How many amps does my inverter provide
If I have a Zamp ZP-300PS or a P-600PS pure sign wave inverter, how many amps does it put out at 120 volts? Am I calculating correctly at 300w \ 120 v = 2.5 amps AC? If I use a 600W inverter th...
Forum Discussion
I still employ ciggy receptacles, and plugs and have highly capable 2 usb chargers which fit into them. I know they wont approach the wattage level where the receptacle or plug itself is in danger.
Pulling out the usb plug from the socket just enough to eliminate the parasitic draw is easier than rigging up a switch or pulling the fuse.
You say 80 watts is their continuous duty limitation, I say 60 .Many 12v receptacles will say 120 or 150 watts maximum, but this is wishful thinking and one best enjoy the smell of melting plastic if they are intending to ask them to pass this much current for more than a minute.
But they also can rattle/ workl their way out of the plug under light wattages, and if they are somewhat looser than perfect, can emit more RFI noise and cause some USB charged devices to act weird, stopping charging or saying they are full when they are not or saying they are charging, when they are not.
Having a USB ammeter and some tv channels prone to interference from DC to Dc converters, i can say with lots of experience, that the worst choice for fast reliable charging of my USB devices with minimal possibility of screwing up my actual channel 8 or actual 10, is the USB plugs inserted into 12v ciggy receptacles, where the hardwired one while in a somewhat less convenient location, rarely knocks out the Tv channels.
I also have the PWR+ Dc to Dc laptop car adapter powering this laptop I am wringing on right now, it is likely a decade old, it is rated at 90 watts, though the average draw is 32 watts typing like this with two tabs open. Solid 60 watts or more is for dvd watching or streaming HD, or some other more intense CPU consuming tasks.
I've been calling people crazy for 10+ years for insisting they need an inverter to power their original AC to DC powerbrick, when DC to Dc converter 'car adapter' is significantly more efficient and reliable( once ciggy plug is eliminated) at performing the same task.
The original ciggy plug on my PWR+ car adapter melted arounf the internal fuse in a month, its replacement lasted 2, and the third I bought, but never employed a '12 amp' Blue seas and mating blue seas receptacle which has proven to be problematic too powering other things
I've since switched to Anderson powerpoles and not an issue since in the subsequent 9+ years, with the input side. I have had issues with the 19.5v dc output wires. My Dell uses 3 wires and the barrell connector has a small pin in the middle. the thinner 3rd wire to this pin would break internally and the laptop would not charge.
the 150 watt DC booster I linked would work fine to power my laptop, but the laptop battery will not charge.
I use the dc to dc 150 watt booster for many things, like charging 24v Nicad battery packs or charging my 18Ah AGM at 14.7v while my regular battery is being held at 13.6v by my solar and it has exceeded that 150 watt rating for a good while without issue, but I did add a 60mm fan bridging the heatsinks. It's installed within some old inline ventilated powerbrick housing for some forgotten device.
I've used it often for bringing 12v batteries upto 16.2 volts for an equalization charge. Its honestly among the best and most useful sub 3$ purchases I've ever made
In short while 12v receptacles and some plugs can work 'just fine' for low draw devices for some period of time, they are an unreliable connection that adds more resistance than needed for the task at hand. Just because they are ubiquitous worldwide does not mean they are some greatly reliable connection.
In my opinion they are best eliminated from anything requiring reliability and maximum efficiency, even if the wattage they are asked to pass is well below their 'quickly troublesome' range.
I've experimented with them, running 10AWg to the receptacles and the plugs, and seeing how hot they get passing various amperages. It was a waste of solder and 10AWG and confirmed my suspicions, that they are always best eliminated on any circuit requiring reliability and efficiency
I do still employ them. they are convenient, but I feel 60 watts is their continuous duty limit, and only when well wired, and somewhat new with the ground springs roughed up a little to grab the side walls of the receptacle tighter, and the spring loaded nipple tip kept clean, Caig Deoxit d5 clean, and the spring lengthened a bit and somewhat regularly to keep it pressed tightly against the back of the receptacle.
I rarely ask mine to exceed 20 to 25 watts, powering leds, fans or these USB chargers, but when the LEDs start changing brightness, it is almost always remedied by pushing the plug back deeper in the receptacle, and if channel 8 or ten start pixellating and stuttering, pushing them deeper in their receptacles more often than not allows the tv signal to come though unadulterated with noise generated from poor spring loaded connections from some horrendous electrical connection designed 75 years ago. I am not powering the TV through the USB receptacle or the same wiring even feeding the USB/ciggy plug. It kills the reception even if They are powered by different batteries.
You of course are welcome to your opinion, I was not attacking your product recommendation, I employ two very similar products. I was only sharing my experience having used them widely, pushed them to and past their limits with various designs and various gauges of wires entering receptacles and leaving the plugs. measuring the heat voltage drop and seeing whether they would knock out my channels 8 or ten and whether at that moment when they would, if bypassing the ciggy plug and receptacle itself allowed 8 or ten to be watchable. Much more often than not it did.
Ciggy plugs/12v power ports plugs and receptacles are horrible unreliable electrical connections, best avoided whenever possible. the more current they are asked to pass the more important it becomes to have a back up connector on hand for their inevitable failure, as it is not a matter of if, but when, they fail.
