Auto/Air Adapter for DV5T

Hey everybody...

I am looking for a good, reasonably-priced auto/air adapter for my new HP DV5t. I looked on Ebay but they have weird ways of talking about compatibility...like I am not sure when talk about model numbers....ie. This ad references a DV5200...Is that a DV5?

http://cgi.ebay.com/Auto-DC-Power-A...39:1|66:2|65:12|240:1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

Anybody have any experience with auto/air adapters for HP DV5ts?

I have an auto/air adapter for my Toshibas, but need one now for the HP.

Thanks!

 

Why buy a specific model? I've been using the same universal auto/air/wall/AC adapter with my last 3 notebooks. It's stupid to keep buying new adapters all the time...

 

I agree. I would actually like to find a universal auto/air adapter for the HP, which I could use on my existing and future laptops. The problem is that I can't seem to find one that specifically mentions compatibility with the DV5. The only one that comes close is the iGO Everywhere130 and the only way that one is compatible with the DV5 is if I buy the S37 tip SEPARATELY.

I would like to find a more reasonable alternative. If you know of a good universal adapter, compatible with the DV5, I would love to know about it.

 

I have a genuine HP adapter. they are expensive!

I can tell you the HP unit will power a DV9500T, but it will not charge it (perhaps if the laptop is off it might).

I would love to get rid of mine.

 

The one I use (a Fellowes something or other) went off the market a few years ago. I bought two at the time, to make sure I had a spare... I've been looking for a Trust PW-1700P but they seem to only be sold in Europe and I haven't found an online retailer who will ship to the US. Google for that model, it sounds like it comes with everything.

 

hey guys...

Thanks for the advice. I will keep checking. It seems that the "tip" that will fit the HP DV5T is coded "S37" by all manufacturers, but I am concerned about its compatibility with the advertised adapters with interchangeable tips.

I gotta keep looking. I really don't want to pay more than 50.

 

Still coming up with nothing.

 

I have even tried to find a universal Air Auto Adapter which would take the S37 tip (which is the one that the HP DV5T needs), and am coming up with a big fat zero.

I even tried HP directly. No help. No dice with Targus either, because the S37tips only function with their wall adapter.

I know that EVERYBODY travels with a laptop nowadays, and as popular as this machine is, I can't believe that I am the only one who wants to run this laptop on airplane power?

 

I searched the archives and couldn't find if there is a universal auto/air adapter that people are using for the HP-DV5T. If there is one, where can I find it and if there is a genuine HP adapter, which one is for the DV5T?

Thanks

 

I posted this same question on the HP forum over a week ago and was spectacularly unsuccessful in getting a good answer. It seems that the HP DV5T is too new and, hard as it is believe, nobody around here travels with one on a plane. I also posted the same question on Flyertalk.com (Travel Technology forum) and got nothing.

I contacted HP. Nothing.
I contacted all sorts of sites selling notebook power adapters and found nothing.
Ebay yielded nothing.
Targus yielded nothing, other than the fact that the S37 "tip" which fits the HP DV5T only works with their AC adapters, NOT their "universal air adapter."

I thought I had hit paydirt yesterday when I checked Costco.com and found this:

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11307097&search=HP%20adapter&Mo=3&cm_re=1_en-_-Top_Left_Nav-_-Top_search&lang=en-US&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&Sp=S&N=5000043&whse=BC&Dx=mode+matchallpartial&Ntk=Text_Search&Dr=P_CatalogName:BC&Ne=4000000&D=HP%20adapter&Ntt=HP%20adapter&No=0&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Nty=1&topnav=&s=1

Item # 333817


The 90W Smart Air/Auto/AC Combo Adapter for Pavilion and Presario from Hewlett-Packard is designed to act as a replacement or spare power adapter for HP Pavilion and Compaq Presario notebooks. The adapter is designed to function in the United States but can also function in Europe with a plug adapter. You'll also be able to use it to power your notebook from a standard car "Cigarette Lighter" outlet or from an airplane power outlet. These power input capabilities give professionals real options to power their notebook while traveling.



