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Owner’s Manual
PowerVerter
®
Ultra-Compact DC-to-AC Inverters
PV150, PV375, PV500 & PV600
PV375 Front View
PV375 Rear View
PV150 Front View
PV150 Rear View
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Feature Identification
Lighted ON/OFF Switch:
move to ON (“I”) position to power connected equipment;
switch will illuminate. Move to OFF (“O”) position to stop powering connected
equipment.
AC Outlet(s):
accept 120V AC equipment you would normally plug into a wall outlet.
DC Fuse(s)
(externally mounted on PV150 and PV375; internally mounted on
PV500 and PV600)
:
protect vehicle battery from damaging overload. If fuse
blows, replace with standard automotive fuse of equal amperage. CAUTION:
installing non-rated fuses could cause equipment damage and void your warranty.
Vehicle Lighter/Accessory Plug (PV150 & PV375 only):
connects to a standard
12V DC vehicle lighter/accessory outlet.
DC Power Terminals (PV500 & PV600 only):
directly connect to your battery terminals
with user-supplied cables. Always loosely twist each pair of cables (one positive
and one negative) together.
Cooling Fan (PV375, PV500 & PV600 only):
maintains internal cooling.
Ultra-Compact, Lightweight Metal Case
Mounting Flanges (PV500 & PV600 only):
provide fixed mounting, if desired.
Install and tighten four user-supplied screws through mounting flanges and into a rigid
horizontal surface. Mount Inverter before DC battery connection.
Low Battery Alarm (internal, not shown):
detects low voltage and shuts down
Inverter to preserve vehicle battery. If alarm sounds, turn Inverter OFF and run
engine to recharge battery.
Overload Alarm (internal, not shown):
detects wattage overload on Inverter outlets
and shuts down Inverter as a protective measure. If alarm sounds, turn Inverter
OFF and reduce wattage load (by unplugging high-wattage devices).
Safety
Important Safety Instructions! Save These Instructions!
This manual contains important instructions and warnings that
should be followed during the installation, operation and storage
of all Tripp Lite Inverters.
Warning!
• Do not use a Tripp Lite PowerVerter Inverter in life support or healthcare
applications where a malfunction or failure of a Tripp Lite PowerVerter Inverter
could cause failure or significantly alter the performance of a life support device
or medical equipment.
• Do not operate your Inverter near flammable materials, fumes or gases.
Caution!
• Since the Inverter requires adequate ventilation during operation, do not block fan
or cooling vents or cover the Inverter, and do not operate near vehicle heating
vents or in direct sunlight. Keep the Inverter dry at all times and disconnect when
not in use.
• Since the Inverter case will get hot (130° - 140° F) during continuous extended
use, use care when handling it. Do not place it near surfaces or materials
affected by this level of heat.
• Turn OFF connected equipment before starting your engine. DO NOT plug a surge
suppressor, line conditioner or UPS system into the Inverter. If you attach AC
extension cords, use the heaviest practical gauge.
• Before connecting a battery charger or adapter, check its manual to make sure that the
Inverter’s specifications (including output waveform) fall within its recommendations.
Congratulations! Your new PowerVerter Inverter will give you years of reliable, carefree service. Use it to convert DC (battery) power into 110-120V AC (household) power to run
a variety of electronics: notebook computers, game systems, battery chargers, small TVs/VCRs and more! The Inverter’s PWM (Pulse Width Modulated) sinusoidal wave is suitable
for almost all loads.
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PV500/PV600 Front View
PV500/PV600 Rear View
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Operation
Step 1 (PV150 & PV375 models):
Plug Inverter into vehicle lighter/accessory outlet.
Step 1 (PV500 & PV600 models):
First mount inverter, if desired. With user-supplied
cables,* connect the Inverter’s negative DC terminal directly to your battery’s negative
terminal; connect the Inverter’s positive DC terminal through a UL-listed fuse and fuse
block** and directly to your battery’s positive terminal. Always loosely twist each pair
of cables (one positive and one negative) together. CAUTION! Observe proper polarity.
Reversed polarity will blow the PV500’s and PV600’s internal fuses. To access internal
fuses, disconnect equipment and battery from the PV500 or PV600. Then unscrew and
remove end panels to access fuses. Replace blown fuses with an equal number of new fuses
of the same type and amperage. Replace end panels and screws.
Tighten your Inverter’s and battery’s DC terminals to approximately
2.25 Newton-meters (1.85 foot lbs.) of torque to create an efficient
connection and to prevent excessive heating at this connection.
Insufficient tightening of the terminals could void your warranty.
It is recommended that you solder cable ends and insulate the
terminals at the battery. WARNING! Do not connect your
Inverter directly to output from an alternator rather than a battery or battery bank.
* The PV500’s and PV600’s output is limited by the length and gauge of user-supplied cables. See cable sizing guide on back page. Shorter
and heavier gauge cable maximizes output (especially important when operating heavy-draw equipment). An excellent source of cables are
battery jumper cables. ** Required by NEC article 551. Mount within 18 inches of the battery.
Step 2: Turn on Inverter.
Step 3: Plug equipment into the Inverter.
Determine your equipment’s total wattage.* Do not connect more watts than your
Inverter’s Output Power (Maximum Continuous Watts) rating—either 150, 375, 500 or
600, see
Specifications
. See back page for typical equipment runtimes. Also see back
page for important note concerning the limitations of vehicle electrical systems.
* Wattage ratings are usually listed in equipment manuals or on nameplates. If your equipment is rated in amps, multiply that number
times AC utility voltage to determine watts. (Example: a ¼ in. drill requires 2½ amps. 2½ amps × 120 volts = 300 watts.)
Important!
Alarms and automatic shutdown are normal safety functions of this
inverter, indicating either outlet overload or low vehicle battery voltage.
If alarm sounds and/or the inverter has shut down and will not turn on . . .
• Check inverter connections • Reduce wattage load • Run engine to recharge battery
• Toggle ON/OFF switch on and off 3 to 4 times, ending in the on ("I") position
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