Last summer when I set up our Chicago office for work, Dave showed me this very cool project he was working on (so yeah I copied him). He had swapped out the power supplies on Airport Express boxes that had fried power supplies with new PSUs. It just so happens that the airport boxes want 3.5 volts which is close enough to most usb devices the a usb charger can work as the PSU. Last night I split my perfectly functional Express in half and started to make my very own 12V, boat capable, Apple Airport Express. We also have a high power wifi antenna (Ubiquity Bullet). Combined the two allow us to have a solid internet connection on the boat if we can pull in a free connection and also play music from the ipod touch in the cockpit through the main stereo sans wires. Our once useless Express is now useful again.
Sailing Silver Lining
Our adventures on the water
That’s exactly what I would have done!
R-
Well, I don’t understand any of that but I hope it means you can get emails and play music. Love my techno guy.
Yay for wifi!!! 🙂
Ididn’t understand that either, but you guys keep posting love reading all about your adventure!
?????????????? keep having adventures anyway!!
Good tech write-up! I just got the new Apple TV and started streaming content from my MBP and controlling it all with Remote on my iPad. Got the Apple home entertainment dream center going on! Not quite as cool as AirTunes on a sailboat, but we try. Sail on!
Ahhh Ryan, someone who appreciates the finer bits of tech!! Hope all is well back at the office. My next power supply project is to tear into our mini and make it DC as well.
You’re so smart! Why not invent something on this trip???? We had friends that sailed to Costa Rica in the 1970’s and lived there for several years. He invented the Heart inverter.
Cool, good use of existing materials and time! I like it!