I was in halford's today and saw something called a 'Power Ring Power Source', a kind of inverter to convert 12v to 240(?). It looks lke it plugs into a 12v socket and has a three-pin house type socket to plug things into. rated at 12v/150w (they had more powerful models) piced at �34.99. They say it can power a laptop/digi cam etc.

My question is relating to this and its suitability for my planned long trip (6 weeks or so on the tenere round europe). I want to take a netbook and a digi movie cam (Go Pro or similar). Will this device be suitable for using/charging these? I'd easily find room in a pannier or top box to keep it, connecting to the 12v socket as required. I'd look to connect it to the digi cam whilst on the move but for the netbook it would be used whilst staionary (will it drain the bike battery?). Any observations/advice/suggestions appreciated.

hi i use a 300w inverter in my camper for lcd tv's , laptops,phone etc. there are two types of inverter irrispective of wattage. the cheapy, like the ring are modified sine wave type whereas the more expensive are pure sine wave[suitable for all needs],

you will need to check the needs of your appliance to avoid damage, the ring [what i use] will do most, caravan/ camper forums are good for your appliance info

it's all down to capacity yes charging during the engine running should be ok most laptops use 80w you 'lose' 10% [heat etc] so about 88w. i do not know how long your battery alone will remain useful when not running, why not try it before venturing out into the great unplugged wilds


all the best

The old physics formulas will help here
Power is your girlfried Ivy Watt
or P=I/V Watts (I = amps and v = volts)
so if you have 90odd watts (plus some loss on the coverter) divide that by the battery voltage will give indicative amp draw from the battery, maybe around 7~8amps. Cant remember what the battery capacity is but you want to leave a safe margin for starting... and batteries never improve with age or use.
All figures are wet finger and should be checked verified by someone who gives one . that said if it was my batt trying to charge/run a laptop i'd save that for hotel rooms or when the engine is running.
ps any cable u use to wire up the 12v socket will need to be good enough for the expected current draw ...

I have a 1000w inverter in my van to power tools etc and they work really well but beware they do drain batteries quickly, even when theres no load on them, (ive been caught out a few times!) I also have 12v charger/power leads for both my laptop and video cam and these work just as well but with less current draw, this maybe a better option for you?

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Thanks, yes, that sounds sensible. Please can you tell me where I might get the leads for the 12v supply to my laptop (has a 19v reading on the mains power supply) and a digi camcorder. Hopefully ..... Loopydog.

Woooooo.....

Pop into Maplins and get a 12v adapter for your lap top. They sell lots at all voltages from about 17 to 22 I think.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Search.aspx?menuno=85958

As for the digicam, they are typically 7.4 to 9v, you should be able to get an adapter to supply these voltages too, if not, pop into Jessops or somewhere like that and they will supply a universal adapter for most cameras that will at least charge your battery whilst off the camera. I have one for my Canon that runs off a mains adapter and a car 12v one. Made by Haniel (or similar sounding name)

Either way, if you can avoid it, you do not want to go up to 240v only to come back down to 19 or 9. The losses alone will kill your battery in no time and then you are stuck.

On top of this you realy do not want to run anything off a bike battery whilst the engine is not charging. Unless of course you like bump stating a big single !!

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