Safety Instructions
To ensure reliable service your power inverter must be
installed and used properly.
Read and understand the installation and operating thoroughly
prior to installation and use. Pay particular attention to the
WARNING and CAUTION statements in this manual.
CAUTION statements advise against certain conditions and
practices that may result in damage to your inverter.
WARNING statements identify the conditions or practices that
may result in injury or death.
PLEASE READ ALL THE INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE USING
THIS POWER INVERTER.
WARNING:
To reduce the risk of fire, electric shock, explosion or
injury:
• Do not connect to AC distribution wiring.
• Always disconnect appliances from the inverter and turn the
inverter off before working the appliance. Multiple outlet
power strips with switches and power switches and circuit
breakers only interupt power to the "live" socket terminals.
The neutral terminals remain powered with respect to the
earth terminals.
• Do not make any electrical connections or disconnections in
areas designated as IGNITION PROTECTED including DC
cigarette lighter type plug connections and ring terminal
connections. Always disconnect appliances from the inverter
before removing the inverters power source.
• Do not obstruct or block the air vents on the inverter.
• The inverter is not a toy, keep away from children.
CAUTION:
• Do not use with positive earth electrical systems (the
majority of modern vehicles are negative earth). A reverse
polarity connection will result in a blown fuse and may cause
permanent damage to the inverter.
• The inverter will not operate high wattage appliances or
equipment that produces heat, such as dryers, microwave
ovens and toasters.
• Earthing the neutral will cause the inverter to shut down.
• Do not operate the inverter if it is wet. Water and electric do
not mix.
• Do not install the inverter in the engine compartment, the
inverter must be used in a well ventilated postion.
• This inverter is not tested for use with medical equipment.
IMPORTANT CABLE INFORMATION
Substantial power loss and reduced battery operating time
result form inverters installed with cables that are not able to
supply full power. Symptoms of low battery power can result
from cables that are either excessively long or of an
insufficient gauge. Marine installations are subjected to
vibrations and stresses that exceed those of other mobile
installations, therefore the installer/operator should be
especially aware or the requirements to maintain secure,
tight water resistant electrical connections and provide for
strain relief for DC cables and appliance wiring. Cable
insulation must be the appropriate type for the environment.
Introduction
The inverter supplies continuous power in the form of one
household type socket. The inverter has enough power to
run almost any household or electronic appliance. Safety
features include automatic shut down and a low battery
alarm to prevent damage to your battery.
CONTROLS, INDICATORS AND CONNECTORS
The front panel of the inverter provides two LED indicators.
The green LED indicator shows the unit is working correctly
when lit. The red LED indicator shows inverter shut down
from overload, over voltage or over temparature. The
inverter is fitted with an on/off switch, the on/off switch is
also used to force reset the inverter circuits in case of
overload, over voltage or over temparature. Power is
supplied through the three pin AC plug and DC input power
is suppiled via the rear panel.
HOW INVERTERS WORK
Principle of operation.
The inverter converts low voltage DC (direct current) from a
battery or other power source to standard AC (alternating
current) household power. The inverter converts power in
two stages. The first stage is a DC to DC conversion
process that raises low voltage DC from the inverter input
to high volts DC. The second stage is the actual inverter
stage that converts the high DC into AC power.
The DC to DC converter stage uses modern high frequency
power conversion techniques that have replaced bulky
transformers found in less technologically advanced models.
The inverter uses advanced MOSFET transistors in a full
bridge configuration, which ensures excellent overload
capabilities and allows the inverter to operate reactive loads
such as small induction motors.
The output waveform.
The AC output waveform is known as a “modified sine
wave”. It is a waveform that has characteristics similar to the
sine wave shape of standard household power. This type of
waveform is suitable for most AC loads, including linear and
switching power supplies used in electronic equipment,
transformers and motors.
The modified sine wave produced by the inverter has an
RMS (root mean square) voltage, which is the same as
standard household power. Most AC voltmeters (analog and
digital) are sensitive to the average value of the waveform
rather than the RMS value. They are calibrated for RMS
voltage under the assumption that waveform measured will
be a pure sine wave. Voltmeters will not read the RMS
voltage of a modified sine wave correctly. The reading will
be around 20-30 volts too low when measuring the inverters
output.
INSTALLING THE INVERTER
Power source requirements
The power source for the inverter must provide between 11
and 15 volts dc and must be able to supply the necessary
current to operate the load. The power source may be a
battery or a well regulated DC power supply. To obtain a
rough estimate of the current in Amps the power source
must deliver simply divide the power consumption of the
load by 10.
EXAMPLE: If a load is rated at 300 watts AC, the power
source must be able to deliver 300 divided by 10 = 30 Amps.
