DC Power supplies for computers on boats

[Vikendios]

I guess a lot of people have computers on boats and want to keep battery drain to a minimum (particularly on sailboats). I am not interested in using an DC to AC inverter, and going back to DC again in the machine, as I think it is inefficient nonsense. I would appreciate some feedback on the other options.

What I already know :
- Using laptops and a DC-DC converter from Lind ( http://www.lindelectronics.com ) Fine, but only for laptops.
- Using ATX DC PSU's as available from Powerstream ( http://www.powerstream.com ) Fine, but power is limited to 400 W. Any other ideas ?

Monitors : There used to be nice LCD screens from NEC and others that worked on 12V or 24V DC, with an external AC adapter. Now it seems that most come with an internal AC adapter. Is it easy to tamper with ? Other sources for quality DC monitors ?

Printers : Any printer that works on or can be converted to DC ?

Thanks

 

[Seekermeister]

You didn't say how much power that you want, but here is a 500 watt ps:

http://www.zantech.com.au/synocean/stc120500.html

 

[Vikendios]

Nice but few people have 120V DC on their boats ! What about 12V or 24V ?

 

[Paperdoc]

Don't forget, if you really need 500W from a 12v power source, you'll be pulling 40 amps! That will take heavy wires and put a huge extra demand on your battery and recharging system.

 

[GalvanizedYankee]

Google PICO PSU.

 

[raincityboy]

Monitors : There used to be nice LCD screens from NEC and others that worked on 12V or 24V DC, with an external AC adapter. Now it seems that most come with an internal AC adapter. Is it easy to tamper with ? Other sources for quality DC monitors ?

Big Bay makes nice monitors for boats. You might also look at Argonaut, specifically the G615. You can order them with a dc power supply.

 

[So]

Originally posted by: Vikendios
Nice but few people have 120V DC on their boats ! What about 12V or 24V ?

Find a DC-DC boost regulator that can raise the voltage from 12 or 24 to 120.

 

[AMCRambler]

Well, it seems to me you could use a the same kind of power supply people use when building a car pc. I've got a computer in my car with a 120 watt Opus power supply running it. The Opus takes a 12 volt lead, another 12 volt lead tied to the ignition for turning off and on, and then a ground lead. It comes with a wiring harness for your standard motherboard connectors. It also has a logic controller that you configure with jumpers, so that when it detects the 12v signal from the ignition, you can have it wait 10 seconds, 60 seconds or 5 minutes before booting the pc. That way you're not hitting your battery too hard. It also senses if your battery drops below 12 or 11.5 volts(I forget which) and will automatically shut off the pc if you're using it without the engine running. The power supplies are relatively inexpensive. Usually can be had for between $100-$200.

Here's where I bought mine