Features:

The adapter is compatible with the following computers:
HP Pavilion: dv4, dv7, dv5, dv2000, dv3000, dv6000, dx6000, dv9000, tx1000, tx2000, dv1000, dv4000, dv5000, dv8000, ze4900HP: G3000, G5000, G6000, and G7000; HP special edition: L2000, 510, 530; Compaq Presario: CQ40, CQ45, CQ50, V3000, V6000, M2000, V2000, V4000, V5000, 2200, C300, C500, C700, C900, F500, and F700; HP Compaq nc82xx, nw82xx, nx82xx, nx9000, 2510p, 2710p, 6510b, 6515b, 6710b, 6715b, 6720s, 6820s, 6910p, 8510p, 8510w, 8710p, 8710w, nc2400, nc4010, nc4200, nc4400, nc6120, nc6140, nc6220, nc6230, nc6320, nc6400, nc8230, nc8430, nw8240, nw8440, nw9440, nx6110, nx6115, nx6325, nx7300, nx7400, nx9420, nx9600, tc4200, tc4400
Car and Airplane Power: The power adapter includes connectors to allow you to power your computer via a standard automobile 12 VDC "cigarette light" adapter as well as a standard airplane power adapter. This is essential for professionals who often need to use their computer while traveling.
Easily Portable: The adapter is made for notebook computers and is easily portable. Throw it in your laptop bag so you won't be stuck without a computer when your battery runs out.

Specifications:

Connector: US Plug, Car "Cigarette Lighter" Plug, Airplane Plug
Power Input: AC: 100-240VAC, DC: 10-32VDC
Power Output: 90W


Included:

AC Power Cord
Auto/Air Cable
Tablet PC Dongle
Carrying Pouch
1-Year Limited Warranty

The problem is...that HP itself says that this adapter DOES NOT fit the HP DV5T. Of course, we can't always believe what the sales staff at HP says, but I pretty much hammered this person to check with their superiors. They swore up and down that it did not fit the DV5T, and considering the fact that they are usually willing to tell you anything to make a sale, I might be inclined to believe them on this issue. HOWEVER, I decided, with Costco's liberal return policy, I would take the chance and buy it online.

THEN, I found online this universal inverter which could be used on all of my laptops:

http://www.walkabouttravelgear.com/elect.htm

(The ad for the inverter is halfway down the page.)


Power for the Road -- Airline and Auto Adapter.


InflightPower can be plugged into aircraft in-seat power sockets powering your laptop at 35,000 feet. Unlike other inflight power adapters the InflightPower is universal and will work with any laptop as well as other electrical items such as CD players or digital cameras. InflightPower can also be plugged directly into a car cigarette lighter outlet, and uses the running vehicle's battery to power up your connected notebook computer. It has built in overload/surge protection and weighs less than 1 pound. 90 Watts. Accepts North American style electrical plugs; other styles will work with the # 7G grounded adapter.







#22AIR Inflight Air $99.50



With this one, I don't have to worry about tips, and can use it on my Toshibas and my HP. The downside is you have to plug your own AC adapter into it, so some might complain about the bulk, but there is convenience in its versatility and the fact that I don't have to worry about a bunch of tiny little tips.

I ended up cancelling the Costco order and ordering this one. I will see how I like it (it has gotten great reviews overseas...British Airways sells it on their flights). If I don't like it, I will try my luck with Costco, but even though the Costco site specifically mentions the DV5, everybody else says that it won't work with the DV5. Also, some air adapters will only power and not charge. I beleive the InflightAir will also charge.

Costco is worth a try, especially due to their liberal return policy, but I found the uniqueness of the InflightAir to be too hard to resist, because of the universal nature of the unit.

Hope this helps.

 

I read your thread when searching and saw no one had an answer for us. I will look into the one at costco. I don't have a costco locally, so I'm sure I would have to pay return shipping if it didn't work out. Let me know how the Inflight works for you.

Thanks

 

I'll let you know how it works out.

 

First. Airline power is not standard. It can range from a Cigarette adapter to a EM-power plug to an AC outlet. This will probably give you the most flexible option:

http://www.apc.com/resource/include/techspec_index.cfm?base_sku=PNOTEAC150A

 

First, there are actually THREE different standards of in-seat power, which you might not be aware of.

They are:

1. AC power...takes a standard AC plug.

2. DC power using a cigarette lighter adapter.

3. DC power using the EmPower plug, which is a blunt-type plug.

The APC you link to is no different from the Teleadapt I linked to yesterday, and, in fact, according to amazon.com, APC and Teleadapt have jointly marketed a few of these inverter products over the years. The one you linked to, and the one I linked to, are both inverters.

I, in fact, went to Frys today and bought the Kensington, which I linked to yesterday, as well. Looks great. As versatile as the APC you cited, or the Teleadapt, but much less expensive, at $59.99. It looks great, and I think it should do the trick if I am to believe the reviews I have read.

