electrical mistery

Discussion in 'Trucking Electronics, Gadgets and Software Forum' started by mitmaks, May 30, 2016.

  1. mitmaks

    mitmaks Road Train Member

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    I have thermoking inverter 1800W
    Ive got mini fridge plugged into it also extension cord that powers my GPS
    Sometimes when fridge kicks on my GPS comes alive (from sleep mode)
    and it looks like it looses power to it intermittently.
    What could it be?
    Ive checked voltage coming from extension cord, got 120v
     
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  3. blairandgretchen

    blairandgretchen Road Train Member

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    Maybe a 'low voltage event' triggering the GPS.

    There may be a setting that determines when the device wakes from sleep mode.
     
  4. Dave_in_AZ

    Dave_in_AZ Road Train Member

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    Drop in voltage then surge after the fridge kicks on. The supply from your batteries, even if the alternator is turning, isn't at a constant wattage or voltage. Same as if you see a light dim in your house or someplace, when something on that circuit kicks on. It's called power factor. That's why large buildings stagger their power up just slightly so the voltage is constant without peaking out the amps.

    Remember the movie Apollo 13? When they do the precise power up so it doesn't go over on amps?

    The electronics in the GPS are very sensitive to voltage flux. Will it hurt it? Yes it could.
     
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  5. jmroadhog

    jmroadhog Medium Load Member

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    Your GPS is a very sensitive instrument. It was designed to be used with 12V DC power or 120V pure sine wave power source. Your inverter is a Modified sine wave inverter and it's probably not playing nice with your GPS, and could damage it in the long run. My advice is to power your GPS unit by 12V DC power only and not from your inverter unless you change out your inverter to a pure sine wave model.
     
    Last edited: Jun 4, 2016
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  6. mitmaks

    mitmaks Road Train Member

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    Ive had problem with this GPS Truckers Tablet from a while ago.
    It would just shut off in its own and I had it recharge and kept going, had it on 12v power supply adapter that came with it.
    Asked seller whats wrong with it and he said possibly micro USB charging port is bad.
    Ive had it plugged in 120v inverter in the truck through adapter that came with it for about ~2 years.
    Now it starts shutting off while plugged into 120v supply through adapter.
    Im thinking battery is bad and needs replaced?
     
  7. snowwy

    snowwy Road Train Member

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    The usb plugs go bad. How you got 2 years out of the 120 volt plug is beyond me. While they last longer when consistently plugged in. My phone was getting a new cable every 2 to 6 weeks. The thin round cables don't last long while the flat cables would last much longer. My unactivated phone being used as a gps tablet would go about 3 to 4 months. It was never unplugged except on home time when i would hide it somewhere in the truck to keep from getting stolen should the truck ever get broke in to.
     
  8. x1Heavy

    x1Heavy Road Train Member

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    You think with a 140,000 dollar retail tractor trailer they would make a provision for house power based on the sea, marine technology for the ocean and mated with today's computers and other sensitive equipment that is something we cannot live without in order to be independent. Surely the engineers can cough up some room for such a monster.
     
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  9. Dave_in_AZ

    Dave_in_AZ Road Train Member

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    Blackie came from the factory with some monster inverter, and eight 120V duplex outlets.
     
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  10. x1Heavy

    x1Heavy Road Train Member

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    Hm. I have some reading to do. NICE!!!!
     
  11. mitmaks

    mitmaks Road Train Member

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    So youre saying USB cord goes bad?
    Ive checked it and it has pretty good connection, not frayed or kinked
     
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