So Instead of having to fix things at the most inconvenient time possible to do so I recommend not having to fix it at all by eliminating the problem prone device in the first place instead of learning the hard expensive time wasting and material wasting way of those of us who have been there and have done that and never want to have to do it again.
Eliminate the Ciggy plug/12v power port receptacle whenever possible, especially in the product planning stages.
Pulling out the usb plug from the socket just enough to eliminate the parasitic draw is easier than rigging up a switch or pulling the fuse.
You say 80 watts is their continuous duty limitation, I say 60 .Many 12v receptacles will say 120 or 150 watts maximum, but this is wishful thinking and one best enjoy the smell of melting plastic if they are intending to ask them to pass this much current for more than a minute.
But they also can rattle/ workl their way out of the plug under light wattages, and if they are somewhat looser than perfect, can emit more RFI noise and cause some USB charged devices to act weird, stopping charging or saying they are full when they are not or saying they are charging, when they are not.
Having a USB ammeter and some tv channels prone to interference from DC to Dc converters, i can say with lots of experience, that the worst choice for fast reliable charging of my USB devices with minimal possibility of screwing up my actual channel 8 or actual 10, is the USB plugs inserted into 12v ciggy receptacles, where the hardwired one while in a somewhat less convenient location, rarely knocks out the Tv channels.
I also have the PWR+ Dc to Dc laptop car adapter powering this laptop I am wringing on right now, it is likely a decade old, it is rated at 90 watts, though the average draw is 32 watts typing like this with two tabs open. Solid 60 watts or more is for dvd watching or streaming HD, or some other more intense CPU consuming tasks.
I've been calling people crazy for 10+ years for insisting they need an inverter to power their original AC to DC powerbrick, when DC to Dc converter 'car adapter' is significantly more efficient and reliable( once ciggy plug is eliminated) at performing the same task.
The original ciggy plug on my PWR+ car adapter melted arounf the internal fuse in a month, its replacement lasted 2, and the third I bought, but never employed a '12 amp' Blue seas and mating blue seas receptacle which has proven to be problematic too powering other things
I've since switched to Anderson powerpoles and not an issue since in the subsequent 9+ years, with the input side. I have had issues with the 19.5v dc output wires. My Dell uses 3 wires and the barrell connector has a small pin in the middle. the thinner 3rd wire to this pin would break internally and the laptop would not charge.
the 150 watt DC booster I linked would work fine to power my laptop, but the laptop battery will not charge.
I use the dc to dc 150 watt booster for many things, like charging 24v Nicad battery packs or charging my 18Ah AGM at 14.7v while my regular battery is being held at 13.6v by my solar and it has exceeded that 150 watt rating for a good while without issue, but I did add a 60mm fan bridging the heatsinks. It's installed within some old inline ventilated powerbrick housing for some forgotten device.
I've used it often for bringing 12v batteries upto 16.2 volts for an equalization charge. Its honestly among the best and most useful sub 3$ purchases I've ever made
In short while 12v receptacles and some plugs can work 'just fine' for low draw devices for some period of time, they are an unreliable connection that adds more resistance than needed for the task at hand. Just because they are ubiquitous worldwide does not mean they are some greatly reliable connection.
In my opinion they are best eliminated from anything requiring reliability and maximum efficiency, even if the wattage they are asked to pass is well below their 'quickly troublesome' range.
I've experimented with them, running 10AWg to the receptacles and the plugs, and seeing how hot they get passing various amperages. It was a waste of solder and 10AWG and confirmed my suspicions, that they are always best eliminated on any circuit requiring reliability and efficiency
I do still employ them. they are convenient, but I feel 60 watts is their continuous duty limit, and only when well wired, and somewhat new with the ground springs roughed up a little to grab the side walls of the receptacle tighter, and the spring loaded nipple tip kept clean, Caig Deoxit d5 clean, and the spring lengthened a bit and somewhat regularly to keep it pressed tightly against the back of the receptacle.
I rarely ask mine to exceed 20 to 25 watts, powering leds, fans or these USB chargers, but when the LEDs start changing brightness, it is almost always remedied by pushing the plug back deeper in the receptacle, and if channel 8 or ten start pixellating and stuttering, pushing them deeper in their receptacles more often than not allows the tv signal to come though unadulterated with noise generated from poor spring loaded connections from some horrendous electrical connection designed 75 years ago. I am not powering the TV through the USB receptacle or the same wiring even feeding the USB/ciggy plug. It kills the reception even if They are powered by different batteries.
You of course are welcome to your opinion, I was not attacking your product recommendation, I employ two very similar products. I was only sharing my experience having used them widely, pushed them to and past their limits with various designs and various gauges of wires entering receptacles and leaving the plugs. measuring the heat voltage drop and seeing whether they would knock out my channels 8 or ten and whether at that moment when they would, if bypassing the ciggy plug and receptacle itself allowed 8 or ten to be watchable. Much more often than not it did.
Ciggy plugs/12v power ports plugs and receptacles are horrible unreliable electrical connections, best avoided whenever possible. the more current they are asked to pass the more important it becomes to have a back up connector on hand for their inevitable failure, as it is not a matter of if, but when, they fail.
So Instead of having to fix things at the most inconvenient time possible to do so I recommend not having to fix it at all by eliminating the problem prone device in the first place instead of learning the hard expensive time wasting and material wasting way of those of us who have been there and have done that and never want to have to do it again.
Eliminate the Ciggy plug/12v power port receptacle whenever possible, especially in the product planning stages.
