O/T Will it work???

[Goose]

I have a little laptop computer I'd love to take with me on the road. However, when running on internal battery, the screen is noticeably less bright than when plugged in to a wall outlet. (Even with a new battery).

Would it work to install an invertor in my car and plug the laptop charger into the invertor? HF has little invertors for $20 on up.

Assuming it would work, my one concern is drain on the car battery. Without figuring specs, I can't believe a laptop would draw that many amps. Per Dell's website, I couldn't find any car chargers, probably because the laptop has a 19v input.

And don't tell me to change laptops. This one still has XP Pro for an OS, and that's what all my business activities are built on.

Has anyone tried this? Any comments or ideas?

Before I pay for Internet service on the road, I'd like to make sure the function of the computer would be satisfactory.

 

[chevdud97]

There are power settings for when its plugged in and running on battery. When its plugged in the screen will be bright and when you unplug it the screen will dim for power saver. i believe if you plug your laptop in. in the bottom right corner where the time is you should see a little power cord icon. if you right click it you will be able to change the settings to make it brighter when running on the battery alone. if you want to keep from killing the battery a little 3-400 watt inverter will keep the battery charged.

 

[caterpillar guy]

Yes it will work they have been using them that way in trucks for years.

 

[buickanddeere]

200W continuous minimum. Read the fine print on the package as the label rates the intverter at peak capacity.

 

[OldBuzzard]

I have an old HP laptop that I use in the motorhome.

It has a bad battery, and I'm too cheap to buy a new one. I use it as a GPS using Microsoft Streets & Trips while on the road, and power it with an inverter. It works just fine like that.

I doubt that draining the battery would be an issue unless you are sitting for hours on end with the engine off.

 

[jon f mn]

I use mine on an inverter every day in my truck. I use it from time to time in the pickup too on an inverter that plugs into the cigarette lighter. The first one we got for that was too small and we got a larger one. I don't know what the wats are on it tho. As long as the vehicle is running it will be no problem but will kill the battery with long use if you shut it off. You can make your screen brighter by using the function button on the bottom of the keyboard and the f7 key on the top. The brighter your screen is the faster your battery will go dead tho.

 

[Clodbuster]

If you are going to run the 'puter with the car not running for longer periods, you may need to get a deep cycle marine battery or at least a better one. My agronomist had a brand new Ford truck and needed to be boost started nearly any time he was writing up reports with the engine shut off. A better battery solved the problem.

 

[Bob M]

You can adjust the default screen brightness settings independently for both AC and battery power.

It's been a while since I've done it in XP. But in Windows 7 go to the Control Panel, then select Hardware & Sound > Power Options > Edit Plan Settings. There will be brightness adjustements for both A/C and battery power.

Note that when on battery power, a brighter display = shorter battery run time.

----

I've powered my laptop from an inverter for many years. Inverter is a cheap 140 watt unit from Sam's Club. It draws about 8 amps with the laptop powered up - a bit more than parking lights.

 

[Dr. Walt]

I have a 300 watt inverter hard-wired inside the cab of my pickup for my Dell laptop - works GREAT!

 

[Allan in NE]

Just go in the BIOS and pull the power rating adjustment up; by default it is set for lower screen brightness while on battery power.

'Bout three clicks and you've solved you problem.

Allan

 

[Bob]

There's ALL sorts of universal travel laptop power supply/charger units on the market. They can be powered by a 120 VAC or the cig lighter and eliminate the need for a separate inverter ahead of the factory charger. The link below shows ONE example. The factory list is shown, some discounters have them for considerably less.
Power it

 

[Goose]

Thanks for all the responses. Looks like it should be no problem.

Since I posted this, a Cleary salesman stopped in to wrap up details on the building I just put up, and he does it in his pickup.

 

[Rollie NE PA]

On my Gateway, I just hold down the Fn button and at the same time hit the up arrow to brighten the screen. I don't know if this works on other puters

 

[OldFarmTractor]

I wonder if I can put the same inverter on my International M? Sure would be handy when working the fields? LOL

 

[JRSutton]

Your screen dims to save power so your battery lasts longer.

It's not like the battery isn't powerful enough to light it up - so whether it's a new battery or not - it won't matter.

But aside from that, yes an inverter will work. Don't go too cheap - you want a good one that can really handle the load and give you relatively clean power.

 

[Goose]

I tried that, and it worked! Got the screen as bright as I wanted, in increments each time I hit the "Up" key.

I'll have to play around now and see how long the battery lasts.

 

[old_bc]

Yes it will work. I have one and have used my laptop in my vehicle. Just make sure that the inverter wattage is high enough for your computer.

 

[Dalet]

When I use my laptop on the road, I switch my smartphone, an HTC 4 to a hotspot and can be on the web driving down the road, or at a rest stop. Works well when I need to use the computer for 20 minutes to half an hour for urgent matters.