DL in the field

Eric Stevens wrote:
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.

Thats true. I shouldn't have used, "cheap". What I really meant is that the
cars electrical system wasn't made for delicate & precise equipment like
cameras and computers, so I buffered it with a regulated power supply
module.

On 2011.02.16 2:35 , Alan Justice wrote:
I just (finally) got my first digital camera (Canon 1D M4) (!). (I sell my
images to
magazines and as prints at art fairs and galleries.) I can record 44 GB on
my 3 compact flash disks. (I just shoot raw: ~25 MB files). That's fine
for local shooting, but on a road trip, I'll need more space. (I once took
28 rolls of film in one day = 1k images. Digital promises the possibility
of many more.) I'd like reccommendations on what else I need to buy.

Minimum requirement is just downloading to a larger disk, or more CF cards.
Ideally, I could also review the images that day, back at the motel or
campground (a 3" LCD is only so good, although I also need some experience
to see how much I can rely on it.) to see if I
need to reshoot some. For that, I assume I need a notebook. Or is there
something cheaper that will just allow image review? Other options?

If you don't already have a laptop then a netbook is a pretty good
option: cheap, small, light, enough storage and you'll have basic
access to WiFi / Ethernet, basic image editing for quick e-mails of
shots and so on.

--
gmail originated posts filtered due to spam.

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....

I haven't had any problem with working off a pair of car batteries in my
camper van with an inverter to 120v. Perhaps that device regulates the
voltage? It's kind of wasteful because the laptop takes something less
than 120v ... I thought something like 9v, but each device is different
and presumably pretty picky. The camera battery chargers all use 120 so
that's at least only one layer deep in conversion.

I do need to replace my klunky old desktop at home (Win 98), but I only get
dial-up internet connection, so does it make sense to get a "netbook"?

--
Alan Justice
http://home.earthlink.net/~wildlifepaparazzi/

"Alan Browne" wrote in message
...
On 2011.02.16 2:35 , Alan Justice wrote:
I just (finally) got my first digital camera (Canon 1D M4) (!). (I sell
my
images to
magazines and as prints at art fairs and galleries.) I can record 44 GB
on
my 3 compact flash disks. (I just shoot raw: ~25 MB files). That's
fine
for local shooting, but on a road trip, I'll need more space. (I once
took
28 rolls of film in one day = 1k images. Digital promises the
possibility
of many more.) I'd like reccommendations on what else I need to buy.

Minimum requirement is just downloading to a larger disk, or more CF
cards.
Ideally, I could also review the images that day, back at the motel or
campground (a 3" LCD is only so good, although I also need some
experience
to see how much I can rely on it.) to see if I
need to reshoot some. For that, I assume I need a notebook. Or is
there
something cheaper that will just allow image review? Other options?

If you don't already have a laptop then a netbook is a pretty good
option: cheap, small, light, enough storage and you'll have basic
access to WiFi / Ethernet, basic image editing for quick e-mails of
shots and so on.

--
gmail originated posts filtered due to spam.

On 2011-02-18 09:32:13 -0800, "Alan Justice" said:

I do need to replace my klunky old desktop at home (Win 98), but I only get
dial-up internet connection, so does it make sense to get a "netbook"?

It makes sense to get a new computer if you have a real need for one
feature it offers.

If all you are using your Win 98 machine for is WP & E-mail, it is
going to be just fine.

If you are going to continue with your photographic enterprise, you
need to give yourself the support tools for that.

Up date your home computer and consider a decent laptop, not a netbook.
As far as dial-up vs. broadband goes, if you are in a location where
broadband is available via cable, ADSL, etc. seriously consider making
the move from dial-up. If you have no other choice, a laptop with WiFi
will still have its usefulness.
A laptop with WiFi connectivity is very useful on the road. Most motels
and even places such as National Park facilities have broadband WiFi.
This will prove useful if you use any sort of off-site server for file
storage, and for maintaining your web site.

Also, if you go with a decent laptop, you might find you have no need
to replace your desk top. Most better laptops can be used with a
separate monitor and keyboard, making it a useful tool for both the
home/office and the road, thereby killing two birds with one computer.

--
Regards,

Savageduck

On Thu, 17 Feb 2011 15:15:52 -0800, "Bill Graham"
wrote:

Eric Stevens wrote:
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.

Thats true. I shouldn't have used, "cheap". What I really meant is that the
cars electrical system wasn't made for delicate & precise equipment like
cameras and computers, so I buffered it with a regulated power supply
module.

And yet, modern cars and trucks are stuffed full with computers which
tolerate considerable voltage swings. You may be being overly cautious
with the specs of your 12V power supply.

Alan Justice wrote,on my timestamp of 19/02/2011 4:32 AM:
I do need to replace my klunky old desktop at home (Win 98), but I only get
dial-up internet connection, so does it make sense to get a "netbook"?


You said in the original post that you wanted to review images at a motel or on
the road. That is where a netbook is handy. If you want a system for home use,
then obviously a netbook is not the solution. There is no such thing as a setup
that can do everything: horses for courses is as valid in IT as anywhere else.

Paul Furman wrote:
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....

I haven't had any problem with working off a pair of car batteries in
my camper van with an inverter to 120v. Perhaps that device regulates
the voltage? It's kind of wasteful because the laptop takes something
less than 120v ... I thought something like 9v, but each device is
different and presumably pretty picky. The camera battery chargers
all use 120 so that's at least only one layer deep in conversion.

Well, both of my present cameras run on 12 VDC. they can get this from 8,
1.5 volt flashlight batteries....I use double A type. But a car alternator
charges the car's battery with like 14.5 volts, so I was worried that this
might smoke the circuitry inside my cameras, and that's why I bought a
regulated power supply that converts anything from about 8 to 18 volts DC to
a regulated 12 volts DC. If the camera manufacturer published a set of real
specifications on their cameras, I might not have needed such a thing, but
what passes for specs now-a-days is really just advertising hype from
Madison Avenue.....

Eric Stevens wrote:
On Thu, 17 Feb 2011 15:15:52 -0800, "Bill Graham"
wrote:

Eric Stevens wrote:
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.

Thats true. I shouldn't have used, "cheap". What I really meant is
that the cars electrical system wasn't made for delicate & precise
equipment like cameras and computers, so I buffered it with a
regulated power supply module.

And yet, modern cars and trucks are stuffed full with computers which
tolerate considerable voltage swings. You may be being overly cautious
with the specs of your 12V power supply.

Yes. I probably was. But Nikon doesn't specifically say that one can run
their cameras off of a car cigar lighter socket, so I was reluctant to do
this. I could have built a zener diode regulator to protect the cameras
also, but I was too lazy, and the little power supply seemed lika a good
solution at only $30......

On 2011.02.18 12:32 , Alan Justice wrote:
I do need to replace my klunky old desktop at home (Win 98), but I only get
dial-up internet connection, so does it make sense to get a "netbook"?


That's up to you according to your various needs. Obviously a new
laptop that you can uses as a main home computer and travel with has its
appeal as long as you get a decent monitor (an issue in itself) for
photo editing.

Or a new desktop with a cheap netbook to meet your travel needs.

Dial-up is a separate issue - and I can't even imagine using it now with
the deluge of image rich e-mails I (unfortunately) receive.

(Would be nice to have an e-mail account that was strictly ASCII text only).

Don't top post.

--
gmail originated posts filtered due to spam.