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Here is my first of many planned product reviews of accessories and gadgets related to our Toyotas.
Product: Belkin AC Anywhere 300 Watt Inverter. Part # F5C412au300W
Price: $99 from Harvey Norman
I used to work in the remote power industry and I sold thousands of inverters. During this time I noted that there are many different levels of quality out there.
A recent trip saw me charging my laptop between campsites via an inverter in the vehicle. I used one of the cheapo 75 watt devices I used to sell in my shop. It couldn't handle my laptop and started to melt (literally). :shock: So I decided it was time for a better inverter. Searching through some wholesale lists revealed the same generic Chinese stuff I used to sell. All with a maximum 12 months warranty. eBay wasn't much better with similar offerings. Then I visited Harvey Norman at McGraths Hill (Windosor) and they had these these Belkin devices on the shelf with a two year warranty!
A quick search of the 'net revealed that I'd be struggling to get one delivered for much less than the $99 asking price, so I went back and gave the card a swipe.
Here is the device, as seen on Belkin's website:
Details are available here.
The unit powers my power hungry 3.2GHz P4 laptop without a problem with the Toyota's engine running. It struggles once the engine has been off for a while.
I took it into my study (lab). I'm an Electronics Technical Officer for a living and it used to be my main hobby so I've got a fully equipped service bench at home, with CROs, power supplies, Fluke Multimeters and stuff.
Running the inverter from my 30A variable lab power supply reveals that it is indeed one tough little beast. As I type this I'm powering the laptop from the inverter with the power supply set to 12.0 volts. It's humming away nicely, not even getting warm. Years of electronics has taught me that excessive heat in appliances like these is your enemy and an indication of poor design. Not the case with this unit though.
So why isn't it happy running the lappy in the Toyota without the engine running? Easy. On the lab power supply the inverter is drawing and average of 13 amps. That's quite a load for the piddling standard wiring in the cigar lighter circuit of the vehicle, and the subsequent voltage drop is enough to cause the inverter to go into an undervolt shut down. Will be easily fixed when I install a decent power feed from my auxiliary battery using decent cable. Besides, at 13 amps, I'm not interested in running the lappy for ages off the vehicles main accessories circuit for any length of time without the engine running anyway.
Time will tell if this product stands up to the rigors of life "on the road", but so far things are looking good.
Hope someone find this helpful.
Next review to follow: Should you consider buying a Chinese winch?
Cheers,
Drew.
This article is general in nature and should not be used in place of professional advice. Readers are reminded of their responsibility to make their own informed decisions and to not rely solely on the content of this article. :-)
Product: Belkin AC Anywhere 300 Watt Inverter. Part # F5C412au300W
Price: $99 from Harvey Norman
I used to work in the remote power industry and I sold thousands of inverters. During this time I noted that there are many different levels of quality out there.
A recent trip saw me charging my laptop between campsites via an inverter in the vehicle. I used one of the cheapo 75 watt devices I used to sell in my shop. It couldn't handle my laptop and started to melt (literally). :shock: So I decided it was time for a better inverter. Searching through some wholesale lists revealed the same generic Chinese stuff I used to sell. All with a maximum 12 months warranty. eBay wasn't much better with similar offerings. Then I visited Harvey Norman at McGraths Hill (Windosor) and they had these these Belkin devices on the shelf with a two year warranty!
A quick search of the 'net revealed that I'd be struggling to get one delivered for much less than the $99 asking price, so I went back and gave the card a swipe.
Here is the device, as seen on Belkin's website:
Details are available here.
The unit powers my power hungry 3.2GHz P4 laptop without a problem with the Toyota's engine running. It struggles once the engine has been off for a while.
I took it into my study (lab). I'm an Electronics Technical Officer for a living and it used to be my main hobby so I've got a fully equipped service bench at home, with CROs, power supplies, Fluke Multimeters and stuff.
Running the inverter from my 30A variable lab power supply reveals that it is indeed one tough little beast. As I type this I'm powering the laptop from the inverter with the power supply set to 12.0 volts. It's humming away nicely, not even getting warm. Years of electronics has taught me that excessive heat in appliances like these is your enemy and an indication of poor design. Not the case with this unit though.
So why isn't it happy running the lappy in the Toyota without the engine running? Easy. On the lab power supply the inverter is drawing and average of 13 amps. That's quite a load for the piddling standard wiring in the cigar lighter circuit of the vehicle, and the subsequent voltage drop is enough to cause the inverter to go into an undervolt shut down. Will be easily fixed when I install a decent power feed from my auxiliary battery using decent cable. Besides, at 13 amps, I'm not interested in running the lappy for ages off the vehicles main accessories circuit for any length of time without the engine running anyway.
Time will tell if this product stands up to the rigors of life "on the road", but so far things are looking good.
Hope someone find this helpful.
Next review to follow: Should you consider buying a Chinese winch?
Cheers,
Drew.
This article is general in nature and should not be used in place of professional advice. Readers are reminded of their responsibility to make their own informed decisions and to not rely solely on the content of this article. :-)
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