Watts and horsepower are terms many of us are familiar with but may not know what they really mean. If energy, power, or output ring through your mind whenever you hear watts or horsepower, then you are on the right path to knowledge and understanding.
Are you an avid adventurer who likes pushing your limits and traveling to remote places, likes being outdoors, or is just a curious soul? Then this post is for you!
Let’s take a deep dive into watts and horsepower to find out what they are really about.
What is Watts?
Watts is a measure of electrical power, representing the energy a device consumes or produces per second. Smaller gadgets tend to consume or produce less wattage than larger ones. For instance, your electric kettle might use 1000 watts, while your smartphone charger might only consume 10 watts.
It‘s crucial to understand wattage when you are in the market for a portable power station. Let’s say you are planning a road trip or are out camping. You’ll likely want to bring a few gadgets with you, all of which will have a different watt rating.
You might carry a fridge, laptop, or even a hotplate. By adding up their total energy consumption in watts, you can determine the right portable power station for you.
However, a point to always keep in mind is to get a power station with a slightly higher capacity than the total energy requirements of all your devices. That way, you’ll have extra protection during those power surges. More on surge power later.
Secondly, you can tell just how long your devices can keep running when connected to the power station. A power station with a 200Wh capacity means it can run a 50-watt device for 4 hours.
What Is Horsepower?
A term you’ll often come across when talking about engines is horsepower. Horsepower measures the power needed to perform work such as lifting a weight. When talking about energy output from larger devices, horsepower comes into play.
Watts, on the other hand, is a measure of energy often used when dealing with smaller devices. However, while hp and watts are different, they’re closely intertwined.
Think of a generator with a rating of 2 hp, and note that 1 hp is equivalent to 746 watts. This means the generator can produce 746 x 2 = 1,492 watts. Such information can come in handy when looking to get power tools for performing certain tasks.
Keep in mind that higher horsepower indicates greater power output, which is useful when running heavy-duty equipment. This is because a higher hp generator, for example, will have the capacity to produce more power in less time, thus making it an ideal choice when, say, running heavy-duty power tools, like an electric chainsaw.
The Conversion Formula
So, you know how much horsepower you are dealing with, and now you want to know just how much watts this translates to. This is where the conversion formula comes in.
And here it is:
1 horsepower = 746 watts.
Let’s say your car has a 246-hp engine. This means that it can produce 246 x 746 = 183,756 watts.
If, on the other hand, you want to find out just how much horsepower you have, simply divide the number of watts by 746.
Seeing both horsepower and watts on a device? Simply convert one into the other effortlessly!
Now let’s take a look at some practical examples.
Practical Applications of Conversion
Imagine being outdoors, and the night gets really dark. The moon is hidden behind thick clouds, and you can hardly see an inch in front of you. If it wasn’t for that bonfire, you wouldn’t be able to see a thing.
You’ll probably want to light up your campsite or perhaps make a meal on that induction cooker. Only you are not sure your portable power station can handle it.
Understanding both watts and horsepower can help make the right decision in such a situation.
Just to drive the point home, let’s check out some real-life situations, shall we?
Scenario 1: Out Camping
Let’s say you are planning for a weekend camping trip. You’ll carry:
- LED lights – 30W
- Portable fridge – 100W
- Bluetooth speaker – 10W
The total will come to 140W. You might need to go for a 200-watt power station with a 300Wh capacity. It lets you run all your devices continuously for a good 2 hours…not bad.
Scenario 2: Power Blackout
Let’s say you are experiencing a blackout, yet you have a few devices that you want to keep running. These may include:
- Wi-Fi router – 15W
- Laptop – 60W
- LED Lights – 10W
The total wattage from all the devices combined is 85W. You might need to go for a 200-watt power station with a 500Wh capacity if you want to keep the device running for the whole night.
