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Car Charger-is Best Buy blowing smoke?

CMFox

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The spouse went off to try and get an Incase ipad Car Charger for my iPad.
What came home was different then that.

This is what the Best Buy guy recommended....Will this work? I know nada about volts, amps, watts etc.

I now have a:
Cyber Power 2 in 1 Mobile Power Converter: 100 watts - AC outlet w/USB Charger-that converts vehicle power into household power while on the go.($40)(Model # CPS100BU)

Tech Specs:
Outlet: 1 AC & 1 USB charger
Max Power: 100w
Overload: Protected
Input Voltage: 10.5-15.V DC
Output Voltage: 120V AC
USB Charger: 5V DC

The BB Guy claims this is better cuz we can charge our phone or ipad or presumably laptop by just plugging the devices own charger into it.

Question...b4 I pry this thing outta the hard plastic case:
Is he blowing smoke or did the Spouse score a real win here? (And yeah can I charge iPad while its on..... you know all the usual questions & concerns.)

Thanks.
CM
 

Code54

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It will work and you can do more than using a normal car charger. If u have a laptop also it could be a better over all deal. The draw back is you will need your home charger in the car to make it work......
 

Matth3w

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I would need to know the output amperage before giving you a good answer. The iPad charger is 2a so anything less would be sub par. I would guess that yes it would work if it is a power converter though.
 
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CMFox

CMFox

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I would need to know the output amperage before giving you a good answer. The iPad charger is 2a so anything less would be sub par. I would guess that yes it would work if it is a power converter though.

And one finds out the what the "output amperage" is by calling the manufacturer?

CM
 

Matth3w

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Usually it's written on the device somewhere. I. Guessing you'll be ok because it's not just a regular car charger
 
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CMFox

CMFox

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Usually it's written on the device somewhere. I. Guessing you'll be ok because it's not just a regular car charger


Looking at it...

it sez Output 120V ac 60Hz,100W
is that amperage?

Essentially it is an inverter. And it offers this warning: "Do not connect battery chargers or adapters with warnings about using with inverters."
This one has a little fan to keep it cool. Ka-ool.

Since I have seen no such warnings on my iPad charger, I think I am good to go.

Electricity is absolutely foreign to me.

CM

website for others who are interested in this charger is:
Uninterruptible Power Supply and Power Protection Manufacturer | CyberPower Systems, Inc.

and I have NO affliation with this company.
 

Matth3w

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Converting Watts to Amps

The conversion of Watts to Amps is governed by the equation Amps = Watts/Volts

For example 12 watts/12 volts = 1 amp
So...

? = 100/120

.83 = Amps

So it's less than half the power of the iPad charger, which outputs 2a (or 2000ma) if my math/equations are correct.
 

largefarva

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Your calculation is correct, but the way it applies here, isn't. The .83A is at 120 volts, but the charger puts out 5 volts. If you to use 5 volts in the equation then you'll see that the inverter can handle up to 20 amps at 5 volts. Minus any losses inherent to the inverter and ac adapter.

The other way to look at is....you're going to need 10 watts to charge the ipad. Without taking into consideration that the charger outputs 5 volts then just plug the 10 watts into that equation at 120 volts and you'll see that the charger will only use .083 of that available .83 amps.

Long story short...that inverter will be plenty to supply the ipad charger. But if trying to use the USB charger and ipad cable it might only be able output the standard 500ma on the USB port.
 

largefarva

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Yeah which is true, and the ac adapter that you use for the ipad uses 120 volts AC and outputs 5 volts DC. That's the reason why I talked about the different voltages. But either way it's considered, the ipad will only need 10% of what that inverter can supply.
 

y2kgtp

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My only concern is that it is 15$ more than the Incase charger, and you still need to drag your home cable as well into the car.

The Incase cable is also black so not as obvious (as a white cable) that there are Apple products occasionally in your vehicle as well, if someone can see in the window.
 

Seadog

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What he is talking about is an inverter that takes 12VDV and changes it to 110VAC. You can then use any device that uses 110VAC in your car. Depends on the model, it can power a small power tool. Now when the adapter converts it back down to 5VDC, there is going to be a significant amount of conversion loss, but it should still be adequate for the task. Many of these inverters also come with a standard 1 Amp USB port. It will allow you to keep your battery charge up, or will charge while you are driving. They are bulkier than a USB adapter, but can do a lot more.

The price is within normal parameters for something like that. A single plug inverter, 100w, can be had at Wal-Mart for $15-$20. Add the USB port and the price will go up. I have one with the USB that I got for my iPod and MacBook when I travel. Since i doubt that I will need it much, I am going to get one of the Kensington USB adapters for iPad that almost disappear into the outlet.
 
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