I have a question for those of you running power inverters, and/or computers in your trucks.

How clean is the power that these put out? I like the idea of having AC in my truck, but I'm a bit worried about using the brand new laptop with poor current.

Any thoughts?

You could just plug it into my inverter and find out!

Actually, I forgot to tell you that I try not to run my DVD player off the inverter directly. My plan is to use the inverter to charge the battery and then run the player off of that. I did run it once off the inverter though and it didn't fry.

BTW, I bought this today, so what movie do you want me to bring this weekend? :D

The Matrix!

I'll bring it! :)

What, no projector and screen?

Lemme see if I can steal them away from work for the weekend. I also have about 150 movies here on disc, I'll bring a few good ones (since we're out in the woods, Deliverance is at the top of the pile!) :D

Bre and I have run a laptop off our inverter successfully with no problems. We have also had the battery in the laptop charging at the time as well. I am not sure how it would do without it in. Regardless, we have yet to have any problems.

With my inverter, I've found that my laptop charger/adapter will not take power from it unless I plug the UPS into the power outlet after I start the engine. If I start the engine with the inverter already plugged in, the laptop won't drink. Go figure.

Brent

I haven't played with my inverter enough to realize the steps to it like Brent, but sometimes it kicks out power, sometimes it doesn't, got to reread the manual to it. Used it for everything from laptop to charging Nik batteries.
My new Laptop did come with a cig adapter/charger and that works flawless so far, easier to plug in than the invertor mess of wires.

I have used a 75w StatPower inverter to run my laptop a LOT.
(I frequently have it on all day for GPS mapping.)
No problems.

I run my laptop off my inverter a lot and have not had any problems.

This past weekend, I ran an 8 gauge wire off the battery and split it under the dash. So far my GPS is hard wired, my Cobra75 is wired to it. I plan on puchasing a 1000W inverter (have a 300 now, won't run a blender :( ) and rewiring it so I can install the plugs to the right of the gear shift and the guts under the passenger seat. I also have a 400W amp that will get installed as soon as I get a sub to push with it and some new speakers up front, oh yeah and an amp to push them.

The installation of the 8 guage should give me all the power I need inside the cabin. This makes for a cleaner install under the hood and I don't have a tons of leads off the battery for all my light either.

I ran my laptop off an inverter for the first time this past weekend and had no problems at all. My inverter is actually built into a "jumper" battery pack. It's nice cuz I can move the power where I want it. What I do while we're in the truck is plug whatever needs to be powered into the inverter and then run a line from the booster pack to the cig. lighter. I'll snap a picture of it tomorrow.

Schlud,

I just realized the other day that my company Dell laptop has a "Mobile Surge Protector" in it's bag. It is labled as APC and includes phone line protection. Might be something worth looking into. I would give you mine, but I don't know if it would work and it's not REALLY mine to give away...though I doubt anyone would ever miss it. I may use it someday, but haven't so far. That's why I didn't realize it was in there. I could certainly let you take a look at it sometime though.

Charles

Hmmm..I'll look into that. Thanks.

Here's a couple of pics of the inverter booster pack I use:

Front:
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=1614169&a=12333431&p=55845579

Side:
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=1614169&a=12333431&p=55845580

Goliath,
Did you fuse that 8ga wire at the battery? The reason I ask? An 8ga wire will allow 200+ amps to flow! If it's not fused and it shorted against ground the smoke and fire will be instataneous! Ask me how I know this!!! Oh hell I'll tell you... Couple of years ago I was wiring an amp for a bud. We needed to test some things so I hooked up a length of 8ga wire straight to the battery, ran it over the fender and through the door. We tested for a while then took a break. Couple of minutes later we hear his wife screaming! We run outside and it looked like the whole car was engulfed in smoke! :eek: She had slammed the door shut on the 8ga wire! It was glowing cherry red then finally burned in two. It damaged his battery, burned the paint on the fender and door, burned his inside door panel and carpet and last the whole car smelled like burnt wiring for weeks :(

This story is why I have the CoolKit #4 Fuse Block! Here is a pic of my first 6 circuit unit installed on the Shrike. The relay is for my Hella lights.
I now have the 10 circuit block installed.
http://www.globalsoftware-inc.com/coolerman/new folder/fuse block.jpg

There's no need for an inverter! You can plug a laptop directly into the DC power outlet in your Xterra. Just run down to Radio Shack (take your current DC wall adapter with you) and have the nice people there help you build (usually under 10 bucks) a cigarette lighter adapter.
Laptops run on 12v DC power.

Currently, I have a mini-ITX pc running in my Xterra. It plugs directly into the DC power plug at the back of the center console.

FWIW, my notebook runs on 18V, so a direct connection is not an option.

I can address the questions about the "cleanness" of inverter power.

Most of the inverters out there for under $100 are what's called "modified sine wave" output (the AC in your house is a true sine wave). The output of these cheap inverters isn't a sine wave at all but a series of positive and negative-going rectangular pulses that approximate the frequency and voltage found in home AC. This rectangular wave output is loaded with higher frequency harmonics.

What does all of this gibberish mean? Some devices will work with these inverters, some will not. Anything with a switching power supply inside probably won't care. A linear supply might.

There are "true sine wave" inverters out there, but I've never seen one for under $100.

i see our xterra-electrician made his way here finally.:bigthumb:

How you all find space for your laptop? Mine so full of crap most of the time, I never have any space to hang out inside it let alone use a computer for porning and movie viewing.

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