Lets talk Power inverters

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4OYOTER said:
Uhhh those will be more than enough for an air pump.
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I take these are over kill? Id rather have more than the minimum.. so i can run like a vacuum or maybe power tools if I had to..

def a noob to these things.. i had one in high school to run my nintendo 64 in my car.. so its been a while since Ive been in the market..
 
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The capacity of the inverter is one thing, but if you plan on using anything without the vehicle running you might want a larger mAh capacity battery to power them without sapping the battery.
 
randomtask16 said:
The capacity of the inverter is one thing, but if you plan on using anything without the vehicle running you might want a larger mAh capacity battery to power them without sapping the battery.
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Would I need a second battery to run a 1500 watt inverter like the two I posted, or am I fine as long as the car is running?


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mizak82 said:
Would I need a second battery to run a 1500 watt inverter like the two I posted, or am I fine as long as the car is running?


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it depends on what you are using the 1500 watt inverter to power, if you are just powering a pump for an air mattress no but if you are trying to power a 1000+watt appliance more than momentarily you'll need to upgrade battery and alternator

a $20 300w inverter will be enough for an air mattress pump, or you can even get battery powered or 12v pumps for air mattresses
 
mizak82 said:
Looking for an inverter for the runner.. If i go camping I want to be able to have power to blow up my air mattress and what not.. will either of the two options below do the trick... and if so is one better than the other? Medically speaking, C-pap machine was a huge reason for inverters and multiple and/or a large single battery during camping but I understand that is no longer an issue since DC powered C-pap machines are now in the market.

thanks


Cobra 3000W 12V DC to 120V AC Car Power Inverter, 3 Outlets and USB | CPI1575 | eBay


1500 watt pure sine wave car power inverter DC 12V to AC 110V 120V/ power tool | eBay
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This is more of a philosophical comment, not really what you asked for so take it for what it's worth.

Inverting power which is DC to AC back to DC is extremely inefficient as you know, so my question would be why do you really need to do this? Most things nowadays can be powered up using DC power - mattress air comp, tool battery re-charger, laptop power, microwave, blender, phone/tablet chargers, DVD player, etc. So, instead of spending money in power inverters, upgraded wires, etc, are you sure you can't solve this issue in another way?

Again, just waxing philosophies!!!
 
mizak82 said:
Looking for an inverter for the runner.. If i go camping I want to be able to have power to blow up my air mattress and what not.. will either of the two options below do the trick... and if so is one better than the other?

thanks


Cobra 3000W 12V DC to 120V AC Car Power Inverter, 3 Outlets and USB | CPI1575 | eBay


1500 watt pure sine wave car power inverter DC 12V to AC 110V 120V/ power tool | eBay
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I have that first one. nice, big beefy unit.


not good for what you want.


you really need to calculate exactly what you're power needs will be, and buy and inverter to fit.
you want your draw to be very close to the max output of the inverter, to get the most benefit. as the inverters themselves pull a lot of power, and aren't very efficient.

for example, if you are going to have a 300w load, get a 500w inverter.

also, make sure when you're looking at inverter specs, that you are seeing the nominal output, and not peak output. as they can be VERY different. and peak output is about worthless, when its only good for .01 seconds.

many manufacturers will advertise the peak output, as it just looks so much better. questionable advertising at best..

for your air mattress, just get a 12v pump, or even a battery pump.

if you choose to get an inverter, if its anything more than 400-500w, and you expect to use it for more than a few minutes at a time, make sure the engine is running.
 
What if I want to plug in a shop vac into it?
The first one I posted has good reviews. Second not so much. It's like 90 bucks. If I was to install it I need an inline fuse and what gauge wire?

Thanks again fellas.


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[MENTION=132505]mizak82[/MENTION] 1500 watts will probably power your shop vac, but you will need to check the specs for your shop vac, its possible it could need more than 1500 watts. A quick google shows a bunch that are all 1000+ watts.

Your wire gauge will depend on the distance but probably at least 4 gauge* and you will need a circuit breaker or fuse very close to the battery for the feed.
(*IMO i would follow coast guard wiring charts which are based on a greater factor of safety than your standard 12v gauge chart. A lot of your typical charts are also based on the wire being in open air and not enclosed. Going with the marine wiring charts might mean going with 1 gauge instead of 4 gauge, or even 2/0 for example)

You are also going to need to upgrade your alternator (1500 watts is 125 amps at 12v, and your actual amperage will be higher because of voltage drop)

Power (watts) = Voltage (volts) x Current (amps)
Voltage Drop (volts) = Current (amps) x Wire Length (ft) x Ohms per foot (this is specific to your wire choice)

all that being said, and i'm really not trying to be a dick here, but figuring out how many watts you need is a pretty basic electronics/wiring thing and if you don't have that level of knowledge i'm not sure you want to be doing this kind of wiring on your own. these kinds of amperage draws are high enough that melted wires and fires are a real risk if you don't know what you are doing.
 
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Which unit did you end up going with? I too, plan on using an inverter to pump up some floaties during the summer time.
 
Have not pulled the trigger yet. I did get a Stanley fat max for Christmas. And purchased a 12v air mattress pump. I think I'll end up with a smaller unit like 500 or 600 watt one.


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mizak82 said:
Have not pulled the trigger yet. I did get a Stanley fat max for Christmas. And purchased a 12v air mattress pump. I think I'll end up with a smaller unit like 500 or 600 watt one.


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My setup is a little different; I run a dual battery system, however I have an inverter tied into the system. If you are looking for a quality inverter, AIMS makes some nice products. Below is the Amazon link to the 600W I use.

https://www.amazon.com/AIMS-Power-P...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=FH3Q4JS8G833JYDP46H6
 
#1 thing that everyone should already have in their vehicles is an air compressor. Air Mattress pump problem solved, along with being able to air up after a trail run, or fixing a flat on the side of the road with tire plugs, airing up tubes at the rivier, etc. Dunno about you guys, but I'm probably not going to have a shop vac with me while I'm camping, hahah.
 
greatape said:
My setup is a little different; I run a dual battery system, however I have an inverter tied into the system. If you are looking for a quality inverter, AIMS makes some nice products. Below is the Amazon link to the 600W I use.

https://www.amazon.com/AIMS-Power-P...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=FH3Q4JS8G833JYDP46H6
Click to expand...

A 600W pure sine wave really is the max feasible with the 130A alternator and stock wiring. A dual-battery setup with a bigger alternator and upgraded wiring under the hood (the Big Three) one could go 1kW or more.

I've done this a few times, have a writeup on it here somewhere for the 4runner. That AIMS would be a good unit only 3" tall so it fits under the driver seat (an ideal location). Less than 3" is better for under the driver seat.

The first thing I do when I get a truck is slap a PSW inverter in, they are so awesomely handy. I can't count how many times I've been bailed out by having an inverter.

I carry a small inverter generator also, but an inverter in the truck is a beautiful thing to have.
 
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