Thanks for the reply Rick. I am glad that you pointed out the draw on
DC. The PC requires 2.5 amps AC. I only have one line running from
battery that I used to use for a FT-100d. Really don't want to run
another wire.
I did some searching and found a 12 cell battery 6600mAh battery that
is supposed to have twice the capacity of the stock one. Might just
buy 2 of these and bring the original stock battery. That should give
me about 5-6 hours operating time. Even though it is an expensive
solution at least it would keep RFI down.
Zack
N8FNR
--- In digitalradio@yahoogroups.com, Rick <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> Hi Zack,
>
> I have asked this question too and recently took a chance with a
Black
> and Decker MAXX SST series power inverter. They have several
different
> sizes and my daughter wanted one for her laptop in her car and
found a
> deal on the internet under $20 each, if you buy two and with no
shipping
> cost.
>
> Mine may be too small for your application as it is rated for 1.74
amps
> at 115 VAC which seems very close to the maximum for the HP Laptop
which
> has a rating of 1.7A at 100 to 240 VAC for the power supply and
puts out
> only 3.5 A at 18.5 VDC. So I was a big concerned about overheating.
As
> it turned out to worked quite well. This allows me to operate the
lap
> top for mobile use or in the shack without AC power (I have an
emergency
> power 85 amp hour AGM battery).
>
> The input rating on the unit says 12.8 VDC at 20 A which is 256
watts.
> The power output at 1.74 A @ 115 VAC is almost exactly 200 watts.
> Usually these devices are better than 80% efficient though so these
> numbers appear to be conservative. 200 / 256 = ~ 78%.
>
> I ran it for several hours and found no overheating or serious
noise
> problems in any of the equipment. It is a modified sine wave as are
most
> of the low cost devices of this type.
>
> Now for your larger laptop, you may need the next larger size to
not
> push the limit. Even though your laptop draws about 120 watts
(double my
> wife's laptop), assuming a similar 78% efficiency, it may work with
a
> 200 watt size inverter, but it might be pushing it very hard. I am
> guessing that your laptop power supply with claim an input 115 VAC
> current close to 3 amps?
>
> Something else that is a concern is that using even a 200 watt
inverter
> from cigarette lighter connections is not recommended if you are
pushing
> it to the limit. Then they recommend direct battery connection. In
fact,
> they include large batter clips to attach directly to the battery.
> Needless to say, you are not going to be able to use this when
traveling.
>
> What I plan to do in any future vehicles is to have a heavy (10
gauge)
> wire running from the battery and ending in the passenger
compartment
> with an Anderson Powerpole connector. The I can use one of those
> Red-Dee-2-Connect splitters to run ham equipment, computer
inverter,
> etc. My wife has this now in her pickup truck which makes it very
> convenient to connect up several rigs.
>
> 73,
>
> Rick, KV9U
>
> Zack wrote:
> > Can anyone suggest a DC to AC inverter that is low in EMI? I have
a
> > Flex-5000 rig that needs a laptop to function. I would like to
use the
> > rig and laptop for WSJT hilltopping.
> > The laptop is an HP Pavilion zv6000 that requires 18.5v 6.5A. The
> > connector to the laptop has a strange 5 pin connector. I am not
trying
> > to get 18.5v 6.5A from an inverter. Just looking for 120VAC to
power
> > the PS that puts out 18.5v 6.5A for the laptop.
> >
> > Zack
> > N8FNR
> >
> >
> >
>
