OT auto/air power adaptors for laptop

My travel trailer runs off solar panels ... I almost never have to use the
generator any more G

I have an inverter, BUT, it comes with the proviso that it doesn't always
work well with equipment that uses wall warts ... in other words, apparently
changing from 12volt to 120volt ( inverter ) then back to 9volt ( whatever )
via a wall wart for charging a cell phone or running a laptop is too much
voltage changing to work well. My experience confirms this and I got a car
charger for my cell phone.


ANYway, I'm thinking of trying to find a way to run my new laptop "directly"
off a 12volt plugin in the trailer and I see some "air/auto power adaptors"
advertised ... for not too cheap .... anyone tried/ using same and can
report on effectiveness?

Larry L wrote:
My travel trailer runs off solar panels ... I almost never have to use the
generator any more G

I have an inverter, BUT, it comes with the proviso that it doesn't always
work well with equipment that uses wall warts ... in other words, apparently
changing from 12volt to 120volt ( inverter ) then back to 9volt ( whatever )
via a wall wart for charging a cell phone or running a laptop is too much
voltage changing to work well. My experience confirms this and I got a car
charger for my cell phone.


ANYway, I'm thinking of trying to find a way to run my new laptop "directly"
off a 12volt plugin in the trailer and I see some "air/auto power adaptors"
advertised ... for not too cheap .... anyone tried/ using same and can
report on effectiveness?

I use one of these to run my computer from 12 volt.

http://www.xantrex.com/web/id/19/p/1/pt/29/product.asp

It's less than $50 and does the job just fine.

--
Ken Fortenberry

"Ken Fortenberry" wrote


I use one of these to run my computer from 12 volt.

http://www.xantrex.com/web/id/19/p/1/pt/29/product.asp

It's less than $50 and does the job just fine.



So you then plug the laptop's normal 120volt "wall wart" into this
inverter? I guess I should just wait and try my inverter system before
getting carried away.

Thanks, Ken

Larry L wrote:
"Ken Fortenberry" wrote

I use one of these to run my computer from 12 volt.

http://www.xantrex.com/web/id/19/p/1/pt/29/product.asp

It's less than $50 and does the job just fine.

So you then plug the laptop's normal 120volt "wall wart" into this
inverter? I guess I should just wait and try my inverter system before
getting carried away.

I have a little extension cord, and I mean real little, the cord
is only a couple of inches long. You'd be surprised at how handy
that little thing is. But yeah, essentially just plug the computer's
power source right into the inverter.

The marketing hype on these Xantrex micro-inverters makes a big
deal about the "clean" sine wave produced by these as opposed
to other inverters. I wouldn't know a "clean sine wave" from a
dirty wave sign but it's supposed to be OK for laptops.

Oh, and it plugs into the car cigarette lighter or attaches
directly to a 12 volt battery. I don't know what kind of 12 volt
outlet you have in a trailer or whether there's an adapter.

--
Ken Fortenberry

"Ken Fortenberry" wrote in message
.. .
Larry L wrote:
"Ken Fortenberry" wrote

I use one of these to run my computer from 12 volt.

http://www.xantrex.com/web/id/19/p/1/pt/29/product.asp

It's less than $50 and does the job just fine.

So you then plug the laptop's normal 120volt "wall wart" into this
inverter? I guess I should just wait and try my inverter system
before getting carried away.

I have a little extension cord, and I mean real little, the cord
is only a couple of inches long. You'd be surprised at how handy
that little thing is. But yeah, essentially just plug the computer's
power source right into the inverter.

The marketing hype on these Xantrex micro-inverters makes a big
deal about the "clean" sine wave produced by these as opposed
to other inverters. I wouldn't know a "clean sine wave" from a
dirty wave sign but it's supposed to be OK for laptops.

Oh, and it plugs into the car cigarette lighter or attaches
directly to a 12 volt battery. I don't know what kind of 12 volt
outlet you have in a trailer or whether there's an adapter.

--
Ken Fortenberry

Clean as opposed to a modified Sine Wave. One is smooth and the other is
sort of square, not a sine shaped wave. When I got my new laptop a couple
of years ago, the inverter I had would not do the job, but had worked fine
on cell phones and a previous Dell laptop. So got a new, higher powered
inverter at Wal-mart for about $30 and it works fine. When we drove to
Alaska, we chaged the laptop, cell phones and the walkie talkies all from
the inverter.

On Fri, 04 Apr 2008 17:50:01 GMT, "Larry L"
wrote:


"Ken Fortenberry" wrote


I use one of these to run my computer from 12 volt.

http://www.xantrex.com/web/id/19/p/1/pt/29/product.asp

It's less than $50 and does the job just fine.



So you then plug the laptop's normal 120volt "wall wart" into this
inverter? I guess I should just wait and try my inverter system before
getting carried away.

