Thread: 12V - 240V power inverter

It depends on how much you're planning on using it. You get what you pay for with inverters.

There are 2 main types:
1. square wave (cheapest)
2. pure sine wave (most expensive)

You will be told that if you're running digital equipment you need a pure sine wave inverter. I've run plenty of digital sound gear on a cheap square wave one and it's been fine. It depends how "sensitive" the gear is. Charging anything like a laptop, camera battery, etc is fine on either.

So for just charging things, I'd get a square wave one with double the watts you really need. They are cheap and if you run them at near capacity they will die very quickly. So maybe a 300W or 400W one? You should have no problems with one of these for use on camping trips etc. The key is, don't overload it or it will go POP!

I've used a Jaycar 300W one before and it was fine for charging stuff on trips away.

Jaycar Electronics - Search Results for inverter

If you need a lot of power or you're using it every day, I'm unsure what life you will get from a cheap one. You might need to look into a pure sine wave one or a well known brand more expensive square wave.

I don't think surge protection is really an issue, but I could be wrong....

and if you find that a cheap inverter is causing your switchmode power supply stuff to not start, fart about or cause the inverter to alarm then plug in an old school double adaptor and an incandescent bulb thats rated to about 10% of the inverters normal out put rate.

Surge protection is more-or-less built in to the output voltage regulation. "Square wave" or modified sine wave will happily run switchmode equipment. They will overheat anything with an iron core transformer on the mains side of a power supply. So on principle, as inverters are pretty cheap, get a 300W or bigger sine wave inverter. Many don't have stand-by mode so once on, they draw a few amps just to keep the output live. These will run the tiniest device without any trouble.

If you want a "real" inverter, buy a Selectronic one. They weigh heaps but are massively over rated. I have a 400W rated one in my car which will run a household pressure pump for 10 minutes or more without fuss. (When our mains power goes out I can have a hot shower using car battery power for the pump)

The 1000W Jaycar sine-wave one I have just squeaks in alarm if I try the same trick. It's a total wuss in comparism. The 400W Selectronic will run a 4" angle grinder or 600W drill too, handy on a power-out day.

Originally Posted by bee utey

Surge protection is more-or-less built in to the output voltage regulation. "Square wave" or modified sine wave will happily run switchmode equipment. They will overheat anything with an iron core transformer on the mains side of a power supply. So on principle, as inverters are pretty cheap, get a 300W or bigger sine wave inverter. Many don't have stand-by mode so once on, they draw a few amps just to keep the output live. These will run the tiniest device without any trouble.

If you want a "real" inverter, buy a Selectronic one. They weigh heaps but are massively over rated. I have a 400W rated one in my car which will run a household pressure pump for 10 minutes or more without fuss. (When our mains power goes out I can have a hot shower using car battery power for the pump)

The 1000W Jaycar sine-wave one I have just squeaks in alarm if I try the same trick. It's a total wuss in comparism. The 400W Selectronic will run a 4" angle grinder or 600W drill too, handy on a power-out day.

That's a serious inverter!!

Agree with your comments and has made me realise what I actually meant to recommend is the Jaycar 300w or 400w MODIFIED sine wave inverter. Not a square one.

Fantastic. Just the sort of advise I was after...
although I must admit, I didnt really get the double adaptor and bulb trick, but hey, handy to know, maybe I will encounter a life threatening situation where it will be helpful
Sorry, but I'm really just venturing off into the world of electronics (colourful cables and stuff)...

Cant seem to find "selectronic" power inverters... typo?

Anyways, what do you guys reckon on these two babies here?
option one - sine wave 1500 - 3000W for $139 sounds alright to me... about what I wanted to invest, but is it scarily cheap compared to for example a redarch 1500W one for over 1000......??

Sine Wave Power Inverter - 1500W / 3000W (12V - 240V) Cooper | buyster

or option two - can't make out whether its a sinewave, but it also has a USB port and comes in a nice "dust resistant" (at least thats what it looks like) case... but its "only" 750W

Sacheto.com » Product Catalog » PowerDrive RPPD750 750-Watt DC to AC Power Inverter with USB Port and 2 AC Outlet

Any of these brands better than the other - or more/less well known?
Oh, and what does 50HZ frequency mean? Have seen some with 60HZ.. anything I should know there?

The second option you found is 110 volt.

Selectronic: google it:

Selectronic Australia Pty Ltd



1500W is overkill for charging electronic stuff, it will waste precious battery power while idling. 300W is ample. Any cheapie inverter will probably do, but Jaycar have a bit of local warranty backup.

Check ebay, there are about 2000 listings for "power inverter".

Pure Sine Wave Power Inverter 300w / 600w 12v - 240v | eBay

If you are mainly charging laptops etc get a small inverter, if you really want to run big power tools get two inverters, one for each job. Take the big one for those trips where you must microwave your porridge, but be warned, you need a really big inverter for that! (or a real one as mentioned).

If by chance you were to be pulling 500W through the inverter, don't forget that this means 40+ amps being drawn from the battery... What's more, you need to be very sure that in the event of an accident there won't be stray 240V making life even more unpleasant