Power Inverters

[RamTruckMan]

I was thinking of installing a power inverter on my tractor. I know 1 horsepower is equivalent to 750 Watts. Does that mean a 2000 watt power inverter would run a 2 horsepower electric motor? Do these inverters work?

 

[TBAR]

Here is a link that might help.

http://www.genpropower.com/pto.htm


TBAR

 

[Bob_Skurka]

I looked at this same thing a while back. Several people on this board who know a lot more about electricity than I do ganged up on me, beat me about the head with a stick, and convinced me that doing it would over tax my electrical system and require me to upgrade my alternator and battery and I'd probably be better off simply running several hundred feet of extention cords . . .

Check out this thread about inverters on tractors:
DC to AC inverters on a Tractor

 

[Charlie_in_TX]

Will a 2000w inverter run a 2hp motor? The simple answer is yes it will run a 2hp motor. The problem will be the starting power (if it is an induction motor). The starting surge can easily go 2.5 time running. That makes the starting power for a 2 hp motor in the 3750watt range.

Now comes the beet about the head part. A 2000w inverter will pull (if it 100% effecient) almost 200 amps from the charging system. A high output unit in your pickup will burnup at those current levels. The punny one in the tractor wouldn't stand a chance.

For the price of upgrading your alt and buying the inverter you could buy a nice gas powered 5000w unit and have more flexability.

 

[RamTruckMan]

You answered exactly what I had on my mind. That is why I asked. Guess I will pitch that crazy idea.

 

[Charlie_in_TX]

You can use a 400 to 600w inverter and run drills and resipracating saws, or charge the batterys on corless devices.

 

[fivestring]

Hows your head???? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[gotrocks]

Hey, Charlie, I can use some advice on inverters.
I would like one to run my laptop computer on trips. I have just come from a store where we hooked one up and my voltage checker only show high 80s low 90s on voltage. This is with no load except the voltage meter.
I have always been told low voltage will burn a motor. And also told not to plug my computer into low voltage.

I would really appreciate your input regarding the above comments.

Thanks not only to Charlie but to all who can offer advice on this subject.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Rather than using an Inverter on your trip, you might want to go to Radio Shack and look for a unit called an iGO Juice. iGO is the manufacturer, JUICE is the power unit. Mine came with different power adapters to run virtually every brand of computer on the market. It will plug into a standard wall outlet in your hotel room and it also comes with a "cigarette lighter adapter" to plug into your car or under the seat of an airplane. It is specifically designed to power computers so there must be some sort of conditioner in it, plus some sort of inverter. It is small, easily packs for travel, and I think it cost me about $120 (buy my memory is fading so it might be a little more or little less). The thing I liked about it was that my computer manufacturer recommended it, and even sells it on their online store, so it must be good?!?

 

[LandscapeMan]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Hey, Charlie, I can use some advice on inverters.
I would like one to run my laptop computer on trips. I have just come from a store where we hooked one up and my voltage checker only show high 80s low 90s on voltage. This is with no load except the voltage meter.
I have always been told low voltage will burn a motor. And also told not to plug my computer into low voltage.

I run my laptop on a cheap 300 watt inverter in my pickup truck. Went coast to coast never missed a beat. Laptop will run fine on a inverter.
Charlie

I would really appreciate your input regarding the above comments.

Thanks not only to Charlie but to all who can offer advice on this subject.
)</font>

 

[slowrev]

the inverter might not regulate well with virtually no load on it. Plug in a 100W lamp and check the voltage.

 

[Soundguy]

Depending on what kind of VOM you are using, and what type of output the inverter is producing you can get less than accurate readings. An ossciloscope would be your best bet.

Depending on design and cost.. you can get everything from square wav, modified square wave ( stepped ) modified sine, or true sine wave output.

Depending on what type of power supply your laptop uses, there may be no ill effects. Say for instance.. the laptop used a regular ac transformer and drifge/filter .. just about any output would be fine... that square wave ill be worked over by coil inductance and smooth it quite a bit.. won't matter by the time the wavefrom gets flopped and filtered. Average power will probably be -worst- with straight square wave..