I am not going to cancel the Teleadapt, though, as I think it is already on its way anyway, and who knows, I may keep both.

 

Built, I looked at Frys website and don't see any Kensington's at that price. I went to Best Buy yesterday and saw a Kensington. Is this the same one you bought?
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage...ngton&lp=7&type=product&cp=1&id=1177112903414

 

Here you go, KMB...This is the one I got. The Teleadapt also arrived yesterday but I haven't opened it up yet.

Here is the Kensington:

http://shop2.frys.com/product/4907121?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG

With the inverter, you plug the normal AC plug into the outlet on in the inverter, then plug the inverter into the airline seat power port or cigarette lighter socket in your car.



Kensington 33362 Ultra Portable Power Inverter 150

Kensington:
FRYS.com #: 4907121
The Kensington 33362 Ultra Portable Power Inverter 150 plugs into your vehicle's power port, or airline Empower port, to provide AC power to mobile devices requiring up to 120-watts of continuous power. From laptops to mobile phones, MP3s to PDAs, and even portable DVD players, this unit is the most versatile choice for power on the road or in the air. This inverter is ultra portable, with a compact, lightweight, sleek design that fits conveniently into a notebook case or vehicle glove box, and provides up to 150-watts of AC power to run a variety of mobile devices. The Kensington 33362 includes an LED indicator light that warns you of undesirable operating conditions, as well as built-in safety features such as over-current protection, low- and over-supply voltage protection, and over-temperature protection.

In stock, same day shipping


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Price: $ 59.99







--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Detailed Description


Technical Details
Plugs into a car's cigarette lighter or airplane's Empower port
Provides up to 150 Watts of AC power (120 Watts of continuous AC power)
Bright LED Indicator - warns you of undesirable operating conditions
Built-in Safety Features - over current protection, low and over supply voltage protection, and over temperature protection

 

Do you think it will work on a plane? Let me know if you like the Teleadapt better than the Kensington?

Thanks for the link.

 

Yes, it appears that the Kensington will work on a plane, both with the normal cigarette lighter adapter plug and the Empower plug. I have not yet opened the package, though, to see what is inside.

http://www.amazon.com/Kensington-33362-Ultra-Portable-Inverter/dp/B000EH2UVQ

http://flyertalk.com/forum/showpost.php?p=8259580&postcount=52

Read the second link, the one from Flyertalk. Seems to be a relatively emphatic recommendation.

I have not yet opened the Teleadapt either, though I have to admit the Teleadapt comes in a nice little package, like a mini shaving kit.

 

It looks like it has good reviews on your links. The one I linked to at BB has some pretty bad reviews, but it's a different model.

 

Yes, and the BB one has too many loose parts, and it is almost twice as expensive.

The BB one is an adapter, whereas the Kensington and the Teleadapt are inverters. You don't need "tips" to fit your specific laptop with an inverter because you plug the AC plug from your laptop directly into the inverter, making the inverter universal (except for Magsafe-equipped Macs...though there is a product on the market which enables a Magsafe-equipped Mac user to use an inverter.)

 

quick ques !!!! when u charging in the plane, where can one find an outlet. is this for business and first class only? sorry, never used a laptop on the plane coz i passed out a lot, thats why i hate flying so much.

 

It depends on the airline. Most airlines seem to concentrate the power ports in First and Business Class. The only US airline which has fairly good power port coverage in Coach is American (AA).

http://www.seatguru.com/articles/in-seat_laptop_power.php

The following list is from 2006, and may have changed somewhat in that I read somewhere that USAirways removed powerports from the coach seats on some, if not all, of their domestic planes. I don't know if this is true or not.
I don't know if the other airlines have added power or not since publication of the list.

First, airlines without in-seat power:

AirTran
Frontier
JetBlue
Hawaiian
Southwest

Many airlines do not have in-seat power on all of their aircraft, so I am only going to list the aircraft which do. If the aircraft isn't listed, it probably has no on-board power.
_____________________________________________________

American Airlines

Super-80 - Cigarette Style outlets in First Class and first several rows of economy. Also in exit rows.

Airbus A300 - Cigarette Style outlets in First Class and first few rows of economy.

Boeing 737-800 - Cigarette Style outlets in First Class up to and including exit rows in economy.

Boeing 757-200 - Cigarette Style outlets in First Class and first few rows of economy and exit rows. However, this is only on original AA 757s. The ones from TWA do not have power. The AA style 757s have a full row one in first class.

Boeing 767-200 - Cigarette Style outlets in First and Business Class. The first several rows of economy have power as well.

