On Wed, 02 Feb 2005 19:52:53 -0800, "Andrew F." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
For the same price, its much safer to get an autoadapter for your laptop.
Where can I find a $15 auto adapter that is 75W and has a plug that fits my laptop?
Warning! A power inverter is easily misused. Forget to
unplug and you may have to buy a new battery. Plugging
in before starting or forgetting to unplug before
turning off your engine may cause damage. Devices such as heavy-start draw motors, etc. should
not be used. In other words be very aware of the Power
demand of what you plug in.
Sorry if this is too obvious to most of you. But I
have sinned in ignorance.
As far as unplugging that sort of depends on how your car is wired. One of our cars turns off the power outlets with the key. Another turns off one with the key, the other is on continuously. That's the one you have to be careful about.
IIRC all three inverters I have have a low voltage alarm. I had it trigger once when I was charging up some gear. I immediately turned the key to start up and the starter had to crank a little longer than usual. It worried me a touch as I wasn't exactly by the side of the road at the time.
AM radios don't work well on them because the electrical noise is easily picked up by the radio. TVs can be a problem, depending on what type of power supply they have. An older power supply will pass the electrical noise through to the picture. It doesn't hurt anything but it makes for a bad picture.
These devices are designed to be used by just about anybody so they are pretty tolerant. They have overload protection of the inverter, both an electronic kind that protects the inverter and a good old fashioned fuse to protect the wiring. One problem is if the inverter draws too much power from the car outlet and blows the fuse on the car. It won't hurt anything but it can possibly leave you high and dry.
I have used the inverter with my laptop during start and shut off without damage. There really isn't much likely to cause damage with start up or shutoff. The power dipping during startup may cause the power to cut out but when powering a laptop it's not a big deal.
--
Clark Martin
Redwood City, CA, USA
Macintosh / Internet Consulting
"I'm a designated driver on the Information Super Highway"
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