inverters for computer euipment,ie.printer/ scanner

from the research I've done , you need a pure sine wave inverter to run a laser printer. I'm not sure about ink / bubble jet's. A lot of these devices use the alternating current as a clock and won't work, if at all on a modified sine wave inverter. I would contact the printer manufacturer and check.

A bit of a can of worms. Depends a lot on what your equipment uses power wise. If they use "plugpack" type power supplies to supply DC only (CAUTION: some equipment MAY just use a transformer in a similar case to a "plu pack") you may be able to run them off a regulator (5, 6, or 9volt) straight off your battery without having to go up to 240volts AC then back down again. The major (and probably killer) exception to this would be on most laptop computers as they typically have 14.8-16 volts batteries which will require their charger.

The suggestion of a sinewave inverter is a MUST if you intend on running your mobile office away from 240 Volts. The main reason is they do not generate as many harmonics ("electrical interference").

Now for the good news. There are products on the market called UPS (Uninterruptable Power Supplies) which are made for home/business based computer systems, whose primary purpose is to allow a short 20-60 minute time frame in which to close down a computer system in an orderly fashion during a power outage. They usually come in 300-650 watt sizes for about $250-400 with an integrated battery.

The idea is that you plug the UPS into the power point OR across a larger battery (than the internal one), and then plug your computer/monitor/accessories into the UPS. Now, the trick is to find one that has an extenal battery input, as most of them only have the 240v ac input to recharge the battery.

And of course if any thing does happen to your deep cycle or external mains power, your inverter still has enough power from the internal battery in the UPS to "let you down slowly".

Try the usual outlets, Dick Smith, Jaycar, Officeworks, Harvey Norman, or a frienly large computer store.

I hope this helps

For running your laptop, Jaycar Electronics & D!ck Smith have a DC - DC convertor, this runs of your cig lighter plug and steps up the voltage up to about 18v (you select what you want between 12v - 18v). I have also run a laptop and a small inkjet printer of a standard cheapo 150w inverter from Dick Smith. The only problem I had was that the inverter would turn itself off after about 4 hours of continous operation.

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