i was wondering what would be good power converter for hooking up a game system?

would a regular 200-300 be good enough? also is there a power converter that doesnt use cig outlet??

 

I was also wondering, how much power can you run through the cig lighter? Like say i already have a DVD player using it as a power source, and i want to add a dreamcast or something....that ok?

 

i did a lil research and pretty much anything over150 umm volts or watts should be connected directly from the battery. most systems are 120 soo i think its better to get a converter that doesnt plug into the cig lighter, at least thats what im gonna do

 

It's a power INVERTER. Anything over 300 watts continuous will be sufficient for most game systems. Lower wattage inverters will still work but you'll have video and audio issues such as noise and lines in the screen. This type of power inverter should be hooked up like an amp. You can use an 8 gauge amp kit for power.

 

omg thank you for responding travis or my head was going to explode trying to sort that one out.

Also guys, consider that many dvd players, video systems, and game systems (tho not some of the most current like x360) actually run off DC power. For instance, a slim PS2 runs on 8.5v DC, so the best way to power it is a DC step-down converter, NOT to take 12v DC -> 120 AC -> 8.5DC. You can hardwire these to a switched 12v line (like your accessory fuses in the fuse box, or even the cig lighter) with its own fuse. I would call that the "correct" way to install such a thing. Travis or another installer, feel free to add to / fix that.

 

Grabbing a straight 12 volt and stepping it down would absolutely get your power. Ever wonder why the power supply on your X-Box or PS3 is so frickin humungous? It only takes 2 small parts to convert 120 volts AC into 12 volts DC. Those power supplies are so big for many reasons. They are nessecary for proper operation of your gaming system. Those power supplies are also power conditioners. They filter out any noise that is present in the line. They also stabilize the voltage and current that is sent through. If you did not use your gaming systems power supply there would be lines on your screen, fuzz and popping in your audio and your game system would not be safe from power spikes and voltage fluctuation. You should most definitely use a 300 watt + power inverter.

Enjoy yourself.

 

Interesting, and that makes total sense. I am in no way questioning your suggestion or experience, but I have another personal experience. A local installer I spoke to basically said "when DC, use DC" and that philosophy has worked for me. I ran a slim PS2 in my TSX for over a year with a hardwired step-down converter and Dom's unit. I experienced 0 noise in either video or audio signal. Maybe a better way to say it is I experienced 0 "noticeable" noise. My screen images were solid whether playing a game or watching DVD. In fact, the only reason I removed it was after this summer it wasn't reading discs right anymore. I think 2 summers of sitting in an un-ventilated glove box killed it.

I've also put a dreamcast in a 99 A4 back in the day, similar situation. I did once use a DC in-line power filter to sort out noise on an aux install we did on my buddy's sunfire. Perhaps I've just gotten lucky, or the TSX's electrical system is otherwise pretty good to not introduce much interference.

Now, given the size of the 360's power brick, that could be an entirely different story. I've never tried to put one of those in a car. Keeping mine in working order in my family room is hard enough.

 

once again another reason why i love this fourm, great information thank you. now...where to mount my ps3....