A few months ago I found another PC in the garbage. Much like Trash Server, this one was (mostly) functional. But unlike trash server, I didn’t really have a use for it. This beige mini tower sports a 733MHz Pentium III CPU, a couple smallish hard drives, and a dead CD drive. After sitting in the corner for a few months, the new trash PC has a use.
What are we looking at? This is a 733MHz battery charger. While it may not be the most efficient, it was certainly the least expensive (free) option. Why did I do it? I have an older dual-beam bike headlamp that has a 110V/60Hz-only charger (Australian AC power is 220V/50Hz). To charge the headlamp batteries I could either buy a new charger or buy a step-down transformer to use the current charger. Either option would have cost more than the headlamp.
After poking around the garage, I found my automotive 12V to 110V power inverter. This would work fine as-is, but the headlamp battery charges overnight, and I don’t have many all-night road trips planned. Obviously I needed a 12V power source other than a Subaru, and this is where the PC comes in. The PIII, with it’s ATX power supply, makes a great 12V power source and a convenient flat surface on which to charge the battery.
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