Don't know about the first phenomenon, which may be strictly personal : 
)

But the fast clock would likely have to do with your inverter not being 
right on 60 cycles per second. Be glad you have something fast on your 
vanagon!

Jim

On Dec 23, 2005, at 4:26 PM, Joy Hecht wrote:

> I've had two things weird happen in my van lately, was wondering if 
> either has happened to anyone else.
>
> First - while driving, I'm listening to the radio, and I plug my 
> cellphone charger into the cigarette lighter to charge the phone.  All 
> of the sudden I'm getting truly weird spacey noises on the radio - 
> like creepy sounds from a really old sci-fi movie (think "Planet 9 
> from Outer Space") or maybe someone playing a theramin (sp?).  Unplug 
> the cellphone charger and they're gone.
>
> Second - While not driving, I plugged in my clock-radio in the evening 
> to my (cheap) inverter and thence into my extra battery.  Set the 
> clock, but in the morning it's half an hour fast.  The first time it 
> happened, I figured I'd set it wrong, but the second time I realized 
> it wasn't me.
>
> Anyone seen either of these phenomena before?
>
>
>
> Joy
>
> (who has finally made it to the west coast and is now having fine soup 
> and high-class beer in a pleasant gallery/caf�/theater with free wifi 
> on Market St in SF.  YIPPEE!!!  No more desert!  No more ice, blowing 
> snow, gusting winds, 4-degree weather, or inability to breathe due to 
> altitude and horribly dry air!  Let's hear it for 100% humidity, 
> 60-degree temp, 37-foot elevation!)
>
>
>
> ****************************************************************
> Joy Hecht
> and Matilda, 1989 Burgundy Vanagon
>
> For musings about life and the vanadventures:
> http://users.rcn.com/jhecht/gypsy
>
> ****************************************************************