Date:         Sun, 8 Oct 2006 21:26:17 -0800
Reply-To:     Jack Cook <john.cook58@VERIZON.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Jack Cook <john.cook58@VERIZON.NET>
Subject:      Re: Printing w HP1020 off a Deep Cycle Battery
In-Reply-To:  <000001c6eaf0$be7495c0$6400a8c0@MASTERPC>
Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII

Everything Dennis wrote plus a bit more specific detail on laser printers.

They are power hungry devices, more so than ink jets.  The toner must
be fused onto the paper and this takes heat (power).  The fuser
elements typically cycle on & off during active printing but are
especially hungry when you first turn it on when it is on full power to
come up to temperature quickly (time to first print is a competitive
parameter); or if it's been sitting for a while and allowed to go into
power-saver mode, another power surge will occur when making the
next copy/print.

So, I second Dennis' question.  Why a laser jet?

//Jack


On 8 Oct 2006 at 11:45, Dennis Haynes wrote:

> Continue the math further. 402.5 watts/12 volts = 33.5 amps. And that
> printer has surges that are higher than that.
>
> A deep cycle battery should be sized for at least a 5 hour discharge.  You
> need 160 A/H to properly support this printer. If the inverter is far from
> the battery, use 6 gauge wires. Did you leave the battery at PEP boys for a
> full day or overnight? If not it isn't properly charged. Battery charging
> takes time.
>
> If the charging circuit is properly sized with a good relay, then running
> the engine will help. Fast idle for that load. Do you really need a laser
> jet printer while traveling?
>
> As for dual inverters, yours did do the job. Avoid connecting to the main
> battery. Defeats the purpose of the second. Yes, it is possible to run it
> down even with the engine running. Upgrade the charging circuit to carry the
> load + battery charging. #8 or larger from alternator, to real relay, to
> battery will do wonders. Make sure the grounds are good. Often a separate
> ground from the alternator is really helpful to keep the regulator output
> high.
>
> Dennis
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
> Mark C
> Sent: Saturday, October 07, 2006 8:53 PM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Printing w HP1020 off a Deep Cycle Battery
>
> Hey I just charged my Marine House Battery of 110 amp hours at PepBoys...
> and my inverter is rated for 700 watts continuous and whose output is 115
> volts... and I have a small HP 1020 printer rated for 3.5 amps for household
> current... and the inverter is placed between the front seats and connected
> to the rear battery by 8 guage marine grade wire... so...
>
> 115 volts * 3.5 amps = 402.5 watts
>
> I ran a test, of ten pages printing off the printer, engine off, inverter
> connected to the Marine House Battery... and the led light of inverter would
> flicker towards red when powering up the printer then move towards green,
> and then while printing ten pages, would move towards red again... at least
> the inverter wasn't beeping this time (like before charging the deep
> cycle...)
>
> I'm under the impression that it should be green on the inverter led, or at
> least not towards red at all... so is the inverter in need of an upgrade...
> or do I need to up the guage of the wire... or shorten its length (by making
> a more direct route)... or all of these things...
>
> You know it would be nice if the inverter could be turned on by a remotely
> wired switch, like one attached to the rear kickpanel, or the front seat
> bases...
>
> Also, I recently read that some devices, such as the Tivoli Satellite Radio
> that I have (which can be wired directly to the deep cycle battery), always
> have a small bit of current running through them to avoid hearing and
> crackle or pop when you turn them on... so this draw could be offset by a
> small solar panel...
> From: David Etter <detter@MAIL.AURACOM.COM>
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Re: Solar Panels behind Tinted Glass
>
> > With just six watts at the very best of times (in theory) you are
> > getting 0.5 amps... just about enough to charge your flashlight
> > batteries; maybe, (read ahead).  Then again the sun would have to be
> > directly overhead and don't forget sitting in the sun on your
> > dash-top the temperature is going to skyrocket and any temp over 80 -
> > 90 degrees the panel's efficiency suffers.
> >         Best to pick up a panel that puts out 3.0+ amps (approx. 50
> > watts) and hide it in your roof luggage carrier.
> > With 12 volt solar Panels, watts and amps and volts are not an exact
> > formula, there is a lot of loss here. I have a 120 watt roof mounted
> > panel by Kyocera that maxs out at 7.0+ amps at 17 volts which is
> > where they operate, then with a controller cutting that to 13.8 volts
> > but you still only get the original 7.6 amps.
> >         Sorry but your six watter may actually only output about 1/4
> > amp, good for a set of Nimh camera batteries.
> >         david (dsl82westy)
> >
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> ~~~~~
> >
> > >I just bought a Sunsei solar panel that produces 6 watts... they
> > >have that diode so I don't have to worry about losing current at
> > >night... anyway... I don't really have good place to put it... right
> > >now its sitting on the passenger seat... so I'm wondering if I put
> > >it on behind the tinted side glass... how much energy will I not be
> > >producing.... has anyone fooled around with this??? thanks...
> > >
> > >And maybe I should have gotten the one that produces 18 watts...
> >
>
> ----- End Original Message -----
>
>
> --
> No virus found in this incoming message.
> Checked by AVG Free Edition.
> Version: 7.1.394 / Virus Database: 268.13.0/465 - Release Date: 10/6/2006
>