Thanks, Ken

Without getting into it, it isn't "an inverter" that causes the problem,
it's the type of inverter and the "cleanliness" of the power it
produces. If you care as to the whys, a Google search on "types of
inverters sine square" or similar should produce more than you wish to
know about it. I'd offer that a newish laptop and an inverter from a
known company that states it will work with a LT ought to be fine,
assuming your 12v DC output is fairly "clean"/"even."

HTH,
R

On 2008-04-04, Larry L wrote:


ANYway, I'm thinking of trying to find a way to run my new laptop "directly"
off a 12volt plugin in the trailer and I see some "air/auto power adaptors"
advertised ... for not too cheap ....

Doesn't your laptop company offer a 12 power supply adapter designed
specially for your laptop model?

nb

On Fri, 04 Apr 2008 17:35:46 GMT, "Larry L"
wrote:

My travel trailer runs off solar panels ... I almost never have to use the
generator any more G

I have an inverter, BUT, it comes with the proviso that it doesn't always
work well with equipment that uses wall warts ... in other words, apparently
changing from 12volt to 120volt ( inverter ) then back to 9volt ( whatever )
via a wall wart for charging a cell phone or running a laptop is too much
voltage changing to work well. My experience confirms this and I got a car
charger for my cell phone.


ANYway, I'm thinking of trying to find a way to run my new laptop "directly"
off a 12volt plugin in the trailer and I see some "air/auto power adaptors"
advertised ... for not too cheap .... anyone tried/ using same and can
report on effectiveness?


If your laptop uses a wall wart for powering from mains service, rather than
sticking an inverter in series with the wall wart and suffering the additional
inefficiency, get yourself a device that takes the place of the wall wart.

I've been using a Targus air/auto converter for years with a trusty Dell
laptop, both in cars/boats and on commercial aircraft. It has always worked
perfectly.

http://www.targus.com/us/powerstore.asp

From here you can find the proper "tip" and converter for your laptop.

And there are a number of other companies that sell similar devices...

fwiw, not all invertors can be used "universally" (ie: on any/all foreign
mains systems). However, I haven't seen any recently produced laptop OEM wall
warts that won't work on *any* mains system, with a proper plug adapter (a
passive device). You can buy a set of those from Radio Shack for cheap money,
which will let you use the original wall wart anywhere in the world. I've used
these with the Dell's original wall wart in the US, all over the UK, Germany,
Austria, Italy, Switzerland, and Japan.

Armed with the OEM wall wart, a set of the plug adapters, and the Targus dc
adapter, I've never been not able to fire up the laptop, whether on land, sea
or air...

/daytripper

"daytripper" wrote

laptop, both in cars/boats and on commercial aircraft. It has always
worked
perfectly.

http://www.targus.com/us/powerstore.asp

From here you can find the proper "tip" and converter for your laptop.



The air/auto adaptor on this site is what I had in mind, and cheaper than
I've seen elsewhere.

Thanks

On Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:03:18 -0500, daytripper
wrote:

On Fri, 04 Apr 2008 17:35:46 GMT, "Larry L"
wrote:

My travel trailer runs off solar panels ... I almost never have to use the
generator any more G

I have an inverter, BUT, it comes with the proviso that it doesn't always
work well with equipment that uses wall warts ... in other words, apparently
changing from 12volt to 120volt ( inverter ) then back to 9volt ( whatever )
via a wall wart for charging a cell phone or running a laptop is too much
voltage changing to work well. My experience confirms this and I got a car
charger for my cell phone.


ANYway, I'm thinking of trying to find a way to run my new laptop "directly"
off a 12volt plugin in the trailer and I see some "air/auto power adaptors"
advertised ... for not too cheap .... anyone tried/ using same and can
report on effectiveness?


If your laptop uses a wall wart for powering from mains service, rather than
sticking an inverter in series with the wall wart and suffering the additional
inefficiency, get yourself a device that takes the place of the wall wart.

I've been using a Targus air/auto converter for years with a trusty Dell
laptop, both in cars/boats and on commercial aircraft. It has always worked
perfectly.

http://www.targus.com/us/powerstore.asp

From here you can find the proper "tip" and converter for your laptop.

I'll second the Targus set-up if you wish to go that route - I've had
one for years, and have used it with a number of LTs.

And there are a number of other companies that sell similar devices...

fwiw, not all invertors can be used "universally" (ie: on any/all foreign
mains systems).

Er, huh? An inverter such as what Larry seems to be talking about can't
be used on _ANY_ mains system - it "replaces" it - it does one thing:
converts 12v DC to 110v (or thereabouts) AC 60Hz.


However, I haven't seen any recently produced laptop OEM wall
warts that won't work on *any* mains system, with a proper plug adapter (a
passive device). You can buy a set of those from Radio Shack for cheap money,
which will let you use the original wall wart anywhere in the world. I've used
these with the Dell's original wall wart in the US, all over the UK, Germany,
Austria, Italy, Switzerland, and Japan.

True enough.

Armed with the OEM wall wart, a set of the plug adapters, and the Targus dc
adapter, I've never been not able to fire up the laptop, whether on land, sea
or air...

Yep.

TC,
R

/daytripper