Inverter replacement

[97243]

We have (had) two inverters in our van, one (pure) 1500W and another (I think the original one) of 150W (modified). The smaller one appears to drive two sockets one (with a 12v cigar socket integral) of which is switched. The modified wave unit has packed up, but I was thinking of replacing it anyway with a pure wave alternative. The two sockets served are only used to host the Amazon Fire Stick and for charging phones or the TP Link mifi. I can see modules of 350W or 500W available, but not sure which to opt for.

Any (other) suggestions welcomed.

Cheers

 

[Guigsy]

I don't bother. All techy stuff is USB, so I've just added a few USB sockets around the place. Even the 15" laptop and the vacuum charge on USB C with a 12v to USB PD adapter from Amazon. Because of the 12v input, it's limited to 30w, so isn't ultra speedy, but it still charges while I'm using it.

 

[97243]

I don't bother. All techy stuff is USB, so I've just added a few USB sockets around the place. Even the 15" laptop and the vacuum charge on USB C with a 12v to USB PD adapter from Amazon. Because of the 12v input, it's limited to 30w, so isn't ultra speedy, but it still charges while I'm using it.

That's an interesting alternative, although I'm not sure that the Fire Stick will work off a USB, or whether it prefers it's own mains power unit?

 

[Manic]

That's an interesting alternative, although I'm not sure that the Fire Stick will work off a USB, or whether it prefers it's own mains power unit?

My Firestick is running off the tv usb but i wire to a separate USB to do updates

 

[97243]

My Firestick is running off the tv usb but i wire to a separate USB to do updates

Mine won't run off the TV USB, needs more oomph!

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[StillGoing]

If your TV USB is struggling you can use one of these:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B078KSHVCS/?tag=mhf04-21

 

[rosalan]

Our modified sine wave melted my toothbrush, but powers our electric bikes

 

[autorouter]

Plenty of 150W pure sine wave inverters available if you want to buy one. But as Guigsy says, almost all the modern techy devices are 100W or less, and can be run from cigar sockets or cigar socket adapters. A 100W laptop charger will only draw about 8A from a cigar socket, which is well within its capability. Maybe you could fit a mix of cigarette-lighter sockets and USB sockets. That would be more efficient than mains chargers running from an inverter.

I always preferred cigarette-lighter sockets and cigarette-lighter socket USB adapters rather than built-in USB ports. But now they are not evolving so rapidly maybe built-in ports are worth installing. But you have to make sure they are the latest type, not the older less powerful ones.

USB has evolved through many stages since its introduction, starting with 5V 0.5A (= 2.5W). The latest USB-C PD sockets can give up to 100W.

USB isn't like standard fixed voltage power supplies that only have a positive and negative power wire. USB also has data wires. When you plug in a USB device, the charger and device communicate over the data wires. A modern device like a smartphone can request a higher voltage, not just 5V but 9V or 12V, and up to 3A current, so it can charge at up to about 30W. That is called Quick Charge 3 (QC3) or QC4, and is available from the rectangular 'Type A' USB sockets.

Note that any old legacy device that plugs into a QC4 charger won't request a higher charge rate, so it will get the old standard 5V, up to about 2.4A. That means everything is backwards compatible.

USB-C goes further. It's a different shape of connector, it's reversible, and power can flow both ways. If it had Power Delivery (PD) then it can also do up to 20V, and the wires can take up to 5A, so that a 100W charger is possible.

If you are looking for USB ports or USB cigarette-lighter adapters for a 12V system, look for QC3 or QC4 for the square sockets, and PD for the USB-C sockets. Then you won't end up with the older '2.1A' or '2.4A' adapters that don't charge your devices fast enough.

 

[97243]

I don't bother. All techy stuff is USB, so I've just added a few USB sockets around the place. Even the 15" laptop and the vacuum charge on USB C with a 12v to USB PD adapter from Amazon. Because of the 12v input, it's limited to 30w, so isn't ultra speedy, but it still charges while I'm using it.

If your TV USB is struggling you can use one of these:

Amazon product ASIN B078KSHVCS

Plenty of 150W pure sine wave inverters available if you want to buy one. But as Guigsy says, almost all the modern techy devices are 100W or less, and can be run from cigar sockets or cigar socket adapters. A 100W laptop charger will only draw about 8A from a cigar socket, which is well within its capability. Maybe you could fit a mix of cigarette-lighter sockets and USB sockets. That would be more efficient than mains chargers running from an inverter.

I always preferred cigarette-lighter sockets and cigarette-lighter socket USB adapters rather than built-in USB ports. But now they are not evolving so rapidly maybe built-in ports are worth installing. But you have to make sure they are the latest type, not the older less powerful ones.

USB has evolved through many stages since its introduction, starting with 5V 0.5A (= 2.5W). The latest USB-C PD sockets can give up to 100W.

USB isn't like standard fixed voltage power supplies that only have a positive and negative power wire. USB also has data wires. When you plug in a USB device, the charger and device communicate over the data wires. A modern device like a smartphone can request a higher voltage, not just 5V but 9V or 12V, and up to 3A current, so it can charge at up to about 30W. That is called Quick Charge 3 (QC3) or QC4, and is available from the rectangular 'Type A' USB sockets.

Note that any old legacy device that plugs into a QC4 charger won't request a higher charge rate, so it will get the old standard 5V, up to about 2.4A. That means everything is backwards compatible.

USB-C goes further. It's a different shape of connector, it's reversible, and power can flow both ways. If it had Power Delivery (PD) then it can also do up to 20V, and the wires can take up to 5A, so that a 100W charger is possible.

If you are looking for USB ports or USB cigarette-lighter adapters for a 12V system, look for QC3 or QC4 for the square sockets, and PD for the USB-C sockets. Then you won't end up with the older '2.1A' or '2.4A' adapters that don't charge your devices fast enough.

Thanks for the helpful suggestions. Hadn't been able to really look at this since the OP, but I ordered the booster for the Fire Stick anyway and that works perfectly!

If we keep this van, then I would certainly look at the USB options., but what I found yesterday is that the inverter I had binned was probably okay. The feed into its little junction box in the wardrobe was dead and that is probably the problem. I am presuming that a fuse has blown, but the arrangement looks like an "after market" addition and I can't trace the cable to its source.

I may be able to piggy back on the feed for the sat dish and tv as a work around. We don't need the two French receivers or dish, so I don't think anything is likely to be overloaded if I take those units out of play for the time being.

I've also bought a replacement inverter, so will reinstate the original configuration and take it from there