> -----Original Message-----
> From: PowerBooks [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of
> Beverly Woods
> Sent: Thursday, May 30, 2002 1:43 PM
> To: PowerBooks
> Subject: Re: pb car adapter: inverter question
>
>
> I have a question about using inverters with powerbooks. I
> have an off-grid
> cabin with solar panels and a 500W Trace inverter. I also
> have a cheapie
> small car inverter. I am hesitant to use either inverter
> with a powerbook,
> because in the course of building my place and dealing with
> the electricity
> there, I found that various items with chargers might work
> for a while, but
> some would bite the dust after not very long if used with inverters.
>
> Solar equipment retailers I know say some charging units
> are not too happy
> with the modified sine or square wave (as opposed to true
> sine wave) that
> inexpensive inverters put out. I have killed a cordless drill and a
> rechargeable flashlight by using them with inverters. They
> appeared to work
> fine initially, but died within a few months when plugged
> into inverter
> power.
>
> Therefore I have been a bit surprised to see computer
> retailers marketing
> inverters for use with powerbooks. Does anyone know for
> certain whether this
> is really safe for powerbooks in the long term?
>
No problem with a switch-mode PSU as the first thing that happens is
that the AC is rectified to DC, so the quality of the sine wave is
unimportant.
A switch-mode PSU is really a DC-DC converter and should be unaffected
by frequency or noise (provided it is well made, as Apple ones usually
are).
Ben.
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