Use desktop PCs on sail boat?
 

Im not a sailor but I have a question out of curiosity.

Is it possible to use small form factor desktops on boats with DC
systems rather than use laptops?

Bottom line.... can one use and modify a desktop to run off 12 vdc
boat system..... or is one just stuck using and buying laptops that
are already setup to use battery DC power?

Use desktop PCs on sail boat?
 

Use desktop PCs on sail boat?
 

wrote:
wrote:
Im not a sailor but I have a question out of curiosity.

Is it possible to use small form factor desktops on boats with DC
systems rather than use laptops?

Bottom line.... can one use and modify a desktop to run off 12 vdc
boat system..... or is one just stuck using and buying laptops that
are already setup to use battery DC power?

I believe there are several PC's in small form factors and or rack
mount already out there, though at some large prices and they are all
mosture sealed. It should be possible to get power supplies to use a
regular PC but don't expect them to last too long between moisture and
the bouncing they would get on a sailboat or a power boat for that
matter.

(PHIL.) S.

You could use an inverter to power up a small PC, but by the time you add a
decent TFT monitor and think about screwing everything down and insulating
against splashing etc, you will come back to thinking about a laptop.
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Use desktop PCs on sail boat?
 

but don't expect them to last too long between moisture and
the bouncing they would get on a sailboat or a power boat for that matter.

Is a laptop more inherently rugged in this regard then?

Bouncing and moisture and such

Use desktop PCs on sail boat?
 

wrote:

Im not a sailor but I have a question out of curiosity.

Is it possible to use small form factor desktops on boats with DC
systems rather than use laptops?

Bottom line.... can one use and modify a desktop to run off 12 vdc
boat system..... or is one just stuck using and buying laptops that
are already setup to use battery DC power?

If you don't mind building your own, I would recommend a Casetronics
Mini-ITX system. Casetronics manufactures cases designed to for Via's
mini-itx motherboards. By purchasing a case for $70.00, a mini-ITX
motherboard, memory, a disk drive and a CDROM drive, you can build a fully
function small form factor computer for less than $250.

The Casetronics case is particularly attractive because it uses an external
brick type of power supply that converts 117V AC to 12V DC. If you are on
a boat, you do not need the brick and can run the entire computer off your
12 volt supply. My entire system uses about 44 watts of power.

You can find a Casetronics case he
http://www.computergate.com/products...cd=HDRCM269BR1
You can find general information on the mini-itx form factor he
http://www.mini-itx.com/

If you don't mind rolling your own, you can save over $1000.00 compared to a
laptop system.

Use desktop PCs on sail boat?
 

I would be carfule of runnning off the house bat. WHen change them, the
voltage can go any where from 12.0 to 14.0 dc. I'm using a dc-dc
converter.(See:http://www.logicsupply.com/product_i...roducts_id/204)


I'm using a Morex668B case with a VIA CL-10000.

Hanz


Lisa Collins wrote:
wrote:


Im not a sailor but I have a question out of curiosity.

Is it possible to use small form factor desktops on boats with DC
systems rather than use laptops?

Bottom line.... can one use and modify a desktop to run off 12 vdc
boat system..... or is one just stuck using and buying laptops that
are already setup to use battery DC power?


If you don't mind building your own, I would recommend a Casetronics
Mini-ITX system. Casetronics manufactures cases designed to for Via's
mini-itx motherboards. By purchasing a case for $70.00, a mini-ITX
motherboard, memory, a disk drive and a CDROM drive, you can build a fully
function small form factor computer for less than $250.

The Casetronics case is particularly attractive because it uses an external
brick type of power supply that converts 117V AC to 12V DC. If you are on
a boat, you do not need the brick and can run the entire computer off your
12 volt supply. My entire system uses about 44 watts of power.

You can find a Casetronics case he
http://www.computergate.com/products...cd=HDRCM269BR1
You can find general information on the mini-itx form factor he
http://www.mini-itx.com/

If you don't mind rolling your own, you can save over $1000.00 compared to a
laptop system.

I'm continually amazed at the number of people who have to overthink this
whole problem. I have been operating the same $450 laptop(IBM Thinkpad
600E, 366MHz, PII purchased off Ebay) for about four years now on two
different sailboats. I've traveled about 6,000 miles, cruising and racing.
I operate the laptop off a common Statpower modified sine wave inverter and
the whole combination uses about 40 watts, tops. I use it for weatherfax
software, navigation software, and just general PC use. I can run virtually
any of the existing nav software packages available with this unit, if I
choose. To be sure there are some software app's that won't run on this old
a machine, but I'm sure I could find another machine on today's market which
would satisfy virtually any software requirement.

