Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!uwm.edu!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!brutus.cs.uiuc.edu!husc6!bu-cs!mirror!frog!barr
From: barr@frog.UUCP (Chris Barr)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: car battery adapter '386 Zenith laptop
Summary: Try truck, RV accessory stores
Keywords: laptop battery zenith turbosport
Message-ID: <2111@frog.UUCP>
Date: 13 Oct 89 23:09:00 GMT
Expires: 7 Nov 89 10:00:00 GMT
References: <590@crdos1.crd.ge.COM> <[1462.2]ibmpc;1@oldcolo.UUCP>
Distribution: usa
Organization: Charles River Data Systems, Framingham MA
Lines: 25

In article <[1462.2]ibmpc;1@oldcolo.UUCP> weekley@oldcolo.UUCP (Bob Weekley) writes:
>>In article <1972@frog.UUCP>, barr@frog.UUCP (Chris Barr) writes:
>>  Zenith refuses to sell a car battery adapter for their '386 laptop,
>>  The Turbosport battery is labelled '24 V, 2.0 amp'. 
>
>RADIO SHACK has exactly what you need. Their automotive inverter will convert
>12V to 24V (you have to read the literature sheet with the product to find
>this out.) at 3A. It retails for $27.95
>These inverters are in short supply, since they are made in mainland china

Indeed: I called several Radio Shacks for this (Part #22-129 - listed as 
6-12V inverter).  None had it - one said it's not in the latest catalog,
ergo discontinued.  

I've heard several alternatives:  Truck & RV accessory stores should
sell inverters - I didn't find a 24 V one.  Zibec in Colo. sells an
impressive 115V/1-to-2 amp inverter with lots of failsafe features, and
~$150 pricetag, like Axonix's (Salt Lake City) 24V/2A inverter.

Still, with Turbosport's mutli-pin adapter connector, I wonder how to
connect any 3rd-part product - Heath/Zenith tech support couldn't give
pinout info.

By the way, new Turbosport(s) will be sold in January: 16 and/or 20 MHz,
with VGA-res screens & lighter weight.  At least 1 model will use a 386SX.