kmxtornado
10 kW
Please recommend me a power inverter. I believe I'm looking for a power inverter to be able to charge my 36v 15ah SLA battery from the car.
1. Bestek 1000w?
2. Power Bright 900W Part number: PW900-12
3. Power Bright 750W Part number: XR750-12 (doesn't look as cool as the one above. Haha).
4. Schumacher Electric 750W Part number: XI75DU
I HAVE AN INVERTER BUT IT DOESN'T SEEM TO DO THE JOB:
The problem I am having is that the current one I'm using ($13, 150W 12V DC to 110V AC) doesn't charge the battery all the way. It stops prematurely and the light on my charger shows that it's fully charged but in fact it is far from fully charged. I figure I need a new inverter or one of a different spec. When I charged my 24v battery, it worked just fine. Not so with the 36v battery. The scooter it's powering has a 500W motor. Not sure if that piece of info is relevant.
PURPOSE OF THE INVERTER:
My goal is to purchase something reliable, effective and safe. I don't mind spending the money. I'd like something around $70, if that's reasonable. The time it takes to fully charge the battery isn't that big of a concern, but it would be good to know the sacrifices I'd perhaps have to make given my budget. I typically don't ride my scooter until it's completely empty (or close to it since it's an SLA), so I'm typically okay with whatever I get by charging it for an hour in the car. Needs to have a cigarette lighter adapter which I understand I can purchase separately as most of these inverters come only with alligator clips.
SIDE QUESTIONS:
1. Is it important that I charge my battery while the car is moving so that the alternator is continuously charging the car's battery? Or is it okay to charge my scooter battery while the car is not moving? Don't want to drain out the car battery and get stranded. Not sure if I'm being paranoid or this is a valid concern. I'm reading that I should start the car for 10-15 minutes every hour. Comments?
2. Do I get one with a "true sine wave" or "modified sine wave" or is that way too technical and not even worth mentioning?
I'm currently reading up and educating myself on power inverter buying guides. Any expert help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
WHAT I THINK I KNOW SO FAR: Please correct me if I'm wrong.
- So far I'm gathering that I need 36v x 15ah = 540w inverter. Maybe that's my problem. My current one only gives me 150w so maybe it's not charging any more once it gets the battery to a particular wattage, 150w. Is that how that works?
- I'm reading that I should get something that's 20% higher than what I actually need, making that 650w. 650w inverters are either not available or not very common. So perhaps a 700w or 750w is that I should be getting.
- I need a version that supplies "continuous power," not "peak surge."
1. Bestek 1000w?
2. Power Bright 900W Part number: PW900-12
3. Power Bright 750W Part number: XR750-12 (doesn't look as cool as the one above. Haha).
4. Schumacher Electric 750W Part number: XI75DU
I HAVE AN INVERTER BUT IT DOESN'T SEEM TO DO THE JOB:
The problem I am having is that the current one I'm using ($13, 150W 12V DC to 110V AC) doesn't charge the battery all the way. It stops prematurely and the light on my charger shows that it's fully charged but in fact it is far from fully charged. I figure I need a new inverter or one of a different spec. When I charged my 24v battery, it worked just fine. Not so with the 36v battery. The scooter it's powering has a 500W motor. Not sure if that piece of info is relevant.
PURPOSE OF THE INVERTER:
My goal is to purchase something reliable, effective and safe. I don't mind spending the money. I'd like something around $70, if that's reasonable. The time it takes to fully charge the battery isn't that big of a concern, but it would be good to know the sacrifices I'd perhaps have to make given my budget. I typically don't ride my scooter until it's completely empty (or close to it since it's an SLA), so I'm typically okay with whatever I get by charging it for an hour in the car. Needs to have a cigarette lighter adapter which I understand I can purchase separately as most of these inverters come only with alligator clips.
SIDE QUESTIONS:
1. Is it important that I charge my battery while the car is moving so that the alternator is continuously charging the car's battery? Or is it okay to charge my scooter battery while the car is not moving? Don't want to drain out the car battery and get stranded. Not sure if I'm being paranoid or this is a valid concern. I'm reading that I should start the car for 10-15 minutes every hour. Comments?
2. Do I get one with a "true sine wave" or "modified sine wave" or is that way too technical and not even worth mentioning?
I'm currently reading up and educating myself on power inverter buying guides. Any expert help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
WHAT I THINK I KNOW SO FAR: Please correct me if I'm wrong.
- So far I'm gathering that I need 36v x 15ah = 540w inverter. Maybe that's my problem. My current one only gives me 150w so maybe it's not charging any more once it gets the battery to a particular wattage, 150w. Is that how that works?
- I'm reading that I should get something that's 20% higher than what I actually need, making that 650w. 650w inverters are either not available or not very common. So perhaps a 700w or 750w is that I should be getting.
- I need a version that supplies "continuous power," not "peak surge."