200 W inverter

System

I see the local Candian Tire store has some inverters on sale. A 200 W for $30 and a 400 W for around $50. What will these be good for, a light or a small 9 inch TV maybe ?

niel

Re: 200 W inverter

they would be good for anything you would want that doesn't draw more than the inverters can put out and that is not sensitive to modsine waves.

System2

Re: 200 W inverter

Yes, I use them for some things. Good for CF lighting, electric drills etc., but will not supply the quality of power needed by many electronic items, like chargers for camera batteries, or cordless drills, that kind of thing, and may actually smoke some things with sensitive circuitry.

SolarJohn

Re: 200 W inverter

You might not be able to use a TV or a radio due to streaks in the picture and audio noise. Motors won't run at the right speed, and will overheat. And, like others have said, you may damage sensitive equipment. Why not just spend a little more and get a true sine wave inverter instead? Equipment will run right, and you won't have to worry about damaging your equipment.

John

System2

Re: 200 W inverter

Hey Madman, Yes, RF noise from the inverters internal HF switching can cause streaks in the TV picture and a howl on AM radio, but hardly any AM stations left in Nova Scotia anyway. Some setups cause more problems than others. Should nave no problems with most electric drills, as they have universal type motors, but you may find the variable speed control won't work right. Induction motors will buzz and get too hot for their health.
Good to see someone else on here from NS. I'm located in far northeast mainland NS.
Wayne

BB.

Re: 200 W inverter

Wayne,

Just out of curiosity, what happen to the AM stations in Nova Scotia? FM has low noise, but for covering large areas, AM would seem to be the way to go (other than satellite).

Are the AM formats dying or some other issue(s)?

-Bill