laptop in car

[MACnonsence6]

its a 20amp fuse i think the reason it blew is because i was trying to run the laptop threw the inverter threw the cig lighter cause i was running a ipod charger threw the inverter after replacing the fuse and it didnt have a problem. im thinking some 8g running from the battery to the inverter not sure what amp inline fuse id use. but my next question is with the inverter being on all the time wont that kill my battery? best way to get around that would be to wire the on and off switch of the inverter to somewhere on the dash

btw thanks for being so helpfull

Edited September 17, 2011 by hifonics10

[kickass audio]

Yes you will kill the battery if you have the inverter on at all times. You would need to run a relay that can handle about 30-40 amps of current to turn on the power to the inverter when the key is on or the engine is running.

You can run a switch for it BUT switches cannot handle loads as much as you will place on it by the power inverter. You will either burn the switch out or shock yourself from the overload of current through the switch. I would get a relay for it and wire it up. 8ga seems too overkill for me, id just get 12ga or at most 10ga and wire it with a 30 amp fuse and call it a day. You will use the relay to interrupt the power when the engine is not running.

[MACnonsence6]

how would i wire a relay and were would i find more info on this. / also i wasnt talking a inline switch the inverter has a switch in its self i was talking about taking that switch running longer wires to the dash somewhere if that makes sence? using the same wires for the switch just re routing them

[kickass audio]

Hmm well since it has a switch you could re-wire the switch. What you could do is get a dmm and see what wire is the positive wire for that switch on the inverter is the switchable one (it has power when you flick the switch to "on" and has no power when the switch is set to "off". Once you figure out which wire is switchable, you will take that and wire it up to the remote of your radio for example or the accessory wire for your radio. I dont know how much current it draws to engage the power inverter but it cant be more than 1 amp.

If you cant do that you can do an alternative of taking a SPDT relay that can handle a continuous load of 30-40 amps (the bigger the better) and wire it up like this....

Pin 87: Connect to positive terminal of your battery with a 30 amp fuse close to the battery

Pin 85: Connect this to the ground or negative terminal of your battery.

Pin 86: Connect this to the remote turn on wire for your radio, accessory wire for your radio, or any other wire you can tap into that goes from 0v when your engine is off and the key is set to off to a wire that is energized with +12v when the key is in accessory or on.

Pin 30: Connect this to the wire you previously figured out is the trigger wire on your power inverter to switch the power inverter on when the relay is energized.

[armykyle1]

I was gonna say the power supply for my lap top's out put is 19v

if you do this post pics

[MACnonsence6]

i think the switch would be easyest but i think im going go the route of the relay that way everything will sorta function as stock./ its gona be abit before i do this i have to find a smaller screen for my laptop looking at the ones in the acer mini laptops that are led there about 10" and 40 on ebay just have to figure out how to wire it into my laptop. when i start cutting up my console ill deff be making a huge buid log just waiting to get a few things before i start.

this is going in a 98 neon btw and kickass thanks so much for explaining the relay for me u have been extreamly helpfull

[MACnonsence6]

anyone used att or verizons usb internet adapters i think thats what im going to use for my internet in the car i plan to incorperate the webcam somewhere as well so i need a usb wireless device that can support camming as well as downloads. im not to sure how those adapters work are they unlimited data? in looking at the verizon ones it doesnt say doesnt even list a speed in mb

[kickass audio]

youre welcome man. i actually learned how to use them not too long ago with my hid's and all that good stuff i wired up. You can also go to the12volt.com as they have a ton of diagrams and great guides for wiring. I use that site a lot when i get stumped on things.

The switch would be the best and you could get away without using a relay to power the switch and kick on all your amps and the power inverter but if it wont cut it on then it means you exceeded the limit of your radio's output current for the remote turn on wire. If this is the case you would do the wiring like here: http://www.the12volt.com/relays/relaydiagram25.html and then connect everything, your amps, power inverter, anything else you want to add on as an accessory that turns on and off with your radio to pin 30. Here is the pinout if you cannot get the switch to kick over when you tap into the switch yourself and need to use a relay to boost the power of the remote turn on wire.

Pin 30: connect this to the remote turn on inputs for your amplifiers and to the switch wire off your inverter which goes from 0v (inverter off) to +12v (inverter on)

Pin 86: remote wire coming directly off your radio (solid blue wire)

Pin 87: positive wire (connect to positive terminal of your battery with a fuse close to the battery no more than 5-10 amps is needed since its going to be a small relay)

Pin 85: ground, connect to the negative or chassis of your vehicle.

For the relay, it is still a SPDT type relay but you wont need near as much power to get it to work. A relay about 5-10 amps would be way more than enough power to turn on a crap load of accessories with a remote turn on wire.

Honestly what i would do first if this was my vehicle would be to take the wire you find out in your inverter is the switchable wire and connect that to the remote wire off your headunit. Try turning it on and see if it kicks on the inverter and your amps. If it doesnt kick on the inverter check to see if your amps turned on. If your amps didnt turn on then you exceeded the current limit of your remote wire off your radio and need to use the connection mentioned in this post with the relay to make it all work. If the amps turn on but your inverter does not, then you connect the remote wire to the wrong wire on your inverters switch and this needs to be reversed. I really dont think it needs a lot of power to kick that on but who knows. I have never had any high powered inverters, only a cheap 60w inverter i got for a gift. If im right it should work because i had at one point 4 items turning on and off through the remote lead off my headunit. I had 3 amplifiers, and a sound processor turning on and off with it. Typically there is a limit of 2-3 amplifiers you can connect to the remote lead before it ceases to function but i didnt reach that limit.

[kickass audio]

I know a lot about those usb adapters you are talking about (i support them for the company i work for). Anyway i never have used their 4g service since it is so scarse to find and access but on 3g verizon maxs out at 5mb down and 1mb up. For sprint it is usually 4mb down and 1.2mb up. They do have unlimited plans for them but mostly business accounts, a ton of carriers are trying to get around the whole unlimited data since there are ppl like me who steal it from tethering.

What i do is i unlocked my phone (i have a Motorola DroidX first gen from Verizon Wireless) and i have it running off Droid Froyo (the name of the firmware) since it runs wifi-tether like a champ and verizon cant shut me down on that like they can in gingerbread. Then i installed wireless tether and when i set it all up i just turn it on, connect my laptop to it, and i have free internet for up to 5 devices. I still only get 5-6mb down and 1mb up but for not paying their b.s. $19.99 a month fee for a capped limit on tethering i am using the unlimited part of my phones data plan. I on average suck over 1.5-2 gigs of data a week because i tether my phone up at work so im not on my work internet and i do all my homework and streaming/downloading. I have not been busted for stealing all that data yet but if i do ill still do it. lmfao. Honestly id just do what im doing with getting a phone with unlimited data (act fast because companies are stopping the unlimited data things now) and get a cell phone that supports wireless tether and runs off android, root the phone, install wireless tether, enjoy free wifi access from your phone hassle free.

I personally hate those damn aircards as their signal strength isnt worth shit and they break so easily from daily use. The other thing i noticed with the aircards is that out of nowhere the damn drivers for them delete off your system and you have to reinstall and reactivate the units.

[MACnonsence6]

sounds like a good deal would i be able to do the same thing with the newest droid bionic?

/ in looking at verizons plans i cant get unlimited data for any of the droids most there is is 10g and where i live pretty much the only serivice providers i can use are virizon and att im in northern ny right by canada so in places by the water att is junk wich is pretty much where im living at im gona go look into att phones though. i really want a droid i think there mad sexy but what u just described would work perfect for my plan

Edited September 17, 2011 by hifonics10