Quote:
Originally Posted by ncinpa
Not surprisingly, this is the response I received from Sony:
"We're sorry, but connecting the AC recharger that comes with the Sony Reader into a DC to AC converter that plugs into a cigarette lighter may damage the AC charger and the reader itself. We do not recommend it.
Wishing you a Happy Holiday Season!"
Sony isn't going to recommend anything that isn't 100% fool proof. But I think I'll just pass on trying to recharge the Reader in the car until additional information is received.
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I use an inverter all the time to recharge camera batteries on vacations. None of the companies recommend them, but it has never caused me problems.
No one wants to take responsibility "just in case" something goes wrong, and I'm no different, but here's what I understand, being an electrical engineer.
AC out of the wall has a nicely curved waveform. AC out of an inverter has a mostly square waveform (slightly curved sides, flat top). Square vs. curved can have the same peak voltage, or the same RMS voltage (RMS is sort of like a math-guy's average), but not both. A square wave with the same RMS voltage as a curved one will have a lower peak voltage - and since RMS voltage is what's important for power calculations, I'm thinking inverters would shoot for the same RMS voltage. So it doesn't seem like you'd fry your equipment due to a higher peak voltage, since it's likely lower.
Ironically, your charger is basically the opposite of your inverter... it takes the high AC voltage, steps it down, and "rectifies" it - ie, converts it to DC. Same as all those camera battery chargers (3 different cameras in the family, groan) I've run on my inverter for hours at a time for the last couple of years on road trips.