Belkin AC Anywhere – 300W DC/AC Power Inverter
Posted by Notcot on Jun 6, 2010 in Photography |
Product Description
Belkin AC Anywhere Power Inverter 300W DC F5C412UK300W AVI Power Devices Charges
- Belkin AC Anywhere 300W
- Automatic overheat shut-off at 66o Celsius
- Converts 12 Volts DC power to 230 Volts AC power
- Overload protection
- Power LED indicator
I’m a mobile computing enthusiast. I have been a fan of Dell laptops; a range is available from widescreen desktop replacements to ultraportables ideal for backpacking. A couple of early purchases were able to share common chargers. Within our family we now have a variety of types and I’m dissapointed that standardisation on chargers is no longer one of Dell’s priorities with a variety of connectors and standards evident. My suspicion that this is at least in part a strategy to boost the computer manufacturer’s profits seems to be confirmed by the fact that the latest offerings will only work when connected to the matching genuine Dell charger. If one wants a DC 12v charger in addition to a mains charger for all products, the number and cost soon add up!
THE SOLUTION IS HERE. For less than a third the price of one Dell 12v charger, this inverter supplies up to 300W of AC power through the standard UK socket on the front panel. The device seems to work perfectly. Like all Belkin products I have tried it seems well made.
I have restricted its’ use to travel time, so I’m not sure how fast it will deplete the car battery without the engine running. There is a safety system to cut the inverter off when the car battery drops too much, but I don’t know if this would leave adequate charge for starting without damaging the battery plates. The device is a little too hefty for regular carry, but ideal for keeping in a vehicle, we keep one in each car.
I can thoroughly recommend it as a good value means of charging or powering light mains electrical equipment.
Rating: 5 / 5
If all you want to do is recharge a mobile phone, iPod, digital camera batteries or a laptop, this is probably more than you need – get a cheaper, less bulky inverter with a lower wattage. But if you want to run power tools or something that needs the high wattage, this is what you’re looking for.
The reason I only gave it four stars is because it interferes with the car radio reception – to the point where it’s not even worth having the radio on at all, because you can’t really hear anything, although some frequencies seemed to be affected more than others.
Rating: 4 / 5
For the price this inverter is extremely good value for money, it’s nicely built and an ideal size for slipping under a car seat until it’s needed. As well as the cigar lighter adapter it also includes clips to connect it direct to a battery. It only loses a star because of the noisy cooling fan which runs flat out all the time irrespective of the electrical load. This can get a bit intrusive when sitting in a quiet car using a laptop. Apart from that I’ve no complaints.
Rating: 4 / 5
This product comes with alligator teeth clips, which connect to the 12v battery, which I feel is to short. The clips are supplied because the inverter is over 150w [300w], your cigarette connector in the car will burn out if used at 150w or over. Also before connecting the inverter to the battery, make sure the switch to the Belkin box is switched off or there is a possibility it will blow out & may not work. Read the instruction manual before using this item. [a must].
Rating: 3 / 5
Belkin AC Anywhere – 300W DC/AC Power Inverter
This Item to me, has to be the best on the go adaptor i have purchased so far, and believe me, i have gone through a few in my times, ranging from simple converters with extension heads, which was not only fiddly but losing the heads we’re a major factor in them not being in my top ideal list.
This item however… Brilliant, absolutely brilliant. Plugged it into cigarette lighter, and within seconds i was running my laptop with complete ease and effort. Had the unit running non stop for almost 12 hours, and even the fan running in background, was very low… and hardly noticable. Also, noticed i could use this item without even having to run my enguine, which was great too. ok admittedly i wasnt in a car, but in a mini bus, but this running 12 hours with the bus stationary for almost all of that time, didnt even have a single hinderance when it came to starting the enguine, so I for one, am very impressed with this item, and worth the price all day long!
Rating: 5 / 5