Rosewill 400W Power Inverter with 1x 2.1A USB Port $15.99 with free shipping (orig. $50)
 

Newegg

Similar to this one for $15 but it appears that this one just has a USB port

Rosewill 400W Power Inverter with 1x 2.1A USB Port

$15.99 with code EMCJJND74

free shipping

Rosewill 400W Power Inverter with 1x 2.1A USB Port (RCI-401MS) $16 + Free Shipping
 

Newegg.com has Rosewill 400W Power Inverter with 1x 2.1A USB Port (RCI-401MS) for $49.99 - $34 w/ promo code EMCJJND74 = $15.99 with free shipping. Thanks yuugotserved

Price Research: Our research indicates that this Rosewill 400W Power Inverter with 1x 2.1A USB Port (RCI-401MS) is $17 lower (51.5% savings) than the next best available price from a reputable merchant with prices ranging from $33 - $40. - brisar

This post can and should be edited by users like you :)
 

I posted this a week ago and it went FP, I figure this will follow suit.

Duh! I found the reviews and looks decent..

Got one! Thank you OP!

thanks. In for 2. 2.1A USB is useful for the HP TP. Also basic small electronic charging so I dont use my 4000 watt inverter for small stuff.

very good, in for 1. thank you op!

i went for it.... thanks!

oh yeah, I have had a 10 year old inverter that I inaugurated during Sandy power outage! it has only 90w but it did HELP.
So this is no brainer.
thanks op

How do we charge it? :-o

Bought 1. Makes for a good Christmas present!

It plugs into the cigarette lighter adapter on your vehicle converting 12V DC power to 120V (400W) AC power.

Cant we charge it at home...? The charger wire that they give looks like a emergency starter wire for car..

Anyone has any idea if this would work in a car? Like modify it to use the 12v dc outlet in a car.

Isn't 400 Watts at the cig lighter A lot of power?

Reviews on Newegg aren't too positive but it's only $16 so I can't expect too much.

reviews are so so.. otherwise I'd buy one.

The reviews on NewEgg aren't really that good. Were you able to find better reviews elsewhere?

I have the older version that doesn't have the USB port. The papers with it says you can only pull 170ish from the lighter plug without blowing fuses. It comes with alligator clips to hook to the battery to get the full 400.

The clamp connectors simply attach directly to your car battery. As was mentioned above the full 800W can only be achieved with this connection, and 400W (or less) through the cigarette lighter. The clamps connect directly to your car or RV battery.

It seems this can take input from the car lighter outlet, can someone confirm?

If I am not mistaken... Rosewill is a Newegg brand... so you wont find reviews elsewhere.

Pretty bad reviews imo. I was going to jump on this... until I read the reviews.

Yes, it can.

I'm not sure that is entirely true. The manual likely states that you will want/need to connect the unit directly to the battery to reach 400W but many vehicles have aux circuits now that can accommodate 5-10 amps. This would draw 4-5 amps at 400W.

The device itself will not be aware if it is directly connected to the battery or connected via a cigarette lighter/aux.

In for One, Since the Hurricane Ive been looking for one these to magiver to a solar panel and use as emergency power in a closed curcuit with a car battery that I have as a spare. Thank you for this post!

As mentioned previously, to get even close to the full 400W rated, you need to use the battery clamps. Otherwise in most cases it's likely that your cig lighter fuse is only 10 amps (maybe up to 20 on some SUV/utility trunks that are meant to take on higher power applications), so your max theoretical output will only be 120W... but plan for closer to 100.

The reviews are all over the place on this, but the 2.1A USB alone is worth it to me, so I'm gonna gamble on this and hope I get a working unit.

In for one. Perfect for a <$20 secret santa gift.

What kind of math are you people doing?

Watts = Voltage * Amps

400w = 120v * A
A=3.3

Max this unit can provide is 3.3 Amps. Factor in for inefficiencies in the device and it probably draws 4-5 amps...
This also means that the 2.1A USB port uses 2/3rds of the units capacity (when fully loaded).
Many laptop chargers would pass this small 3.3A threshold (and overload the unit).


Edit: I think some are confusing the input voltage 12v and using that to determine the units wattage capacity.

Thanks! In 4 1...my current one is only 80W...direct wiring should allow me to connect nicer toys when camping!

WTF? My Lenovo laptop charger uses 25w at the wall during idle.

Car batteries are 12V (in 99% of US applications).

With direct connection to the battery it would be 6.6 amps as the inverter can produce up to 800W, but good luck powering a device at the full amperage and wattage.

Those that know nothing about electricity shouldn't comment.

This one is a bit better at only $1 more, as the one you posted did not have the 2.1A USB port.

