Can a 5th Gen Airport Extreme be powered from a 12 volt battery? Does it have an internal DC power supply that can handle voltages from 11.5 to 15 volts?
Airport Extreme 5th Generation-OTHER
Car adapters for laptops are boosters.. most laptops use 15v-19v and the car power supply might fall below what is required. Most do not work as buck converters.. ie reduce the voltage..
Anyway the AE works fine from 9-15v as I have already tested it. So there is no need for any converter at all.. just a lead to the AE is fine.. but I think a protector in the form of a diode to be worthwhile.. for car systems in particular the power supply is very spikey.. and the diode will help reduce the spikes. If it is powered from SLA battery system up to 13.8v as typical float voltage, that can be feed straight into the AE without harm.
Yes, but does it require regulated 12 volt power or does it have its own internal DC voltage regulator so it can run on a range of DC voltages. I want to run my Airport Extreme from a solar-powered 12 volt battery bank directly if possible without having to make AC power using an inverter. I have a number of Linksys products that work great this way. I'm just wondering if I can attach my Airport directly to the battery bank without frying it.
Regulated. Car batteries don't supply anything close to clean power.
What are you trying to do? Use it in a vehicle? If so, that's just about the worst thing you can do. Working for a car dealership, I can tell you that the "12v" that comes out of your power socket (AKA cig lighter) can be anywqhere from 9v to 18v with wild spikes and dips.
I have an off-grid solar power system. It's battery voltage ranges from 11.5 to 15 volts. My Linksys devices have built-in DC power supplies that regulate the power to provide the proper voltages for their internal boards. I want to know if the Airport Extreme also has this. It must because I can't imagine that the internal boards run at 12 volts. They probably run at 3.3 or 5 volts. I have a Sheevaplug that uses a similar Marvell processor and its motherboard runs at 5 volts. My question is does anyone know if the internal components can handle up to 15 volts DC?
Sounds like a fascinating setup. I suggest you look for routers designed for use at those voltages - specifically automotive or for RV use. I'm sure they exist becuase I have been in vehicles with routers set up inside them plugged into what I believe was a standard cigarette lighter plug. On some vehicles it is 24v, but for most of us it is 12v. You might want to check out an RV forum since they have similar issues. They may tell you to use an inverter though.
I don't know for sure, but I doubt the Airport can tolerate such voltage fluctuations. I'd recommend against it.
Just to add a note as I was searching for the info and could not find anyone who had posted details.
I have not pulled the extreme apart.. yet.
So I am unsure exactly what value the capacitors are in the onboard power supply.. I have worked extensively on the Time Capsule.. but they are quite a different arrangement.
Testing with a Gen5 Airport Extreme.
I powered it from 9v supply.. worked fine.. 7W power consumption in wireless extender mode with no ethernet connected.
12v is 6.8W
15v is 7.7W
I did not go above 15v as the power consumption was going up, which suggests things are getting hotter. If you have a 15v or 16v laptop supply that should be fine.. do not use unregulated supply that gives voltage above that until I have a chance to inspect the board.
I would have no problems running it on a car battery but would use at least a diode as a protector.
I have long used Time Capsule on SLA battery.
There must be commercially available options for powering small devices like that from a 12v power source.
Now that I think sbout it, I think the OP is trying to reinvent the wheel. There are airline and car adapters for every laptop out there, that do not use an inverter.
The 5G AirPort Extreme requires 12Vdc @ 1.8A to operate. The base station comes with an external power brick to convert AC to DC for the unit.
Any update?
Sounds like a fascinating project and I'm wondering if this would work.
Thanks! It is good to know that the AE works on 9-15v. My systems is a solar charged battery bank, so it is not spikey.
Can a 5th Gen Airport Extreme be powered from a 12 volt battery?
