Another option is a "low end" laptop. I use a Dell D400 laptop, with a 1.8GHz Pentium M and it draws about 20W from A/C with the display blanked, which is the way an NTP server will be most of the time.
The power brick rating assumes running the laptop AND charging the battery at the same time. The D400 comes with a 60W power brick. Yet, it comes fully packaged with a hardware serial port and when you need to do anything with it, there is no need to hunt for a monitor or a keyboard, and they have built-in battery backup. Try to configure your Atom board similarly and see how much money and time you spend. I have 4 of those at home, they are workhorses. They can be found on Ebay for well under $100. Didier KO4BB Chris Albertson <albertson.ch...@gmail.com> wrote: >On Sat, Aug 18, 2012 at 10:23 PM, <li...@lazygranch.com> wrote: > >> If you are using a desktop, I'd suggest putting in a serial card. The >> Netmos chip based cards work on windows and linux, though your should >do an >> internet search on the particular card before you buy. >> >> I have the prolific based converter. It didn't work with my Starloc. >(The >> netmos worked fine with Lady Heather.) I just got a Gearmo branded >FTDI >> based usb to serial. I haven't tried it on the Starloc, but it works >well >> on other >> > >I just worked out the cost of power. If you, like me are paying >$0.21/KHW >a new Atom based PC will pay for itself in less then 6 months . It is >astonishing when you actually compute the cost to run a PC 24x7 for one >year. A normal desktop or notebook PC is not so expensive to run >because >it spends most time either powered off or in "sleep" mode. But an NTP >server needs to stay active 24x7. A standard desktop PC can burn >$400 or >more in electric cost per year. A notebook PC is almost as bad (Notice >the >100+ watt rating on the notebook's power brick) The new Atom boards >are >about 6W and costs only $100 at Amazon.com > >But, yes, I agree stuffing a PCI serial card in a desktop PC can get >you >the serial port you need. They work well. Just remember that the >desktop >will have to stay powered up 24x7 for years. > > > > >Chris Albertson >Redondo Beach, California >_______________________________________________ >time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com >To unsubscribe, go to >https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts >and follow the instructions there. -- Sent from my Motorola Droid Razr 4G LTE wireless tracker while I do other things. _______________________________________________ time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts@febo.com To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there.