The 400W rating applies to the 120V supplied... Hence 400W / 120V = 3.33A

A 5000W rating on a generator applies to the output voltage/amperage supplied... Not the diesel/propane/ etc. drawn/consumed. :D

Exactly

Watts = Amps x Volts

400Watts = Amps x 12VDC (input) therefore the 12VDC source will require 33.3 Amps from the car to reach max potential. This will overload the cigeratte lighter capacity.

The USB is 2.1A @ 5VDC = 10.5 Watts which is not 2/3 of the overall output. It is 2.625% of the overall output.

Watts and Amps are very different. Wattage is the electrical energy used, whereas Amps (or Amperage) is the strength of the electrical current. So your laptop's 25W is most likely only needing 1.9 or less Amps of current. This requirement would still be true even at full power of say 75W to 150W. This power inverter will power 2.1 Amps which is a requirement for devices like the iPad. This is why lesser USB car chargers will not power the iPad, because they lack the current necessary to charge it.

I have one cheap inverter (like this) and two good ones.

My Thinkpad and Lenovo G770 both draw enough (when charging the battery AND being used moderately) to overload the device and make it shut off.

About the only thing I can charge/run off the cheap one is a phone and iPad (simultaneously)... Or just my MacBook Pro.

Last week I ordered on without the usb for a buck cheaper and the reviews are a little better. What I notice was the wires connecting it is only 2 feet long so it does not reach the seat or the floor. In my truck there's a hump between the seats that it can sit on.
Also you can wire a separate accessory (cigarette) outlet in an open 30 amp in a fuse box ( I don't have power windows or locks but the vehicle still wired for them).

Ugg - horrible reviews...

Possibly true but now that I think about it... I don't know how the USB port is powered/wired electrically within the unit.

so glad i waited! awesome!

what is the cigarette lighter capacity?

Having said all of this devices limitations... it still may be worth a flyer @ $15.

I think I paid almost that for a replacement cord from Radio Shack... (could have found cheaper online but needed it fast/local).

Depends on your car. I believe most are 5A (up front). Some are 10A-20A in newer cars and especially SUV's for rear ports where it's somewhat expected to use higher current drawing devices.

I agree. Since the USB does not require a change from DC to AC, this likely does not diminish the 400 Watts AC power. The 5VDC @ 2.1A is likely just using a resistor from the direct 12VDC input.

Ohms Law V=I*R therefore by adding a 2.3Ohm resistor would get the 5VDC @ 2.1A.

So really max input might require 33.3 Amps to power the 400 AC converter + 2.1A for the USB. Also factor in inefficiencies and it is likely approaching 50 Amps total input to power this at max capacity.
Also on a side note, most car charging systems are at 13.2-13.5VDC not 12VDC. This will skew the calculations above slightly but most people are already confused.

Cigarette lighter ports and power ports are fused at different amounts depending on car. The old lighter in my old truck was fused at 30A but my new car is likely 15A. Still a 15A power port should be enough to charge most laptops unless you have the first laptop ever made. Not sure it have enough to power a blender to make daiquiris while rolling down the road.

Just a warning to anyone that might decide to run a power cable directly to the battery. Be sure you add a inline fuse as close to the battery as possible. Also make sure that you use heavy enough wire (probably 10ga) or larger. I had a truck that had a add on power cable run to the dash. The wire shorted out and the fuse did not pop because it was located directly behind the power port. Since the fuse did not pop, the wire got red hot and nearly burnt my truck to the ground. A simple fuse at the battery end would have prevented this. I ended up spending the afternoon that day rewiring my main cluster of wires on the truck. The red hot wire melted the insulation on all wires near the shorted out wire. By the time I stopped and smoke cleared, all electronic power items were powered on. Winshield wipers, horn, lights, pretty much everything was on. Since it was a 10 ga wire that shorted out it took several minutes for it to burn in two and I was stuck hoping flames did not burst out since I had no tools to unhook the battery.

hmmm.. i have a device that uses 300w sustained (maybe?) for about 2 minutes. (i should check w/ my kill-a-watt to see if it really draws that much).

12V * 20A = 240w... cutting it close :\

I think we are both confusing the input and output side of the inverter. At least I was a bit in my explanation.

The draw from the unit for the input voltage (from a cigarette lighter) and the supplied 120v power (to plugged in AC devices).

Input
400w = 12v * 33.33A theoretical current draw from cigarette lighter

Output
400w = 120v * 3.33A theoretical current supplied to AC devices from inverter.

As you began to lead into.... the device will likely never draw a full 33 Amps when plugged into a cigarette lighter due to fuses/circuit breakers and wiring resistance that is typical of these circuits.

In for one, thanks subby.

And yes, you will want to wire this directly to the battery if you expect to use anything above 50 to 100 watts.

