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Generic 150 Watt Car Power Inverter |
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Written by Mikhail Ivanenkov
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Wednesday, 31 October 2007 |
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Thanks to Computer Geeks for the product sample.
Over the years we've consistently come one step closer to true mobility. Full sized laptops can now operate for an entire work day on a single charge. PDAs and miniature versions can run longer than you can stay awake. And as for smaller devices? They'll go days before all the juice is gone. However, there are still times when an extra power source is needed but one isn't handy. Anyone who takes road trips, goes camping, or spends any considerable amount time in their vehicle of choice (car, boat, etc) can attest to this. Today we'll be taking a look at a simple, inexpensive, yet extremely handy device: a mobile power inverter.
The inverter is a generic model and comes shipped in the cardboard box shown above. Aside from the unit itself you also get a replacement fuse, though given its "one piece" nature (as we'll see shortly), repair isn't much of an option. Fortunately it sells for a mere $18.
For anyone still confused, this device lets you use your car's battery as an AC power source, thereby turning your vehicle into a sort of miniature generator. The unit resembles a small power supply. On one end it has a cord with a cigarette lighter plug that hooks into your car. On the other end are a power switch and a pair of 3 prong, 120V AC outlets. It provides up to 150 watts of continuous power with a maximum peak of 300 watts. For mobile devices 150 watts is total overkill. Most laptops and DVD players don't use up more than 30-40 watts max and anything smaller is even less.
As you can see the front has a couple plugs, a master on/off switch, and a pair of LEDs. Green is good, red is bad. There are also some ventilation holes for passive cooling of the internal components. The back side has more ventilation holes.
While the unit can be disassembled, doing so requires you to take apart everything and then managing to separate some of the soldered wiring. Putting it back together will be a huge pain. The above image is the extent of the "easy" deconstruction. Since the device runs for $18, it's not worth the trouble.
Although it does have overload protection, it's a good idea to nevertheless invest in your own miniature surge protector for whatever device you're using. I've used this Tripp Lite Traveler with my laptop(s) for years now. Once everything was plugged in and powered on, both the "protected" and "grounded" lights came on - this is good news.
A while back I went on a road trip halfway across the country and it was the perfect opportunity to test out the product. The laptop was powered and running for several hours while DVDs were playing. The inverter did the job well and barely heated up. Granted this was due to the computer's trivial power consumption (no more than 35 watts at load according to a power monitor readout), but I can't think of a single mobile appliance that would use more than this and I doubt anyone would be sitting with a giant TV on their lap. In other words the 150 watts is unnecessary, but that's not a bad thing. You could still power a lamp, a toaster, and a small boom box with it. The real question is why would you?
Pros
- Solid design
- Works as intended
- Barely heats up
- Inexpensive at under $20
Cons
We generally aren't fans of generic products, but this case is an exception. The 150 watt inverter is a simple enough product that it doesn't need to carry a label from a premium manufacturer. It does the job, does it well, and is competitively priced. For these reasons it receives our Editor's Choice Award. If interested, you can get yours at Computer Geeks. Feel free to comment on this review here. Thanks for reading and enjoy the site!
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 31 October 2007 )
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