Black & Decker 750 Watt Power Inverter

[zachg18]

So my friend has one of these and we want to hook up a TV to it for our tailgate tomorrow. We know it can give power to one TV, but does anyone know if it can handle a second TV and a PlayStation3?

For those who don't know what it is, it's a power source that connects to your cars battery and transfers it over to a device plugged into it.

I believe it has 115 Volt output as well.

Thanks for any help, much appreciated.

 

[davelectronic]

Inverter ratings

Hi there. What you need to do is work out all the power ratings of all the gear you want to power from the inverter in watts, or amps then convert to watts, then your have the answer, but dont exceed the iverters maximums power ratings. Dave.

 

[(*steve*)]

Also check that the power is specified in watts and not volt-amps (VA).

Depending on the equipment you attach, you may be limited to 350W or less (if it is highly inductive/capacitive).

 

[zachg18]

Hmmm ok, thanks for the help.

So basically if I add up all the Watt output of the two TV's and the PS3, and it doesn't exceed 750, then I'm fine?

But what if the Volt output of the 3 is over the 115?

Thanks again for any help.

 

[daddles]

If it works at 750 W and takes its input at 12 volts, realize that it will take roughly 750/12 = 62 A to run at that power level. Your battery is going to be toast in short order at those levels. In other words, you're not going to want to run at significant power levels, as you can damage the battery's life -- and remember that car batteries are not designed for such sustained loads. When I run my inverter when I'm camping and using deep-discharge RV batteries, I don't like to see more than a 50 to 100 W load.

After a quick search, this is probably the inverter you're talking about. Typical marketroid lying to consumers -- the thing is fused at 35 A, meaning it could never approach 750 W. The marketer should be taken to a smack-down...

 

[Resqueline]

Good job/writeup daddles! I'll bet those battery clips will start to get pretty warm at 35A too..
So the thing is only good for 12V * 35A = 420VA, or around 400VA after subtracting conversion losses.

I don't quite understand what zach means by "what if the Volt output of the 3 is over the 115". You can't run a 230V appliance on 115V if that's what you ask.
Running a 120V appliance on 115V or even 110V is ok though.

 

[davelectronic]

inverter

Hi there all.
I Think he's referring to this bit in the spec,

Converts vehicle’s 12V DC power into household 115V AC power
Dual AC and USB outlets let you power and recharge TVs, power tools and small appliances
Low battery shutdown warns against vehicle's battery drain
LED indicator shows power and fault conditions
High and low voltage protection

The 115 Volts AC dual. Dave.