Boeing 767-300 - Cigarette Style outlets in First/Business and rows 21-24 in economy.

Boeing 777-200 - Cigarette Style outlets in First, Business, and the first part of the economy cabin.

The Cigarette Style outlets provide 15 Volts Direct Current. System power is only available when the green light on the outlet is lit and aircraft is above 10,000 feet.

_____________________________________________________
Continental Airlines

Boeing 757-200 INTL - AC Power outlets in BusinessFirst and first few rows of economy are being installed.

Boeing 767-200 INTL - EM Power in BusinessFirst and upto row 23 in Economy.

Boeing 767-400 INTL - EM Power in BusinessFirst and upto row 23 in Economy.

Boeing 767-400 Hawaii - EM Power in BusinessFirst and rows 10-15 in Economy.

Boeing 777-200 INTL - EM Power in BusinessFirst and upto row 23 in Economy.

Continental does not have on-board power in any of their domestic fleet other than when the above international and Hawaii configurations are on a domestic route.

_____________________________________________________
Delta Air Lines

Boeing 737-800 - EM Power in EVERY SEAT

Boeing 767-300 INTL - EM Power in BusinessElite

Boeing 767-400 - EM Power in EVERY SEAT

Boeing 777-200 - EM Power in EVERY SEAT

_____________________________________________________
Northwest

Power only on the following INTL aircraft:

Airbus A330-200 - AC power in World Business Class and Economy upto row 23

Airbus A330-300 - AC power in World Business Class and Economy upto row 28.

Boeing 747-400 - AC power in World Business Class

_____________________________________________________
United

Airbus A320 - EM power on some A320's in First Class

Boeing 747-400 - EM power in First and Business Classes

Boeing 757-200 - EM power in First on some 757-200s

Boeing 757-200 PS - AC Power in First, Business, and Economy - All Seats. This aircraft is used only in the JFK-LAX and JFK-SFO markets.

Boeing 767-300 - EM Power in First Class

Boeing 767-300 INTL - EM Power in First and Business Classes

Boeing 777-200 Domestic - EM Power in First Class

Boeing 777-200 INTL - EM Power in First and Business Classes

_____________________________________________________
US Airways

Airbus A319 - EM Power for First and Economy

Airbus A320 - EM Power for First and Economy

Airbus A321 - EM Power for First and Economy

Airbus A330-300 INTL - EM Power in First and Economy



The link below is an old list, several years old, but gives you some idea, as well.

http://www.walkabouttravelgear.com/graphics/AirPow.pdf

On AA, the powerport is located between seats that are so equipped, and the rows that have powerports are indicated with a little lightning bolt on a sign above the seat.

 

thanks for the info built. apparently ill be flying international and so broke after buying the dv5t. plus i dun think u can surf the web on the plane, can u?
not sure wat to do if i have a laptop plugged in. most games i play is online mmorpg.

mayb ill save the money from the adapter and buy meself a good book.
any recommendations?

 

Hey mansrow...

I, too, bought a DV5T last month. I keep it in my bedroom (I used to have a desktop in my bedroom but had to retire it.) Love it.

A few years ago, Boeing offered a service called "Connexion," which allowed you to surf the web on board. It was very expensive and somewhat unreliable, from what I heard.

Currently, American just rolled out, so far only on their JFK-LAX and JFK-SFO flights, a system called GOGOINFLIGHT:

http://www.gogoinflight.com/

I have been on several of the flights where it was offered and it works like a charm. It permits many, many simultaneous connections and appears really reliable. Other airlines have also announced their intention to install this system, and AA is currently evaluationg the possibility of extending it to all flights. The problem is that International flights are a long way off, as it is currently not capable, for whatever reason, to handle overwater flying.

Personally, when I travel, I bring a selection of DVDs...usually a few TV series, a couple of full-length films, and some music videos. Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Office, The Out of Towners (the first one, with Jack Lemmon and Sandy Dennis), First Wives Club and whatever music videos strike my fancy at the time are always in my bag. I add or subtract titles as needed.

I just downloaded Handbrake, so my next step is to put all of these movies on a Toshiba external hard drive so I can watch it off the HD, and not have to carry the DVDs.

 

i knew i shouldnt watch all the season of LOST last week. wat a mistake. **** it !!!! well, i think its time me go download Desperate Housewives then, or Smallville.

dude, one more thing, do they still use those 2 jack headphones. its been a long time since i flew international. i was thinking of using my own Sennheiser. i remembered using their headphones and OMG.
thanks again for such useful info.

