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Hey guys, I'm sure everyone knows about power inverters, those great little devices that convert the dc plug into an ac plug for household devices to be used in our automobiles. I was wondering if any of you have had experiences with them?

I always wanted to purchase one so I could put my laptop in there. However, the last thing I'd want is a blown alternator or some other electrical problem, from my understanding a car's factory alternator is essentially made to support the car's stock eletrical devices running at the same time on full blast(ie: speakers, and a/c), anything more could damage it??

So do any of you have any experiences with a power inverter or advice? I'm looking into getting a 175watt Xantrex power inverter, only $26.99 at microcenter,
thanks.

 
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i dont have a power inverter, but my friend with an '02 has one for a PS2 in his car. it works fine, but i'm not sure how much power you need to run a lap top. if the device requires too much power, the inverter will not be able to deliver the power and the device wont work. for example, my friend tried hooking up an Xbox and it wouldnt turn on. probably required more power.

as for the alternator, my friend has lots of stuff running, like subs, tv, PS2, multiple gauges, neons, etc. he is putting a strain on his alternator, and that will cause the alternator to die out more quickly. but, his car seems to run fine without any problems such as dimmed out lights (except when the sub hits). but if you dont have subs and all this other stuff that requires too much power, then i dont see why you shouldnt get it. the stock alternators on our civics are pretty weak, so dont get too carried away.

 
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yup my inverter is fine and it pushes 170 watts. thats more than enough to run a laptop, tvs and ps2s. shouldnt harm your alternator. your alternator pushes out about 60 amps. so that is more than enough to run the inverter as well as your kickass sound system

 
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yeah, thats why i mentioned the 170watt one because i know its abundant enough to power most things, and definately more than enough to power my laptop (130watts)