At 11:42 8/11/2000, Bill Davidson wrote: (quoting Phaedra) > > will be soon. So, don't know if 8 watts is adequate. If it is not, > > I will simply call Real Goods Trading Co & find out how many > > more watts I need. > >Real Goods will not know for any given lap top.... look at the output >ratings on the transformer that came with your laptop for a clue :) My new Thinkpad adapter is rated at 72 watts output! And 130-200 Volt-amperes input!!! It's running right now drawing about 25 volt-amperes, but it's not charging the battery. Incidentally, IBM does not make a 12v adapter for this machine, not too surprising since the adapter output is 16 volts at 4.5 amps. The battery has a claimed capacity of 38 watt-hours (much more useful number than amp-hours...), and charges in "2-5 hours, depending on computer usage."
> >Just be sure & buy the "bulletproof" type. > >Not necessary... the glass ones are about half the price per watt and they >take up less room per watt... they are also quite durable as they are >designed to withstand all types of weather, hail stormes, snow loads, etc. Yes, the thin-film panels have the additional problem that they lose considerable capacity in the first year or two -- possibly as much as 30%. For anyone interested in the (considerable) complexities associated with this subject, _Living with 12 volts on Ample Power_ (http://www.powertap.com/) is a useful introduction. It is aimed at boats and RVs, not residential installations. david David Beierl - Providence, RI http://pws.prserv.net/synergy/Vanagon/ '84 Westy "Dutiful Passage" '85 GL "Poor Relation" |
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