Connection
The method of connecting the auto-inverter to the on-board network or car battery.
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In the cigarette lighter. Connection to a standard car socket DC 12V; traditionally, the role of such an outlet is played by the cigarette lighter socket (hence the name), but many newer cars also have a separate socket. This option is the most convenient — after all, plugging the plug into the socket is much easier than pulling cables from the battery to the inverter installation site. On the other hand, it is only suitable for models with a rated output power (see below) up to 300 watts — high power creates extra loads on the on-board network and can lead to overheating and damage to the wiring.
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Crocodiles (to the battery). Connection directly to the battery using cables with alligator clips. By itself, a direct connection to the battery allows you to create quite powerful devices — the 300 W limit, typical for power from the cigarette lighter (see above), does not apply here. However, it is believed that alligator clips provide a less dense and reliable connection than cables (see below), and are less suitable for high currents. Therefore, the rated power of such inverters usually does not exceed 1500 W. On the other hand, such a connection is more convenient for quickly connecting and disconnecting the inverter.
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Cable (to the battery). Connection di
...rectly to the battery using cables with flat terminals, which are clamped into the battery terminals when connected. This design provides a tighter contact than the "crocodiles" described above, but is less convenient when connecting and disconnecting the inverter. It is typical for high power inverters.
— In the cigarette lighter / crocodiles. Universal models that allow connection both through the cigarette lighter socket and directly to the battery using crocodile clips. The technical features of both connection options are described above. Here we note that the rated output power of such inverters can exceed 300 W; in such cases, when operating from the cigarette lighter, care must be taken not to connect a load of more than 300 W to the device.Rated power output
The total power supplied by the autoinverter in normal operation. In other words, this parameter can be described as the
highest rated power of the connected load, at which the device is able to work without failures and overloads for a long time (comparable to the discharge time of the battery used for power).
Accordingly, when choosing according to the rated output power, it is worth proceeding from the energy consumption of the intended load. At the same time, it is worth choosing an inverter with a margin of 15-20% — for example, for a laptop with a consumption of 150 W, a device with at least 175 W is recommended. This is due not only to overload protection, but also to the fact that many inverters are able to deliver the claimed power only when the battery is fully charged, and as this charge is exhausted, it decreases.
It is also worth considering that some devices, such as car refrigerators or household vacuum cleaners, consume significantly more energy when starting up than during normal operation. Therefore, when choosing an inverter for such devices, it is worth focus not only on the rated, but also on the peak power — the power that the auto-inverter is capable of delivering without consequences within a few seconds.
Peak power output
The highest total power supply (peak) that the autoinverter can deliver to the load for a relatively short time is 2-3 s. Usually, this power is higher than the nominal one (see above) by 30-50%. At the same time, if you choose an inverter for maximum power, the same rules apply as for the nominal one — the device performance should be 15-20% higher than the total power of the connected load. And to work with devices that consume a large amount of energy at startup (vacuum cleaners, power tools, etc.), it is also worth specifying the peak power of the inverter — it should not be lower than the "starting" load power.
Low battery alarm
The presence in the auto inverter
of the low battery alert function to which the device is connected.
This function significantly reduces the risk of “landing” the car battery through the use of an inverter and at the same time eliminates the need to manually monitor the battery status. The alarm, usually, reacts to the voltage at the input: with a significant decrease, indicating a deep discharge, the device gives a warning signal. Many models also have the function of automatic shutdown some time after the alert is triggered (by timer or when the voltage drops to the maximum allowable). The sensitivity threshold is usually adjusted in such a way that after the alarm is triggered and the inverter is turned off, the battery is still able to start the car engine.
Screen
The presence of its own
display in the design of the auto-inverter.
The display allows you to display various additional information: input and output voltage, load power consumption, battery status, malfunction messages, etc. In modern auto-inverters, usually, the simplest monochrome LCD screens are used — they are inexpensive, and their capabilities are quite enough for the information described.
