JST Posted October 8, 2006 Share Posted October 8, 2006 I am thinking of buying on so i can run a latop in the vehicle and recharge mobile/drills etc. any recommendations and what Amp do i require? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
honitonhobbit Posted October 8, 2006 Share Posted October 8, 2006 I am thinking of buying on so i can run a latop in the vehicle and recharge mobile/drills etc.any recommendations and what Amp do i require? James, I run a couple of 300Watt units bought from MVF for about 20 quid each. The seem to do the job quite happily. They are Draper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pugwash Posted October 8, 2006 Share Posted October 8, 2006 one of my sales guys runs his laptop from a 500w inverter. Like dave this was bought from MVF for about £29 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted October 8, 2006 Share Posted October 8, 2006 I have a 350watt in my 110, came from the CB/Truck shop @ M5 services Exeter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoatBuoy Posted October 8, 2006 Share Posted October 8, 2006 I have a 350watt in my 110, came from the CB/Truck shop @ M5 services Exeter. Just a thought, but realistically you do not want to be running more than a 300watt (ish) of the cigarette ligter, even then that pushes land rover looms to the best. More than that and you need to hardwire it to a battery with a cunning isolator. Tool station in bridgwater are rather competative on prices at the mo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted October 8, 2006 Share Posted October 8, 2006 Just a thought, but realistically you do not want to be running more than a 300watt (ish) of the cigarette ligter, even then that pushes land rover looms to the best. More than that and you need to hardwire it to a battery with a cunning isolator. Tool station in bridgwater are rather competative on prices at the mo. Mine is hard wired to the battery & extened from the output side of the inverter to a double UK 3 pin socket on the front left heelboard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freeagent Posted October 8, 2006 Share Posted October 8, 2006 got a 300W one in the disco, will run the laptop, charge my digi-camera batteries or charge my DeWalt batts no problem, if its only for that kind of stuff 300W is fine. i'd hard-wire it in though, mine is wired to my leisure battery via a 30A fuse. you can see it in the picture below. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GBMUD Posted October 8, 2006 Share Posted October 8, 2006 I am thinking of buying on so i can run a latop in the vehicle and recharge mobile/drills etc.any recommendations and what Amp do i require? I have a 600W (1500W peak) one which I managed to find cheap in Maplin. One word of warning though, it may be that my battery is past it's best but, as you discovered the other weekend, when I switch the engine off the low voltage alarm on the invertor goes off and it stops making 230V. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbocharger Posted October 8, 2006 Share Posted October 8, 2006 I bought a 150W one, no real problems until it packed up but it worked well from the ciggy lighter. I've now got a 600W one hardwired to the battery, very pleased with it. It won't quite run a hairdryer... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveG Posted October 9, 2006 Share Posted October 9, 2006 If you plan to use the laptop quite often I'd get a in-car charger for it. Maplin do a cheap one with universal fittings. This is a lot more efficient than running on an inverter. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted October 9, 2006 Share Posted October 9, 2006 Word of warning though... we no longer have in-car chargers for our laptops because they bu&&gered up the laptop batteries. Don't ask me how/why or if it was an isolated thing but that was with CF-27 Toughbooks and they have a pretty damn robust PSU in them so it must've taken some doing If you must get a car charger for a laptop I'd advise searching eBlag for a genuine one for that model. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JST Posted October 9, 2006 Author Share Posted October 9, 2006 cheers for the input guys, my Laptop battery is already knackered hence the need! i think in car charger would be a good way fwd, will visit Maplin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
white90 Posted October 9, 2006 Share Posted October 9, 2006 ebay has loads of Inverters cheap to no idea if they are any good. MVF has a couple of draper versions. there is a very nice Durite one that'll run an engle grinder but it is pricey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
v8bertha Posted October 9, 2006 Share Posted October 9, 2006 Word of warning though... we no longer have in-car chargers for our laptops because they bu&&gered up the laptop batteries. I believe its something to do with the wave form that is created by an inverter... Normal AC is nice and slopey, Inverted AC from a DC supply is apparently somewhat notchy! or something like that! For a brief moment there, I thought it sounded like I knew what i was talkin about!! Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
