Power Inverter

I am going on a trip and need to take my laptop. I am going to purchase a power inverter for the drive, but there are so many available that I don't know which to choose. Is there a cut and dry formula for selecting on for my G4 Powerbook? I've see them as low as $15 up to $500. 45W on up. What wattage should I be looking for to allow my machine to perform properly? Do I need to spend the big bucks, or can I get something to suit my needs for less than $50? Any do's or don'ts that I need to be aware of when making my purchase?
Thanks in advance -

Woooo! Hold the phone! The little white box you use to plug in your powerbook is a power transformer. All you need is a set of plug adapters that go onto the end of the power cord, which will only cost you about five bucks from any travel goods store.

Similar Messages

  • Where can I purchase a display panel power inverter for a C700 Compaq laptop? Part #454915-001

    Where can I purchase a panel display power inverter for a Compaq Presario C770US (FE932UA) Laptop?

    go on give it a go! what have you got to lose;
    http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/MacBook+Core+2+Duo+Inverter+Cable+Replacement/4772

  • Imac g5 - burned power inverter?

    I have one of those so called troubled Imacs with a video issue.  Video eventually went to an intense plaid like pattern but compter itself ran great. I inspected all capacitors, even the ones in the power supply and they all look perfect. I took the power inverter that feeds power to the monitor and flipped it over and saw a small area of the circuit board discolored and burned. Its where a series of 6 black wires plug into the board. I have pictures to show (see links). Any suggestions here would be great as it is an older mac and I dont want to be spending additional money at guessing the problem.

    Do mac techs reply to these forums?
    No. We are all just fellow Mac users who volunteer their assistance here.
    13 views and not a peep!!!
    None of them, including me, knows the answer, but it would seem that you need a new mother board.
    Better still, a newer Mac, as that would cost you about 75% of the price of a new Mac.

  • Power Supply, or Power Inverter Card

    i believe I'm suffering from a common problem with my 20" ambient-light imac. It shuts down intermittently, without warning, as though the plug were being pulled.
    I've tried the SMU reset, sometimes it helps for a day or two, sometimes it doesn't. I'm ready to try replacing parts. The only question is whether there is a consensus that this is a problem with the power supply, or the power inverter card? I'd rather not replace both if I don't have to.
    Thanks!

    Hi there Eric,
    you forgot to remind Lukaziod to backup/clone his computer (using SuperDuper!)before having it repaired!
    As an aside, the ambient light computer is user serviceable, Apple can send a PSU and dyi instructions,
    Miriam

  • Problems with car power inverter

    It seems that my 300w Wenchi car power inverter does not work with my recently purchased MacBook Pro 13?
    Info abot my Wenchi (Made in Taiwan) Power Inverter:
    Model No: WHS-300
    DC Input Voltage:12V-14V
    AC Output Voltage: 230V
    AC Output ferquency: 50Hz
    Output power: 300W
    Output wave form: modified Sine Wave
    I appreciate very much if anyone can help.
    Thanks

    I have done it and the output is 230V. My inverter is a big one which can be used even with devices like TV etc.. I mean that the problem is that my Macbook Pro does not like modified sine wave. Yesterday purchased 10 x smaller, fully quiet car adapter for Macbook Pro with magnet contact and got so needed incar power supply immediately.

  • Can I use a power inverter?

    Hello everybody
    I did'nt know where to post this question...anyway
    I have a show this weekend, and my booth doesn't have electricity, is it at all possible to take a car battery in with me and use a power inverter for powering my imac?
    If I am running a slideshow demo, how long would the battery last?
    does anybody have any other suggestions for powering the imac w/o power nearby?
    thanks
    Rob

    If I had no choice but to use batteries, I'd:
    1. Use at least 2 apple laptop batteries intended for my computer (fully charged).
    2. If I also needed power for other items such as a camcorder, etc, I'd rent specialized 12 v. (low amp) batteries called "Bricks" from a video rental supply outfit prior to the trade show time. And I'd test the brick/s prior to showtime.
    ....or.....
    If it were physically impractical to have an 120 AC outlet installed at my own booth, I'd ask to share electrical with a nearby booth while offering to pay for the entire service for both booths & run a heavy duty electrical extention cord grounded and carefully duct taped to the floor (along the back of the booth) or where there is very little /no traffic.

