Running my laptop from 74 VDC???

[Dan C]

OK fellers, I'm in need of some advice. I work on the railroad as a freight conductor. Most of the locomotives are equipped with a standard configuration electrical outlet, but it's 74 VDC. I've seen many guys run portable DVD players, PDA's, coffee heaters, etc. from this power source with no apparent ill effects. But I'm a little worried about my laptop. I've done it for short periods of time, but unless it's my imagination, it seems like the power converter gets hotter than normal when I do this. So, is this a safe practice or am I gonna fry something? This place has the smartest electrical people I've seen, what's the verdict? Thanks guys....

Dan C

 

[paulr]

If 74 vdc is a standard railroad voltage, there's gotta be some kind of inverter available that turns it into 120 VAC. That's the safest thing to do, use your regular laptop adapter plugged into the inverter. Yeah a little efficiency will be lost, but it's not as if that locomotive can't spare a few extra watts.