powering a laptop wit DC

[dogear52]

I'm assuming I need a pure sine wave inverter able to handle the wattage. Right now waiting to buy a solar kit and running my gas powered gen/inverter to power the laptop which means short time on the net and expensive. And the battery o the laptop is shot so no need to charge.....just operating power from the 12v bat. Any decent brands out there for the $?

 

[Almost There]

My older HP laptop runs just fine on a $20.00 Black and Decker plug in 120W inverter that I picked up in Home Depot.

I had no wiring done when I got it so it was plugged in to one of the accessory outlets on the dash until I got house wiring in place.

I'm still figuring out how big a PSW inverter I actually need. Today I realized that my sewing machine runs 99% of the time on the plug in but the serger won't run worth beans on it...need more power!!!

 

[Raven+Squid]

My older HP laptop runs just fine on a $20.00 Black and Decker plug in 120W inverter that I picked up in Home Depot.

I had no wiring done when I got it so it was plugged in to one of the accessory outlets on the dash until I got house wiring in place.

I'm still figuring out how big a PSW inverter I actually need. Today I realized that my sewing machine runs 99% of the time on the plug in but the serger won't run worth beans on it...need more power!!!

If your sewing machine motor isn't getting enough electricity it can burn out the motor. At least its that way with reduced power due to wrong size extension cords and power tools, seems pretty similar.

 

[Almost There]

If your sewing machine motor isn't getting enough electricity it can burn out the motor. At least its that way with reduced power due to wrong size extension cords and power tools, seems pretty  similar.

Actually, on this inverter, it stops before the motor could ever get a chance to fuss about it.

I've finished the sewing job and before the next round, I'll either be back in a campground with fhu or have an inverter installed.

 

[SternWake]

A pure sine wave inverter is not required by most laptop power supplies.


Most laptops have a 'car adapter'  power supply available, and these can be significantly more efficient than using an inverter to power the original power brick provided with the laptop.

Goto Amazon electronics, type in your laptop make and model and add 'car adapter'

Mine was 22$(PWR+ brand), and depending on the task the laptop is performing, and the laptop battery state of charge, the electrical savings over using a PSW or MSW inverter is ~12 to 50% with about 20% on average.

So unless you are also powering other things at the same time with an inverter, using an inverter just to power a laptop is not as efficient as a DC to DC car adapter.

The issues with these car adapters, is if the laptop requires more than 60 or 70 watts continuously.  These ciggy plugs can wear out and cause intermittent contact or heating of plug and receptacle.

Look on your laptop's power brick.  Multiply the DC output amperage x the output voltage, and this is the maximum wattage the power supply can provide and all the laptop should be able to pull, when charging the depleted laptop battery AND performing some CPU intensive task, like watching a DVD.

If this total  is under 60 watts, even a universal laptop adapter is adequate, but 70 watts or more and one should get a dedicated unit for their laptop.

 

[Raven+Squid]

Actually, on this inverter, it stops before the motor could ever get a chance to fuss about it.

I've finished the sewing job and before the next round, I'll either be back in a campground with fhu or have an inverter installed.

Sounds good.

 

[highdesertranger]

I need a car charger, but in the mean time I charge my lap top and run it of my MSW. never had a problem. but if you can get a car adaptor I would go that way. highdesertranger

 

[Reducto]

I have one of those PWR+ adapters running my laptop and another generic one running my monitor, which runs on 19v. I cut off the cig plug and wired it directly to my fuse box.

Zero problems, much less parasitic draw than keeping an inverter turned on all the time.

If you do use an inverter, no need for an expensive sine wave one. The power brick changes it back to DC anyway.

 

[SternWake]

I have one of those PWR+ adapters . I cut off the cig plug and wired it directly to my fuse box.

Mine, plugged in to 12v but with no laptop hooked to it, has ~0.08amp parasitic draw. Not much, but measurable. 
I use Anderson powerpole connectors and  just disconnect them when i put the laptop into standby or hibernate.  The green LED light faces my bed so I want it off at night anyway.

 

[Gypsy Jane]

You know you can replace dead laptop batteries, right? From New Egg or other places on line, give them your model number...

 

[SternWake]

I've bought 3 replacement Laptop batteries on Amazon for under 25$ and the third is failing now, the laptop just shuts down while still displaying 40% left. I do not use the laptop battery hard. It is better and more efficient to not cycle the battery if not needed, yet these cheapo replacements lose capacity very quickly.

They do not use very good cells. Would the 4x more expensive, supposedly original dell battery last 3x as long? I don't know. I know keeping these lithium cells 100% all the time is not the best for them, which is what I do often.

I open up the failed battery packs and harvest the 18650 cells inside. Usually only one cell is bad, but the BMS takes out the paralleled group. I use the harvested cells in my nitecore HC50 headlamp.

I'll likely just buy another cheapo.

Do note harvesting and the use of 18650 cells can be dangerous. you cannot treat lithium cells like Alkaline, Nicad or Nimh cells.

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...Tutorial-Laptop-Battery-Pack-18650-Extraction

 

[jimindenver]

Yeah I bought a replacement for my net book, extra capacity they said. It lasted 6 months if that.

Since that puter is no longer mobile I just pulled the battery and plug it in when needed.

 

[dogear52]

My laptop is an older Dell with output over 90w so will need I guess at least a 100w inverter wired to my battery bank......sound right? At some point I'm going to shop around for a cheap used laptop replacement due to this is using Windows XP and one of the hinges has crapped out so I have to keep it open but I adapt. Maybe I'll find one with lesser wattage. All I use it for is email, research and buying/selling.

 

[RVTravel]

Is improper current to a laptop only a battery killer and not a hard drive killer?

 

[amwbox]

Is improper current to a laptop only a battery killer and not a hard drive killer?

The device will only draw what it can use, in terms of current. What kills is actually improper voltage or cycle. But the AC adapter that you are plugging into the inverter is responsible to supply the correct voltage. There is also an internal power supply in any computer that supplies the appropriate voltage to the various components according to their own spec. CPU will use a different voltage than a hard drive, for example.

 

[dogear52]

Well given what I've read so far I should just keep plugging into the gas powered gen/inverter due to the draw of an inverter on the battery bank. Cheaper to run than the truck until I get solar.....if I'm understanding the issue correctly.