  • Does anyone know the Power Inverter Board p/n?

    Does anyone know the Power Inverter Board p/n for the iSight 1.9Ghz iMac? I understand there are several but knowing me, I'd buy the wrong one.

    If you commonly like to read posts on a certain subject you can store a query link in your browser to more quickly find specific posts. For example I have the following link bookmarked in my browser.
    http://forums.ni.com/ni/search?submitted=true&type=message&q=FPGA&days=7&page_size=10
    The advanced search page allows you to define your own search which you can then bookmark.
    http://forums.ni.com/ni/search?advanced=true
    Christian Loew, CLA
    Principal Systems Engineer, National Instruments
    Please tip your answer providers with kudos.
    Any attached Code is provided As Is. It has not been tested or validated as a product, for use in a deployed application or system,
    or for use in hazardous environments. You assume all risks for use of the Code and use of the Code is subject
    to the Sample Code License Terms which can be found at: http://ni.com/samplecodelicense

  • Powering MacBook Pro via Car Power Inverter issue

    Hello,
    I recently acquired a car power inverter from a family member to use on a trip this week. My wife and I tried it out tonight and found that it didn't work with our MacBook Pro. The Inverter is a 500watt / 4.2amp inverter. When we plug in the adapter to power the macbook pro the LED on the inverter blinks signaling to us a problem. The manual (and back of the inverter) reports that a blinking LED means one of three things, (1)DC input is out of range,(2)Excessive Load, or (3)Unit is too hot. Clearly it wasn't the third considering we JUST turned on the unit. The back of the inverter also says that the Output is 120V AC, 60hz and 500watts. My question is, what exactly is the necessary range of power needed to power the MacBook Pro's adapter? Could the battery be an issue if it was at about 10% charged(I thought it might be and removed it but still didn't get a working adapter)?
    In case it matters, the power inverter is a "Vector Maxx SST(Soft Start Technology) 500watt".
    Thanks for the help!

    Hmm, I use an "el cheapo" inverter that I got at fry's that's rated for MUCH less then 500 Watts, (about 120 actually) that has no problems running mine so I would suggest that it's probably a problem with your inverter...

  • Is Mobile Power Inverter Output  large enough for my iBook?

    Hello. I have a 12 in iBook and wonder if it can be powered from a Mobile Inverter with the following specs:
    175W Output Power Maximum 150W/1.3A Continuous. Output is 115VAC 60 Hz.
    It indicates "Caution-Output non-sinusoidal" which I really dont know what that means as far as running a computer goes.
    Thanks for any assistance on this.

    If you are considering matching input specifications of the iBook's
    power adapter and having the mobile inverter run the computer
    via the power adapter, since the iBook AC power adapter can be
    run per the written specifications on the unit itself, there should
    be no lack of information.
    The AC Adapter can run from 100-240v 50-60Hz 85-120VA input
    and the output is 24VDC 1.875A (per 45 Watt adapter 12" iBook.)
    You could just purchase an appropriate DC-to-DC adapter and
    not have the heat generation and power wastage of using an
    inverter to convert power to AC and then have to go back to DC.
    A company by the name of Lind Electronics has some examples.
    You may want to double check your power inverter specs and
    compare them to the input requirements for the iBook.
    Good luck & happy computing!

  • Using the Kensington Power Inverter w/ iBook G4

    I'm going to be going on a trip soon and I was hoping to use the Kensington Power Inverter for use with cars. I'm worried, however, that the inverter will not be able to provide enough power.
    When I purchased my iBook, it originally came with a 60W power adapter. A dog kind of ruined that one, and since then I've had to replaced it with a 65W adapter. I'm a little confused as too whether this is 60/65W input out output.
    My worry is spurred on by the fact that the Power Inverter can provide 60W continuously, but 75W for only five minutes. I'm wondering if my laptop can be charged or run continuously off of this inverter or not.
    P.S. This is the same Kensington Power Inverter that can be found at the Apple Store here. The review apparently hints that it should work, but I'm just a little paranoid, so humor me.

    The question should be what is the recommended for minimum free hard drive space.
    Check this link.
    http://www.thexlab.com/faqs/lackofram.html
    And if you start approaching the recommended minimum account or beforehand, this link will be helpful with recommendations to free up hard drive space.
    http://www.thexlab.com/faqs/freeingspace.html

  • Car charging with a power inverter question.

