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Google Android 7" Tablet In-Car Charging

I have been thinking about the $100 Google Android 7" Tablet, available on eBay, some more. The price point is low enough where you/I can outfit each one of our cars with one of these gadgets. Why?

Use it to surf the web where ever you go (assuming you have access to WiFi; hot spots, tether to phone, wardriving...). Wired up in the car, you'll have one of these no matter where you are. Maybe you can even us it to diagnostic your car.

Plus, you eliminate more AC adapters in your home (I know my home has too many plugs in the walls). The device will be charged as you drive around, especially on longer trips. It's small and thin enough to sit next or under your car seat.

The only obstacle is how to hook it up to the electric system of your car. Before we dive any further, let me show you the device we are talking about. The attached image shows the gadget and its ports.

Chieh Cheng
Thu, 13 May 2010 00:17:14 +0000

The following is the specification table for the device. This table is from the same eBay ad:

Chieh Cheng
Thu, 13 May 2010 19:23:42 +0000

So far, I see a DC In port and an USB port. I'm assuming that because there are two different ports, you can't charge this device via USB. (Please correct me if this is inaccurate.) Thus, you can't just buy a cigarette to USB DC adapter for charging this device, which, I think, it's the best way to go.

Another option is to use a 12volt DC/AC converter with the AC adapter of the device. This is probably the most inefficient method and requires lots of space in your car. Plus, I don't know how long your car battery will last with the engine off, while you are using the device. This is the last resort and we want to refrain from this method at all cost.

Unfortunately, the specification for this device doesn't now how the DC voltage used by the DC In port. So we don't know if we can tie it directly to the 12volt DC car battery. Does anyone have the spec for the AC adapter?

Chieh Cheng
Thu, 13 May 2010 19:44:11 +0000

According to a post in this thread:
http://groups.google.com/group/ekenm001/browse_thread/thread . . .

9v, 1.5amps, 4x1.7mm dc plug

gnowk
Fri, 14 May 2010 15:13:59 +0000

Thanks. That's going to make tying it to the car a bit harder. But I think my co-worker know how to wire up something with a small heat-sink that could do it.

Chieh Cheng
Fri, 14 May 2010 21:50:53 +0000

Ok. I got the tablet and verified that the above power spec is true. The back of the tablet says "Model No.: M-001". The power spec shows 9V. The small power adapter supplies up to 1500 mA of current and has the following model number: SY15W01-9V.

The tablet can only be charged via this adapter. It does not charge via the USB port, unfortunately.

Chieh Cheng
Mon, 07 Jun 2010 16:26:45 +0000

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Title: Apple iPad, iPod, and iPhone In-Car Charging
Weblog: GearHack
Excerpt: While thinking about how to charge the Google Android 7" Tablet in the car, I started wondering the same thing for Apple iPad, iPod touch, etc. I asked a friend of mine about how iPad is charged. Here is his answer: "iPads (and other iPhone/iPod devices with the exception of the Shuffle) are . . .
Tracked: Thu, 13 May 2010 23:10:24 +0000

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