Something to keep in mind -- 400W continuous, 800W peak is enough to run most refrigerators, and you only need to run your refrigerator a few times a day to keep it cold enough for food to keep.

It's not something that immediately comes to mind, but if power gets knocked out in your area, you will likely lose hundreds of dollars of food after a day. And... if you can't get more food due to a natural disaster, it's not even the cost of the food that matters at that point...

Jut make sure you use an extension cable rated properly for the wattage, keep your vehicle vented, and protect yourself from theft while the car is running. (also check your local laws about running a car without supervision)

Your car makes for a lousy inverter, with a huge 1.6+L engine producing only 400W (at least with this inverter). That pales in comparison to a purpose-built, 0.8L inverter generating 2000W, but hey, that will cost you $2k. This only costs you < $20. :D

To anyone who has this model: Does the power switch control the USB port or is the USB port always powered? I really would buy this if the inverter could be controlled independently from the USB.

I dont know if 800 peak is enough for a fridge. Thats kindof pushing it, IMO. Compressor startup surge is enough to have most fridges rated at 15 or 20 amps, which is more like 1800 or more peak watts. Though if it would handle the startup surge, its probably in line with what it takes to keep a fridge running.

In for 1

Not related but, I bought a Peak inverter which is also 400W and it burnt by both cig lighter fuses and did not work with cig lighter. I have 15A fuses in both and have a 2005 model car so fairly newer model...not sure if this will be the same

Anyone know if this would power a 7 cu ft chest freezer? The side of the freezer says max power rating of 5 amps but I dont know if that means surge or not.

Wow, guys this thread is DEEP, making me flashback to my EE classes at UT@A, and my days as a Nuke Electrician in the USN :). Thanks Op, got one!

Regarding the fridge post, (and any other devices that require high starting currents), there is a HUGE difference between the start-up requirements and running requirements. On a sub, we had a particular order to start/restart systems as we changed power sources (reactor to battery, start-up to go underway, etc.), because of that huge difference. BUT, in many of the devices on a sub (and in devices meant to be portable I hope, don't have any, so I do not know), large capacitors can by used inline to provide the start-up current required without causing voltage droop. SO, let pretend that you want to use a mini fridge from home from your 12VDC car system through this inverter. You could purchase multi farad caps and with some simple wiring, put your "surge power source" between the inverter and your device.

As also recently having my home without electricity for about a week, I spent roughly 48 hrs straight rewiring the majority of my home to run from a generator. Basically I wired the generator into a transfer switch, and the transfer switch to a fused mini power panel, and then ran certain breakers for "necessity loads" like fridges, freezers, lights, etc. from my main breaker panel to my emergency breaker panel. It was 5000 W I believe, about 1/4 of what I needed for whole home power... but it was the biggest one I could find locally (most were sold out obviously), and my lesson learned there is that refrigerators SUCK :). Steady sate (when their internal temp is below threshold to kick on compressor), they take almost no power. As soon as someone opens the dang door, of course the threshold is hit and the compressor will kick on, drawing that huge starting current AGAIN, and AGAIN, etc. So for devices like that, if you want them running off of a system like this, either buy one built for it (which will most likely have the charging cap, etc. built into it or a much lower power requirement), or make the DIY starting power source a permanent attachment to the device. Also, get a Killowatt, multimeter, etc. and run whatever device through its starting, steady state and power off cycles and watch the peak amperage. If you are actually planning on several devices(say a couple of week camping trip with all of the conveniences of home), then you should have multiple circuits with their own protection, use a mini breaker board, DON'T rely on your cars fuses (unless you bring an assload of extras to replace them as they pop :)).

Best way to figure that out is to test it. Use either Kilowatt (the good one that records peak amperage) or a multimeter, the coolest ones are the inductive ones, where you just need to put a loop around the wire that you want to see the current draw for.

Watts = PF * V * A
400W = 0.85 * 120 * A
A = 3.9A out

400W = 0.85 * 12 * A
A = 39.2A in

Plugging this into a cigarette lighter with a protective device (fuse) less than 40A (all vehicles) will likely melt the fuse under full load making the "400W" part useless.

If you decide to wire yourself, cable required to run this according to NEC is 10AWG, probably 8AWG with correction factors. However, your main issue will be voltage drop so make sure the inverter is as close to the battery as possible (console, under seat, etc). Not the rear of the vehicle.

It is a life saver for me, on long island. It runs my oil furnace for the last 5 days. My furnace draws approximately 200w(measured by Kill-A-Watt). Keep in mind that alternator(at least mine) produces only 75A*12V=900W. Some power goes to the engine itself, so 400w is maximum recommended for small cars.

