[P1] DC Inverter/Regulator WAS: Revive "new" dead battery (?)

[Fred Stevens K2FRD]

I like to listen to music while I'm travelling and will be doing it 
(travelling and listening) a lot with iTunes on my iBook 900 in the 
near future. But, I'm also a ham radio operator (I think there's a 
couple others on the list). AC/DC inverters generate a LOT of 
spurious RF (broadband radio frequency waves, read: noise) which 
severely interfere with radio signals, particularly SSB, CW, RTTY, 
and PSK31. Most people on the list don't have to worry about these 
modes, but if the inverter is left plugged in (doesn't have to be 
attached to the iPod or iBook or whatever), it will generate 
background "noise", likely severe if you're listening to an AM 
station. FM is less affected or not at all - waveform reasons. In 
general, inverters are poorly filtered, if at all, but I don't know 
the effect of the spurious RF on a computer itself; I have used a 
couple inverters which completely drowned out the computer's audio. 
However, an inverter designed for computer use probably can be 
considered suitable for a computer's audio, but it still will 
generate RF to outside applicances.

I opted to spring the 80 bucks for the DC adaptor (actually a DC 
voltage regulator)  for the above reason. Also, I'll be hitting the 
road permanently as a nomad/itinerant/vagrant/RVer (I think of myself 
as a Happy Wanderer) late this year and will be in many locations 
(like Labrador) with no commercial power. My electrical requirements 
will be met by a bank of deep-cycle marine batteries to power my 
radios, computers, TNCs, Rigblaster, and other electronics.

Fred

At 17:55 -0500 21/08/03, Barry Lyden wrote:
>I've been using my ipod in the car exclusively for 1/2 year now and 
>love it. But I have to admit, bringing your ibook along for the ride 
>- now THAT'S creativity! Nice work Charles.
>
>On Thursday, August 21, 2003, at 08:26  AM, Charles Pearce wrote:

>>Recently I made an automobile trip (alone) during which I covered 
>>some 2200 miles in about six days. I looked into buying an 
>>automobile adapter for my iBook, but couldn't convince myself to 
>>shell out almost $80. While looking at Wal-Mart for an automobile 
>>CD-player adapter (the kind that you plug into your automobile 
>>cassette player) my eyes fell on an AC/DC power inverter for 
>>$34.95. This thing takes the automobile's 12-volt DC and converts 
>>(inverts?) it to 110 volts AC.
-- 
73 de Fred Stevens K2FRD
http://home.stny.rr.com/k2frd/K2FRD.htm