What Watt power inverter needed
#1
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Car: 5500lb Brick
Engine: Gen 1 SBC 383 Hyd Roller cam
Transmission: TH 400
Axle/Gears: 4.10 35in tires
What Watt power inverter needed
I tried to run my old Toshiba on a 175 watt power inverter and it has just enough power to boot up and start to datalog then it shuts off.
Works fine when pluged in to home ac outlet, but my extension cord isn't
quite long enough to drive around town.
Thanks!
Works fine when pluged in to home ac outlet, but my extension cord isn't
quite long enough to drive around town.
Thanks!
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Car: 85 Camaro Z28
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Re: What Watt power inverter needed
Wow, for an old laptop thats quite a huge power demand.
If you look at the power brick for the laptop and read the label on the bottom or the back of it it should say
"AC Input 120v _._A" v= volts and A = amps. so just take volts and multiply it by amps. So if it was 2.0 amps (highly unlikely its that much.)
it would be 120x2=240watts.
However since its booting up, i would check your connections, perhaps you have a loose connection.
If you look at the power brick for the laptop and read the label on the bottom or the back of it it should say
"AC Input 120v _._A" v= volts and A = amps. so just take volts and multiply it by amps. So if it was 2.0 amps (highly unlikely its that much.)
it would be 120x2=240watts.
However since its booting up, i would check your connections, perhaps you have a loose connection.
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Car: 5500lb Brick
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Transmission: TH 400
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Re: What Watt power inverter needed
Thanks guys! I was surprised also. I may have to run a dedicated circuit from the battery to the cig lighter. Amp draw too much for the cheap after market cig lighter outlet? This truck didn't come with a cig lighter, so I spliced in a unit I found at the local auto parts store and it had small guage wire I recall.
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Car: 5500lb Brick
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Transmission: TH 400
Axle/Gears: 4.10 35in tires
Re: What Watt power inverter needed
OK , I ran a 10ga wire directly to the bat+ and the cig lighter outlet and the laptop still turns off when powered by the 175 watt power inverter. Is the problem the power inverter or the laptop battery, or what else have I missed? How can I test the inverter? To reiterate the laptop works fine when plugged in to home outlet. Thanks again,
I really don't want to look for a 100mile long extension cord so I can continue to datalog!
I really don't want to look for a 100mile long extension cord so I can continue to datalog!
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Re: What Watt power inverter needed
175 watts on your inverter may the surge rating, not the continuos rating.
i use a 500 watt inverter i got from sams club, it was around $30.00.
i use a 500 watt inverter i got from sams club, it was around $30.00.
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Car: 5500lb Brick
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Re: What Watt power inverter needed
The package stated that it was designed for a laptop, but It couldn't hurt to up grade to a 500 watt model....cheaper than a 100mile long extension cord!
Interesting note the ac power adapter is rated at Input:100v-240-~ 0.75A~.35A
Output: 15v--4A
Interesting note the ac power adapter is rated at Input:100v-240-~ 0.75A~.35A
Output: 15v--4A
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Car: 85 Camaro Z28
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Re: What Watt power inverter needed
You should only require a 75 watt inverter then. I think its possible that your inverter could be faulty.
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Re: What Watt power inverter needed
I don't want to be in the middle of a long datalog and have the thing die.
This old laptop battery doesn't last as long as the new ones.
This old laptop battery doesn't last as long as the new ones.
Last edited by Dr.E; 03-22-2009 at 12:28 AM.
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