Suggestions for Laptop Auto adapter

[Wits' End]

I have a Dell Inspiron 8200. It requires 90W to opperate. The only adapter I have found is fromLind Electronics
The least expensive place I found it is at PCSound.com for $87 + $9 for S+H. Any experience with either Lind or PCSound.com? Any other suggestions?
TIA

 

[Wits' End]

Found it for $80 + $7 But Shopperwiz? I won't even discuss the pictures that conjures up /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif Shopperwiz
Or at Provantage nicer name 79.29+8.45 S+H
Provantage
Anyone have experience with either?

 

[was_jlh]

Wit's End, have you checked local office supply and electronics stores ( ie, OfficeMax, Office Depot, Circuit City, etc ) ? You should be able to do better than a 90W for $90.

 

[Klaus]

You might consider using a standard DC-2-AC converter which gives you 110V AC from 12V DC and hook the standard Notebook PS to it - you have two translations instead of just one and will loose some efficiency but you can use the same part for different Notebooks over the years and different other devices as well - so this might be worth some consideration IMO.

Klaus

 

[Brock]

Yup, just go to Wal-Mart or Target and buy a 150w inverter in the auto section. Should be about $30. Plugs in to the cig lighter plug and has regular 120vac Edison plugs on it. I would get at least a 150w unit. They tend to state their max output, so a 150 might put out 150w for 1 min and 100w continuous, but then again I doubt the laptop would pull 90w continuously, unless maybe your watching a DVD movie while the battery is charging /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif I bought a 250w continuous, 400 peak unit off eBay for $30 It was a xantrex model, a bit more then some, but since I use the big versions of the xantrex, 2500w, in my house, I bought the same brand.

Hey if your going to the flashlight show in Minn
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=500507&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=&fpart=1
you can see the small inverter I have (and lot of lights), since I am sure I will have it along /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Wits' End]

We have an inverter (DC to AC) and with the battery in the laptop charging it makes the voltage alarm go off when running off my "household" 12V DC. Sometimes gives problems in car if the engine is not running. I assume it draws a lot more when the battery is charging, but with the battery removed you are one bump from sudden death and loss of data.

 

[Brock]

What is that inverter rated for?

It sounds like you need a heavier wire to the inverter. If you think about it, if you’re pulling even 1 amp at 120vac your pulling 10+ amps at 12vdc. You will get a pretty good voltage sag at 12v puling 10amps on a short run with small wire, or even a longer run with good size wire. I can run my laptop right from the lighter plug, but for good measure I put a double 12gauge run directly from the battery fused at 30A. The inverter will run up to a 400w load without beeping about low power now. On the lighter socket it beeps for low power at about 120w load.

You might try shutting the laptop down and letting the battery fully charge (or charge it from the grid or a larger inverter), and then turn it on. That will reduce the load on the inverter also.

As you suggested I wouldn't run it without the battery, unless you don't care if you loose what your doing.

 

[MeridianTactical]

I use an inverter - 12V to 120V 400 Watt. I like it as I can plug most anything in, not just a laptop.

This with my cell phone as a modem allows me to surf while on the road!

 

[Klaus]

The whole discussion just made me dig out an old Notebook 12V car adapter I had from old times and lucky-me its around the same voltage and current I need for the new Notebook I have for a while - just soldered the right plug on it the other day and now can run it directly off the cig plug as well - if I would need to buy something new I would still look into the inverter thing (have one of those too).

Wits End - what current/voltage can your "household" 12V supply - with your engine off the unit might give trouble if you battery in the car isn´t too good anymore. Also check what power your inverter can supply, it might be good advice to either charge OR use the Notebook but not both at the same time when the engine is off. If a marginal battery or weak 12V supply in general is the culprit you might not gain much in buying a new 12V Notebook adapter - at the end of the day the energy must come from somewhere in the first place. I think pretty good advice in this thread overall /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Klaus

 

[Wits' End]

I think the Inverter is rated at 400W, not a premium model.
The wire from in house battery to living room is 6 gauge, about a 35' run. We never had this problem, using the same inverter, with our older laptop, 70W.
I was thinking that eliminating the DC/AC/DC loss would make the 'system' work out better.
Thanks for all your input.

 

[Brock]

Ahhhhh, now I see where you’re going. I also looked in to this with my Dell, same situation. The catch is the 12vdc power supply for the computer is an inverter/regulator, I don't know how high the step up is. I wish they just made laptops that ran straight off 12v, I should say Dell, I know some companies do make them; my last old Toshiba was 12vdc in.

You could add a small 7Ah SLA 12v battery at that “outlet”, and connect the inverter to that. I would bet that would fix it. I did that in my Kitchen (opposite end of the house from my battery bank on a dual #10 line) where I had a pretty good voltage drop on the 12v line. I matched the same batteries as my main bank and fused them at 30A, both on the big bank side and at the kitchen end, no more sag.

 

[ChopperCFI]

While not directly answering your question, you might try using the control panel power options to reduce processor performance and screen brightness. The combination of these two might get you below the 75W threshold of standard adapters. It might also be that the required 90W is with everything going including CD/DVD drive, modem, lan connection, USB attached stuff and driving an external monitor. You might not need 90W in normal situations.

 

[Wits' End]

[ QUOTE ]
ChopperCFI said:
The combination of these two might get you below the 75W threshold of standard adapters. It might also be that the required 90W is with everything going including CD/DVD drive, modem, lan connection, USB attached stuff and driving an external monitor. You might not need 90W in normal situations.

[/ QUOTE ]
I tried the AC adapter from my old Laptop and it said something along the lines of <font color="red">Warning you are using an underpowered power supply damage may occur to computer or PS. </font> This was just starting up computer. Also had a friend give me a spare battery from an old laptop of theirs again a similar message. It won't let you continue with them.

[ QUOTE ]
Brock said: You could add a small 7Ah SLA 12v battery at that “outlet”, and connect the inverter to that.

[/ QUOTE ]
Do you have a charge controller on that or just a straight hook up from your battery bank? I thought you needed a little more voltage to charge.
Thanks again!!

 

[Brock]

Mine remote battery a direct connects to the main bank. So as the main bank gets charged (solar array) it charges the remote battery as well. Really all your doing is moving the power source closer to the inverter. To see if this might work try connecting the inverter at your main battery bank and try running the laptop. If this works without an issue a remote battery would work, or a larger wire.

How is the inverter connected to the 6 gauge now? If it is going through a cig plug you might try direct connecting it. Cig plugs are notoriously for poor connections, thus loosing power.

 

[Wits' End]

[ QUOTE ]
Brock said:
How is the inverter connected to the 6 gauge now? If it is going through a cig plug you might try direct connecting it. Cig plugs are notoriously for poor connections, thus loosing power.

[/ QUOTE ]
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ohgeez.gif Good idea! I'll try it,
Thank-You /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bowdown.gif