Juice 2 Go: Portable Power

Who works on their computer in the car? Well, maybe someone who lives in one—or in the case of this week's HMU target Becky Blanton, if you live in a van. When computing on wheels, the first issue is power, so let's look at two ways to give that mobile setup some juice.

Plug and Play 

Start by buying an inverter, a device that basically pulls power off of your car battery, converts it into the same type of electricity you get from a wall socket at home (AC), and gives you a 3-prong outlet you can plug into.You can pick one of these handy tools up for $30-$80, depending on how much power you want. Here are two that can be bought online: the Kensington Portable Power Inverter and the Xantrex XPower Pocket Inverter 175.

Energy consumption for laptops is well below 45 watts, so a 75-watt car inverter could easily power your laptop and almost all other peripheral devices you'd want to use on the road.

But keep in mind that inverters will drain your battery, and they typically don't put out as much juice as an electrical outlet in your home. I learned this once (the hard way) while trying to power my electric weed-whacker from the cigarette lighter in my car; it didn't work. I ended up buying a really long extension cord instead.

Go Solar

If your cigarette lighter is on the fritz or you need a more long-term/environmentally friendly solution, think solar! To create a solar power station in Becky's van, we called in the folks at Sundance Solar to help us outfit our mobile office. They offer an all-in-one solar solution that is a bit bulky but provides a lot of juice.

The 40 Watt Solar Energy System consists of a 40-watt solar panel and a 1,500-watt Xantrex 1500 power pack to store all the juice you collect. We mounted the solar panel on the roof and hooked it into the power pack that was secured in the back of the van. The solar panel weighs 10 pounds and measures 21.25" x 25.75" x 2".

If it's cloudy and you're desperate for a recharge, you can also charge the power pack from a wall outlet or a cigarette lighter. The system has one DC outlet (to run 12-volt devices) and two AC outlets (for traditional electrical devices).

The entire system weighs about 80 pounds, mostly from the weight of the battery. But it comes with its own stand that wheels around. Currently the system costs about $750, but check Sundance Solar for current prices.