DC to AC to DC

 

   I'm taking a long car trip with a friend and we want to take along
our laptops. Now we don't have the DC chargers for them, but we of
course have the line chargers.

   Anyone have any experience with running battery charger type devices
off those cigarette lighter AC converters. I know the AC out of them is
rough and I wonder if there was either anything to look out for in
buying a DC to AC converter or if there was any risk to the electronics.

   Jeff

 

On Fri, 30 Oct 2009 21:51:33 -0500


You'll be fine, as far as the laptops go.  The laptops will work great,
they won't be damaged or anything.  Hard part is finding a reliable
inverter.  After several brands over many years, I've finally settled
on DieHard (Sears).  They seem to be the only brand that I haven't
been able to kill (somehow) after a few months of daily use.  

You want to aim for a wattage rating approximately twice (or more) of
your anticipated maximum wattage needs.  That's because inverters are
rated for maximum surge current, which they can not sustain reliably
for long-term use.  

For two laptops, get a 400W dual-outlet model.  -Dave

 

wrote:


FWIW, you can also get a driect to laptop car cord for somewhere
around $100 at the office supply stores.

 



A 400W inverter costs less than that, and can be used for other stuff
besides laptops.  Oh, and you'd have to buy two of the $100 car cords
to run two laptops.  -Dave

 



Or charge one at a time.

For someone traveling, something like this might be handy:

    http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber –157

A bit more than a basic inverter, but does more.

They have several inverters under $100 as well; I'd go for one with a
continuous rating at least twice the anticipated maximum load. Never
hurts to have the extra capacity, and doesn't stress the device as much.

    http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber —047

    http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumberf817


Gary

--
Gary Heston  gheston@hiwaay.net   http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/
"Where large, expensive pieces of exotic woods are converted to valueless,
hard to dispose of sawdust, chips and scraps." Charlie B.s' definition of
woodworking.