Xantrex Technologies 851-0178 XPower 175-Watt Micro Inverter

Review by R. Sprague for Xantrex Technologies 851-0178 XPower 175-Watt Micro Inverter
Rating:
I have not tried it with a draw near its max of 175W but at lower draws it is fine and always runs cool, thanks to the built in fan. That is also the only negative I have after a month with the unit — fan noise. It is loud enough to be noticeable over normal road noise, although the car radio drowns it out at normal volume. I think I can put up with the fan because otherwise it seems a very good unit. Maybe they could hook the fan to a sensor and only have it run when the unit gets hot. The shape is good for my pickup’s dash arrangement and being all-in-one it doesn’t slide around or need securing. Overall, a good unit that has done the job.

Review by C. Formea for Xantrex Technologies 851-0178 XPower 175-Watt Micro Inverter
Rating:
This little inverter is perfect because there are no bulky boxes or wires running all over the floor of the car. Perfect for my laptop and for my cell phone charger. It has it’s own little fan built in that keeps it from overheating. So far so good!

Review by D. M. Rogatkin for Xantrex Technologies 851-0178 XPower 175-Watt Micro Inverter
Rating:
I bought this device trying to eliminate endless number of car chargers for cell phones, PDAs and DAPs used in a car.

What is good for this inverter

1. small size

2. a good fit in cig lighter that provides AC feed without interruption at bumpy ride

What is bad for it

1. relatively tall, so it can’t fit in some cig lighter when not enough vertical clearance

2. noisy, because it has fan, so it can be a problem for listening music not so loud

3. no on/off switch so it needs be unplugged if a car doesn’t support of automatic switch off of cig lighter

4. fan moving parts make me think that it can break

Overall it’s a good device and I’m mostly satisfied with it.