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+--- Thread: Using iMac on board? (/thread-1106.html)
- timj43 - May 29, 2010
I would like to use my iMac 24inch (intel) iMac on board our power yacht.
Is it possible to power the iMac via a car charger type source from 12volt batteries?
Not sure what the voltage requirement is for this iMac?
- ReeferJon - May 30, 2010
You'll need an inverter (either 12v or 24v) to provide your iMac with 110v / 240v power. You should also consider a UPS (uninteruptable power supply) as this will iron out any spikes in the power from your on-board batteries.
You'll need to get an inverter and UPS that can handle the peak power load generated by your iMac. Apple quotes this as 280watts although you're highly unlikely to hit this.
I found this post on MacRumors forum
Quote:I have an APC H-Type H15BLK voltage regulator on my audio equipment, which I hooked up my iMac to for a little while, average use is about 130-180 watts (mostly 160w), with display off 85-90w idle, startup peaks a little bit over 220w (or maybe 260) something around there. All those numbers aren't exact, they are just a guess of what I remember them being, I can find out the exact numbers later.
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So let's say, to give you headroom, you require 300watts of power from your inverter. You'll need to make sure that your battery bank has the capacity to handle this level of load for the required time you expect to run your iMac without the alternator charging the batteries. Check out this article on BoatUS BoatTECH Guides that provides a good overview of sizing your batteries.
In terms of the UPS, I'd suggest an APC SmartUPS, as these are Mac compatible. However I'm not exactly sure how putting a UPS in between your iMac and inverter would affect power draw.
- timj43 - May 30, 2010
Many thanks for this info-much appreciated