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Jaycar 150W (300W Surge) 12-240V Inverter with 1A USB Output - $19.95 (Instore Only)

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Jaycar 150W (300W Surge) 12-240V Inverter with 1A USB Output - $19.95 (Instore Only)
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SteveAndBelle on 03/04/2013 - 15:12 jaycar.com.au (745 clicks)
Last edited 03/04/2013 - 15:43

Stumbled across this while researching a cheap inverter for a friend… but then realised I overlooked it as it's in their April catalogue anyway (doh!). Called a couple of local stores here in QLD and it seems they each have a few left in stock in each store but I recommend you call your local store and check to avoid disappointment. There are similar units available from Australian eBay sellers for a couple of dollars more however they only have 500mA output via the USB port plus you don't know if the stock is really local etc. The Jaycar special represents good value for a local over-the-counter purchase plus with Jaycars 7-day return policy to boot!

Still don't know what an inverter is? This little device plugs into your cars cigarette lighter socket and converts 12V to 240V allowing you to use appliances etc. in your car/4WD plus this one has a USB port included allowing you to charge a USB device simultaneously. This one is only rated at 150W so it wont run power hungry appliances however there are much more powerful versions available if you need but of course they are more expensive too.

Please note that this is the inexpensive 'Modified Squarewave' type inverter and can wreak havoc with some loads/devices. For a short list of potential problem devices go here: http://www.homepower.com/problem-loads-modified-square-wave-… If you want a cleaner output or if you're concerned about damaging your device over a long period you will need to look at a more expensive 'Pure Sinewave' inverter like this for $49: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/NEW-Gen-Power-Pure-Sine-Wave-Inve… I only just found this and for a 300W Pure Sinewave Inverter it's VERY well priced if you don't mind buying off eBay. A good over-the-counter equivalent would be this from SuperCheap on sale for $100: http://www.supercheapauto.com.au/online-store/products/Calib…

Electrical & Electronics Jaycar Inverter 12V 150W

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closed Comments

  • Sydster on 03/04/2013 - 15:22
    +1

    Out of stock :-(

    • SteveAndBelle on 03/04/2013 - 15:46

      Online or at your local store? Sorry if there are none at your local Jaycar but if you're after one maybe the eBay cheapie will suffice: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/150W-12V-DC-to-240V-AC-USB-Invert… Again, these only have 500mA output on USB plus there's no guarantee they're local stock so it may take a while to arrive. Also, as 'seanbsydney' raises below, these eBay ones have the multi-international socket thingy so you wont get the same solid connection as per the Jaycar one.

      • seanbaussie on 03/04/2013 - 16:04

        And they (plus almost all ebay ones I found at a decent price) have only got the 'international plug' as per my comment below.

  • seanbaussie on 03/04/2013 - 15:44

    Very good price - I bought one for a more expensive price from DIY computers in NSW (http://www.diycomputers.com.au/product.asp?id=8866), and it's got the "International" plug (ie an excuse to import cheaply from o/s IMHO) so my plugs clunk in & out of it which sounds pretty average. This one at least appears to have Australian plug. I'd buy it.

  • mskeggs on 03/04/2013 - 16:30
    +1

    I'm not negging the post, but you will be in a world of misery if you try and run stuff off this inverter.
    The modified sine wave makes it dangerous for integrated circuit controlled power supplies (laptops, TVs, DVD players etc) and the low output makes it difficult to power more than a lightbulb.
    It's one of those things where you need to spend a bit more to get a useful tool. I suppose there could be users wishing to run only one low power device off this (a fan maybe?) but to stand a reasonable chance to run an appliance you need a higher power rating.

    • Russ on 03/04/2013 - 17:15
      +4

      Re "The modified sine wave makes it dangerous for integrated circuit controlled power supplies (laptops, TVs, DVD players etc)".

      No. Very unlikely.

      "Modified sine wave" is also known as "modified square wave" and as "stepped sine wave". The vast majority of computer backup supplies, also known as UPS, use this output waveform. And they are DESIGNED for computers. Computer power supplies are essentially the same whether you have a desktop or a laptop, other than having a cooling fan in desktop power supplies. The same type of power supply has been the standard in TVs and DVD players too, for over a decade.

      This page on Jaycar shows that five of the six UPS they sell use "stepped sine wave":
      http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=MP5205&form=CAT2…

      If you have a look at the power supplies of the devices you mentioned, ALL of them (except maybe 20-year-old TV sets) have a bridge rectifier into a 400V-rated capacitor, converting the AC into DC, and then a switchmode power supply. This type of power supply should have no difficulty with "modified sine wave".

      Any device which has a transformer on the input (e.g. digital clocks, plugpacks) and anything with an AC motor MAY have problems with a modified square wave, but not the devices you mentioned, unless they draw more than the 150W rating.

      Happy to be corrected if you have evidence from somebody with electrical qualifications.

    • Dabbler68 on 03/04/2013 - 18:25
      +1

      I agree with Mskeggs, and you don't know until you try.

      My partner and I have Lenovo laptops about a year or so old. One of the our power supplies works on modified sine wave and the other doesn't. It makes a buzzing noise and gets quite hot. I suspect if left plugged in it would soon fail altogether.

      So you may be lucky and everything works fine, but it may be a waste and you could be shortening the life of your equipment. I recommend paying the extra for a pure sine wave unit.

      • Russ on 03/04/2013 - 19:27
        +1

        A curious result, as a switchmode supply shouldn't contain anything that can buzz at frequencies below 20kHz. Does the supply which buzzes weigh substantially more than the one which doesn't, say twice as heavy? If so, your laptop supply may actually be a transformer-based supply, not a switchmode-based supply. That would make it a rare beast indeed, because the price of copper made transformers of that size uneconomical to manufacture about two decades ago. Even plugpacks started using switchmode supplies about the same time, and they contain far less copper.

        Also, what does the electrical specifications label on it say? Most switchmodes say 80-260V (or thereabouts) for the input voltage. A transformer-based supply will only say 240V, or might possibly say something like "110V/240V AC".

        • Dabbler68 on 03/04/2013 - 19:51
          +1

          I can only answer definitely for the one I have here now. They both looked identical although I suppose it's possible they were different models. Not likely to be a transformer model.

          The label shows it is 65W, input 100-240V 50/60 hz.

          The inverter was a Sinergex PWE 1000 which has enough capacity to run my small microwave, so it was not overloaded. Also, the microwave has a harsher and slightly louder noise when running on the inverter output.

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