Power inverters..

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The Quadfather
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Power inverters..

Post by The Quadfather » Sat Mar 18, 2017 9:45 pm

Anybody have any good experience with Power Inverters for your truck or off-road vehicle? I am looking to put one in a 2015 Ford Expedition. I realize the key is to get one rated at above the power requirements of the item(s) I want to run.
Just looking for a brand or model someone might be using. Small Size and low heat or noise output would be desirable.

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Bodofish
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Re: Power inverters..

Post by Bodofish » Sun Mar 19, 2017 9:13 am

Well..... Inverters are a big can of worms. I don't have any brand names but I can give you some things to look for. It really all depends on what you want to plug in. Say a laptop for instance, not a big deal as it has an inline transformer to clean up the power, so just about anything will work and you'll be looking for something that will output around 90 watts at about 50% max output. If you're thinking about any sensitive electronics, you will want one that is a "Pure Sine Wave", to further up the spec, a "low frequency" inverter is a lot more efficient and have a better sine wave than the less expensive auto parts store types. The goal is to have a sine wave as close to that of commercial 110 power as possible. So if you're thinking solar power for your house, a big low frequency, pure sine wave unit is for you. If you just want to plug in a laptop, anything off the shelf at the auto parts store or Amazon / Fleabay that puts out enough power will do the job. I will say, one that plugs into the 12v receptacle in the rig will be marginal for most laptops. If you have a pretty new one that the battery lasts for many hours, it will require less amps or watts and plug in would be fine. 90 watts at 12V is about is about 7.5 Amps, so, I can't remember if they are rating them in watts or amps these days so 15 amp or a 180 watt inverter should do it for you. If you want to plug in more, add up the watts or amps and roll..... A single hair drier is 1500watts for comparison as is about any 110 space heater, they've been known to kill an inverter.
A tip is you want to be able to disconnect them when not in use. Any real usable size unit is going to have a fan and they last a lot longer if only powered when they have a load.

If you're looking for more places to plug in USB devices for charging, wire in a 12V to 5V power buck with the appropriate number of receptacles is a lot easier and cheaper than an inverter.

So, what is it you're looking for it to power?
Or shoot me a pm if you want to get specific.
Build a man a fire and he's warm for the night. Light a man on fire and he's warm the rest of his life!

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