Beware. Laptop chargers are switch-modes, and have spectacular inrush currents that won't hurt Benmore but might hurt a consumer-grade inverter. Fancy high-frequency inverters put an LC filter on the output that protects them.

Super-cheap inverters put a super-lousy transformer on the output that protects them, but you do need an inverter that has a rated output several times higher than the laptop charger *input*.

My laptop puts about 60W out, but draws up to 160VA in. I wouldn't run more than this one charger on that 300W supply, for fear of smoking it. Even then, ...


C. Falconer wrote:
Yep - and don't have it plugged in while cranking the engine... Seems that
the current available can be all over the place while the starter motor is
running.

I guess that's why some of the higher end stereos turn off momentarily when
the starter motor is going.

BTW - my laptop draws 24W while not charging and 33W while charging. I could run 11 laptops at once off this, or 9 charging laptops.



-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Holdoway [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, 21 January 2005 2:44 p.m.
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: SOT: Car Inverter
Importance: Low




On Fri, January 21, 2005 2:27 pm, C. Falconer said:

I now own a 300 Watt 12V to 240V inverter.

If anyone has a desire to run their laptop in a car for long trips then email me for a loan.

BTW SOT: Semi Off Topic - my laptop runs linux.





...mind you keep the engine running - that's a max 25A draw on the battery!

Steve



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