AusS2000, actually...

MacPac is $25

[QUOTE]
The CNX-P1900 is a 140 watt intelligent DC-DC power regulator designed to provide safe, reliable power to today's newest CarPCs......including the Mac mini and Pentium P4-based systems!

Features:

140 Watt Dual Output Regulator
Jumper selectable main output of +18/+19/+20V
Jumper selectable secondary output of +12V/+13.5V or +5V
Survives Engine Cranking under full load over entire temperature range
Includes sophisticated Startup/Shutdown Controller
Includes sturdy aluminum chassis with variable speed fan suitable for car environment Field upgradable flash microprocessor
Low battery monitor prevents drained battery, even during Standby/Sleep
"Anti Thump" delayed remote control for audio amplifiers
Remote "Pulse Start" from wireless device or car alarm/remote start system
Over current protection on both outputs with graceful forced shutdown of main output
Powers both your CarPC/Mac AND your screen or USB devices
Compatible with Mac mini including startup/shutdown and sleep mode
Compatible with Pentium P4-based systems such as Travla C158-120, Sumicom S630, or Xenarc SC8
Full, safe support for Windows Standby mode including auto shutdown if PC fails to shutdown
Over voltage surge suppression on battery input for protection of harsh automotive environment
User replaceable fuse on battery input to protect your car from internal short circuits
The P1900 provides two outputs. The primary output is jumper selectable for 18V, 19V, or 20V operation and can provide up to 6.32 amps (125 Watts @ 20V ). The secondary output is jumper selectable to provide either +12V to power your LCD screen (or 13.5V or experimental purposes), or +5V to power USB devices (such as the Audigy 2NX sound USB sound card) with up to 3 amps (15 Watts). The P1900 can accept battery input as low as 7 volts under full load (140 watts) during cranking while providing a well-regulated output so that your CarPC does not crash.

The P1900 includes all of the sophisticated features of its predecessors (P1260 and P1280) such as Startup/Shutdown controller, Pulse Start (remotely start the P1900 with door locks, car alarm, or wireless device), and DelayON (prevents speaker "thump" during booting). The P1900 fully and safely supports "Standby" mode and will automatically shut itself down (by detecting excess current drain) if the CarPC fails to properly go into Standby mode.

The P1900 is also designed to power larger systems that demand higher power, such as P4-based motherboards (ie Insight P4 ITX) with full sized hard drives. The P1900 is fully compatible with the Travla C137 (90 watt and 120 models), the C138 (90 watt and 120 watt models) as well as the newer C158 (90 watt and 120 watt models) cases. In fact, the most cost effective P4 CarPC system can be built using the Travla C137, C138, or C158-120 and the Insight P4 ITX motherboard.

In addition, the P1900 can be used with the Mac mini, Sumicom, Xenarc, and Cappucino models that require an 18v, 19v, or 20v power source.

Version 2.0 Change Log:
* Internal ACPI relay for Sumicom, Xenarc and other applications
*Jumper selectable

 

 

Noice!!

 

I'm very up to date on macs in cars because I've been planning a system like this in the S for a while, but no time to do it right now.

 

Have you got a link to a full size version of the above diagram?

 

http://www.mp3car.com/store/popup_im...pID=94&image=1

 

i do have an inverter i used on my last car and i did experience some buzzing with my audio, so i think i'll give it a miss..

the first thing thats going in the car is the gamecube.. and it does have an external power supply, so i guess i can just make a custom direct input..

ignoring the mac mini for now, can the P1900 as far as you know run other 12v devices independently? maybe its worth installing it so its ready for the pc/mac.. its got a startup/shutdown controller so it's definitely the go for the pc!

side qn: what does the ciggy lighter output? and can you splice off that? does anyone know the fuse rating on it?

so.. my plan is..
wire from battery and ignition to boot..
cable usb hub and rcas from boot to dash..
P1900 in boot..

hmmmmmmm. interesting

 

But is the Game Cube 12V? You were wrong about the Mac Mini.

If you follow those links and read those specs you would see that the P1900 has a selectable output and a 12V output so it will be great for a Mac Mini and another 12V device.

There is no upside to tapping off the Power Outlet. It is very thin wire and won't be rated for anything like what you'll need. To repeat, run a dedicated wire from the battery to the converter. Regardless of whether or not the converter has a fuse you need to have a fuse near the battery rated at something above the power requirements. That way if there is a short along the line the fuse near the battery will blow and isolate it. I'd recommend one of these:

http://www.modifry.com/bargains/index.htm

You might want to see what we do on the Modifry GB.

 

modifry groupbuy? i like the sound of that one!

"You were wrong about the Mac Mini" - but i'm never wrong??
The cube is definitely 12vDC..

how about a p1900 group buy?

 

(Mac man subscribing)