Voltage converters are tools that let you recharge your electronic devices with a standard electrical plug, such as laptops, home electronics, PDA, battery chargers, cameras, cell phones, and others in your car and without a car adapter. Some converters operate in reverse, which means they let you charge car accessories in a normal 220 V mains outlet.
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Input voltage
The input voltage of a voltage converter can be either 12 or 24 V. Converters then convert this input voltage into the alternating current of 220/230 V. For lorry drivers, there are also special converters from 24 V to 12 V.
- 12 - designed for use in a personal vehicle.
- 24 - designed for vans and a lorries.
Some voltage converter models can be connected either to the cigarette lighter receptacle or directly to the car battery (with clamps).
Output voltage
The higher the output voltage, the more powerful device you can charge.
- Constant - typical converters have a steady output of 100-300 W. High-performance models can offer 600 W or more.
- Maximum - the converter can supply its maximum power only for a few hundred milliseconds. It is used for starting the device, as the start-up process often requires considerably more power than normal operation.
Voltage converter protection types
The more types of protections the converter has, the less chance it has of sustaining damage in an unexpected situation.
- Overload protection
- Surge protection on output
- Protection against high DC input voltage
- Protection against short circuiting on output
- Reverse polarity protection on input
- Thermal protection
- Battery protection against deep battery discharge
