on long trips my wife likes to watch movies on the laptop. with the new cd deck i put in i ran a line to the Aux in on the deck. When the computer is plugged in the inverter and the sound there is a horrible feedback. here's what i have tried so far....
hooked the inverter directly to the battery
hooked the inverter to the same source as the radio (told to by crutchfield)
ground loop isolator
smaller non fan-cooled inverter
no effect with...
battery in or out of laptop
heat or ac on or off

if the inverter is off i have no sound problems with the Aux line, with the i-pod (running on batteries) i have no problems with the aux line. if the inverter is on, and the laptop is off when connected the interference is still there. i don't think i forgot anything i have tried.... please help!

 

You could try to purchase a 12 volt dc adaptor for the laptop.

 

get an inverter with a true sinewave output? More expensive to buy.


Or since only one of you are watching the movie... I hope just use headphones.

 

I have done a lot of work with inverters on boats, and I am sad too say some equipment just dosen't work well on an inverter. I would run into people having issues with home audio receivers a lot, the only answer was to try a diff brand. The problem is with a inverter you are duplicating a AC sign wave, and some equipment is just more sencative than others.

 

andy i tried the isolator (in my list above) but it didn't really change anything.
12vchevy i tried a smaller inverter that was a different brand and that didn't work either.

the laptop runs fine, and with headphones the sound is clear. with the inverter off the sound is clear... but if the inverter is running and i hold the aux line in one hand and put my other hand on the inverter/laptop or any of the cords it starts buzzing! laptop doesn't even have to be on