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Posted on Jan 10, 2011

I have a B&D 400 watt inverter I would like to hardwire into my Ford Expedition and use the power while the vehicle is in motion. I would like step by step instructions to do a "di-it-yourself" install. I need to know exactly what I'll need so I can go to an electrical parts store and get it. I will be running a M-70 laptop, external drive and GPS...Please help...Bobby

5 Related Answers

mindreader

Jim DuBreck

  • 578 Answers
  • Posted on Jan 01, 2010

SOURCE: I have a black and decker inverter type 1 400

First, you should be aware that the exact inverter is available for under 40 dollars all over the US. Your model is sold under several names - check out http://search.harborfreight.com/cpisearch/web/search.do?keyword=inverter .

I suspect that your INPUT power level is not adequate for the inverter to put out the 200W that the 150W charger needs. If you have low current and low voltage - then the inverter can only put out a proportionally smaller AC wattage level. You may also have a faulty voltage sensor....at the input. Once the inverter sees a low level (even momentarily), it alarms and shuts down the output until the unit is reset (turned off/back on)

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Anonymous

  • 714 Answers
  • Posted on Feb 14, 2010

SOURCE: How do i tell when the inverter is charged?

Question does not seem to match this inverters capability.

INFO:
This Power Inverter converts vehicle’s 12-volt DC power into household 115-volt AC power. AC and USB outlets power and/or recharge personal electronics.

We have owned one of these Power inverters for over a year now and have run a great deal with it, from TV to drill press PC and any thing that was small and that could run from my car. Very nice product.

SET UP: Connect wires. ensure correct polarity, push button on top. Plug in 110 volt appliance.

Hope this tip was of some use.

R/
David

nitrospawn

Ibe Chukwudi

  • 290 Answers
  • Posted on Feb 27, 2010

SOURCE: 400 watt inverter Alarm sounding

test the battery if it is still OK

Cindy Wells

  • 6688 Answers
  • Posted on Jul 15, 2010

SOURCE: I just bought a power inverter for use with my pc.

There are two possibilites: the first is the over 400W power draw, the other is how you have the inverter connected. Do you have the inverter connected directly to the battery terminals (the clips) not the outlet plug (cigaretter lighter)? This is needed for any load over 80W and under 400W. (the inverter can handle a load demand over the 400W limit but only for short periods (800W).)

What is the load that your PC pulls (Is it a laptop or a desktop)? The laptop in my home has either a 65W or a 90W load (depending on the battery and the AC adapter we are using). Desktops take much more power (usually).

I hope this helps.

Cindy Wells

tmorosco

  • 1 Answer
  • Posted on Sep 21, 2010

SOURCE: Cant find the fuse on a black and decker 400 watt power inverter

I've had this inverter for about two years now, bought it for a cross country road trip to power my laptop and a couple of other things. I've pretty much liked it. Yes, the fan is a little noisey, yes, you have to use the provided battery clips for heavy loads. But it powers my Dell Inspiron 8500 laptop just fine (and its an old powerhog).

Recently a I let a friend use it with his inflatable mattress air pump during a camping trip.
What I didn't know is his pump has insane wattage, and it fried/bricked the inverter instantly.

Agh! I thought it was a goner, but took the time to look inside the unit. (Which is a solid and sturdy metal case, not plastic as another reviewer indicated). I was thrilled to discover there were some internal fuses. And while the fuses are soldered to the circuit board, if you've done any soldering at all they really are a snap to replace.

If you remove the four screws that hold the end cover plate on the side with the fan. You can remove the end plate and have just about a half inch or so of clearance. The entire lower circuit board will then slide out with firm pressure about an inch and a half (don't try and go any further, components on the other side prevent it).

On the right side (positive/red terminal side), you will see two 25 amp mini-fuses that are directly soldered to the circuit board. If these are blown (you can see through the semi-transparent sides if they still connect), that is most likely your problem. They are easily available from most auto and big department stores (Walmart, Target, etc) in their automotive sections.

I used a 40 watt soldering iron (30 watt should work fine), and applied it to the bottom of the circuit board where the fuse legs poke out the bottom. Using a pair of pliers, I applied a firm steady pressure to the fuse, pulling up, while applying the soldering iron to each of the legs (alternately) of the fuse. The solder melted, and I was able to work the fuse out in a few seconds. I did this for both fuses.