    So i have this power inverter that says 200w continuous/ 400w peak power.
    its from QuantumFX PWR80
    input voltage 12V DC
    output voltage 110+/- 10V AC
    USB output 5V DC (max 1000mA)
    Continus output 200W
    peak output 400w
    output freq. 60+/- hz
    low volt. protection 9.2-9.8V DC
    over volt. protection15-16.5V DC
    overload Protection >240W
    I have the newest macbook pro 15" 2.2 ghz qua core i7
    will this work fine with my mac? or is eit too much power or too little idk haha please help a fellow mac user.

    I use inverters extensively and have found that getting a good inverter is not that easy; here are some issues to think about:
    1. you need to have an inverter that supplies enough continuous power (not just peaking power) to your device.  So if you have a 17" MacBook Pro, like I have, you need an inverter that continuously supplies at least 85 watts of power.  One that only supplies more than 85 watts peak power is not good enough.
    2. you need to have an inverter that is large enough in size to dissipate energy efficiently.  Some inverters that theoretically supply enough continuous power still heat up, and then go into an off/on cycle to keep the temperature down.  Trouble is, every time the inverter cycles off, the computer screen dims; which is really annoying.
    3. many of the smaller inverters use a fan to keep them cool.  Trouble is, most of the fans are noisy- which is also annoying.  Also, when the fan turns on, they draw more current, which causes the power to vary, which may affect your screen brightness.
    4. inverters should have a cord- otherwise, they are sometimes difficult to stick into a cigarette lighter plug.
    I have not found a really good inverter yet- if someone does, please let me know.  A good inverter would have the following characteristics:
    1. provides enough continuous power to keep the computer charged and running.
    2. dissipates energy efficiently with metal fins so that it doesn't need to go into an on/off cycle to keep the temperature low enough.  If the inverter must go into an on/off cycle, your computer screen will dim every time the inverter is off- which is distracting.
    3. doesn't have a noisy fan that also draws power and cycles on/off, and therefore is also distracting.
    4. has a high efficiency (you should buy one with at least 85% efficiency; most of them do).
    5. has a cord, as opposed to a rigid plug that is pushed into your cigarette lighter.
    6. is as small in size as possible, and as inexpensive as possible- but without compromising the basic need to supply continuous, steady power without having the screen dim or building up too much heat.
    There are two basic types of inverters: ones that supply pure sine wave power, and ones that supply modified sine wave power.  The pure sine wave inverters supply "smoother" power (more steady voltage)- but are much more expensive, and, I understand, not needed for powering computers.

  • Dead Power Inverter on MacBook

    Hello everyone, this is my first post. I am 22, stationed in Osan, South Korea with the USAF. Anyway, before I left the states my MacBook display stopped workin, initially I thought it was because it suffered a short slow descent to the ground when it slid between my bed and the wall but now I am relatively positive that its a defect. Unfortunately I had to open up the display to verify that which I did as a last resort when a rather snooty Apple Store employee said it wouldn't be covered and when I explained it was likely minor he said it was 750.00 to repair the LCD no matter what the problem was. You can still clearly see the LCD itself is fine, it just has no power. I opened it up and disconnected from the inverter and turned it on, same thing so now I am positive the inverter is dead. The question now is how can I get thi fixed? I'm sure apple won't fix it for me because of their stupid warranty clauses and I know it won't cost that much to fix. Where can i find an inverter for the display so I can swap it out? Please help!
    Thanks,
    Ryan Kenward

    Hi Ryan!
    To clarify on the inverter... are you not drawing backlight power to the LCD? What exactly is the LCD doing that leads you to believe it's the inverter?
    http://www.ifixit.com/
    I've directed people to that site for 3rd party out-of-warranty repair components, they might be able to assist you further. I wasn't able to find an inverter for the MacBook on their site right now but they may be able to assist you in obtaining one. I'd just make sure that's in the inverter, not the LVDS or something along those lines.

