I think I've been very lucky with my inverter

Skraggy_uk · 04-14-2003, 08:23 AM

I recently picked up a Nikkie 300watt inverter.

It has a low power cutoff, as most do.
I connected it up this week.

Wired to the battery with a couple of crock clips. 12AWG cable, with a 35amp fuse inline near the battery.

Running to a relay that is switched by the car antenna line.

Had trouble with the antenna line but that is a different story regarding a shady headunit that is going to e replaced shortly now.

Back to the inverter.

After I got a power feed to an antenna line, and got it connected to the relay, I could now leave the inverter 3 pin plug permanentley switched on on the output side, with relay enabling, and disabling the power to the battery side, so I don't have to worry about the inverter fan draining the battery.

Best of all is, even with a load (only a small powerbrick), if I kill the battery power to the inverter, it goes off, and as soon as power is renabled, it resumes. The low power cutoff doesn't come in, so the socket on the output side doesn't need to be switched on and off again.

Excellent. Means I can use the Headunit to operate the inverter (Comp audio is going to be played through an FM nmodulator anyway).

Telek · 04-15-2003, 08:17 PM

Could you try to be a bit more clear on how this relay works and what happens with that powerbrick load?

Why does this mean that you have been lcuk with your inverter?

And the only problem with using the head unit remote antenna lead is you can only use the computer while the radio is turned on, which I suppose if you only want to use it for music might not be a bad idea, but if you wanted to use it for anything else, or set up a delayed off circuit, or whatnot, then you can't really do that.

Skraggy_uk · 04-16-2003, 02:30 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Telek
Could you try to be a bit more clear on how this relay works and what happens with that powerbrick load?

Why does this mean that you have been lcuk with your inverter?

And the only problem with using the head unit remote antenna lead is you can only use the computer while the radio is turned on, which I suppose if you only want to use it for music might not be a bad idea, but if you wanted to use it for anything else, or set up a delayed off circuit, or whatnot, then you can't really do that.

I have the inverter running from the battery, with crododile clips under the hood. a + and - 12AWG line (with a 35amp line fuse near the battery on the + line), that comes int through one of the wiring grommets, and allong the edge of the doorstep under the carpets, and under the seat subframe, until it reaches the rear seat. The Inverter is below the rear seats, which means to access the power switch to the mains side, I would have to lift the seat.

If I had left it switched to the on postition, the inverter fan would have killed the battery eventually because of the cooling fan.

The relay was fitted to the + line going into the battery side of the inverter, and is fired using the antenna remote feed lne, and when the radio is off, the power to the inverter is down. It is completley isolated.

Even with sudden killing of power in that way, the low input voltage cutoff didn't trip (even when cranking, it cuts and resets to back on when running), so instead of having to switch the mains side off and back on again to reset the cutout, it either doesn't cut, or resets automatically.

Running from the headunit antenna remote to operate the relay isn't a problem. I don't have an Amp, so I will be using either an FM modulator, or if I replace the Headunit (showing some problems recentley) through a line in, to get sound through the cars built in 4 speaker system. As I can't get sound without the headunit on, why would I want the PC on? All integrates nicely