On Wed, 16 Feb 2011 14:34:28 -0800, "Bill Graham"
wrote:

Savageduck wrote:
On 2011-02-16 13:03:18 -0800, "Bill Graham" said:

Le Snip


Be able to charge your camera's, (and laptop's) batteries from your
car cigarette lighter as you go.

Got that covered Bill.
http://us.kensington.com/html/17163.html

Looks like a good device. I try to buy 12 volt devices, but I was worried
about the fact that a car alternator delivers over 14 volts for charging the
battery at times, so I purchased a device that will operate on anything from
9 to 16 volts, and regulate it down to exactly 12 volts. It cost about $30,
but I used it as a buffer between my car and my camera. I didn't want to
risk smoking a $2000 camera with an overvoltage from the cheap electronics
in a car....

Its not cheap electronics. Its the way that a lead-acid cell works.
12V is only a nominal voltage.