12 Oct
2000
12 Oct
'00
5:27 a.m.
The worst
problem about running power directly from the car's supply is
that it's not a clean, steady stream of juice. Computers run best on clean
power, and a car's power is anything but. Hence, the deal of being grossly
That's an understatement; voltage can fluctuate
between 8 and 15V as different subsystems in the car
are turned on; then there are spikes in excess of 100V
induced by different systems; and then, if your battery
contacts are less than perfect you can have 30VAC, rectified
(or not, if the rectifiers fail in a particularly nasty
mode!) from the alternator.