Why would you want to put a power-hungry full-up machine into an environment
where power is so critical? And furthermore, why is everyone so obsessed
with adapting their machines to run off special on-board power supplies when
there are very inexpensive12VDC to 115AC inverters available at every
corner store for very low prices? Even if your laptop is fussy about its AC
waveshape input, there are relatively inexpensive full sine wave inverters
available also.

And as long as I'm on this soap box, I am also acquainted with a 70 ft
racing sled which operated a full-up desktop Pentium system on-board for
several years, also on a modified sine wave inverter. So, yes, you can do
this, as long as you locate it so that the case doesn't get filled up with
water. And it's almost certainly cheaper and simpler to just pick up an
off-the-shelf system of your liking, rather than go to extreme lengths to
engineer a bulletproof, hermetically sealed, environmentally tested
masterpiece. As long as you're careful where you put it, it'll probably
last just as long.

Sorry for the rant

wrote in message
...
Im not a sailor but I have a question out of curiosity.

Is it possible to use small form factor desktops on boats with DC
systems rather than use laptops?

Bottom line.... can one use and modify a desktop to run off 12 vdc
boat system..... or is one just stuck using and buying laptops that
are already setup to use battery DC power?

Max Lynn wrote:
I'm continually amazed at the number of people who have to overthink this
whole problem. I have been operating the same $450 laptop(IBM Thinkpad
600E, 366MHz, PII purchased off Ebay) for about four years now on two
different sailboats. I've traveled about 6,000 miles, cruising and racing.
I operate the laptop off a common Statpower modified sine wave inverter and
the whole combination uses about 40 watts, tops. I use it for weatherfax
software, navigation software, and just general PC use. I can run virtually
any of the existing nav software packages available with this unit, if I
choose. To be sure there are some software app's that won't run on this old
a machine, but I'm sure I could find another machine on today's market which
would satisfy virtually any software requirement.

Why would you want to put a power-hungry full-up machine into an environment
where power is so critical? And furthermore, why is everyone so obsessed
with adapting their machines to run off special on-board power supplies when
there are very inexpensive12VDC to 115AC inverters available at every
corner store for very low prices? Even if your laptop is fussy about its AC
waveshape input, there are relatively inexpensive full sine wave inverters
available also.

And as long as I'm on this soap box, I am also acquainted with a 70 ft
racing sled which operated a full-up desktop Pentium system on-board for
several years, also on a modified sine wave inverter. So, yes, you can do
this, as long as you locate it so that the case doesn't get filled up with
water. And it's almost certainly cheaper and simpler to just pick up an
off-the-shelf system of your liking, rather than go to extreme lengths to
engineer a bulletproof, hermetically sealed, environmentally tested
masterpiece. As long as you're careful where you put it, it'll probably
last just as long.

Sorry for the rant

wrote in message
...

Im not a sailor but I have a question out of curiosity.

Is it possible to use small form factor desktops on boats with DC
systems rather than use laptops?

Bottom line.... can one use and modify a desktop to run off 12 vdc
boat system..... or is one just stuck using and buying laptops that
are already setup to use battery DC power?



Max your are absolutely correct. It is not a major problem.

Rick

I'm continually amazed at the number of people who have to overthink this
whole problem. I have been operating the same $450 laptop(IBM Thinkpad
600E, 366MHz,

So you definitely feel a laptop is the way to go on a
boat?

wrote in message
...
I'm continually amazed at the number of people who have to overthink this
whole problem. I have been operating the same $450 laptop(IBM Thinkpad
600E, 366MHz,

So you definitely feel a laptop is the way to go on a
boat?

Re bouncing and such; about a year ago we went on a fairly windy
off-the-wind race. I had been accustomed to setting the laptop on the nav
station with no tie-downs unless we were thrashing to weather. For reasons
that I won't go into, we did a hard broach, which churned everything in the
cabin up pretty well. When all the dust was settled, I went below and found
the laptop across the cabin on the sole, still connected via the NMEA cable
to the serial port but unplugged from the power supply, and still running
merrily away. And it still is running.

As far as a laptop being the way to go, it's certainly an individual choice
thing. But it works very well for me. On a larger boat where space and/or
power are not a premium, a small desktop might be a better choice. I just
saw a large cruising sailboat which had installed two of the small Shuttle
systems in a dual redundant configuration. Not a bad choice, since he's
operating with a gen-set and a very large battery bank. YMMV

Max Lynn