12v/240v Maplin Inverter

I have a Maplin inverter like this, but with a lower power rating of 300 watts. I have used it on board for 5 years for recharging my shaver (maybe 2 hours per week), running my bubblejet printer and recharging/running my IBM Thinkpad laptop (maybe 4 hours per week). It has performed perfectly and the equipment has all continued to perform perfectly. In a typical season, I have used the inverter on cruises totalling 4 or 5 weeks.

I generally try to do any recharging when the engine is running, to save the domestic battery, but I use the inverter for running the computer and printer when we are at anchor - ie. not running the engine. Sometimes I have to take the computer ashore (when there is no signal in the anchorage) hence its battery then needs a recharge.
 
I too have a pair of the Maplin 300w inverters, the little brothers of the 600w ones.

In about 5 years I have had not a hint of trouble. I have occasionally plugged in a VERY flat laptop and the unit has cut out under the load but never with any adverse affects. Charges Laptop, shaver, mobile phone and ran a 100w lead light in the aft cabin.

If the 600 is anything like the 300 it is a good piece of kit. That having been said I would try it on your TV first, some sets may be sensitive to the noisy pseudo sine waveform.
 
I don't know about the Maplin one, but I recently borrowed a fan-cooled 300W inverter and powered a 300W jigsaw to cut a skylight into my caravan's roof. It was quite a revelation for me, although I did run the engine for fear of being unable to restart and go home!

I noticed that the invertor I had borrowed was rated 300W continuous and 600W soft start. Maybe this is indicative of the real capacity, whereas cheaper models have less headroom?
 
I use a decent quality pure sine wave inverter to power my laptop, charge phones and this years innovation, a cheap (Wilkinsons) mains low energy light. The inverter has now provided 8 years of trouble free mains for the laptop, which is on whenever the boat is travelling. I run a chart plotter for nav (with a full set of paper charts and 2 spare GPS, before I'm flamed) and email using wifi etc. I unplug the laptop batteries once charged so the inverter is only powering the laptop and not constantly trying to charge the batteries.

It seemed to me a 12w low energy bulb (equivalent of 60w tungsten) gives off as much light as all the 12v lamps in the saloon (3 x 20W+2 x 20w+1x10w) and is moveable to where the light is required should the emitted light not reach a particular corner.

I was idly thinking about how poor the quality of light from the old 12v lamp units is (even those with 2x10w bulbs) and wondered what amount of light a low energy bulb would give off.
So a trip to Wilkinsons for a simple lamp base with shade (£3.99) and a bulb from Tesco (£2.99 - actually 2 as the 20w was too bright), resulting in an investment of £7 giving loads of light to read with just using a 20w bulb.

I do appreciate the inverter isn't 100% efficient but even allowing for only 50% efficiency (which I'm sure it isn't), my dodgy maths comes up with 24w - about the same as one of the deckhead lights.

I have the inverter permanently wired in to a marked socket by the chart table to which I normally plug the laptop in so (conveniently) I can just plug the lamp into the same socket. If the boat is plugged in, the light is plugged into one of the normal mains sockets mounted conveniently nowhere near where they are needed!

Where is the huge hole in my supposed efficiency?

- sorry if it's diverted the thread a bit!

Cheers
 
Yes, I have one. I did have the previous Maplin 800W version, but it gave up after 3 years. It was relatively cheap so I all in all I though it was OK. When it gave up I waited until the next Maplin offer which was a for a 600 w version. It seems to be ok - runs laptop, recharges phones, electric tools no problem. Although from Maplin, the 'brand' is Nikkai (AFAIR). I've had it for a couple of seasons now.
 
I have both. Because when running the laptop from the inverter it uses a fair bit more juice that the DCDC converter. Reason being the DCDC converts 12v to 19v (for me) in one step, wheras with the inverter it goes 12v -> 240v -> 19v. Each change of V gets warm.

If running only with engine on tho, not a problem.
 
I bought one (Maplin 600w) a few months ago, and it blew up within 2 weeks. Maplins replaced it without any trouble. The new one works ok so far. However, I also bought the 1000W from Maplins; same make; works ok and it can run almost everything.
 
I have a Maplin inverter onboard powering the laptop and picnic fridge. Will be replacing the Electrolux 12v/240v/gas fridge with a domestic model plus inverter at a third of the price of a new combi model.
The picnic fridge will the be religated to beer cooling duties.
 
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