The replacement fuses cost all of $2. I dipped the new fuse legs in flux, then put them in the place of the old fuses. Again I heated the circuit board solder from below, and pushed the new fuse in place. Repeat with the second fuse until it is in place. Flip the board over and add some more new solder until it is firmly in place. Put it back together, and you are back in business! And for a whole lot less than a new inverter.

I've got pics of this process if anyone would like them. Good luck, and happy inverting.

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Related Questions:

0helpful
1answer

Why do the fuses blow out every time I plug it in

watts divided by volts equal amps so 400watts devided by 12 volts equal 33 plus amps if wires and fuses wont handle 35 amps they will blow to keep from burning up the wiring of your vehicle
tip

What size of inverter do I need?

The correct size of inverter is an easy calculation and important to ensure long life from the inverter and the life of the appliances getting there power from the inverter. To calculate you take the volts and multiply by the amps which equals the wattage. Every appliance has a tag which must state the volts and amps. Locate the tag to find the information. Here is an example.

Under Counter Refrigerator 1.3 amps (120 volts x 1.3 amps = 156 watts)
Microwave (120 volts x 10 amps = 1200 watts)
Alarm Clock Radio (120 volts x .03 amps = 3.6watts)
TV (120 volts x .6 amps = 72 watts)

You now add all the watts together, since the above list could likely be running at the same time. There is a combine wattage of 1431.6 watts. In this example you would need at least a 1500 watt inverter. However given some unknown variables personally I would get a 2500 watt inverter. Less stress on the inverter, will lengthen the life of the inverter. Had the total been 1,000 watts a 1,500 watt inverter would suffice.

You must also remember that your alternator on your vehicle must be able to keep up with the power demand of not only your vehicle needs but your inverter needs as well.
on Apr 23, 2010 • Electronics - Others
0helpful
1answer

What is the amp size of the external fuse of a whistler 400 watt power inverter

The lighter socket power cord has a 15 amp fuse. The cable with the battery clamps do not have fuse protection.
1helpful
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Radio does not work on '96 cirrus. Sometimes it does, but mostly does not. Sometimes display is totally blank, and sometimes there is a small line on the display. I had the battery replaced awhile back,...

Not sure of the first issue with the radio, but the inverters output is 300 watts at 110v, not 12 volts. If your receptacle is rated at 180 watts that means it draws 15 amps (180/12=15 amps)-I have used a 400 watt inverter in various cars, and never had an issue, and remember just because it is rated at 400 watts does not mean it will draw that much, depending on what is plugged in-a laptop, for example, only uses about 80 watts. Your converter will '**** down' if the load is determined to be too high.
0helpful
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I am running a Whistler 400 watt power inverter and have issues with the Isuzu lighters urning out wires or blowing the inverters. I am running an PH mini computer with touch screen and a Start micronics...

If the inverter is blowing your vehicle's lighter socket fuse, does it do it immedately or only when you try and operate a device? If its when you operate your device, it may draw more than 100-150 watts. This wattage is the limit for most lighter sockets. Double check the devices power requirement.
1helpful
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My name is Gena. The VEC024B that is being used by our field technicians are having problems with the fuse blowing in their work vans. Their vans are equipped with laptops.

Hi Gena, the inverter is a 400 watt unit. This is not a rating for a continuous load. You do not mention which fuse is blowing. This could be the fuse in the inverter or the cigarette lighter (power source) fuse. In either case, a fuse blowing could be a short circuit, something in the inverter shorted, or too much load. I am going to look at the too much load side of things. Not knowing how many laptops are being used, with the inverter if you have a 20 amp fuse in the cig lighter, this will allow you 20 amps X 12 volts = 240 watts. I would not run the inverter over 240 watts because of overheating issues. So, 240 watts will run 3 laptops. Just the laptops. Most laptops draw around 70 watts. check your power supplies on them to find their rating. If you exceed the 240 watts by combining the ratings, then you can expect trouble with your inverter. It will give 400 watts, but this is a temporary condition only. Another inverter will be needed or a larger one installed and it being connected directly to the battery (with a fuse of sufficient size installed). You could also (let us say there are 6 computers) charge and run 3, and the other 3 are running on their batteries. After an hour, switch so that the 3 running on batteries now are charging as well as running. The other 3 are now charging.
I hope this helps. If you have any other questions please provide additional information. Such as the size and location of the fuse blowing. The laptop power supply ratings.
thank you
1helpful
2answers

