Gunfighter

Hoff · Joined: 28 Jun 2007 Posts: 506 Location: Warrior Nirvana

Asmall inverter to run your laptop and rechargables right from your cigarette lighter must be small amp or will blow out your fuses. Its a good idea to have on in every vehicle, they are inexpensive,$35 (link to one later in this post). Powerful inverters that run the heavy stuf like an electric chain saw need to hook up the your battery directly so you dont fry your vehicles electrical system

Finding a device to convert DC power to AC may seem like it should be a simple task, but when you start shopping for a power inverter for your RV or road trip vehicle, you'll soon find that many choices will confront you. With prices ranging from less than $40 to well into the thousands, it can be difficult to know what features are important and how to choose a unit appropriate to your needs. While wattage, features, and connections are obvious considerations, your final choice should take into account the inverter's wave form output.

There are two general types of power inverters: true-sine wave or modified-sine wave (square wave). True-sine wave inverters produce power that is either identical or sometimes slightly better to power from the public utility power grid system. The power wave when viewed through an oscilloscope is a smooth sine wave.

Modified-sine wave and square wave inverters are the most common types of power inverters on the market. Modified-sine wave power inverters produce a power wave that is sufficient for most devices. The power wave is not exactly the same as electricity from the power grid. It has a wave form that appears as a choppy squared-off wave when viewed through an oscilloscope.

What does that mean to the everyday user? Not much. Most household electrical devices will run perfectly fine on either type of wave form. Most of our customers who are using a power inverter to run a laptop, a/c cell phone charger, fan, or camera find that a modified-sine wave power inverter that operates through the cigarette lighter socket the easiest to use. We usually suggest choosing power inverters that are rated under 300 watts when using the 12-volt cigarette lighter socket found in most vehicles. We suggest this because after reaching 300 watts of draw on the inverter, the fuses in your car will begin to blow. The xPower 175 Micro ($35.00) is a great choice for dashboarders who would like an easy solution to power their devices. It has only one outlet, but since plugging it into a 12 volt socket is all that is required for operation, it can't be beat for ease of use. This little inverter can supply 140 watts of continuous operation and has a built-in surge protector.
The xPower 175 Micro

You can order the xPower 175 micro for $25.83 and free shipping from
Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Xantrex-Technologies-175-Watt-Inverter-851-0178/dp/B000157TNA/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1199322525&sr=8-2

Square wave inverters, which are appropriate for most roadtrippers, fall into the following four groups:

300 watts ($40-$60): For household appliances, TVs (up to 27"), VCR, desktop computers, other mobile office equipment. Most of these connect via a 12-Volt plug.

600 watts ($100-$120): For household appliances, large screen TVs, 5-amp power tools, and bread machines. Most such inverters are connected directly to the 12-volt battery and have three or more grounded outlets for powering several products at the same time.

1750 watts ($199-$380): For household appliances, larger power tools, microwave ovens, toasters, and hair dryers. All of theses inverters are designed for direct connection to the battery network and can generally supply 1500 watts of continuous power.

3000 watts ($395-$750): With output power generally rated at 2500 watts for continuous load, these inverters can power virtually all household appliances and office equipment. For loads of this magnitude, special wiring and battery banks may be required.

Hoff · Joined: 28 Jun 2007 Posts: 506 Location: Warrior Nirvana

The Xpower 175 did the job and continues to perform during Hurricane Ike. It kept my cell phones charged, and my laptop operating so that I could stay in touch with my fraternity of warriors via internet. I am still out of power and still counting on this little inverter. The small price has paid big dividends.
Hoff

bwest86 · Joined: 18 Mar 2008 Posts: 16

Yes these devices are life savers in many ways. The load you can put on the devices via the dashboard port is minimal. Several companies make units with much higher wattage ratings
http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/items/1YAY4
Westward is a good manufacturer from Canada and not China!
TrippLite makes a nice 1800 watt one that can run a lot!
http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/items/1ZE18
You have to buy the cables seperately.
The devices hook up to the battery but bet we have some guys who have wired them in directly.
Again this would be another good post for a Vehicle Gear section!!

Hoff · Joined: 28 Jun 2007 Posts: 506 Location: Warrior Nirvana

Yes, you have to be careful and not get to powerful of an inverter or all you will do is blow fuses and maybe burn up your vehicles electrical system. Thats why I went with the Xpower 175, it small, it will keep my cell phones, laptop, and house alarm battery charged...and it's cheap enough to have one in every vehicle with the go bag.
Hoff

M.W. · Joined: 12 Jul 2007 Posts: 130 Location: inside the loop

Excellent details on this information,Brian.

I have been wondering about these converters and now I know which one to get. Real life experience almost always trumps reading advertising stuff anyday.