Hummm ? Using an Inverter to charge a laptop ...

[Ex-Calif]

I have been blindly lucky. I bought a 400w dc/ac unit at west marine. The box said something like, power your pc, ipad, ipod etc.

Converting dc/ac/dc may not be efficient but everything I have plugged in that thing has charged/worked from computers, to ipads to dremel drills to cordless drill chargers. I hard wired the unit into the dc bus with appropriate fuse and mounted it on the bulkhead.

I have a dell E6400 laptop and netbook.

[Lancerbye]

This boat has a Heart Freedom 2500w old inverter. I run everything on it including a microwave oven, a couple of laptops, 32 in. Sony Bravia tv etc. Never any problems. It is a modified sine wave inverter, but not all modified sine wave inverters are created equal. It is like anything else, pay for quality or pay twice.

[daddle]

Originally Posted by Mr B

Whats the difference between Pure sine wave and Modified sine wave inverters ... I am Mechanical, not Electrical

Mechanical? How about this? A electrical sine wave is closely related to a circle, mathematically. Like a smooth running round shaft in a round bearing. Anything else will be like a square shaft clunking around in a larger square hole. Mechanically or electrically this not a good way to make a product.

With modern electronics there is no excuse for anything but a true sine wave inverter.

I use a sweet little 300w inverter to run this MacBook.

[Geoduck]

msw inverters will eat certain types of battery chargers. I've lost a few myself. Best to go psw or dc charging adapter.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

I have been blindly lucky. I bought a 400w dc/ac unit at west marine. The box said something like, power your pc, ipad, ipod etc.

Converting dc/ac/dc may not be efficient but everything I have plugged in that thing has charged/worked from computers, to ipads to dremel drills to cordless drill chargers. I hard wired the unit into the dc bus with appropriate fuse and mounted it on the bulkhead.

I have a dell E6400 laptop and netbook.

I think WM sells a nice 400W true sine inverter so you might have gotten that which explains this well

Originally Posted by Lancerbye

This boat has a Heart Freedom 2500w old inverter. I run everything on it including a microwave oven, a couple of laptops, 32 in. Sony Bravia tv etc. Never any problems. It is a modified sine wave inverter, but not all modified sine wave inverters are created equal. It is like anything else, pay for quality or pay twice.

"old" inverter is the keyword here. You can't buy that quality in modified sine anymore. Heart Freedom was actually trying to build a very good product when they designed your unit. But, there are still problems with it, but you don't notice them yet. For example, it will take your microwave longer to get a cup of water to a boil then when you power it from shore power. Your laptop power brick will run a bit hotter. Things like that, not big but it's there. If your unit breaks, and it will because your capacitors are getting old now, do not count to be able to buy the same thing from Xantrex even when it still looks alike your Heart. I made that mistake and it cost me dearly.

Originally Posted by daddle

With modern electronics there is no excuse for anything but a true sine wave inverter.

I use a sweet little 300w inverter to run this MacBook.

Exactly, when you buy new today, buy true sine wave.

ciao!
Nick.