I bought a 400W unit from AutoZone since we lost power for 5 days. It worked fine running lights (cfl bulbs) and one LCD 40" tv OR I could run one light and my refrigerator with ice maker off. Luckily I have a company van and don't pay for gas so I was fine with running it for 8 hours at a time. I also lucked out with it being cooler. You can't run a little space heater or much of anything other than lights, tv, charge phones or laptop - which is all it is supposed to do. It is nice that you can leave it all plugged up and in the morning use a lamp or two in the house without running the car for at least 30 minutes (didn't try longer). I would recommend buying this for the price and tuck it away. You will be happy you did someday.

I coulda used this last week during our storm!

You are mostly right on battery location, but just in case for those who may not be mechanically inclined :). Check to see where your battery IS, and wiring an aux circuit off of that with low gauge wire is excellent advice (WITH A BREAKER!!!). There are several cars that place the batteries in the trunk. In German cars this is somewhat common (is that any oxymoron :)?) for weight distribution, like my old RS4 for example, or a few BMWs I have looked at, or most mid/rear/engine cars(although many of THOSE put the battery up front :)). I have read it is becoming more common in others as cars get smaller and they are looking for someplace to put that big lead acid thing. For a hybrid car with hundreds of lbs of LI batts OTOH, you have got some MAJOR power to draw from, usually underneath the rear seats I believe.

To run an Aux line from your bat, everything you need (breaker, the wires(must ground as well!), large cap, terminals, etc.) can easily be found either locally at your neighborhood car stereo store, BB, etc., or online at monoprice, audioadvisor, or other such places.

If you really want to get serious and keep safe from running you main cars battery dry, install a second battery, wire it up to your alternator to keep it charged (or install a second alternator even if you have the room in your engine bay and are feeling froggy :)), and run your aux devices from that. I would recommend that you try and use the exact same battery as your car's primary and keep a terminal cleaner/wrench tool somewhere, given then if your primary battery happens to die somewhere, you have a spare and aren't stranded :). I used to do custom stereo installs for IIASCA competitors, and this was our common recommendation/practice, that we were thanked for recomending many times over (guys who run 10,000W systems tend to kill their batteries pretty fast :)).

Same here during hurricane. No power for 4 days.

Your actually running from the battery, so you can draw as much as the battery can handle.

My 1000w ran my fridge off of the car along with other things. The fridge would not start unless the car was running which was about 14v.
I would start the car when the battery reached around 12v. Any lower will shorten battery life.

Anyway, I bought the same 400w unit without the USB from the last deal. Its well built and seems to work good.

This is true, I did not notice that at first.

Sold out

You guys rock, that is smart thinking, running your houses off of cars :).

Now that i think about it, when in the USN, our subs and ships had the connections and ability to run cabling from the boat/ship into a cities power GRID to power it (or the dead parts of it that were cutoff from the terra firma poewr sources). The Enterprise aircraft carrier (the first Nuclear powered carrier) has 8(!!!!) reactors because they were playing it safe, and later found out they only needed 2 :), so the Enterprise supposedly (according to my training) had enough nuclear power available to power the eastern seaboard.

I just realized that I haven't seen any of that in the news... did they either not mention it and the USN is helping you guys out with power, or for some reason did they not put that plan into action? If they didn't actually do it, I would want to SMACK someone real hard, given that one of our training drills on a regular basis was to do just this in a state of emergency like the East Coast has been in.

wow, so farking bs...i tried to log in and order this and it kept saying wrong password. when i was finally able to log in it went OOS.

I had one of these and it just didn't fit the car 12v.

Why didn't you just buy one of those pre-wired reliance transfer switches which support 6-10 circuits? I wired up one of those in 1 hour for a friend and all he had to was start his generater and plug it in.

I did, specifically this one: http://www.lowes.com/pd_182534-48...facetInfo=

Well it was close to that, attached is what I installed exactly, this is a pic from my install (after 2 days of no sleep running everywhere to get dry ice for the fridges and freezers, finding parts, and working the install, lot of work to make it clean and safe). Also, being my panel is in the basement and the genny had to be outside (gas, no CO poisoning thanks :)), running the main power from the genny to the switch was a real PITA. That is the black wire you see running down from the top into the switch. The bottom silver conduit running from the xfer switch to my breaker panel houses the all of the wires to connect all of my house loads to the xfer switch. I tested the hell out of the switch under every circumstance I could think of to make sure it would in NO way be able to back feed the genny power up through my main power feed from the elec company. I probably went over board and was a bit anal with all of my testing (tested every circuit as well among other things, and also tested power draws for EVERY device that I was powering both on startup, steady state, and shutdown, to be able to evenly distribute across the 6 switches correctly, damn compressors in fridges and freezers are a real PITA), but working on Nuke power plants will do that to ya(or at least it did it to me, I am very anal when rebuilding my cars or requiring my house, building a new PC, etc.).

I guess I wasn't clear...