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Thread: Automotive Inverters?

  1. #1
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    Automotive Inverters?

    Does anyone have experience with specific brands of Automotive Inverters to charge a laptop, etc while on the go?
    Mostly it will be my laptop needing the charge or my drill motor.
    I've looked around and figure I'll need 350w minimum, but a lot of reviews and the personal experience of a coworker indicate these things are hit and miss and have a tendency to pop fuses.

    TIA!

  2. #2
    Administrator Krupski's Avatar

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    Quote Originally Posted by 308 View Post
    Does anyone have experience with specific brands of Automotive Inverters to charge a laptop, etc while on the go?
    Mostly it will be my laptop needing the charge or my drill motor.
    I've looked around and figure I'll need 350w minimum, but a lot of reviews and the personal experience of a coworker indicate these things are hit and miss and have a tendency to pop fuses.

    TIA!
    Two important features of inverters are FREQUENCY and WAVEFORM.

    Regular "wall power" is a precise 60 hertz, 120 volt sinusoidal waveform:


    Electrically, inverters need to operate by generating a SQUARE waveform in order to be efficient


    Better inverters electrically convert the square wave into a sine wave or a "pseudo-sine" wave (picture the square wave merely with rounded off tops).

    The output frequency is supposed to is exactly 60 hertz, but that's only important for timing devices like clocks. Other devices get by just fine with 55 hertz to 65 hertz or so, but too far off from 60 can cause problems.

    A laptop charger module is almost always a SWITCHING power supply which is (fortunately) rather immune to differences in waveform and frequency.

    As far as your drill motor, what kind is it? If it runs from a battery pack that you charge, you are golden. If it plugs directly into the inverter AND has a trigger speed control, a "cheap" inverter will not work well (specifically, the speed control won't work well - you'll only get off or full power). If it's an older one-speed drill motor that uses a universal motor (i.e. has brushes), then it will work fine on any inverter.

    Note that even a speed controlled drill uses a universal motor with a "lamp dimmer" type of circuit to control the speed. Pulling the trigger all the way down (full speed) will make it act like a drill motor without a speed control and then it will work fine on a cheap inverter.

    Probably the best feature to look for when you buy an inverter is the WAVEFORM. Try to get one that specifically says it has a "sinusoidal" output waveform. That will make it compatible with many more devices (including making the speed control of the drill work properly).

    Hope this helps.

    (edit to add): Here's a link to a bit more good information: http://learn.compactappliance.com/po...verters-guide/

    (edit to add): Your inverter will work best connected directly to the car battery (rather than the cigarette lighter outlet). When making connections to the battery, connect the POSITIVE lead first, then connect the NEGATIVE lead to the car frame (i.e. somewhere else than directly to the battery minus terminal). BE SURE to close your eyes, look away or use face shield because batteries produce hydrogen gas which the slightest spark will detonate, blowing the top of the battery off and spraying acid in your face. Be sure to protect your eyes when connecting to a battery!
    Last edited by Krupski; 06-16-2015 at 11:00 AM.
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  3. #3
    Team GunsNet Silver 04/2014 El Jefe's Avatar

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    Yep, what Krupski said. A cheap one will roach the laptop.
    Returns June 3rd.


  4. #4
    Team GunsNet Silver 07/2011 Sherman's Avatar

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    The company that I work for buys these http://www.tripplite.com/power-inver...outlets~PV375/ Besides the fan getting noisy as they age. ( I pop out the fan as soon as I get it anyways ) They are awesome little inverters. I use mine to charge a Panasonic toughbook on a daily basis.

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