Regulated 12v

[Guest cygnet]

I am trying to find a way of powering my Ipod docking station which requires a regulated 12v. Although there are 1 or 2 cheapish options, which I have tried but due to a failure I think I may have damaged my equipment, I cannot find a good option. All I am looking to do is stop the spiking when the engine is on and charging. All I want to do is have a 12v regulated supply for some of my equipment. I have been trying everywhere to find a decent 12dc/12dc regulator.

CAN ANYBODY PLEASE HELP

[Gordon]

Cygnet,

I have not heard of this issue before, a 12 volt lead acid battery eg car or boat battery is usually a very good regulator (13.8 volt) and smoother (getting rid of noise etc due to low internal resistance), however you may need to take the supply from a point near the battery. How good is your battery? a poorly cell can destroy these qualitys

The other thing that goes through my mind is to have a word with one or two amateur radio suppliers, I can give you some details if you wish. It is possible they have adapters for hand held radio equipmemt which is more than just a cigar lighter plug. Ought to be at some of the prices.

Another thought that goes through my mind, belt and braces and a little bit clumsy is to use a small inverter and a good quality regulated mains unit

[Guest]

If you either build a coil and capacitor that will act as a filter or an easy way is to wrap a few turns of the power lead around a ferrite ring.

That should do the same job.

The amount of spikes may be too great for the above and without an oscilloscope it will be a hard job to say if it has worked.

[Gordon]

Paul

easy way is to wrap a few turns of the power lead around a ferrite ring.

I would have thought that if the spikes are big enough to do damage that a ferrite ring would present not nearly enough inductance to have any effect. A ferrite ring is normally only effective at RF frequencies and the result of the turns creates a low pass filter by introducing both capacitance and inductance

The big inductor and capacitor however might. I am still concerned however that this should even have happened, certainly an alternator can bang out quite a high voltage but I would expect the battery to keep this down to 14 volts

Jonzo's idea of an ic regulator sounds good, I would include a 100nF capacitor to prevent it oscillating and probably a hunking great electrolytic as well for good measure, although that may be ott.

[Guest chriscraft]

hi

try this

http://www.eidusa.com/Electronics_Kits_ ... ge_Reg.htm

[Guest chriscraft]

Or this? bike cam regulator

http://www.dogcamsport.co.uk/power_for_bullet_cam.htm

[Guest chriscraft]

orr this?

http://www.action-replay.co.uk/Computin ... ulator.htm

[Guest cygnet]

Thank you all for your ideas which I will have a look at. However it seems that the best way is to get an invertor, thus changing 12v into 240v and using the supplied transformer to change it back to 12v. (Simple really!!!!!!!)