Can I run a small 240v printer from a van ?

[Talay]

I need to run two small printers from a power source whilst on the road in a van. At present these are 240v regular plug in items but very small and operating only for a few seconds each time they are used. I doubt they drain very much electric either.

There is also a touch screen but I am trying to see whether we can run that on an ipad or similar and thus avoid the power issues.

Rather than trying to find alternative printers, which would be hard as they are quite specialised, is there any way of providing the 240v power they use from the vehicle's own power ?

 

[timbim]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ring-Automo...SLQ0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335794794&sr=8-1

Check the printer's power requirements first though, if above 300W, buy a bigger inverter.

 

[bernardgreen]

Do the printers have 230 volt inputs to the printer or do they have an external power supply that provides a low voltage to the plug into the printer.

If the latter then it will be more efficient to find a convertor that converts 12 volts into that low voltage and if you are very lucky it might be the printers will work directly from 12 volts.


http://www.farnell.com/datasheets/574984.pdf is a starting point

 

[plugwash]

If the latter then it will be more efficient to find a convertor that converts 12 volts into that low voltage and if you are very lucky it might be the printers will work directly from 12 volts.

DO NOT connect equipment that is not specifically designed for automotive use directly to an automotive electricial system.

Automotive electrical systems are nominally 12V but there is wide fluctuation from this value (from as low as 10V or so when the battery is nearly flat to as high as 15V with the engine running) and lots of possibility for spikes and surges as high power equipment switch.

http://www.farnell.com/datasheets/574984.pdf is a starting point

Those converters can only convert down not up (most printers i've seen with external power supplies use voltages higher than 12V) and can only supply 1A which is nowhere near enough for a printer.

 

[bernardgreen]

DO NOT connect equipment that is not specifically designed for automotive use directly to an automotive electricial system.

My error. I should have that conditioning would be needed.

Those converters can only convert down not up (most printers i've seen with external power supplies use voltages higher than 12V) and can only supply 1A which is nowhere near enough for a printer.

Both mine are 12 volt ( 4 amp and 2 amp ) and one has been run from a car battery admitted not while the engine was running.

There are up convertors 12 to 19 used for powering laptops in the field.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Rather than trying to find alternative printers, which would be hard as they are quite specialised

There are all sorts of portable battery powered printers around - what specialisation do you need?

Have you looked?

A battery powered one would avoid all the problems of inverters, filtering, conditioning....

 

[timbim]

There are all sorts of portable battery powered printers around - what specialisation do you need?

All far more expensive than a small inverter and a printer you already own...

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Possibly.

And possibly not, if the small inverter puts out a modified sine wave and trashes the printer you already own.

Or if being shaken around in a van mechanically trashes it.

 

[maltaron]

I dont know whether they are still available but HP used to do a battery operated printer that ran on internal batteries. It could be connected by USB, Normal printer lead or infra red. I believe it was an HP deskjet 450.It was not any more expensive than a normal printer.

 

[Talay]

Thanks for the replies and suggestions.

The specialism of the printers is that they print not only receipts, which I know could be done on thermal paper via battery powered hand held if required, but the other printer prints laundry and dry cleaning tickets where the paper is highly specialised and the printing process also non standard. With these limitations, it seems to make sense to adapt the power supply rather than change the printers.

An additional benefit from retaining the original printers is that they would be interchangeable with the office based ones were the van used ones to become faulty.

 

[jeepmadmike]

I have several printers in vans, they are just cheap HP printers and are supplied from a cheap small inverter (not pure sin)

We use iPads and communicate with the printer via wifi (you don't need a router the talk peer to peer) simples

 

[Talay]

Printers are not wi-fi capable so will need to be hard wired. Will have to look at connections and would rather not use any Apple stuff really though I know plenty of tablets are available.

Will probably set up in a large hard cover briefcase or similar to allow easy removal so a one to many power supply would be ideal.

 

[AssociatedAlarms]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Canon-BJC...er-supply-battery-59-/140676423797#vi-content

Info http://www.canon.co.uk/for_home/product_finder/printers/inkjet/bjc-85/index.asp

I know its another printer but 200 pages per charge is pretty good, IR interface.

 

[jeepmadmike]

Best of luck getting a printer to work hard wired to any tablet...

If you do please tell me.