any suggestions for a low power draw... laser printer?

 I've been helping out with some computing, and associated printing,
in off-grid locations. Generally we've managed by using a couple
of regular 12 V car batteries [a] and modest priced inverters
on a roll-around cart.

The problem is that we have to use a dot matrix printer, since
laser types use a lot of power, and have pretty high, make
that pretty damn high, starting surges.

(They also might be less tolerant of the modified square wave
these inverters generate).

Anyway, we'd much prefer to use a laser printer for the
better quality, performance, and print options.

Anyone have experience with hooking one up in this type
of environment?

(Yes, I know I can use a ridiculously heavy and expensive
commercial grade multi-kw BMFUPS [b]. But that would weigh
more than my car. Ok, I'm exaggerating a bit, but just a little).

Thanks

[a] we're not deep-discharging, so don't have
to get the specialized batteries. In fact, we're
using marginal almost-thrown-our car ones...

[b] The "B" stands for "big".

_____________________________________________________
Knowledge may be power, but communications is the key
              dannyb@panix.com
[to foil spammers, my address has been double rot-13 encoded]

 





Why have you not included ink jet printers in your consideration?

Vaughn


Nothing personal, but if you are posting through Google Groups I may not receive
your message.  Google refuses to control the flood of spam messages originating
in their system, so on any given day I may or may not have Google blocked.  Try
a real NNTP server & news reader program and you will never go back.  All you
need is access to an NNTP server (AKA "news server") and a news reader program.
You probably already have a news reader program in your computer (Hint: Outlook
Express).   Assuming that your Usenet needs are modest, use
http://news.aioe.org/  for free and/or http://www.teranews.com/  for a one-time
$3.95 setup fee.


Will poofread for food.

 

All the off grid types I know use ink jet strictly
cause of low power draw. Can run them off inverter etc.

Some reason you cant use ink jet?

 


No particular reason, and that might be
a notch better than dot matrix (maybe...)
but we'd still rather have the faster speed
and much higher quality, including iamges...
that we can get from lasers.

THanks.


--
_____________________________________________________
Knowledge may be power, but communications is the key
             dannyb@panix.com
[to foil spammers, my address has been double rot-13 encoded]

 

Well I don't know exact current draw from an inkjet but
I do know several people who live in their vans and
RV's full time and use ink jet cause it must have very
low power requirement