 

Unfortunately, there is no consistency in the airline industry with regard to which airlines use the single (stereo) headphone jack, and which use the double (two monaural) headphone jacks.

I know that American (AA) ONLY has single headphone jacks on all planes equipped with audio capabilities. You can plug in your iPod, etc. without an adapter.

United (UA) has some planes with double headphone jacks in Business Class, I understand, because they have some funky noise cancelling headphones in which the noise cancelling portion is transmitted through the second jack (they do a crappy job).

I don't know what Delta currently has, or the other airlines, but from what I understand many foreign carriers use the double headphone jack.

My advice would be to go to RadioShack and purchase an adapter. They will know what you are talking about, I think.

Here is a link to an online seller. I am sure they also sell them on ebay, though it would be better to get them locally because the shipping will probably cost you almost as much as the adapter.

http://www.truesupplier.com/2-airline-two-prong-airplane-headphone-jack-35mm-adapter-pr-16947.html

The Sennheiser single plug will fit right into the two-prong adapter.

 

An entire season of Lost would definitely take up your time on a long Internatioonal flight but I'm not sure you would want to watch a show about a plane crash (I know it is actually so much more, though LOL) on a plane.

Great show. I haven't really gotten into it yet, but have season one on DVD and want to start getting into it.

 

ure gonna luv it. i wasnt into it at first but it kept pulling me to watch all the seasons.

btw, any info on the headphones?

 

Wow, thank you for this thread!! I was contemplating this very thing for a dv5z, when I noticed HP doesn't have any travel adapters available. Thanks! :yes:

 

Yup, think you might have missed my headphone post just before the post on "Lost." The airlines have never standardized amongst themselves the type of headphone plugs.

I usually only fly AA so the single headphone jack they use really comes in handy because it works with iPod, etc. I just purchased a pair of Logitech Noise Cancelling Headphones off Ebay and was surprised because they came with the two prong adapter. I didn't realize there were airline which still used the two prong type, but a little investigation on the internet revealed that many still do, but mainly foreign carriers it seems.

 

I first posted this question on both the HP board on this site, and also on the Travel Technology forum on Flyertalk.com and got no help from anybody.

I decided to research it myself (I have a hard time taking no for an answer), so I feel like I have become an expert on this subject.

 

ah, thanks again. at this time, i thought they have already doing the one prong thingy. i guessed wrong. thanks again.

 

Yup...checked online and it seems, reading from various frequent flyer message boards, that some airlines do, indeed, still use the two-prong deal.

One prong is definitely better! But, then again, the adapter costs next to nothing.

 

got that right !!!! wish i wasnt flying alone. it could be soooooooo boring. i wished they had already invented the teleportation. i mean, how hard can it be? star strek did it.

 

And as miserable as air travel has become, it would be a lot more comfortable.

 

I just got a Kensington 33403 universal adapter from eBay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/KENSINGTON-90W-...64471QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1713.m153.l1262

Tip "I" works fine for my HP dv5z. Tip "C" works for my Asus M6Ne. The USB port also charges my Motorola z6c phone. My old Fellowes adapter's USB port didn't handle my phone, so this is an improvement...

 

I now have a Kensington 33043, it only cost me $30.00 on eBay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/KENSINGTON-90W-...64471QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1713.m153.l1262

Generally I would avoid inverters, because going DC -> AC -> DC is going to be less efficient than DC -> DC. Maybe not a big issue on a plane, but it will certainly affect how long you can work in a parked car before having starting problems...

I also responded here http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?p=3973700#post3973700

 

oooo, sounds like a winner.

thanks for the link.

 

There was a thread about this just a few days ago. I'll see if I can find it.

EDIT: Here it is.
Ok, looks like highlandsun linked back to this thread from the one I linked.
Maybe mods should merge the two?

 

Thanks for the heads up. 29.99 is a great price but there are several things of concern in that Ebay listing that might be a dealbreaker for me. (I could still return the inverter(s) but hesitate to do so until I see if this ebay deal is really OK.)

Several concerns:

1. Ebay seller says:

This item is unboxed but in excellent working condition
Please see picture
Overall physical condition: Unboxed but new


Unboxed, but new? Are these refurbs (some ebay sellers try to pass of refurbs as new)?

New does not necessarily mesn BRAND new and unused.

2. Ebay seller says:

· Absolutely NO Refunds, Exchanges or Warranties on anything sold.

