Power Inverters

Yea Hardly, it is Volvo, I will try that, appreciate your help!!

 

I've gone through 2 300w inverters since I got my new laptop. Its a powerful lappy no doubt, runs about 180w. But the inverter seems to fail and the laptop goes over to battery power way too often, sometimes when nothing's going on.

Sometimes I can play games for hours with the inverter working fine, other times it seems anything I do and the inverter faults out and it switches to battery. (just did it twice while typing this)

Is this an inverter issue, should I try a 400w? Could it be a truck issue? I'm in a ProStar with an oversize battery pack "APU" courtesy of Celadon.

 

Are you plugging the inverter into a lighter socket? If you are, then your inverter is limited to 150-200W due to the socket.

 

I have a gaming laptop and use a 150/300w inverter that plugs into the accessory. If the laptop battery is not 100%, the truck needs to be running.

sent from my EVO4gLTE
OCed and MEANbean

 

Had a Powerbright 1100w with 2200w peak connected to a microwave and laptop. It stopped working after 3 months. Would recommend the heavy duty ones you see at truck stops instead.

 

Can anybody recommend a brand of pure sine wave converter.I want to get rid of the noise that is produced by my old inverter and comes over the CB when my refrigerator turns on.

 

Check your grounds first.

 

Tripp-Lite is at the top of my very short list.

Check the RV boards; there are a LOT more RVers active on the boards than truckers are, and they are less swayed by what's on sale at the truck stop this week.

 

Just a thought/idea I'm throwin out here. I work for Western Express, and they only allow the ones that plug into the cig lighter/12 V plug (sadly, only the 400w ones). But, there's no real way for them to know that you are hardwiring one to the battery, unless you obviously have it permanently mounted or leave it in plain sight when putting it in the yard shop. When I worked for C.R. England that didn't care what kind you used, I just removed the battery cover, hooked up the battery lead clamps and set the inverter inside. When I was done, remove it, replace the cover, and go on my marry little way. Obviously, not a good idea if it's raining, though.

Now, I wonder where the stupid idiots that work in maintenance get the idea that hardwiring can cause a fire. My dad is an electrician, so I have some knowledge on how this stuff works. The only way fires could possibly happen is through shorts in the wires or lose wires (a lose wire will get HOT and if you ever had any experience with lose wires, well, you know they could melt at the connecting ends). A good inverter will have a surge protector which will prevent an over abundance of power from going into the inverter, which yes, an inverter without an SPD, or a good one anyways, could result in a voltage spike, which would cause a fire. And there you have it. Mechanics that don't know jack about electrical devices claiming hardwiring causes fires. It's not how it's hooked up, it's WHAT is hooked up.

 

There are a ton of tractor fires every year... many can be traced back to improperly installed inverters. And yeah... it's how it's hooked up. Nothing like a chaffing power lead that shorts out without a proper fuse installed to fry your tractor and you while you sleep.