Momaw - You might like this thought.

I am considering getting either 1 or two Fenix TK40 lights and gutting them. My plans for them are to rewire them as high powered driving lights on my bike. Their current draw is fairly low which is vital as I do not have much in the way of extra power for accessories on the bike.

it does. i'll be waitin for that one.

I keep looking at the possibility of making an external battery pack for my laptop, a heavy brick-like device that's made of new low-self-discharge NiMH cells. I don't often use my laptop mobile, but when I do, I need it to run for a long time.

Hmmmmm, SoD, Regulator, and High Street all have hair-shaving convex edges on them. And my right arm is starting to look bare <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" />

I found on eBay a 12v adapter for my computer. The first time I used it in the truck with the engine off, in like an hour it had drained it to where the truck wouldn’t start. I had to get a jump. Then, I had another idea. I got one of those mobile jumpstart things with a battery. Mine is made by Duracell. It has jumper cables on the back for jumping someone, a light (which would be cool replaced with LED) and a 12v socket. It has a button you can push to see how much power is left. They usually cost like around $100, but I found mine in the box at Goodwill for $30. You can charge it at home with the AC adapter, or it has a double ended 12v male plug to charge it in the car, which is what I do.

I can run my laptop for an hour or two (standard mode, not power saver), & when it gets low, I start the truck & let it run for a few minutes to charge. It works pretty well. I have a small (1.5 watt) solar panel I could use to supplement it. Eventually I’d like to get enough solar cells to run my laptop. Maybe some wind power too.

I’m wanting to get one of those small netbooks. It would be larger than using my cell when mobile, but small enough it’d be easy to carry. I’ve heard of some people carrying them in their Jumbo Versipacks. They have better battery life, and would be easier to power with solar or external batteries. I’ve seen several of them on Craig’s List or eBay for $100-$200. Usually people who got them as gifts, or bought & didn’t like because they were too small.

That is one of the plusses about my tank. It has a dual battery setup and a high output alternator so I've got a little bit of extra juice.