Electrical problem
I went on my first trip this weekend and was told that if i use a game console for kids while travelling, using the generator, i should use a surge protector as the generator power is not consistent. ...
Forum Discussion
The MOV, as 1995brave says, is the gizmo that provides surge protection. They have a limited lifespan. They conduct when the voltage exceeds some threshold. (The ones they use in surge protectors actually trigger at rather more than 130V because the peak voltage of a 120V RMS sine wave is around 170V.)
It would seem that either the voltage output of the generator is high or it has higher-voltage spikes/noise.
Inverter size is determined by the power requirements of the stuff you're powering. Game consoles in particular can vary a good bit in power usage; Xbox's and PS4's are comparatively power hungry. At any rate, 400-600W should be plenty for a game console and a TV. You may be able to use a lighter-powered one, but it would be preferable to have it wired directly to the battery. Just the TV, or the TV and a DVD player, might well be OK with a lighter plug unit; modern TVs don't use too much power. It depends partly on the quality and length of the 12V wiring to the lighter plug.
It would seem that either the voltage output of the generator is high or it has higher-voltage spikes/noise.
Inverter size is determined by the power requirements of the stuff you're powering. Game consoles in particular can vary a good bit in power usage; Xbox's and PS4's are comparatively power hungry. At any rate, 400-600W should be plenty for a game console and a TV. You may be able to use a lighter-powered one, but it would be preferable to have it wired directly to the battery. Just the TV, or the TV and a DVD player, might well be OK with a lighter plug unit; modern TVs don't use too much power. It depends partly on the quality and length of the 12V wiring to the lighter plug.