The table below shows common metric hp to wattage conversions using the formula: 1 horsepower = 746 watts.
|
Device |
Watts (W) |
Horsepower (Hp) |
|
Portable Fridge/Freeze |
50W |
0.067024 |
|
Portable Fan |
30W |
0.040214 |
|
Electric Kettle |
1200W |
1.608579 |
|
Camping Stove (Electric) |
1500W |
2.010723 |
|
Phone Charger |
10W |
0.013404 |
|
Laptop Charger |
50W |
0.067024 |
|
Portable Power Station |
200W |
0.268096 |
|
Electric Water Pump |
30W |
0.040214 |
|
Drone Charger |
100W |
0.134048 |
|
Portable Air Compressor |
250W |
0.335121 |
|
Electric Blanket |
100W |
0.134048 |
|
Electric Grill/ Griddle |
1500W |
2.010723 |
|
Electric Cooler Box |
50W |
0.067024 |
|
Handheld Vacuum Cleaner |
100W |
0.134048 |
|
Headlamp Charger |
10W |
0.013404 |
Power Ratings and Why They Are Important
Whether you are charging your laptop or drone, or even brewing a cup of coffee in the morning, you’ll be able to tell what your power station can handle by reading the watts and horsepower.
Your laptop charger might only use 65W while your phone charger uses 10W. On the other end of the spectrum, you might need 1000W to run your induction cooker.
Let’s say you picked a trail and decided to go exploring only to find the path blocked by a fallen tree. Out comes the 2hp-rated electric power saw suitable for cutting thick logs or branches, which might need double the hp to just start.
How to Choose the Right Power Station
Now that we understand that both watts and horsepower are the languages of power and energy, how do you go about picking the right power station for your RV, overland vehicle, or expedition?
1. Do A Bit of Simple Math
Start by listing down all the electrical equipment and devices that you will be taking with you on your next trip with their respective wattages.
Finally, add the wattages up and come up with a total figure. Let’s say the sum of all the watts used by the devices is 220W. Go for a power station with a 300-watt capacity to offer you some leeway in case of power surges.
It is better to have more power than to find out you don’t have enough.
2. Understanding Surge Power
Some devices, such as the blender, will require an initial high burst of energy that is above its normal running wattage to simply start. For instance, a blender might need 300 watts to run normally but requires a surge power of 600 watts to start. This is what is called surge power.
On most devices, you’ll see two-watt ratings:
- Continuous power, which is the wattage that the power station can handle continuously.
- Surge power rating, which is the short burst of power that the power station can handle.
The device shouldn’t have a surge power rating that is above the power station’s surge rating otherwise, it may not work—something to always check when in the market for a power station.
3. Battery Capacity
The capacity of your power station or any other battery for that matter will be measured in watt-hours (Wh).
Why is this information so important?
Simple... it allows you to tell just how long you can power your devices.
Let’s say you have a 300-watt power station. You can expect it to keep a 50-watt device running constantly for 6 hours.
If you plan on spending long durations off the grid, then it’s a good idea to pick a power station with a higher capacity or watt-hours.
Recommended Power Station: Bluetti Elite 200 V2 Portable Power Station
Planning your next road trip, camping trip, or overlanding adventure? Then perhaps you should consider the Bluetti Elite 200 V2 portable power station. It takes powering up during your adventures to the next level. Small but packing a heavy punch, the Bluetti Elite 200 V2 portable power station will offer up to 2600W of continuous output, making it the perfect power bank to power up your small to medium-sized devices when you are outdoors.
Imagine sitting at your campsite under a night sky lit up with stars, but when you check your camera, it says 1% on power. This is when you wish you had a reliable source of power to charge the camera to enable you to take pictures or even a time-lapse of the night sky.
Or maybe you want to watch a movie on the laptop as the camera does its magic. You know that the Bluetti Elite 200 V2 portable power station can offer a solid 5 hours of charge. On top of that, it will also power your 50W mini fridge for a good 26 hours thanks to its 2600Wh capacity, ensuring that your drinks and snacks remain chilled.
One of the awesome features that makes the Bluetti Elite 200 V2 power station really stand out from the competition is the multiple outlet ports and AC outlets. The power station is designed to maximize the number of devices that you can simultaneously charge. 7 to be precise! During the day, you can top up on the charge thanks to the solar compatibility.
With the Bluetti Elite 200 V2 portable power station, you won’t just be surviving outdoors, you’ll be thriving, ensuring that you have power wherever you go.
Conclusion
Knowhow on watts or horsepower isn’t just for the nerds—it’s practical knowledge that can enhance your outdoor adventures, road trips, and everyday power needs. By calculating your device's energy consumption, accounting for surge power, and choosing the right power station, you’ll ensure uninterrupted power wherever you go. With a reliable solution like the Bluetti 200 V2 portable power station, you can explore the world with confidence, knowing you’ll always have power when you need it.
