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I have seen people talking about hooking their power inverter up to an extra battery. Exactly what kind of battery should be used, and how long would it last if only using for small fan, coffee pot, camera battery?
You need a deep cycle marine battery. A regular car battery is designed to provide a large quantity of power for a very short period (i.e. turning your car on). A deep cycle marine battery is designed to give off a trickle of power for a looooooong time. Also, buy the biggest battery you can find!
Deep cycle is best but a car battery is better than nothing. I'm bringing an extra vehicle battery because I already have it and am not powering anything critical. Ijust figure it will last as long as lasts.
If you know the AmpHours of the battery you can easily get an idea of how long it should last by dividing the AH by the Amps of the equipment you will be powering. Of course this is an ideal number and depend on the efficiency and the inverters shut-off voltage. It will very likely not last that long but you'll have an idea.
Okay, I just googled power inverters and I'm seeing everything from the $20 ones that plug into the cigarette lighter all the way up to these $200 dealies that have wheels and a handle like luggage. I also googeld deep cycle marine batteries and the absolute cheapest I'm seeing them for is like $70-80. I'll probably just need to charge my camera like once over the weekend. I'm worried that if I use the inverter that plugs into the car's cigarette lighter I might drain the car battery, but I definitely don't want to spend that kind of dough to charge my camera once. Any thoughts?
"...when it comes to that fantastic note where the rabbit bites its own head off, I want you to throw that f**kin radio into the tub with me." -Dr. Gonzo, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Post by rideincircles on May 26, 2008 2:22:16 GMT -5
A power inverter hooked up to your car will power laptops and charge batteries and cameras. Start your engine for a minute if you are worried about your battery. Last year I had my batteries charging with my laptop on for an hour or more and it presented no problem. And yes a $20 power inverter will work fine. One of the best camping items to have.
I'm with rideincircles. The $20 inverter will work fine for this application. One thing though, start your engine often while using the inverter AND bring jumper cables, you know, JIC. The inverter will drain your battery QUICK.
For charging cameras and phones you can plug into the cigarette lighter and won't need to start the car. My camcorder charger and my phone charger only pull about 0.15 amps (17 Watts) each. If you are drawing more than 150 watts (about 1.3 amps) use the cables or you''ll blow the fuse. aslo start the car for these bigger items.
It's always good to have a couple extra fuses anyway just in case you blow one through the Cig lighter. That circuit could also control things like wipers, turn signals, etc.
I charged my cell phone a couple times last year for a couple hours each time and never started the vehicle with no problems.
Last Edit: May 26, 2008 7:15:27 GMT -5 by troo - Back to Top
"...when it comes to that fantastic note where the rabbit bites its own head off, I want you to throw that f**kin radio into the tub with me." -Dr. Gonzo, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
"...when it comes to that fantastic note where the rabbit bites its own head off, I want you to throw that f**kin radio into the tub with me." -Dr. Gonzo, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
alyroo
Bonnafunky Dirtyroo Princess of Blinkytown and moonpie expert
if i'm using something for a long time or listening to the stereo, i'll start my truck and let it run for about 10-20 mins. never had a problem. if you only charge your phone 1ce or 2wice, or camera battery, you'll be cool.
"...when it comes to that fantastic note where the rabbit bites its own head off, I want you to throw that f**kin radio into the tub with me." -Dr. Gonzo, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Post by cynthiapendley on May 27, 2008 9:17:02 GMT -5
remember, coffee makers (and other heating appliances like hair dryers, straighteners etc) use high wattage. A reg. $20 inverter will not be enough to handle that kind of wattage.
Add up the wattage for all the plug-ins you'll want to use AT THE SAME TIME, and make sure and get an inverter that will handle that wattage.