02GF74 Posted October 9, 2006 Share Posted October 9, 2006 whoa, before we get carried away, let's go back to this picture. Your wiring is buggy, there seems to be dead beetle inside the fusebox Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freeagent Posted October 9, 2006 Share Posted October 9, 2006 the dead beetle is actually a tacky shark logo, as the fuse box came from maplins and is designed for the 'scally car hifi brigade'.... having said that its a good piece of gear for a tenner... the wiring is grubby as i've yet to wash off the remaining sahara dust.... and the messy bit goes up to an anderson connector mounted on the rear trim panel... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Watty Posted October 9, 2006 Share Posted October 9, 2006 MVF ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
white90 Posted October 9, 2006 Share Posted October 9, 2006 Sorry Mole Valley Farmers http://www.first4farming.com/MVF/pages/pag...l?page_id=about a Devon/Somerset/Cornwall based agricultural supplier Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JST Posted October 12, 2006 Author Share Posted October 12, 2006 OK, got one now - cheers Ed, so i run the red and black to the battery even with my electrical skills i can work that out. theres also an earth on the inverter case, do i need to run an earth to it or can i leave it or run a wire to the black cable that will go to the -ve pole on the Bty? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbocharger Posted October 13, 2006 Share Posted October 13, 2006 I've bolted the case of my inverter to the body of the car, I don't even use the neggletive post and just ran one (fused) wire to the possletive. Tested with and without a temporary lead to the -ve, there's no difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoSS Posted October 13, 2006 Share Posted October 13, 2006 Word of warning though... we no longer have in-car chargers for our laptops because they bu&&gered up the laptop batteries.Don't ask me how/why or if it was an isolated thing but that was with CF-27 Toughbooks and they have a pretty damn robust PSU in them so it must've taken some doing If you must get a car charger for a laptop I'd advise searching eBlag for a genuine one for that model. Its beacuse the cheap inverters are well...cheap. They often have a very dirty sine wave coming out, more often a triangle wave. This is full of harmonics & noise. Either buy a 'kin expensve one, or use a mains filter after it. They often also do not have very good cooling, so help it out by putting it in a well ventelad spot (i.e under a seat with air all around, rather than in a glove box, stuffed with stuff) Personally i would avoid them. why not find a 12->xV solution for your laptop/charger. I bought a 12V-15V PSU for my old laptop, for only about the same money as an inverter. Cut the laptop end connector off and inserted a connecor between, so i coulsd plug it into mains PSU or 12v one. (Background - I have been into building & putting full PC's into my cars for a few years.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoSS Posted October 13, 2006 Share Posted October 13, 2006 I've bolted the case of my inverter to the body of the car, I don't even use the neggletive post and just ran one (fused) wire to the possletive. Tested with and without a temporary lead to the -ve, there's no difference. You should connect the neg output. There may be an internal connection to ground, but it may not be capable of the full current without causing damage. also you will certianly get a greater voltage drop & hence waste power. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbocharger Posted October 13, 2006 Share Posted October 13, 2006 Fair point - thanks for the tip. I'd not connected it because the two post terminals on the unit are a little too close together and if the ring connectors worked loose they could work round and touch each other - there's no chance if one isn't there! I take your point though, so I'll put a short wire in and insulate it properly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pugwash Posted October 13, 2006 Share Posted October 13, 2006 (Background - I have been into building & putting full PC's into my cars for a few years.) I'd be really interested in learning some more about how to do this succesfully- do you have any good web links, or any good advice from your experience? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoSS Posted October 13, 2006 Share Posted October 13, 2006 I'd be really interested in learning some more about how to do this succesfully- do you have any good web links, or any good advice from your experience? Best place to start is www.mp3car.com Theres an awful lot of info & resource there. if i can answer any specifics i'm HTH. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.