A power supply using triacs , depending on how well built will work decent with modified sine or sine wave.. but will also be very tolerant of low voltage. On the test bench, using a variac xformer.. I've fed 90vac line feed to some switching power supplies with very little effect to operational abilities of the computer...

What type power supply is it? Is it possible to just use a regulated dc to dc adapter? ( what voltage does it use? )

Soundguy

 

[slowrev]

Good job Soundguy! Did not know there were any more electronic persons on here that actually knew how the innards worked.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

OK Soundguy (since you are one of the guys who so soundly beat me about the head when I was considering the inverter on my tractor and your little pinky finger obviously knows more about electricity than I ever learned) Here is my question . . . every summer we go to Florida and my daughter uses a laptop to watch movies in the back seat while we drive. I have a 300 watt el-cheapo inverter and I have the iGO Juice unit which is recommended by several computer companies. Both will power the laptop.

Which is the SAFER/BETTER choice?

 

[Soundguy]

/forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif I hope I didn't go off on you too much.. I'll have ta watch that.. lest the mod's get me. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Assuming both units are rated for the output for the laptop.. I'd choose the one that was most efficient.. I.e. that used the least power from the 12v side of the vehicle.

I'm not familiar with the igo juice .. so without knowing how it operates can't comment on it specifically... However that said... most inverters I've seen are power hungry.. and not real energy efficient.

Look on the packages and see with the input requirements are for both units, compaired to the output capability... choose from there.

As for safety? both are UL listed right? I'm -guessing- they are both safe to the user.... and like I said in the previous message... without knowing specifically what power supply type the laptop is using.. hard to determine how the output of the inverter is reacting with the input on the laptop power supply... ( My guess that if both units are within a couple years old.. they would be fine together.. ).

Sounds like the igojuice is more efficient...

Soundguy

 

[Soundguy]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Good job Soundguy! Did not know there were any more electronic persons on here that actually knew how the innards worked.
)</font>

I was in college for EE before I switched over ( sold out? ) to CE as the general contractor I worked for wanted someone trained in CE..not EE.. and he offered to finish paying the last two years tuition.. so i caved in..

I really wish I would have stayed EE... I'm a hardware guy at heart. At home.. nothing gets thrown away that can be fixed or scavanged for parts..

Soundguy

 

[slowrev]

Soundguy,
I am a CET, however I have not worked for money in that for several years. And I DO know about collecting Electronics junk /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif Howerver how do you fix a walkman or diskman ??
I sort of sold out too and have moved into computers and programming, it sure pays a lot better /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Soundguy]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I sort of sold out too and have moved into computers and programming, it sure pays a lot better )</font>

Boy does it. As my 'night gig' I work at a local media company and do sound engineering for bands. Lot easier.. more pay... ( free entertainment.. )

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( several years. And I DO know about collecting Electronics junk )</font>

Easy! throw it in the 'scavenge pile', and get another one for 9.99 at wallmart. I usually do pop them apart to see if ti is an easy fix.. cold solder.. easily identifiable bad component.. but more and more everything is surface mount... too hard to work on without 25K$ of test equipment... Later when i need a capacitor or transformer for a project.. I just go to the pile of goodies and extract what I need...

Soundguy

 

[gotrocks]

Hello Soundguy,
Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
<font color="blue">What type power supply is it? Is it possible to just use a regulated dc to dc adapter? ( what voltage does it use? )
</font>
It is a Vector MAXXSST 350 watt. Book says "modified sine wave has an RMS(root mean square) voltage of <font color="red"> 110 volts,</font> which is the same as standard household power.
I haven't pluged in my laptop yet, but I can stall my 3.5 amp <font color="red"> 120 volts </font>drill with just a little squeeze on the chuck. It will run but not much umph.
My volt meter indicates 117 in the house socket. Is the voltage difference what makes the drill weak? Is the formula volts/amps = watts?
Thanks again for your additional input.
Norris

 

[ljh2]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Is the formula volts/amps = watts?
)</font>

Nope,
Using:
P - Power (watts)
V - Voltage (volts)
I - Current (amps)

The formula is: P=I * V

/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif