hey guys. i know this may sound like a "n00b" question here, but i'll give it a shot anyway. i've scanned through recent topics but haven't found a very in-depth answer. here's the deal~
i just bought a Lenovo S10 10.2" laptop for one reason only: tuning. the laptop will be in the car 90% of the time, mounted on a semi-permanent "table" that is bolted to the floor/trans tunnel in convenient reach of the passenger who will be doing in-car tweaks and fine tuning.
My brother has the same laptop and reports +/- 2.5 hours of actual run time on a full battery charge. That will probably be fine, but I don't want to have to remove the computer from the car all the time to charge it.
My question is this: Does anyone have very specific advice regarding a permanent DC-AC install in a 12v vehicle? i'll continue to search, but help from you 'gurus' will speed the process. are there any potential problems that may arise from fluctuating alternator voltage outputs? any solutions? i'll be able to monitor bat. voltage very very accurately with the tuning software, but i'm thinking more along the lines of protecting the laptop itself.
i would like to be able to plug the regular DC power supply into an outlet mounted under the dash and just leave it plugged in, but still have the ability to easily unplug it for connection to a dyno, other peoples' cars or wherever else. What i'm kind of scared of doing is using one of those off-the-shelf converters for the cig lighter. from experience those get REALLY hot. could the solution to this problem as simple as chopping off the cig lighter adapter and wiring it straight to a 12v source? will the adapter be able to safely stand up to
constant use and not burn itself (and my car) to the ground?
any insight would be GREAT.
for those who may be interested: the car is an '89 240SX with a '97 R33 Skyline RB25DET swap. all the bolt on goodies. tuning will be done with an APEXi Power FC and Datalogit FC Edit software and converter box. the Power FC and supporting mods are in preparation for an equal length topmount mani, 750cc injectors, and an externally gated GT3076R (.82 A/R). i'm expecting a safe, daily drivable, very responsive 425-450 hp to the wheels
Linear Mode
