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Equipping the Bike - what's the best gear? Anything to do with the bikes equipment, saddlebags, etc. Questions on repairs and maintenance of the bike itself belong in the Brand Specific Tech Forums.
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  #1  
Old 22 Jun 2011
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will 12v cigarette charger CHARGE.....

laptop
phone
ipod
satnav?

Obviously at seperate times but connected straight to the battery will it be ok?? Again, only charging while engine is running.
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Old 22 Jun 2011
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Phone, ipod and sat nav should be fine with most bike charging systems, even all together.. Best done when the engine is running though as you won't be draining the battery... Although it would be difficult to drain a healthy battery having these plugged in overnight, especially if you're riding long distances regularly.

The laptop will require and 12v-220/240v inverter though, and these drink amps !!

Many people have done it and it really depends on your bikes generator output..

What bike is it ???
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Old 22 Jun 2011
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Laptop chargers

I bought 12v chargers for my ASUS EE, my Acer and my Toshiba laptops off E-bay.
Tony
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Old 22 Jun 2011
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laptop charging

Quote:
The laptop will require and 12v-220/240v inverter though, and these drink amps !!
This is true if the laptop runs on 240 volts and yes they certainly do drink the amps. Most laptops now have a power supply unit that plugs into the 240 volts then supplies the laptop with anywhere from 3 volts to 19 volts depending on the machine. Have a look at the box in the middle of the power cord and it will have the output indicated.

You then have to get a 12 volt charger to suit your machine. These can be purchased from electronic stores, auto stores, computer shops or even that good old e-bay.

Cheers
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Old 14 Dec 2011
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I charge all of these off my bikes. All the time with the bike not running (it doesn't make much juice at idle anyway). The only problem I ever had was when the bike was no turn for a couple days and I charged the laptop from empty to full 3 times. That drained the battery to the point where it wouldn't turnover the engine. After a push start everything was fine though. Still using the same battery. iPod, GPS, Phone, etc... all use an incredibly small amount of juice. Don't worry about them. Laptop uses several times more. Some inverters come with a circuit to cut off when the bike battery level is too low.
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Old 20 Dec 2011
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Try a google search with the laptop model and "car charger". I found a 12v charger for my lenovo from epowersupply. (They list lots of other manufacturers as well) It costs under a tenner and converts directly from 12 to 20V, rather than using an inverter to get 240V then converting back down to 20V using the laptop charger. Should be a bit easier on the bike electrics as well as cheaper.

I happily charge my phone, camera and AA batteries from the bike with the engine off as the current draw is minimal. Not sure I would do that with a laptop though as it will draw a bit more juice.
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