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Looking for a power inverter for the car

Originally posted by: TechnoPro
Originally posted by: CadetLee
Much cheaper here, though I can't comment on the quality of either.
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Thanks. I'll gladly save a few bucks if quality is the same.
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i can't see quality mattering to much if the power is going to get fed into a rectifier anyway.
 
On roadtrips, we used to run 2 laptops off of a cheapo 400W inverter. It was about the limit, though. So...you might want a bigger one.
 
If you have a MicroCenter nearby, they have a Xantrex brand 175watt inverter for around $30 after tax. I picked one up a while back and haven't had any problems with it.
 
Originally posted by: Kaervak
If you have a MicroCenter nearby, they have a Xantrex brand 175watt inverter for around $30 after tax. I picked one up a while back and haven't had any problems with it.
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That's an awesome deal as they retail for around $55.

I bought this when it was on sale for $35. Of course it's still in the box, haven't had an opportunity to open it up and use it.
 
I have a 175 watt model and it will run a Centrino laptop, but it will not run my P4 laptop. i'd say you simply can't have enough output with these things.
 
Make sure you get one with a fan if you get a really small one (not built into a giant heatsink like the larger ones.)

I had the small Vector model for my laptop and it died in one trip. When I went back to the store to exchange it, I found the SKU was replaced with a similar model with a small fan. The fan is kind of loud, but my replacement hasn't given me any problems.
 
Be careful with the wattage limits. I have a 100 watt whistler. It's great, but won't power my laptop. The 100 watts is split between 2 plugs, so it's really a 50 watt X 2. You can power a couple of things with this, but it takes a hardcore 70-90 watts to run a laptop, so you'll want at least 200 watts to cover it without the circuit shutting down. Also never run it without the engine running.

I have to echo what jonnyGURU said. Get one with a fan. Walmart actually has a couple of them for around $40. A coworker bought one a few years ago 350-400watt. It does the job of powering his laptop and keeps cool with the fan. My little inverter heats up when I really use it.
 
Originally posted by: Scarpozzi
Be careful with the wattage limits. I have a 100 watt whistler. It's great, but won't power my laptop. The 100 watts is split between 2 plugs, so it's really a 50 watt X 2. You can power a couple of things with this, but it takes a hardcore 70-90 watts to run a laptop, so you'll want at least 200 watts to cover it without the circuit shutting down. Also never run it without the engine running.
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Isn't that the truth! Charging my video camera killed my car battery. Killing the battery activated the security feature on my radio. Had to drive from Kentucky to NJ with no radio. D'oh.
 
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