automotive AC inverters and laptops

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automotive AC inverters and laptops

January 10, 2005, 11:14:54 PM

For my laptop I was going to purchase a commen 200W
AC inverter. (the cigarette lighter kind) Such as the Eliminator from Candian Tire or a Craftsman from sears.

Of course these things work by oscellating DC current into AC current. I have heard rumors that are something like this: the lower end inverters oscellat the current into wavelengths (Hz) that can damage a laptops charger.

Is this true? Does anyone have any info on the cheeper types of inverters? Should I be buying one of those really expensive inverters made just for laptops?

Re: automotive AC inverters and laptops

Reply #1 – January 10, 2005, 11:32:53 PM

Depending on the brand/model of laptop you ought to be able to find an adapter specifcally made for your laptop to be used in a car. Ebay is the best and cheapest place to find them.

Re: automotive AC inverters and laptops

Reply #2 – January 11, 2005, 01:26:13 AM

I would look for the 75w ones that just look like a cigirate lighter plug with a regular outlet on it. I bought an inverter a while ago a coleman 400w/800peak inverter for $25.00. If you want to run something big like a tv or something I think that one of these would be perfect. If you really wanted to get a good inverter that wont max out alot, make sure that it is sinc waved or something like that. But being as laptops are ulrta low power, and have a battery that they switch to automattically I would see any reason why a $20 or less inverter wouldnt work. I highly doubt any laptop would hit 75w

Re: automotive AC inverters and laptops

Reply #3 – January 11, 2005, 08:20:02 AM

I keep a 350/600w inverter in the car most of the time, in case I need it for whatever. Runs this laptop just fine. Can't recall how much I paid for the inverter, though. Never heard of the cheap inverter/laptop thing you mentioned.

Re: automotive AC inverters and laptops

Reply #4 – January 11, 2005, 08:58:09 AM

As long as the inverter puts out 60hz the frequency shouldn't bother the charger. I bought a cheap 300-watt inverter on sale for $25 at Canadian Tire that works fine.

Haystack: Don't doubt that a laptop would hit 75 watts. Newer models with P4 chips (instead of the Centrino) suck a lot of juice and generate a lot of heat. My 2.6Ghz Inspiron 1100's power supply says that it draws up to 1.5 amps. 1.5 amps at 120 volts is 180 watts. I know it probably doesn't draw this much all the time, but it's a good idea to have an inverter that will meet the demands when it does.

Merccougar50: Just look at your power supply to see what your power requirements are. Whatever it has printed on it for current draw (in my case 1.5 amps), multiply by 120 and you'll know how many watts you'll need.

Re: automotive AC inverters and laptops

Reply #5 – January 11, 2005, 04:22:23 PM

TC: Mine is also 1.5A. It's off to Canadian tire. (acutally I usually end up going either their or princess auto at least once a week.)
Thanks again, for the computer adivce.

nirvanagod: yes they do make an inveter for my laptop (dell inspiron 1150) however I and the inverter for other uses (like powering my GPS when fishing). Also, the dell inverter is really pricy.

Re: automotive AC inverters and laptops

Reply #6 – January 11, 2005, 05:50:43 PM

Princess Auto is the cat's ass

If you're interested, here's the one I have:

Re: automotive AC inverters and laptops

Reply #7 – January 12, 2005, 12:48:41 PM

Quote from: Thunder Chicken

Princess Auto is the cat's ass

:

Yeah. There like Canadian tire, just cheeper (and no stupid commercials on TV).

Re: automotive AC inverters and laptops

Reply #8 – January 15, 2005, 01:48:20 AM

While these power inverters do work great, it is best to get one designed for notebooks. They are a little more expensive, but contain smart features like surge protectors and battery drainage protection. Fluctions in electricity can be just as evident in a vehicle's system as at home. It is cheap insurace to spend the 40-60 bucks on a inverter designed for notebooks than to end up purchasing a new notebook. Just my two cents.

Re: automotive AC inverters and laptops

Reply #9 – January 15, 2005, 08:16:47 AM

The notebook's power supply and battery would act as a surge protector and likely could handle any surge a car's electrical system could throw at it. If you did have a surge the lapop's power supply would probably be the one to take the hit, so it's highly unlikely that you'd need to replace the laptop.

That being said, the cheap-assed inverter I pictured above has a built-in "conditioner" and will not fluctuate from 110VAC, 60HZ as long as the source is 10.5-18 volts. If the voltage goes higher or lower the inverter shuts down completely. I'm sure just about all inverters would have this feature