Bought a couple of inverters

[SteamyTea]

£3 each as Poundstretcher in PZ is closing down.

Now I can go off grid.

Anyone used these types before?

 

 

[Nick Thomas]

I've got one in the car, but never got around to using it. That efficiency number is quite upsetting.

[SteamyTea]

50 minutes ago, Nick Thomas said:

That efficiency number is quite upsetting.

80% of very little, does not bother me. If my new laptop takes 35W, then 2.8W on top is neither here nor there.

My old laptop, when the battery worked, took 8W.

Must measure them both and start to use the one with the least power the most.

[Sparrowhawk]

Ruined a car battery with a similar inverter; ran it flat at a beauty spot. Had to call out a garage to jump start me.

 

Didn't realise how much they'd draw, IMO you need the engine running at the same time as using one.

[SteamyTea]

1 minute ago, Sparrowhawk said:

Ruined a car battery with a similar inverter; ran it flat at a beauty spot. Had to call out a garage to jump start me.

Ruined, or just emptied.

 

Has anyone ran a laptop off one, does the laptop charge behaviour with what I assume is a square wave output.

[Sparrowhawk]

3 minutes ago, SteamyTea said:

Ruined, or just emptied.

Ruined because it never held as full a charge again after that. It was approx 1 year old at the time, and I had to replace the battery that winter as it failed to reliably start the car.

[MikeSharp01]

6 hours ago, SteamyTea said:

Poundstretcher in PZ is closing down.

Things are getting very bad down your way.

[Crofter]

14 hours ago, SteamyTea said:

Ruined, or just emptied.

 

Has anyone ran a laptop off one, does the laptop charge behaviour with what I assume is a square wave output.

I have, and it works. But it wouldn't run my Makita charger- not enough oomph.

 

Of course for charging a laptop from 12v you really want a dedicated PSU but that will cost you £20. Considerably more efficient.

[SteamyTea]

2 hours ago, Crofter said:

Of course for charging a laptop from 12v you really want a dedicated PSU but that will cost you £20. Considerably more efficient.

I must have been a bit dumb as I never thought of looking for a 12V Lap top charger.  I usually use my Kindle which in 5V and therefore easy to charge.

[Crofter]

8 hours ago, SteamyTea said:

I must have been a bit dumb as I never thought of looking for a 12V Lap top charger.  I usually use my Kindle which in 5V and therefore easy to charge.

It's much better to go 12->19v than 12->240->19v!

[SteamyTea]

26 minutes ago, Crofter said:

It's much better to go 12->19v than 12->240->19v!

Somewhere I have a buckboost, may have to see what the speck is.