Power Inverter

Discussion in 'Trucking Electronics, Gadgets and Software Forum' started by elpuft, Aug 9, 2009.

  1. elpuft

    elpuft Light Load Member

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    What Will Be A Strong Enough Inverter For Running A TV, Fridge, Microwave,Laptop, And Phone Chargers ?
     
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  3. CommDriver

    CommDriver Road Train Member

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    A 1500 watt is probably good.
     
  4. CURTWAYNE

    CURTWAYNE Medium Load Member

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    If you are going to run all that at the same time, you will need a big one, that is direct wired to the battery.
     
  5. elpuft

    elpuft Light Load Member

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    How will that affect the batter ? The fridge will be on all the time. The others when i stop .
     
  6. CommDriver

    CommDriver Road Train Member

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    Unrelated. I have a 2500 watt Cobra but my microwave will only run for about 3 minutes before the inverter beeps, shuts off, and then comes back on. It does the same with the coffee maker. If I'm brewing 12 cups, it usually only makes it to about 8 cups before the inverter shuts off. I then have to wait a minute and then turn the coffee pot back on for it to finish brewing.

    After doing some more reading, I'm thinking it might be the cables. They are 4 gauge, but the way the shop installs it, it's about 12 ft running all the way from the batteries through a hole behind the driver's seat. They ask for 12 ft when they install it. From what I've been reading, at that length, I should be using 0 gauge.

    And I'm not running the coffee pot and the microwave at the same time or any other high energy appliance.
     
  7. CURTWAYNE

    CURTWAYNE Medium Load Member

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    I wouldn't try running a fridge on an invertor that is plugged into the cigarette lighter.
    When you are talking about a big draw on the electrical system, the inverter needs to be direct wired to the batteries.
    As CommDriver just stated, direct wired, using heavy guage cables.

    The fridge on all the time, will be a constant draw. Then, when you use the microwave, it will add an even bigger draw of current on your electrical system.
    Your inverter needs to be big enough to handle the power you may possibly need at any given moment. If the inverter is not large enough, it will shut down. Or, hopefully it will shut down, not start to melt and catch on fire.
    But, the inverter will need enough juice to operate properly. If you use cables that are not big enough, they will get hot, melt, and possibly catch on fire.
     
  8. Big Duker

    Big Duker "Don Cheto"

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    Is it a 2500 continuous or Peak watt invertor? One or the other shouldn't cause it to shut off. Nice to know it does though isn't it? Are the cables getting warm at all? If so I would definitely go larger.
    And you are drinking way too much coffee.:biggrin_2559:
     
  9. FriedTater

    FriedTater Keeper of The Snakes

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    The Cobra Inverters are very dirty,the RF garbage is unreal.
    They buzz the CB,AM Radio,Garmin etc
    Ive tried everything to ground my 2500 but nothing really improves.
    Yes I used the Inverter chassis ground as well as both of the other grounds. One to the batteries and one to the frame(welded bolt inside frame rail)
     
  10. CommDriver

    CommDriver Road Train Member

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    I hadn't thought of checking to see if they're getting hot. I will check next time. Also, the fan makes a clicking noise when it is slowing down. I think it's about history.

    I do probably drink too much coffee. I brew a pot about three times a day to pour into thermos.

    I have the same problem. One thing that helped was a "ground loop isolator" from Radio Shack. I only get the buzz from my satellite radio so I have it installed between it and my amp. But I was still getting a buzz and I ended up using one channel of the amp for both speakers and that completely eliminated the buzz. So the problem could be the amp also. What a chore.
     
  11. elpuft

    elpuft Light Load Member

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    So Will I Need To Run A Conveter Bigger the 2500 Watts ?
     
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