I want to go camping but use a generator to run a computer. A laptop and desktop need different watts. You have to put the right amount of watts into each device. Different outlets have different watts. The watts in a cigarette lighter are different than the watts in a generator.
What is a watt? What do different watt numbers mean? What happens if I have a device sending too many watts or not enough to a device? Is it critical or just ideal to match them?
In: Engineering
The generator isn’t pushing wattage to your device, the generator makes that wattage available for the device to access. So it won’t matter if you plug your laptop into a 15V or 20V outlet as long as it’s the proper NEMA 1-15P or NEMA 5-15 plug for your device.
The goal is not to demand too much wattage from the generator. If you have a small inverter generator that provides 2000w, you can safely use about 90% of that, or 1800W. Your laptop is less than 100W. Other devices require different amounts. Anything that is a heater or cooler will have a considerably higher wattage.
A 12v cigarette socket will provide whatever wattage is allowed defined by the max amperage of the fuse that protects it. So, a 10A fuse will provide 120W and a 20A fuse will provide 240W.
Watts = Amps x Volts
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