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.