  • D110 Power inverter issue

    I have bought a D110 Printer to set up in a little work space I have set up in the back of a van I use to travel. I need a full Printer/Scanner/ Copier. When I plug the printer into the wall socket it workes like a champ but when I plug into a per inverter ( either a 450w model or a 750w model) the LED on the poer supply for the printer does not come on. I have metered both inverters and they are putting out 120.5 volts. I have removed the 2 prong plug from, the power supply and  metered that while it is plugged in the inverter and agian 120.5 volts. So my question is this: Is this normal or does the power supply have an issue---or do HP printers just not work off inverters for some strange reason? Is there anything I can try or do I need to go with another printer?

    Hmm, I use an "el cheapo" inverter that I got at fry's that's rated for MUCH less then 500 Watts, (about 120 actually) that has no problems running mine so I would suggest that it's probably a problem with your inverter...

  • Touchscreen problems when using power inverter

    We have just purchased a Envy 27 recline for our caravan for all the good features this HP has and TV
    Of cause at times will want to run the HP off a 12v true sine wave 400watt inverter.
    We tried this to find a problem, the computer worked ok but the touch screen ran a muck and did not work as normal.
    So after much googling and some reading I am here looking fo answer from HP.
    As I can't beleive I would be the first to come across this problem and wanting to put this all in one into a motor home.
    From what I have read it could be an issue of dirty power from the inveter, yet we thought we have purchase the best true sine wave brand we could from our battery guys here in Australia.
    Any advice would greatfully be recieved.
    This question was solved.
    View Solution.

    Thanks Lou, firstly for your time and secondly for your thoughts and advice. 
    We finally have it working off an inverter power with out issue. 
    But I have to say without any worthy help from HP's offical telephone help line.
    Lou, I work through many of your suggestions as I waited for the offical reply to my telephone inquiry about what Brand or type of inverter or UPS I should use with my Envy Recline.
    Well, it's very sad that a massive company like HP with what you would think would be a very large R&D department, can't answer such a simple question, like what type of inverter or UPS would they recommend to work with the Recline's touch screen. 
    The poor people I was talking to, had no idea what I was talking about or what I was trying to do. How does a computer call centre peason not know what an UPS is, I can understand about an inverter, but tech people, they are really very similar things in different boxes.
    Ok, if you have this problem with your inverter and touch screen, firstly not all inverters are equal even in the same brand as I found out. I would like to thank my Battery & Inverter supplier for their time and allowing me to set up the HP Envy Recline in the back of their shop and to try different inverters, UPS's and batteries.
    I am going to mention brands here, not to rat out the brand, but as it maybe helpful to someone else in Australia in the future. It seem my "Epower DCAC 400w 12v True Sine Inverter" was not up to the job when it came to supplying clean AC power needed to run the touch screen without issue. 
    In the end we tried an "Epower 12v DCAC 1000w  True Sine Wave", really just to give it a go, not thinking it would be any better being the same brand as the 400w unit, well it worked quite O.K. 
    This Epower 12 v 1000w True Sine Wave unit, solved our touch screen problems and ran HP Envy Recline as if it was operating on normal AC mains power.
    If anyone interested for there motor home, I found this setup draw between 4-5 amps from the 12v batteries and about 41 watts @ 240 volts runing a you tube clip.
    Well that's my experences and end result, I hope this helps someone else in the future, as I am sure HP will not be able to.  
    Thanks All.

  • Airline power for MacBook using Inverter?

    Can anyone recommend a good inverter to power a regular MacBook (not pro!)? I need one that will not trip the airline power when I plug it in. I know there is a limit (I believe) o n the draw even before you plug in a device. IE I don't think you can plug in a 240w adapter even if you are just going to draw 75w
    I also need it to work for both EMPower and DC Car-type power...
    Thoughts?
    Anyone know of any new rumbles on the MagSafe airine?

    I just returned from a trip and I used the Targus PAPWR005U Mobile Power Inverter. It worked very well, but if I wasn't careful I would trip the seat power. Essentially you should make sure that
    a) your battery is fully charged (or is only trickle charging) during the flight while using the inverter, or
    b) only charge the MacBook while sleep, or
    c) remove the battery.
    I allowed the MacBook to run down and no matter how I tried I couldn't get enough power to run and charge a 50% full battery.
    MacBook Black   Mac OS X (10.4.6)   2GB RAM, 160 GB

Maybe you are looking for