car charger for laptop

[bellabee]

I would like to take my Samsung laptop on holiday but won't have access to electricity. Are car chargers any good? Where's the best place to get hold of one? It will have to be a shop rather than online. Thanks.

[heathfield]

It might be easier to get a car mains invertor that supplies 230v from your car's battery. This would allow any laptop to be charged, no matter what make or model. Do you have a Maplin store nearby, for example?

http://www.maplin.co....0w-12v-inverter-48722

[ChuckFickens]

Agree with heathfield, I have an invertor and they are much more useful as they can be used for charging anything... just make sure you get one with enough power for the laptop (mines gets a little on the hot side running a 17inch laptop)

[bellabee]

Looks a bit scary to me - but thanks for the suggestion all the same. I was wondering if there was something that could be plugged into the cigarette lighter...

[heathfield]

Or maybe one of the bigger B&Q stores?

http://www.diy.com/na...IATES?ecamp=Aff-71959

[ChuckFickens]

Yes there is... see heathfields link. you plug it into the cigarette lighter and then plug your normal laptop power supply into the invertor, nothing scary about it (and they are a damn sight cheaper than most laptop car chargers)

[heathfield]

Rest assured, they do plug into the car's cigarette lighter socket.

[MarkRae]

Make sure you don't do what I did recently and leave something plugged in overnight. A totally flat battery is not what you want on a dreich Sunday morning in Dumfries...

[Nibble]

You never want a dreich morning anywhere, Mark :)

[bellabee]

Oh right, so they do! Just looked at the picture again! Had visions of me connecting to the actual battery. Thanks again - I have a Maplins nearby so will pick one up from there.

[bellabee]

One more question - bear with me - any advice on how to best use the charger? I would hate to drain the car battery by accident - is it best to charge while driving for example?

[MarkRae]

Use only while the engine is running.

[bellabee]

thanks!