Car inverters

For those that use them in their vehicle what would some of you recommend to power a full sized desktop and monitor?

 

I've always been of the opinion: Do it once, do it right. To do it twice, costs at least three times as much.

http://www.neobits.com/whistler_pro...V1IXmWMbJOQtJjKYdRvSX8HMglXCBGoi3UaAuzu8P8HAQ


Don't forget, you also need an alternator to back it up and a couple of deep cycle batteries don't hurt either...

 

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...RP_Sfks5EpCuJBYnFg8ZR3g&bvm=bv.79908130,d.aWw

I hope that link works, if not just Google "use 12V to power computer" and you will find ways to plug your computer into the 12V on your car bypassing the inverter. This will be more efficient. My son did this on his Fiero but he used a laptop in the console with a 17" screen on the dash. It actually came out very well.

 

I am a bit confused

The ''mekanic''' mentions something else more ( better?) expensive.

I was just looking for some recommendations of brands that would just use the lighter. However i dont know how efficient and dangerous it can be.


I wasn't planning on powering on a computer /monitor for more than 30 min so its not like i needed it for continuous prolonged usage ( such as 2 or more hours like on a daily or every other day basis)

 

You need to calculate wattage. Whatever the computer will draw, what the monitor will draw, and time is irrelevant if you are underpowering the unit.

If you have a 650W PSU, plan on adding the monitor to that tally.

 

Musksnipe, you are correct. You don't want to do it, unless you own stock in Cooper-Bussman, or can buy fuses in bulk on the cheap.

 

On my car, the fuse for the cigarette lighter is 10 amps. At 12 volts that's just 120 watts that a cig lighter will put out (volts x amps = watts). That will run a small laptop, but not a PC and monitor.

 

Electricity is - PFM - pure friggin magic!

 

It's also different in calculations if the circuit is AC, or DC and if the circuit is parallel or series. The one that doesn't change is P = I x E, or W = V x A

Of course, in the nitty gritty, volt-amps is one thing, and wattage is another. Apparent power, is not true power.

 

In circuits with capacitors and inductor (power supplies) phasor diagrams come into play. And a 400 watt anything loses some power to heat so it takes more power on the input.