February 27, 2006 13:14
Try to get an inverter which will give you 120V AC from 12V DC.
And be sure to charge your batteries in ports if available.
The problem with laptops batt accuracy isn't that good as advertised. Though Apple laptops tend to last longer than PC devices. (This could change with the new intel chips.)
I use an iBook 12" G3 or G4 (that was the reason I bought the 12" Mac because it gave me the longest battery run) which runs about 4 hours (advertised as 5-6 hours) with GPS running on it's own batteries (Garmin 12 or Garmin 72). But using serial or usb data transfer will diminish available power. Using an inverter gives you more power for the laptop, but you must have the possibility to charge the batt. (via motor and generator (Not in your case) or harbor.)
I used to have my Psion 5MX Pro pocket Computer which runs 20 hours on 2 AA batteries (or directly connected to the cirgarette adapter which didn't take so much current) if I sail long distances! The maps were either scanned maps or rendered from a geological internet site. It was enough to see were we are but not for coastal navigation.
Happy sailing
Manou
And be sure to charge your batteries in ports if available.
The problem with laptops batt accuracy isn't that good as advertised. Though Apple laptops tend to last longer than PC devices. (This could change with the new intel chips.)
I use an iBook 12" G3 or G4 (that was the reason I bought the 12" Mac because it gave me the longest battery run) which runs about 4 hours (advertised as 5-6 hours) with GPS running on it's own batteries (Garmin 12 or Garmin 72). But using serial or usb data transfer will diminish available power. Using an inverter gives you more power for the laptop, but you must have the possibility to charge the batt. (via motor and generator (Not in your case) or harbor.)
I used to have my Psion 5MX Pro pocket Computer which runs 20 hours on 2 AA batteries (or directly connected to the cirgarette adapter which didn't take so much current) if I sail long distances! The maps were either scanned maps or rendered from a geological internet site. It was enough to see were we are but not for coastal navigation.
Happy sailing
Manou