Solving The Power Problem

If you've been fooling around with cars for a while, you should know that your car's cigarette lighter socket pushes out 12 volts of DC (Direct Current) power. But our computers run on power supplies that require 240 volts of AC (Alternating Current) power. So, we can't just plug our systems into the cigarette lighter socket and go!

If you visit sites like MP3Car.com, you'll hear people talk about DC-to-DC power supplies that allow computers to be powered through the cigarette lighter socket. However, it's hard to find the necessary components here, much less the finished product!

The alternative would be to use an inverter which converts the socket's 12V DC power to 240V AC power. And I just so happened to find one in Jalan Pasar!

The inverter

This inverter is capable of delivering up to 300 watts of power. More than enough to power my Shuttle system because its power supply only consumes a maximum of 200 watts. If you're planning to get an inverter, always get one that provides more than you need.

With this inverter, my power problem is solved! Just attach my PC into the inverter, plug this baby into the lighter socket and viola!

There is one thing you should be aware of though. Using this will put a HUGE burden on your car's battery! In fact, I'm now trying to see if I can hook up a secondary battery in my car. :)