· Items sold AS IS . This basically means that I have tested the item to my full capability and is always applied to a used item. If 'as is' has been applied to a new item, this means I cannot test it properly. Please do not expect the item to be in perfect working order if these words are attached to the description


NO warranty? Not even original manufacturers warranty, I assume, unless the ebay seller is an authorized reseller, which he is not.

This item could be promising and appears to be a great deal, but I will wait for somebody else to be the guinea pig with this particular Ebay seller. There are just too many red flags. This could be a really hit-or-miss kind of transaction...either really good or really bad.

 

Thanks for the heads up. 29.99 is a great price but there are several things of concern in that Ebay listing that might be a dealbreaker for me. (I could still return the inverter(s) but hesitate to do so until I see if this ebay deal is really OK.)

Several concerns:

1. Ebay seller says:

This item is unboxed but in excellent working condition
Please see picture
Overall physical condition: Unboxed but new


Unboxed, but new? Are these refurbs (some ebay sellers try to pass of refurbs as new)?

New does not necessarily mesn BRAND new and unused.

2. Ebay seller says:

· Absolutely NO Refunds, Exchanges or Warranties on anything sold.

· Items sold AS IS . This basically means that I have tested the item to my full capability and is always applied to a used item. If 'as is' has been applied to a new item, this means I cannot test it properly. Please do not expect the item to be in perfect working order if these words are attached to the description


NO warranty? Not even original manufacturers warranty, I assume, unless the ebay seller is an authorized reseller, which he is not.

This item could be promising and appears to be a great deal, but I will wait for somebody else to be the guinea pig with this particular Ebay seller. There are just too many red flags. This could be a really hit-or-miss kind of transaction...either really good or really bad.

The underlying attitude of this Ebay seller could make this a very frustrating transaction if the product does not work as advertised.

Not really looking to use this in a car...just on a plane.

 

Well, I had no problem with him. It came as described, in about 2 weeks thru the mail.

 

Glad to hear that. My concern, though, is that if these are unboxed, they could vary in condition (ie whether they work or not) and this seller's "hands-off" policy could be problematic. Given that he is offering them at such a major discount off of normal prices, there could be a catch, ie refurbs, factory seconds, etc. Some may work, some may not. Many ebay sellers are not above trying to pass off refurbs as new, and, as you know, refurbs can vary widely.

Happy it worked out for you, though. It is good news that one of those tips works on the DV5 because nobody seemed to know if anything would fit currently.

 

built, have u not found one yet? sorry to hear that.
i decided not getting one. decided to get a book instead.

theres nothing i want to watch now. hope u find wat you needed.

good luck !!!

 

Hi, mansrow! I decided to get two different inverters...a Kensington and a Teleadapt. Trying to decide which one to keep. They both work with all laptops, etc...actually anything with an ac power cord, except for Magsafe adapters (used by macs).

 

why not just buy a cigarette converter? that way you can use any electronic under the limit...

 

good for u. sorry u have to do all the research by urself. hope u can tell us which one is better for dv5t owners. im sure they appreciate it.

thanks again, built !!

 

Built, just checking back to see how the inverters are working out?

 

I just bought this from costco. I'll post back with the result. it got an USB port which I will use to charge my phone, tired of buying different car charger for new phone.

this inverter has 80watts continuous ouput. the dv5t needs 65watts. if the dv5t power adaptor has 85% effeciency. then 85% of 80watts is about 68watts supplied to dv5t.

 

Actually, square wave inverters do not work with anything with an ac power cord.

They often will not power devices such as fax machines, laser printers, many medical devices, some motors, microwaves, some TV's and so forth. Digital clocks wont keep accurate time either.

Also, most things will run hotter (some much hotter), such as motors, and often, power bricks (such as a notebook adapter). Sometimes hot enough to cause damage. I have lost a couple of power bricks this way.

I use a pure sine wave unit for electronics (they do not have the problems that square wave units have). The power they provide is considered to be better than what you get from the power company. They do cost considerably more than the cheapy square wave units.

AIMS makes a couple that are not too expensive. I use a 300 watt pure sine wave unit in the car (for the laptops and routers) and a 1200 watt square wave inverter to power everything else. The 300 watt unit sports a super quiet thermo-controlled fan and USB power outlets. The 1200 watt will run the bagel toaster, expresso machine, vaccume, and steam cleaner.

Here at the house, I have a 2000 watt pure sine wave unit for electronics.

Aims makes a small 150 watt pure sine wave unit, and a 180 watt unit, both are just under $100


Joe