Hi, I just bought a Dell x200 at a computer show (for about $300, added
512MB for an extra $50). I'm just looking for a half-decent laptop to
take with me on the road (something to surf the web/watch a DVD). I
bought the 8 cell battery and a wireless PCMCIA card (but the card
hasn't come in yet). I have a question about power. Can this laptop
survive modified sine wave power (ie. like the kind that comes from an
inverter)??? I'm looking to hit this notebook with a XPower Powerpack
400 Plus, and I'm wondering if the laptop will survive an inverter.
Also what is the battery calibration utility in the BIOS??? How do I
use it??? I tried it, and it says that my new 8 cell battery is only
87% charged (when it should be fully charged.

Thanks in advance,
Scott

RangerScott wrote:
>
> Hi, I just bought a Dell x200 at a computer show (for about $300, added
> 512MB for an extra $50). I'm just looking for a half-decent laptop to
> take with me on the road (something to surf the web/watch a DVD). I
> bought the 8 cell battery and a wireless PCMCIA card (but the card
> hasn't come in yet). I have a question about power. Can this laptop
> survive modified sine wave power (ie. like the kind that comes from an
> inverter)??? I'm looking to hit this notebook with a XPower Powerpack
> 400 Plus, and I'm wondering if the laptop will survive an inverter.
> Also what is the battery calibration utility in the BIOS??? How do I
> use it??? I tried it, and it says that my new 8 cell battery is only
> 87% charged (when it should be fully charged.

Same question, different day, huh? <g>

The laptop should/shouldn't survive alternate power sources no differently
than any other laptop.

Notan

Your question is not whether the notebook will accept modified sine wave
(it wont' .... it only takes pure DC), but whether it's AC adapter will
take modified sine wave. The answer is almost certainly. Lots of
people use all kinds of laptops with their AC power adapters driven by
inverters. While the answer is generally "yes", it does depend on the
exact AC adapter and the exact inverter. Some inverters are not even
modified sine wave, they are square wave; and there is no definition for
the term "modified sine wave" (modified? How? How much?) Even then,
MOST AC adapters will work with them. Most, but not all. But you are
pretty safe in doing this, lots of people do it, with lots of laptops
and lots of inverters, and it almost always works. Almost always.

RangerScott wrote:

> Hi, I just bought a Dell x200 at a computer show (for about $300, added
> 512MB for an extra $50). I'm just looking for a half-decent laptop to
> take with me on the road (something to surf the web/watch a DVD). I
> bought the 8 cell battery and a wireless PCMCIA card (but the card
> hasn't come in yet). I have a question about power. Can this laptop
> survive modified sine wave power (ie. like the kind that comes from an
> inverter)??? I'm looking to hit this notebook with a XPower Powerpack
> 400 Plus, and I'm wondering if the laptop will survive an inverter.
> Also what is the battery calibration utility in the BIOS??? How do I
> use it??? I tried it, and it says that my new 8 cell battery is only
> 87% charged (when it should be fully charged.
>
> Thanks in advance,
> Scott
>

"Barry Watzman" <WatzmanNOSPAM@neo.rr.com> wrote in message
news:452EDF22.80502@neo.rr.com
> Your question is not whether the notebook will accept modified sine
> wave (it wont' .... it only takes pure DC), but whether it's AC
> adapter will take modified sine wave. The answer is almost
> certainly. Lots of people use all kinds of laptops with their AC
> power adapters driven by inverters. While the answer is generally
> "yes", it does depend on the exact AC adapter and the exact inverter.
> Some inverters are not even modified sine wave, they are square wave;
> and there is no definition for the term "modified sine wave"
> (modified? How? How much?) Even then, MOST AC adapters will work
> with them. Most, but not all. But you are pretty safe in doing
> this, lots of people do it, with lots of laptops and lots of
> inverters, and it almost always works. Almost always.

I remember when inverters first came out when most of them was using
square waves for an output. And 120VAC devices quickly added warning
that using inverters would ruin the device and void your warrantee.
Devices like cell phones used to carry these warnings.

I don't know what happened? But you don't hear this anymore. Nor have I
heard one first hand report of any inverter damaging anything. Although
I have heard using an inverter does usually cause sometimes like the
power supply of a desktop to run a bit warmer, but nothing that serious.

--
Bill

"Barry Watzman" <WatzmanNOSPAM@neo.rr.com> wrote in message
news:452EDF22.80502@neo.rr.com...
> Your question is not whether the notebook will accept modified sine wave
> (it wont' .... it only takes pure DC), but whether it's AC adapter will
> take modified sine wave. The answer is almost certainly. Lots of people
> use all kinds of laptops with their AC power adapters driven by inverters.
> While the answer is generally "yes", it does depend on the exact AC
> adapter and the exact inverter. Some inverters are not even modified sine
> wave, they are square wave; and there is no definition for the term
> "modified sine wave" (modified? How? How much?) Even then, MOST AC
> adapters will work with them. Most, but not all. But you are pretty safe
> in doing this, lots of people do it, with lots of laptops and lots of
> inverters, and it almost always works. Almost always.
>

Actually, switch mode power supplies (as virtually every laptop supply is)
are actually happier with square wave input as the AC is immediately
rectified to DC before anything else happens. As a consequence, they will
run from virtually anything (as long as the ratings of the rectifiers and
reservoir capacitors are not exceeded). Contrary to the frequency range
specified on the adaptor (probably 50 to 60 Hertz), they work equally well
from 400 Hz or even DC (but the minimum voltage rises from 100 to 140). In
fact, for greatest efficiency, an inverter with a DC output works best.
Many manufacturers produce such devices specifically for this market.

Note: that if the power supply has a mains transformer, it must *never* be
operated from DC.