Charging a Tablet off of Car Battery

Warlord480

Jun 9, 2012
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Jun 9, 2012
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Hi guys,
I have a Acer a-100 tablet that i am going to install into my Genesis Coupe. I have all the hardware to do the install the problem is going to be the charging part. The tablet uses a 12v 1.5a dc charger. Right now the only thing that came with the tablet is the ac outlet charger. I would prefer not to go from dc to ac to dc. I would like to connect it directly to the battery and have it charge that way. I am having problems finding a device that will step the 44a car battery to the 1.5a that the tablet needs. Any help would be great.
 

BobK

Jan 5, 2010
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The amps do not matter, as long as a source can provide >1.5A at 12V it can charge your laptop. The only problem with conecting it directly is that, when the car is running, the voltage of a car's electrical system is more like 14+ V. I don't know if this would damage the laptop or not.

Here is an example DC-DC converter that you could use. Plug it into your car's cigarette lighter socket, and set the output voltage for 12V. This will make it maintain 12V output whether the car is running or not. I am not endorsing this product, just pointing you to the kind of thing that you would need.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/3-35V-to-1-...466?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20c666dcea

Bob
 

Externet

Aug 24, 2009
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Check if Acer sells an option cable to power from a car cigarette lighter.
If such option cable has some bulky part in it, tells the voltage from the car must be regulated to 12V to feed the Acer unit.
To build it, you would need a low drop 12V regulator IC, cable, connectors and put it together.
If it is just a plain cable, The Acer unit is capable of accepting 14 Volts. Just buy it as it is exactly what you would need to buy, the cable and connectors, already assembled.
 

(*steve*)

¡sǝpodᴉʇuɐ ǝɥʇ ɹɐǝɥd
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Jan 21, 2010
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when the car is running, the voltage of a car's electrical system is more like 14+ V.

With large and possibly damaging spikes.
 
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