Thanks to a power inverter, everything from a simple cell phone all the way up to a coffee maker is making life easier while on the road.
A power inverter may be something to put on your Santa list this Christmas with work-related activities taking place more and more inside a pickup.
I recently purchased a 400-watt power inverter for around $45 so I'd have power for my laptop and portable .mp3 player while on the road. It's hands down one of the handiest gadgets I've got in my pickup. In fact, while at deer camp, the inverter powered a portable boom box to catch up on a Saturday's worth of college football games, plus charged my iPod and cell phone.
Power inverters allow you to use anything that requires AC power supply. It's perfect when traveling or on vacation. Certain models allow you to use either a cigarette adapter or to hard-wire the unit inside a vehicle. Obviously, using the cigarette lighter adapter allows you to transfer the inverter from vehicle to vehicle. That might be the best option for those who would use an inverter for light duty.
Some inverters also come with an alarm, alerting when power is nearing depletion. A good rule of thumb is to purchase a larger model than you think you will need. A 400-watt inverter will provide 300 watts to power a laptop computer and even some coffee makers. More powerful inverters could possibly provide enough power for chuteside work, such as electric branding irons.
If your cattle or farming operation requires carrying a laptop computer, there's little doubt you won't regret purchasing an inverter to provide power when you need it.
J Tech Trough Note
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced contracts with three manufacturers to produce 1.5 million radio frequency identification ear tags compliant with National Animal Identification System standards.
The $1.7 million in contracts will be used for USDA state-federal cooperative disease control and eradication efforts. They will be distributed in areas determined to be at increased risk for disease outbreak or spread, officials said. Allflex USA Inc. of Dallas, Digital Angel Corp. of South St. Paul, Minn., and Global Animal Management, Summit, N.J., are the three contracted manufacturers.
• Email Blair Fannin at agtechreporter@gmail.com.
Share this story:
Google
Yahoo
digg
del.icio.us
facebook
Slashdot
