DC 12v to AC 110v car adapter recommendations?

O

ouki

New member
I'm sure I'm the not the only one down this path. I'd like to be able to use my laptop, DVD player and whatever small electronics running on AC 110v power. I've seen different products rated from 75W to 300W. How much watt do I need? Can someone make recommendations on the adapters that plugs in the cigga lighter?

Btw, will it possibly drain the car's battery if I'm pulling too much power?
 
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These are apparently very good.

Tripp Lite : Inverters, Power Inverters, DC to AC

I plan on ordering one soon. I currently have a 'generic' but pretty quality 300W inverter which I use when I'm camping etc. I usually run it directly off the battery as I'm a bit paranoid about running it off the interior 12v 'cigarette' lighter outlets as they seem to heat up quite a bit. It will definitely put a drain your battery voltage so you need to be aware of how much power you draw. Most inverters have a low battery warning alarm so look for that. I'm not an expert on electronic stuff by any stretch - I run small electronics off the 300W but I don't think I'd want to run my drill or a heat gun or something like that off of it - I'd probably want to get a 1000W or higher but again, I'm no expert on that stuff.
 
To figure out the wattage requirements, you multiple the voltage X amps listed on you 110V equipment.
 
ouki said:
Btw, will it possibly drain the car's battery if I'm pulling too much power?
Click to expand...

This will never be a problem for you for what you're wanting to power. Calculate the power requirements you need and start looking for an inverter rated for a little above that.

I would personally opt for a hard-wired install to the battery or power distro. You'll have constant power so you can use them while parked with the car off. Just use common sense and don't drain the battery and you'll be fine.
 
I would opt for a hard wired on as well. I actually have a Cobra 800 watt power inverter and havent had any problems with it. I hook my air compressor up to it, speakers for a tail gate party, etc. If you just need to charge a phone or laptop you can get away with a cigarette lighter style one. I used one for a while until I needed more watts to run larger electronics. Check the wattage on the devices you want to use and then figure out how many watts you need your power converter to be.
 
I would not go over a 100w on the lighter, that's about 8 or 9 amps sustained load. My son was doing that in his 'new' '99 BMW running a computer speaker system off his mp3 player until we got all the parts for a new sound system. There is other stuff on the cig lighter circuit so yo need to leave some headroom.

If you have a '99+, you can run a little more off the three aux outlets that are on a different circuit.
 
I did the console cig lighter adapter in my 4th gen. Following many posts using the stock wiring. I have a Wagan 180w pure sine inverter as portable and it's plenty for my laptop. Pretty reliable. Wont even cutout on my laptop at idle, even if the battery is removed.

I keep it in the console ready to plug into the constant power 12v in the bottom right of the pic. My plug is from west marine. I also put in 2 more plugs in the rear cargo area, so if needed I can move the inverter. I like this better than trying to mimic the factory 120v adapter in the rear.

What I'd like to get is some right angle power connectors to allow the conv. easier space in the console.

Also put in a 12v USB adapter on a button that's switched. Very convenient for my cell. I plan to put in a power somewhere else for a gps. Wanna do geomapping on trips. But not sure best way to go.

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Cheers
 
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