Car Power Inverter

[LotsovPh4n]

Ok, so me and my buddy today were talking about car speakers today and we started talking about the possibility of wiring a household stereo system into a car. We came to the conclusion the we would be able to use this product from harbor freight and wire it from the battery and set it up along with the speakers and amp in the trunk. We also thought of replacing the clamps with o-rings to make it a much more secure connection on the battery. I also think that we would have to splice a switch into one of the power cables so that the battery is not drained when left overnight. I would assume that since the stereo runs fine on a regular outlet that the 400W power converter should work fine, let me know if im wrong. Would you guys just be able to give me your thoughts on this? How possible is this?

 

[Harald Kapp]

Electrically this may work. Mechanically you're likely to end with a broken stereo system rather soon. A home system is not designed to withstand the mechanical stress it has to endure in a car - unless the car just sits in the garage.
A car stereo sytsem is designd much more robust, at least it should be

 

[LotsovPh4n]

If I were to splice a switch so that this "system" didn't draw any power from the battery while it was off, where would I put it? Mechanically, are you referring to the vibrations and occasional bump that a car endures?

 

[Harald Kapp]

If I were to splice a switch so that this "system" didn't draw any power from the battery while it was off, where would I put it?

Mechanically on the dashboard, I think. Electrically in between the 12V supply to the inverter, into the +12V wire.

Mechanically, are you referring to the vibrations and occasional bump that a car endures?

Exactly.

 

[Alec_t]

Another hazard a car stereo system has to face is extremes of temperature. I doubt a domestic stereo would fare well.

 

[AnalogKid]

That is a "modified sinewave" inverter, and is *not* the same as plugging a consumer stereo product into a domestic wall outlet. don't be surprised if there is a constant buzz out of the speakers.

ak

 

[Tha fios agaibh]

I would be cautious about that chinese inverter. It can have a significant load on your electricial system. You may need to get a more powerful alternator or larger battery to keep up with the current draw.
You will likely have fluctuations in voltage on the ac side. If you turn your car off the voltage will dip dangerously low and you will kill your battery in no time. Another down side is the noisy square wave these inverters output. It can reak havoc on sensitive electronics.

It should work but I'd be careful if your drawing a heavy loads.

Also know you shouldn't draw the full 400 amps. I would try not to go much over 300 amps.

 

[Tha fios agaibh]

That is a "modified sinewave" inverter, and is *not* the same as plugging a consumer stereo product into a domestic wall outlet. don't be surprised if there is a constant buzz out of the speakers. ak

Good point. Adding a choke would help, but would probably still sound like garbage.

John