Smokie.....I looked at Maplin but the unit was a bit pricey for me and not quite what I wanted.
Phil/John.....Soon time for our holiday in Scotland, just a few miles off 400 from here to the cottage. Our girls (5yrs/7yrs) haven't been more than 100 miles in one go and start asking "are we there yet" after about 50 miles, a variety of interests & distractions are needed!
A week or two ago we were using a friends Land Rover for a few days and that had a cheap compass on the dash. They were captivated by it and spend ages quietly discussing which way we were going and where it would lead us.
Hence I thought of fixing one on the rear of the centre console so they could both see it. The electronic type seemed a good idea because they are supposed to indicate the right heading within a car, also I assumed they would be illuminated at night which might help on the long runs to/from our destination. I thought these "unbranded" electronic compass devices would be about £14.99 but it seems £50 and above is common....too much for a kids toy. Some frantic searching last night has turned up a nice conventional compass with heading compensation facility and push button light for £9.99. I'll order one today.
Have a look at the site below, lots of other car gadgets there including a mini-fridge for £28.99 taking 9 drinks cans...a must-have??
www.speeding.co.uk/acatalog/www_speeding_co_uk_Spe...l
David W
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I loved the idea of the Kartray (http://www.speeding.co.uk/acatalog/www_speeding_co...g
__Special_Products__2_107.html).
"...can be used in the front or back of the car, whether you are the driver or passenger...Light and portable holding a staggering 5 kilos it can be adjusted to the position of your choice....Kartray can even hold a laptop computer for todays business person on the move..."
The picture shows it in use attached to a steering wheel.
Answering the phone on the move is one thing - answering an email is quite something else!!! Mobile computing at it's best...
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Not such a bad idea if it works, as many times I have got lost in country lanes and been unsure which direction to take. Of course GPS would be great, sat nav even nicer, but somehow I think a pocket compass might be a tad cheaper! I think those dashmounted compasses look a bit daft though, many 4 wheel jeep drivers put them on as if they were adventuring into the forests of the amazon, yet most get used to take the kids to school! I am a bit of a gadget freak though and am always looking at cheap gizmos to put in the car, as long as they aren't too naff. There are some electroluminescent (blue lit) electronic compasses available but as said, I would expect they would not be so accurate in a car. The electronic ones are the best though as they use hall sensors and are not influenced by the vibrations of the car, mechanical ones are rather difficult to use in a moving vehicle. However I suppose you could always stop, get out and read the compass in your hand!
Also beware of the in-car entertainment system as the speakers will be quite magnetic. not to mention the alternator, air bag sensors, windscreen wiper and window motors, various solenoids and even the ignition coil!
On the subject of those thermoelectric cool boxes for car (I'm actually a thermoelectric specialist and design and research these devices), they are not so efficient unless you can get the very small ones which hold about 4 cans. First off dont expect to actually cool anything down in them, they are fine for keeping stuff cool but otherwise require around 3 or 4 hrs of constant running to drop the interior temperature by ~ 10 deg. This was my experience with the halfords ones when kept inside a hot car and running from the ciggy lighter. Perhaps in an air conditioned car it would be much better. They usually consume around 5A, so you need the engine running to use them.
Alternatively, I suppose you could put a few large solar panels on the roof to run it when parked up!!!!
Simon
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svpworld
Is it the peltier effect these boxes use?
I've just bought one of these made by Camping Gaz, comes with a standard cold-box lid and one with plug, motor and fan for cooling or heating depending on what way up you put the plug in. Struck me as sensible for cooling to have the chiller at the top (cold air sinks etc etc). It also appears to have a relay in it so if the car isn't generating enough power it cuts out to avoid draining the battery. Useful as the Jeep has 2 power points that aren't linked through the ignition - only the real cig lighter is.
Terry
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Yes, these cool boxes utilise the Peltier effect. There's a single stage Bismuth telluride Peltier module in the lid, sandwiched between two finned heatsinks (one inside the box, one outside the box). Usually there's also a pair of fans to assist air flow through the heat sinks. The module pumps heat in one direction, either from inside the box to the outside or vice versa if current flow is reversed. Some boxes have a reversing switch which allows you to warm the inside of the box as opposed to cooling it. The modules usually take around 50W, they need very smooth d.c. otherwise they heat up (Joule effect) and become less effective. What you must remember is that they pump heat from inside to outside, and so the outside temperature will influence how effective the cooling is. If you put them in a hot boot, the unit isnt very effective as putting it say in the rear of the car with the window open when driving. The more heat you can extract from the outside, the better is the cooling.
ANother problem with many of them is condensation - there is nothing to remove moisture from inside the box, so it often forms on the internal heatsink. If its excessive and the unit isnt well sealed, it can lead to corrosion. A bag of silica gel in the box works well, as does plenty of air circulation in the box (try not to obstruct the fan at the top).
Regards
Simon
SVPworld
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