 ne
of the things I always “need” in
my vehicle is power. Be it for a laptop, a camera
battery, a fan… anything, I find myself
needing a plug. The solution is easy: buy an
inverter. Trying to find a place to mount it
is a different story. The following is a little
blurb about inverters and where I mounted mine
in "Sherman" (a Discovery Series II):
A DC to AC inverter does just that: converts
DC power to AC power. Basically an inverter converts
the low voltage from your battery (12 volts)
and raises it to 145 volts through high-frequency
power-conversion techniques. The high voltage
DC is then converted into 110 volt AC (just like
your plug at home). This is accomplished through
transistors—more specifically (not that
you care)—MOSFET transistors. Basically,
attaching an inverter to your battery gives you
110 volts AC power.
Now, can you plug in a 25” color TV? Well,
it depends.
Invertors come in various sizes. I have a 400
Watt inverter. It will run a 25” color
TV. Most inverters are in the 150 watt range,
though I’ve seen 3000 watt inverters. If
you are going to run tools—by tools I mean
saws and drills—get one with enough wattage
for that application (refer to the manufacturer’s
documentation). I am only going to charge camera
batteries and run a laptop, so my inverter is
more than adequate. Though, the 25” TV
in the tent does sound appealing.
Now, I’ve said my inverter will run a
25” TV. True. But it will not run a 25” TV
by only plugging the inverter into a cigarette
lighter. For the power required for that, the
inverter has to be hardwired to the battery;
the power supplied to the cigarette lighter is
simply not enough, nor is the wiring of the cigarette
lighter. My inverter’s manufacturer said
to use 10 gauge wire connected directly to the
battery. In addition, they recommended putting
in an inline 50 amp fuse. Neither of these two
requirements is an issue, finding a location
where the inverter is out of the way, yet easy
to get to, and cool is.
Since the inverter gets hot, you cannot put
it in one of the storage bins in the back. Same
thing with the center console—too hot.
I looked and looked and looked (just like my
search for a place for my fire extinguisher)
and found a great spot—on the back of the
center console. It’s out of the way, yet
easy to get to, and the fan has air with which
to cool the inverter.
(Click any of the pictures
to enlarge them...) |
The pictures show the location of the
inverter in the backseat of “Sherman.” I’m
sure there are other locations where it
could have been mounted, but this location
also allowed me to hide the 10-gauge wires
from the battery even better. I also like
that I can reach the switch from the driver’s
seat.
A few things to look for in an inverter:
• Power – get one based on
your requirements. If you are going to
run a laptop, you do not need a 3000 watt
inverter. If you are going use tools, get
one rated for that application.
• Cigarette plug and the ability
to hardwire - if you are just going to
run a laptop, the cigarette plug will work.
If you plan on running bigger things,
your inverter should allow you the ability
to hardwire it in. Make sure it has that
option.
• Switch – I like having a
switch on my inverter. Since it is hardwired
in, I need to be able to turn it off (I
simply cannot pull it from the cigarette
lighter).
• Power off – make sure it
will turn itself off if the power to it
(from the battery) gets too low. If your
car is off and you are running the inverter,
you do not want it to drain all of your
battery's power so you cannot start your
car.
• Overload protection – make
sure it will shut itself off if the load
you place on it (the thing you plug into
it) exceeds the maximum wattage of your
inverter.
• Over temperature protection – make
sure it shuts itself off if it gets too
hot.
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Inverters also come in
two flavors: pseudo-sine (or
modified sine) and pure sine waves.
The pseudo sine is cheaper and its wave
is
more
or less a rough square wave. More
sensitive electronics
(some laptops) may not work
properly, other laptops might. Check
with your laptop manufacturer. For true
universal use, it's best to pay
extra and buy a true sine wave inverter.
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Finally, some inverters produce
lots of EMI (HF electrical interference)
which may screw up your radio and
CB. Look for an inverter with a FCC Class
A
rating.
You can expect to pay anywhere
from $50 to $A LOT for your inverter.
I’d
be suspect if it is less than $50.00;
it may not have all of the features above.
But, buy what you need.
If you have any questions or need any help,
let me know.
- Bill Mallin
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