Inverter
Senior User
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 374
Likes: 0
From: Ridgecrest, CA
The amount of wattage put out is related to the load connected to it. It is just rated to put out a certain power continuously with an occasional surge or peak power (especially when an item is first powered up, alot of surge current!). On where to mount it, I'd recommend away from any flammable objects. My Bro inlaw watched his truck go up in flames just because he left his digital camera on charge in the truck. The charger was either on the carpet or the seat.
Senior User
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 241
Likes: 0
From: Seattle
Originally Posted by gomfrddy
350 AMPS??????? where did you get that figure from?
Watts= Voltagexamps thus
amps= watts/volts......... 4000/120v=33.3 amps
Watts= Voltagexamps thus
amps= watts/volts......... 4000/120v=33.3 amps
Your formula is ok but the application is incorrect.
Watts out will equal watts in, thus:
(input) 4000w/12V = 333.33 amps.
That's where DaBigTow got his 350 amps from.
And that's the cable that needs to be 4/0.
And Medic66 - keep the length of those cables as short as possible. Could you maybe mount the inverter in the engine compartment?
Senior User
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 118
Likes: 0
Originally Posted by Craze
gomfrddy;
Your formula is ok but the application is incorrect.
Watts out will equal watts in, thus:
(input) 4000w/12V = 333.33 amps.
That's where DaBigTow got his 350 amps from.
And that's the cable that needs to be 4/0.
And Medic66 - keep the length of those cables as short as possible. Could you maybe mount the inverter in the engine compartment?
Your formula is ok but the application is incorrect.
Watts out will equal watts in, thus:
(input) 4000w/12V = 333.33 amps.
That's where DaBigTow got his 350 amps from.
And that's the cable that needs to be 4/0.
And Medic66 - keep the length of those cables as short as possible. Could you maybe mount the inverter in the engine compartment?
Last edited by gomfrddy; Jul 27, 2005 at 11:30 AM.
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Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 17,988
Likes: 207
From: La La Land
Ummmm, that inverter, even if it is only a 2000 watt unit continuous, assuming 100 percent efficiency (which it is far from) would be drawing about 160 amps continuous.
2000/12.6 volts (not 120)== 158.7 amps from the primary 12 volt source.
2000/120 volts == 16.7 amps OF 120 VOLT POWER available from the secondary.
Double these numbers for a 4000 watt unit.
Real figures are not going to be anywhere near these, as efficiency losses are pretty high in consumer units. A lot of power goes out the door as heat.
Pop
2000/12.6 volts (not 120)== 158.7 amps from the primary 12 volt source.
2000/120 volts == 16.7 amps OF 120 VOLT POWER available from the secondary.
Double these numbers for a 4000 watt unit.
Real figures are not going to be anywhere near these, as efficiency losses are pretty high in consumer units. A lot of power goes out the door as heat.
Pop
Elder User
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 756
Likes: 1
Originally Posted by SpringerPop
Ummmm, that inverter, even if it is only a 2000 watt unit continuous, assuming 100 percent efficiency (which it is far from) would be drawing about 160 amps continuous.
2000/12.6 volts (not 120)== 158.7 amps from the primary 12 volt source.
2000/120 volts == 16.7 amps OF 120 VOLT POWER available from the secondary.
Double these numbers for a 4000 watt unit.
Real figures are not going to be anywhere near these, as efficiency losses are pretty high in consumer units. A lot of power goes out the door as heat.
Pop
2000/12.6 volts (not 120)== 158.7 amps from the primary 12 volt source.
2000/120 volts == 16.7 amps OF 120 VOLT POWER available from the secondary.
Double these numbers for a 4000 watt unit.
Real figures are not going to be anywhere near these, as efficiency losses are pretty high in consumer units. A lot of power goes out the door as heat.
Pop
I would think #2 or better.
A second battery is an option you should consider.
And if you go with the second battery a second 1-wire alt. to charge it, or a dual battery isolator (I don't like them).
I went with the GM style 1-wire and a bank of two large 6-volt batteries (golf cart) in series. I love it.
For just rare use, it'll be fine to use the primary battery. Just watch the guages. I would think you would at least want an ammeter so you know when juice is being consumed faster than the alt can produce.
And there is a plug on the floor behind the seat.
Last edited by Fords4Me; Jul 27, 2005 at 01:55 PM.
New User
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
From: Alaska
It will have a small ammount of draw to run the fan even when nothing is plugged in. At least thats on the lower end inverters. Some of the fancy ones are designed for minmum draw and the fan shuts down with no load. If you pull 2000 w, it will really abuse just one battery. Better make it a deep cycle- or two.
New User
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
From: Alaska
It will have a small ammount of draw to run the fan even when nothing is plugged in. The draw on the battery increases as the load increases. If you pull 2000 w, it will really abuse just one battery. Better make it a deep cycle- or two.
Senior User
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 471
Likes: 0
From: Goldsboro, NC
What size alternator do you have in your truck? You need to figure out how many amps you can afford to pull and fuse it for that. 2000 watts will require over 150 amps, which I think is more than the stock alternator output. You can buy high output alternators, up to 500 amps I think. I'd be careful, that's a lot of juice. A lot of folks think 12 volts is kid stuff, but if you ground 12v 100 amps and it's not fused correctly, you're going to melt a wire, start a fire, mess stuff up.