2nd season with 400 watt vehicle 1024 inverter. The

Restating the question - 400 watt inverter is turned on and running with the vehicle turned off.
After starting vehicle the red light of the inverter is on with no power output from the inverter.
If you turn the inverter off then on inverter operates normally.

Solution - this is normal operation - my inverter does the same thing. When you start the vehicle
it draws a lot of current from the vehicle battery which causes a drop in battery voltage. Most inverters have a low voltage input safety and will fault the device.'

If the problem is turn on inverter then the red light starts flashing... I am thinking you
have the same problem as the one I replaced - it broke... I am sure some capicator
or other component in the circuit failed... My solution was to purchase a new one...
1helpful
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2000 watt inverter blows 60 amp fuse under load

I have a background in electronics so i hope i can help. Now after reading this i have the feeling this item does not put out 2000 watts cause if that were the case it should draw somewhere near 147amps. This is because to find out amps you need to take the 2000 watts and divide it by 13.6 volts (assuming what the vehicle runs at) that gives you amps. watts/volts=amps.
0helpful
2answers
1helpful
1answer

Conecting to 120 volts AC

If you want to get more precise, figure out everything in terms of power (watts).

Basic electrical rule 1, 2 and 3:

voltage x current = power

or re-arranged:

current = power divided by voltage

or re-arranged:

voltage = power divided by current


For example, 12V X 2 amps = 24 watts.

or another example, 400 watts divided by 120 Volts = 3.33 amps

A 55W headlight that uses 12V would draw 55 /12 = 4.6 amps @ 12V

A 55 watt light bulb in a lamp at home would draw 55 / 120 = 0.46 amps @ 120V


As the previous post mentioned, inverters are not perfect when convertering 12V into 120V. If the converter consumes 1000W from the 12V battery, then a 90% effecient converter would generate 900W of 120V AC power best case. The other 100W is lost primarily as heat.

The other thing that gets tricky is that these ratings and the formula above are used for resistive loads, like light bulbs or hair dryers. Anything with a motor or transformer is considered an inductive load and can get much more tricky to calculate.

Consequently you need to give your self a safety margin when figuring out how big an inverter you need.

How does work in a practical sense?

Lets say you want an inverter for TV, DVD and Sat. Receiver. Look at the back of TV or in the manual. It should say how many watts it consumes. Lets say it is 400W. The DVD might be 100W and the Sat. receiver 50W - just as an example.

400 + 100 + 50 = 550 Watts. (just as an example)

You might think, well no problem, I'll use a 600 Watt inverter and have 50 watts left over. Depending on your inverter, that 600W might really be 600 x 90% effecient = 540 Watts of AC, less a 20% margin of error for the inductive transformers in the electronic of the TV, DVD and Sat. receiver 540 - 20% = 432 Watts.

Now you can see your 600 Watt inverter isn't big enough to do the job.

If we really need 550 watts of AC, add 10% to make up the effiency loss, then add a safety margin for inductive loads.

550 + 10% = 605 + 20% = 726 Watts.

Sounds more like an 800W inverter fits the job.

What does that mean in terms of wiring the 12V batteries to the inverter?

from the formula above:

current = power divided by voltage

In our example, we have an 800W inverter that runs on 12V

The current would thererfore be:

current = power divided by voltage
current = 800 watts divided by 12V
current = 66 amps.

That is important info because you can not use light gauge wire to carry 66 amps worth of 12V to the inverter nor could you use a 20A fuse to protect your inverter.

Now that's a lot of science for a guy who just wants to run a toaster on an inverter right?

800W / 120V = 6.66 amps

Using garryp's ratio 11:1, 6.66 x 11 = 73 amps.

That is a good ratio with a good safety margin.

This is all just MHO and should not taken as solid technical advise. In other words, don't blame me if you blow yourself up.
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