Edited September 24, 2008 by BlueDeuce

[+markandsandy]

I was actually surprised at all the recommendations for a 300-400watt power inverter, most laptops need nowhere near that much power. Check your power brick in the power cord, all three of my laptops use under 75watts.

The inverter I use is 100watts, and fits nicely in my laptop bag. Never had any issues using it in the last few years. That's not even considering that most newer laptops get 2-4hrs of battery life so if you don't plan on using it all the time, you might be able to get by with just the internal battery.

 

You are right, 400 watts is overkill for just the computer. But 400 watt inverters are inexpensive, and I'll run the computer, printer, charge the cell phone and PDA, etc., and still have power to spare. In my case, I leave the inverter in the truck, so the portability in the laptop case isn't an issue.

 

Just depends on how much power you need, or want.

[+Firefighter Skippy]

If your using a Garmin GPSr, might I suggest you downloadn-route. Some friends and I use this on our road trips and love it. It allows you to use your computer as a large screen gps mappage with real time positioning. When used with GSAK, you can view and route to an almost unlimited amout of caches. Plus it offers voice turn-by-turn routing.

[+Sparticus06]

All these sound like my set up, except for the inverter. I only paid about $30 for a power supply pack for my laptop. Means I have the power pack, and the option to plug into AC or use the cig lighter. Only thing I had to do was install a seperate plug (easy install for me) to plug the laptop in. I have a 3 way splitter in the truck, but it could not handle the GPS, XM, & the laptop. I have GSAK, DeLorme Street Atlas 09, pic programs, and a couple of other progs. I used to plug the Garmin into the laptop and use it as a guide and the Magellan is my "take out" GPS. Sold the Garmin though and am getting the LT-20 since it is smaller. I am also getting a laptop mount for in the truck. Makes it easier to use than laying in on the seat, center arm rest or the passengers lap.

[MatieA]

It seems to me that I explored this idea a year or so ago and decided against it because in order to have a "clean" enough power supply as to NOT hurt a laptop, you would have to spend a ton of money for a very good Converter. Does anyone have any feedback on this. Or perhaps what I am thinking about would be a power converter that would convert 12 volt to whatever voltage a laptop may need. In that case the voltage would need to be cleaner so as not to bother the laptop componants.

 

If Im wrong, is there any criteria that needs to be watched for in regards to the Power Inverters?

 

Thanks

 

I drove truck for 9 years and ran my Laptop off of an Inverter and have never had any problems with it, and I still use an inverter in my pickup for the laptop, although a much smaller version, and have no problems.