CAUTION:
The inverter must be connected only to batteries with a
nominal output voltage of 12 volts. The inverter will not work
if connected to a 6 volt battery and will sustain permanent
damage if connected to a 24 volt battery.
Connecting to a power source using provided cables
If the inverter is to be used for extended periods at power
levels above 150 watts, direct connection to the power
source is required. Use the leads provided to connect
directly to the 12-volt power source using the following
guidelines
• Check that the inverter is switched off and no flammable
fumes are present
• Connect the black cable to the post marked negative (-) on
the back panel of the inverter. Connect the black battery clip
to the negative (-) terminal of the battery.
• Connect the red cable to the post marked positive (+) on the
back panel of the inverter. Connect the red battery clip to
the positive (+) terminal of the battery.
• Check that all the connections between battery clips and
terminals are secure
CAUTION:
Loose connections may cause overheated wires and melted
insulation. Check to make sure you have not reversed the
polarity.
Connection to load
The inverter is equipped with a standard AC household type
socket. Plug the cord from the appliance you wish to use
into the socket. The green LED indicator light shows the
inverter is functioning normally. Make sure that the combined
load requirement of your equipment does not exceed the
rated watts.
The inverter is engineered to be connected directly to
standard electrical and electronic equipment in the manner
described above. Do not connect the power inverter to
household or recreational vehicle AC distribution wiring. Do
not connect the inverter to any AC load circuit in which the
neutral conductor is connected to earth or to the negative of
the DC (battery) source.
WARNING:
Never connect to AC distribution wiring.
CAUTION: RECHARGEABLE APPLIANCES
Certain rechargeable devices are designed to be recharged
by plugging them directly in to a household socket. This type
of device must never be used in the inverter. The device will
damage the inverter. Do not use the inverter to recharge
items that can be plugged directly into a household socket.
This problem does not occur with the vast majority of
battery-operated equipment. Most of these devices use a
separate charger or transformer that is plugged into an AC
household socket. The inverter is easily capable of running
most chargers and transformers.
POSITIONING THE INVERTER
For best operating results, the inverter should be placed on
a flat surface such as the ground, car floor or seat, or
another solid surface. The unit is equipped with a 1m-power
cord for easy positioning. The inverter should only be used
in locations that meet the following criteria.
• Dry: do not allow water or liquids to come into contact with
the inverter
• Cool: ambient air temperature should be between 30°F (-1
°C) non-condensing, and 105°F (40°C). Do not place the
inverter on or near a heating vent or any equipment, which
is generating heat above room temperature. Keep the
inverter out of direct sunlight.
• Ventilated: keep the area surrounding the inverter clear to
ensure free air circulation around the unit. Do not place
items on or near the unit whilst it is operating. A fan is
helpful if the unit is operating at maximum power outputs for
extended periods of time. If the internal temperature of the
inverter exceeds 90°C the inverter will shut down
and restart when it has cooled.
• Safe: do not position the inverter near any flammable
material or in a position that may accumulate flammable
fumes or gases.
OPERATING TIPS
Rated versus actual current draw.
Most electrical equipment has labels that indicate the power
consumption in amps or watts. Ensure the power
consumption of the item you wish to operate is specified at
the rated watts or less. The inverter has overload protection
so it is safe to try and operate equipment rated at the
specified watts or less. The inverter will shut down if it is
overloaded. The overload must be removed before the
inverter will restart; resistive loads are the easiest for the
inverter to run. However larger resistive loads, such as,
stoves and heaters usually require more wattage than the
inverter can deliver on a continuous basis. Inductive loads
such as, TV’s and stereos require more current to operate
than resistive loads of the same wattage rating. Induction
motors as well as some televisions may require 2-6 times
their wattage rating to start up. The most demanding in this
category are those that start under load such as,
compressors and pumps. Testing is the only definitive way of
determining if a specific load can be started and how long it
will run. The inverter is fitted with overload protection so will
simply shut down if overloaded. To restart the unit after
overloading remove the overload and if necessary turn the
power switch off and then on.
Battery operating time.
With a typical vehicle battery, a minimum operating time of 2
to 3 hours can be expected. In most instances, 5 to 10 hours
of operating time is achievable however it is recommended
that the operator starts the vehicle every 2 to 3 hours to
recharge the battery system thus guarding against
unexpected equipment shut down and ensuring that there is
still sufficient power to start the engine. The inverter’s built in
alarm will sound if the DC voltage drops below 10.5V.
The inverter can be used whether or not the vehicles engine
is running however the inverter will not operate whilst the
Inverter Operation
15VDC to high
voltage DC
CONVERSION
High voltage
DC to AC
CONVERSION
Fuses
AC Outlet
15VDC
Input
AC to AC
Appliance
SINE WAVE
MODIFIED
SINE WAVE
