Just keep in mind that computer power supplies are typically rated at 
200, 250 or 300 watts.  
(Some can be larger, but these are not that common.)

You didn't say what you wanted to run.  

A car stereo or a cell phone charger may work out OK, but a thousand 
watt power amp for the car stereo might be pushing it just a bit. . . (grin)

KRFinch@dstsystems.com wrote:

>
>
>If you're careful, an automotive battery charger could be used as well.
>Most of those put out a rock-steady 12 volts at a low amperage, and they
>can be had pretty cheaply new, or even cheaper used.  Seems like any time I
>go into any pawnshop, there's one there for sale.
>
>I'd put a fuse in-line with whatever I was working on just to be safe, and
>test the output voltage before I started, but other than that it should be
>fine.  If you get one with variable amperage, I wouldn't start out using
>the "fast charge" setting until I was sure I needed the extra juice.
>
>Oh, and you can still use it as a battery charger... :)
>
>- Kevin
>
>
>
>                                                                           
>             Duane Attaway                                                 
>             <dattaway@dattawa                                             
>             y.org>                                                     To 
>             Sent by:                  Jonathan Hutchins                   
>             owner-kclug@marau         <hutchins@opus1.com>                
>             der.illiana.net                                            cc 
>                                       kclug@kclug.org                     
>                                                                   Subject 
>             09/24/2003 12:30          Re: 12V Power Supply                
>             PM                                                            
>                                                                           
>                                                                           
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>
>
>On Wed, 24 Sep 2003, Jonathan Hutchins wrote:
>
>  
>
>>What would the electron pushers here recommend for a 12-14V power supply
>>for testing automotive instruments?
>>    
>>
>
>What kind of automotive instrument?  12 to 16 volts work, so many laptop
>power supplies will do if the current draw is under 5 amps.
>
>A spare power supply from a desktop computer puts out a good several amps
>which I often use.  Some people may cry about that and say these switching
>supplies will not work that way, but I guess they never tried it.  The
>output really isn't that bad.
>
>Car batteries also make wonderful power supplies too from what I hear.
>
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>  
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-- 
There are only 10 types of people in the world: 
Those who understand binary, and those who don't