Use PC PSU to Power your Car?

**MoonDrgn7** · 05-11-2007, 05:12 AM

I am wondering if I can use a PC PSU to power my cars electrical system?

The reason I am asking is because I DJ around the local hotspots from my car, I have my Laptop running into my head units AUX, then my head unit runs to my 375W mono amp then that runs to my 2 12" subs.

Almost all the places that I go have public power outlets, standard 120V AC. Which got me to wondering if I could use an old PC PSU to power my cars electrical systems w/o having to run the car and/or drain my battery to death.

I know the inside electrical systems of PC PSU's pretty well, done alot of PC modding, just trying to do it in reverse now, from PC to Car. I know that the Yellow/Black is 12V and the Red/Black is 120V (I'm going to guess they are both DC, but dont know for sure)

So what I was thinking of doing if its possible, is mod PC PSU (In what ways needed, if needed at all) and mount it some where under my hood, have it hooked up to my battery, or w/e is thought to be best, while the power supply itself is connected to the public outlet.

Please say someone knows how to do this, the old PSU I have that im looking at says the following:

INPUT: 100-130 VAC 50/60Hz
200-260 VAC 50/60Hz

OUTPUT: 250W 25A 10A

**greatwhite** · 05-11-2007, 05:28 AM

You're better off just bringing a battery charger with you. One with 2a 12a 75a selections and plug 'er in!

Cheers

**MoonDrgn7** · 05-11-2007, 05:36 AM

Originally Posted by greatwhite

You're better off just bringing a battery charger with you. One with 2a 12a 75a selections and plug 'er in!

Cheers

O_o

Will I be able to have the battery charger plugged into the 120V AC and hooked up to the battery, and running the cars electrical system at the same time?

if so will it put in same amount of juice back into the battery so that I can run it continuously for a couple hours w/o killing my battery, will it put to much and kill the life of battery?

**greatwhite** · 05-11-2007, 05:44 AM

Get a good quality charger that will monitor the battery.

You're stil running off the battery, but the charger just performs the function of the alternator when the car is running.

I do it all the time in the garage.

It's basically all you would be doing with a PSU (if you could even get it to work) anyways. Except now you have a battery charger you can use on other vehicles also.

Start on the 2a setting, if it allows your battery to drain, go to the next higher setting.

Again, spend a few extra bucks and get a good charger that monitors the battery and shuts itself off when the battery is at full charge.

Cheers

BJ

**rando** · 05-11-2007, 06:12 AM

I use a "smart" automotive battery charger for this purpose. It automatically adjusts the current supplied to the battery based on the load. It seems to keep up since once I shut everything off, it typically finishes topping off the battery within a few minutes.

**MoonDrgn7** · 05-11-2007, 06:13 AM

Originally Posted by greatwhite

Get a good quality charger that will monitor the battery.

You're stil running off the battery, but the charger just performs the function of the alternator when the car is running.

I do it all the time in the garage.

It's basically all you would be doing with a PSU (if you could even get it to work) anyways. Except now you have a battery charger you can use on other vehicles also.

Start on the 2a setting, if it allows your battery to drain, go to the next higher setting.

Again, spend a few extra bucks and get a good charger that monitors the battery and shuts itself off when the battery is at full charge.

Cheers

BJ

Sounds like a good idea, only reason I was wanting to do it with a PSU was for the thrill of the mod purposes.

Also I dont have alot of room under my hood to make a semi perminant installation. If I used something like the PSU all I would have to do is reach under my car, grab the cord, and plug it in, and then of course hit the toggle to turn on the PSU itself.

**greatwhite** · 05-11-2007, 06:29 AM

There's battery tenders built specifically for this purpose too. They are small, weather tight and are meant to be mounted in the engine compartment.

They remain permanently hooked up to the battery, so all you have to do is plug it in and walk away. They're meant for maintaining the battery in a constantly charged state (also a great way to extend the life of the battery, a discharged/partially discharged battery dies a slow horrible death!) but will work for your purposes too.

Try

there's lots of brands out there.

here's one from a quick google:
http://www.batterymart.com/p-battery...y-charger.html

Cheers

BJ

**tigergibb** · 05-11-2007, 06:39 AM

I'm going to add a couple more batteries to mine with huge solar cells on the roof so I can watch a full movie without the car on

.

**greatwhite** · 05-11-2007, 06:49 AM

**MoonDrgn7** · 05-11-2007, 06:54 AM

Originally Posted by greatwhite

There's battery tenders built specifically for this purpose too. They are small, weather tight and are meant to be mounted in the engine compartment.

They remain permanently hooked up to the battery, so all you have to do is plug it in and walk away. They're meant for maintaining the battery in a constantly charged state (also a great way to extend the life of the battery, a discharged/partially discharged battery dies a slow horrible death!) but will work for your purposes too.

Try

there's lots of brands out there.

here's one from a quick google:
http://www.batterymart.com/p-battery...y-charger.html

Cheers

BJ

Would that item you linked to from google be able to keep my battery charged, and all the components in my car running so that I can DJ all day long, or at some point is the battery going to die out, and leave me waiting around for it to be charged up.