Electronics Help

[Socal Tom]

I'm creating a small portable media server for traveling. Its a pogoplug v3. I've got it setup to provide a wireless access point, and serve video through a dlna server. The electronics are powered by a 120V to 12V transformer, and I'd like to get rid of the transformer and replace it with a cigarette lighter. The concern is that instead of a steady 12V, I would be delivering 11.5 to 14.2 volts to the board, so I would like a power regulator to put in between. After searching amazon, I'm confused with what would be the right thing. It pulls about 25 watts at 120V, so I'm thinking the regulator needs to be able to handle at least 5 amps ( to provide a 2x safety factor). Anyone know what I should be getting?
Thanks
Tom

[jstrubberg]

Socal;

What type of plug do you have on the unit? Is it a standard AC adapter or something along the lines of a micro-usb style?

[Socal Tom]

Socal;

What type of plug do you have on the unit? Is it a standard AC adapter or something along the lines of a micro-usb style?

Standard AC plug 2 prong. It had a built in transformer that converted 120 to 12V.

[jstrubberg]

Looks like the pogo only needs 5v, so something like this should do the trick

http://www.amazon.com/SMAKN-Converter-P ... 5v+adapter

[Socal Tom]

Looks like the pogo only needs 5v, so something like this should do the trick

http://www.amazon.com/SMAKN-Converter-P ... 5v+adapter

Nope it takes 12V. I originaly got something like that, but it wouldn't boot up, so I plugged in the power unit, and it sends 12.1V. I hooked up the wall wart ( 12V) and everything boots up. If it were 5V it would be easy, but I haven't found anything that looks like it should work.
Tom

[MtnDon]

Just how critical is the voltage input for the unit? Most electronics have some leeway in their design. I think it is going to be difficult to find a power supply that delivers a near constant 12 volts DC when the input can vary both below and above the 12 VDC. There seems to always be a minimum drop of a volt or two between input and output.

[Shadow Catcher]

I am using a couple of pulse width modulation DC DC for a number of functions including regulating fan speed on the bilge blower and dropping voltage so that I can run our 6V weather radio off of 12V. Checking with a VOM the digital read out and stability seem to be good. I have used two of these http://www.amazon.com/DROK-Numerical-Switching-Adjustable-Stabilizers/dp/B00BYTEHQO/ref=pd_sim_23_4?ie=UTF8&dpID=51qwzjy58HL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=101KT9X9SEEQCXB6R1Q6
Here you can see I am using two 12 batteries in series through the PMW while testing an LED array to destruction (two of the SMD's unsoldered them selves an fell off).

[bdosborn]

I use a carnetix cnx-p1290 voltage regulator to run my PC in the camper at 12V. I use it to run my LCD TV as well:



It has rock solid voltage regulation, remote on/off switch and its efficient. Input voltage range is +7.5V to +18VDC so any voltage your trailer runs at will work. Carnetix

I got mine off eBay for cheap.

eBay Linky to Carnetix

The only con to it is the fan; it's small and can be noisy. I put it in an out-of-the-way spot so I wouldn't hear it.

Bruce

[bdosborn]

I'm creating a small portable media server for traveling. Its a pogoplug v3. I've got it setup to provide a wireless access point, and serve video through a dlna server.

I did the same thing using a Gigbyte Brix, Plex Media Server and a travel router. I can watch a movie on the LCD TV and stream a movie to a tablet at the same time. The TV and media sever pulls around 30watts. Very cool times we live in.

Bruce

[Socal Tom]

The pogoplug only cost me $15, and I have a spare, so I may just try hooking it straight up to the battery.

I've run plex on a pogoplug V2, and I use it at home, but for some reason the V3 pogoplug won't run plex. So I ended up with mindlna. It streams mp4 video to my son's Ipad, my tablet, the roku on the tv etc. Its just doesn't have the details on each movie like plex does, and the PP is not powerful enough to transcode any video.
Tom

[MtnDon]

I use a carnetix cnx-p1290 voltage regulator to run my PC in the camper at 12V. I use it to run my LCD TV as well:


Bruce

Thanks for that!

[jstrubberg]

I'm using a raspberry pi running Kodi for my media needs. I've never streamed FROM it though, always to it. Looks like it can be done using VLS, but I haven't tried it.

Very solid device, and I've run it for several hours off of a 18,000 milliamp cell phone battery. 5V, too.

[Socal Tom]

I'm using a raspberry pi running Kodi for my media needs. I've never streamed FROM it though, always to it. Looks like it can be done using VLS, but I haven't tried it.

Very solid device, and I've run it for several hours off of a 18,000 milliamp cell phone battery. 5V, too.

The Rpi should be able to run mindlna, it doesn't transcode, just pushes the video. It can also allows downloading of video, so before a plane ride my son can download a movie or two to watch on the plane.
Then once we land, the plan is that I could plug my pogo into a cigarette lighter, and then we would have 200GB of movies we could stream. It can also share a hotspot from a USB connection, but I haven't come up with a reason to do that yet.
Tom

[Socal Tom]

I am using a couple of pulse width modulation DC DC for a number of functions including regulating fan speed on the bilge blower and dropping voltage so that I can run our 6V weather radio off of 12V. Checking with a VOM the digital read out and stability seem to be good. I have used two of these http://www.amazon.com/DROK-Numerical-Switching-Adjustable-Stabilizers/dp/B00BYTEHQO/ref=pd_sim_23_4?ie=UTF8&dpID=51qwzjy58HL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=101KT9X9SEEQCXB6R1Q6
Here you can see I am using two 12 batteries in series through the PMW while testing an LED array to destruction (two of the SMD's unsoldered them selves an fell off).

I've ordered this, which looks pretty much like what you suggested
http://www.amazon.com/CJRSLRB%C2%AE-Adj ... ge_o00_s00

I was stuck on the below 12V issue, but the truth is, I don't let the battery go below 12.2 without some recharging. I'll report back on the result.
Tom

[bdosborn]

It all depends on the device you are using as far as the input voltage goes. I was running a WDTV for my media server and it would run just fine from the trailer 12V, including when it was being charged at 14V or so. The PC wouldn't tolerate anything over 12V, much less charging voltage, hence the voltage conditioner. I moved up to the PC because the WDTV got a little asynchronous when I hit 6TB of connected hard drives.

Bruce