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11

Nothing comes close to a Cobra

®

Power Consumption

For each piece of equipment you will be operating from the inverter, you must
determine the battery’s 

reserve capacity

(how long the battery can deliver a 

specific amount of current — in automotive batteries, usually 25 amperes) or 

ampere-hour capacity

(a measure of how many amperes a battery can deliver 

for a specified length of time). 

Example – Reserve capacity: a battery with a reserve capacity of 180 minutes 
can deliver 25 amperes for 180 minutes before it is completely discharged.

Example – Ampere-hour capacity: a battery with an ampere-hour capacity of 
100 ampere-hours can deliver 5 amperes for 20 hours before it is completely
discharged.

To Determine the Battery Ampere-Hour Capacity You Require:

1. Determine how many watts each piece of equipment consumes. This can normally

be found on the product label. If only the current draw is given, multiply the current
draw by 115 to get the watt consumption.

2. Estimate the time (in hours) that each piece of equipment will be running between

battery charging cycles.

3. Calculate the total watt-hours of energy consumption (power x operating time) using

the average power consumption and the total estimated running time (in hours).

Power x Operating Time = Watt-Hours.

4. Divide the watt-hours by ten (10) to determine how many power supply’s 

(12 volt) ampere-hours will be consumed.

10 English

CAUTION

Reverse polarity connections (positive to negative) will blow internal

fuses in the inverter and may permanently damage the unit. Such damage is 
not covered by the warranty.

CAUTION

Remove any jewelry (watch, ring, etc.). Be careful not to short circuit

the battery with any metallic object (wrench, etc.).

WARNING

You may observe a spark when making the connection because

current can flow to charge the capacitors in the inverter. 

Do not make this

connection in the presence of flammable fumes

. Explosion or fire may result.

Thoroughly ventilate the battery compartment before making this connection.

Installation

Connecting Cables

Installation

Power Consumption

300 Watts x 15 minutes 
= 75 Watt-Hours

115 Watts x 3 hours
= 345 Watt-Hours

Blender

TV/VCR (up to 25")

100 Watts x 2 hours
= 200 Watt-Hours

Laptop

Summary of Contents for CPI 400 M

Page 1: ...e Should you encounter any problems with this product or not understand its many features please refer to this owner s manual If you require further assistance after reading this manual Cobra Electron...

Page 2: ...g Guide 17 Specifications 18 Warranty Warranty 19 Customer Assistance Maintenance 20 Product Service 20 Accessories and Order Form 22 Controls Indicators and Product Features Introduction Table of Con...

Page 3: ...atements identify conditions that could result in personal injury or loss of life General Precautions 1 Never install the inverter in a boat s engine compartment where gas and battery fumes are presen...

Page 4: ...attery packs used in hand power tools These chargers have a WARNING label stating that dangerous voltages are present at the battery terminals This problem does not occur with the vast majority of bat...

Page 5: ...s please connect the inverter directly to the battery A test load that can be plugged into the AC receptacle on the inverter for short term testing at a low power level Quick Evaluation Before Install...

Page 6: ...clearance compartment Overheating may result CAUTION The inverter must only be connected to batteries with a nominal output voltage of 12 volts It will not work with a 6 volt battery and will be damag...

Page 7: ...e the inverter has a low voltage high current input low resistance wiring is essential between the battery and inverter This is so it can deliver the maximum amount of energy to the load Only use the...

Page 8: ...at each piece of equipment will be running between battery charging cycles 3 Calculate the total watt hours of energy consumption power x operating time using the average power consumption and the tot...

Page 9: ...r draws no current from battery When it s in the On position but no power is being supplied to the load the inverter draws less than 500 milliamperes from the battery This is low current draw It would...

Page 10: ...emperature Overload The red light will turn On momentarily then the inverter will shutdown The inverter must be turned Off then back On to reset NOTE A momentary sound of the internal alarm and or fla...

Page 11: ...m being over discharged The inverter must be turned Off then back On to reset The inverter will also shut down if the input voltage exceeds 15 75V 0 75V This protects the inverter against excessive in...

Page 12: ...ding warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose are limited in duration to the length of this warranty Cobra shall not be liable for any incidental consequential or other damag...

Page 13: ...to prevent accumulation of dust and dirt At the same time tighten the screws on the DC input terminals Be sure vents and fans are free of dust or debris Product Service If you have any questions about...

Page 14: ...y products includes CB Radios microTALK Radios Radar Laser Detectors Safety Alert Traffic Warning Systems Accessories GPS Global Positioning System HighGear Accessories Name Address No P O Boxes City...

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