Installing inverter

[Lon-Str]

Considering installing either an Aims 600 w or Go Power 300w in my 5/w. It will be hooked up only to my TV & Sat. receiver, independent of anything else. Is it possible to run my Honda gens. without turning off the inverter. There is a reason for wanting to run both at the same time. Thanks.

[tenbear]

BFL13 wrote:

tenbear wrote:
I don't know about your TV but many 20"-26" LED TVs are actually 12 or 14vdc and use a wall wart to run off 120vac. You can actually bypass the wall wart and power them directly from the 12vdc supply, no inverter required.

If yours has a wall wart, look at the printing on it to see what the output voltage is.

Mena often makes the point that even if you do run the TV off 12v, the DVD still needs 120 so you might as well have both on the inverter. (also much greater choice in televisions at 120)

True, but if the TV you already have runs off 12v, its one less thing to worry about. That's the way I have mine setup. We use our TV much more without the DVD than with it.

[BFL13]

tenbear wrote:
I don't know about your TV but many 20"-26" LED TVs are actually 12 or 14vdc and use a wall wart to run off 120vac. You can actually bypass the wall wart and power them directly from the 12vdc supply, no inverter required.

If yours has a wall wart, look at the printing on it to see what the output voltage is.

Mena often makes the point that even if you do run the TV off 12v, the DVD still needs 120 so you might as well have both on the inverter. (also much greater choice in televisions at 120)

[tenbear]

I don't know about your TV but many 20"-26" LED TVs are actually 12 or 14vdc and use a wall wart to run off 120vac. You can actually bypass the wall wart and power them directly from the 12vdc supply, no inverter required.

If yours has a wall wart, look at the printing on it to see what the output voltage is.

[BFL13]

The problem is the 12v socket with its 8a is not enough power to plug the inverter in. So the inverter needs power from the batteries which can mean it must be close to them, while the 120v line to the Tv set inside is far away from the batteries. So a long 120v extension cord has to be passed through an open window or door, which lets all the mosquitoes in.

So the various cures come into play to get it wired up so you can close the door and windows while watching TV! What you do about that depends on the floor plan of your rig as much as anything. Finding holes or drilling holes to pass wires is all part of the fun.

About then you join the many who wonder if the people who design RVs have ever gone camping in one.

[time2roll]

Lon-Str wrote:
Thanks to all guys -- I get it. But to simplify my question: Two 3' cables from battery to inverter -- 10' HD extension cord from inverter to TV and sat. receiver. Want to run both inverter and gen at the same time.

If anyone has a simpler solution, I'm listening.

For 600w or less you can use the light duty cord left over from your holiday lights.

I connected my 300w Go Power right behind the breaker/fuse panel. Main battery feed supplies 12v power. Transfer switch connects to existing outlet. No extension cord. For dedicated power the breaker can be turned off and you have inverter only.

A little more to connect but simpler IMO with no cords around and no set up each time. Just push the remote button and flip the breaker.

[2oldman]

Lon-Str wrote:
when my AC compressor cycles on it trips my sat. receiver off and I have to wait for it to reprogram.If anyone has a simpler solution, I'm listening.

Your solution is fine.

I did something similar. My refer and TV equipment are on the same circuit. I hard-wired those to the inverter. The refer is always on gas, except when the gens are charging the batteries.

Yeah, I know about those sat receivers going down at the slightest blip, and taking 6-7 minutes to restart.

[Learjet]

Lon-Str wrote:


If anyone has a simpler solution, I'm listening.

A computer UPS would fix your problem something like this......

That would be cheaper and easier for your situation.

Plug your sat. and TV into the UPS and when the power dips, the UPS internal batteries will handle the load until the generator catches up.

You can buy these at stores like Best Buy also...

[Lon-Str]

Thanks to all guys -- I get it. But to simplify my question: Two 3' cables from battery to inverter -- 10' HD extension cord from inverter to TV and sat. receiver. Want to run both inverter and gen at the same time.

At many cook-offs gens. run 24/7. My Hondas handle everything on eco. mode but when my AC compressor cycles on it trips my sat. receiver off and I have to wait for it to reprogram. Don't want to run my gens out of eco. mode and have been through the hard start cap. deal without success so I thought this may be a simple answer.

If anyone has a simpler solution, I'm listening.

[time2roll]

Use a small 15a transfer switch and you are good to go.
I use two inverters and plug in at the same time if needed.

[MrWizard]

Like everybody is trying to say
IF you are running a dedicated circuit to the tv , from the inverter So the tv is not plugged into the OEM wall outlet....
No problem..everything ok

They want to specify that you cannot have two different power sources connected to the same device or outlet

[wa8yxm]

Inverters come in two types. (times two types) in this case the two types I will discuss are Stand alone and inline

Stand alone have DC in and AC out,, In line have AC in AC out and DC in/out (same connection works both ways)

If you have an in-line, then when you run the honda, it will switch the inverter to standby and the inverter will pass power to the TVs from the honda.

IF you have a stand alone, then you will either have to run it to a transfer switch of some kind, in which case see transfer switch below OR you will have to run it to separate outlets. (Or locate it where the power cords can reach the outlets on it however I do not recommend this).

IF you use the separate outlet method (make them red or orange) then the TV and Sat receiver will operate off the inverter full time, and the presence of the honda will not matter.

IF you use a transfer switch. Read on

Transfer switches:
these come in two types Automatic and Manual. ONE form of manual is described above (separate outlets)

Another is a proper DPDT cener off break before make Transfer Switch, TRANSFER switches often need to be double tapped to switch from one source to the other this is a safety feature.

This is the kind of switch I use for one circuit in my rig.

The AUTOMATIC switches (I have one of those too well two technically) sense when power is coming in on one of the two lines, (Usually that input is marked GENERATOR) You run shore power to this input, and the inverter to the other input, if shore power (Such as from the HONDA) is present it will switch to it, if not, it Drops back to the inverter

For your install, I recommend the outlet method.

[BFL13]

Lon-Str wrote:
The only connection between the gens and the inverter will be that the batteries will be being charged through the trailer inverter while the gens are running. Does that make sense or am I just making it more complicated?

It is still not clear that when you are on shore power or generator, that the TV etc will not be powered the normal way instead of by the inverter, and that the inverter output is not tapped into the RV 120 receptacle circuit somehow.

If it is, AND you run the inverter, they will get two doses of 120v at once and fry who knows what on 240v. That is what a transfer switch is for.

You can run just the TV etc off inverter. You must not tap the inverter output into the regular RV receptacle that the TV is plugged into. The TV has to go into the inverter output directly via an inverter receptacle (perhaps extended as needed)

[Lon-Str]

Yes, I did mean trailer converter. I think that answers my question. Thanks

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Totally unconnected circuits. Pineapples and hand grenades. Go for it...