getting automobile type 12V inside the house?

[Stephen]

I would like to use one of those portable (powered by car battery) 12V
winch inside the house but not sure how to get the 12V with the high
current that you would get in the car. As I understand the 12V from
the car is rated at 85Amps or something like that. The common
computer power supply I get in the house also can give 12V but at only
6.2A I think.

They make inverters to flip the 12V from the car to 120V to power your
laptop while in the car. So there must be something similar from the
Walmart for your household ability to power car equipement

 

[Mac]

I would like to use one of those portable (powered by car battery) 12V
winch inside the house but not sure how to get the 12V with the high
current that you would get in the car. As I understand the 12V from
the car is rated at 85Amps or something like that. The common
computer power supply I get in the house also can give 12V but at only
6.2A I think.

They make inverters to flip the 12V from the car to 120V to power your
laptop while in the car. So there must be something similar from the
Walmart for your household ability to power car equipement

A high-quality battery charger would work. For example, there are some
100 Amp (or so) battery chargers designed for RV's or boats that would give you
the kind of power you need. These aren't cheap, and you might have to actually
connect a small rechargeable battery to one to sort of fool it.

Another possibility is to find a very high-powered HAM radio power supply.
Not sure if you can find one that delivers 85 Amps, though.

Your first step is to determine how much current you actually need. Then
you can try to find either a battery charger, or a 12-Volt power supply
that meets your needs. Whatever you find will probably not be cheap,
because it will probably have a big transformer in it.

--Mac

 

[John G]

equipement

A high-quality battery charger would work. For example, there are some
100 Amp (or so) battery chargers designed for RV's or boats that would give you
the kind of power you need. These aren't cheap, and you might have to actually
connect a small rechargeable battery to one to sort of fool it.

Another possibility is to find a very high-powered HAM radio power supply.
Not sure if you can find one that delivers 85 Amps, though.

Your first step is to determine how much current you actually need. Then
you can try to find either a battery charger, or a 12-Volt power supply
that meets your needs. Whatever you find will probably not be cheap,
because it will probably have a big transformer in it.

--Mac

Another idea is to use a suitably sized GELCELL or similar
battery and a small charger especially if the lift is only a
few times a day.

I know of one used to haul a wheel chair up a steep driveway
twice a day.

 

[Steve Dunbar]

I would like to use one of those portable (powered by car battery) 12V
winch inside the house but not sure how to get the 12V with the high
current that you would get in the car.

You might be able to use a power converter made for RVs. Converters run
around US$250-300 and can supply 40-50A, typically. You'll need to find out
how much current your winch needs when pulling the load you intend to move.
Some of the heavy-duty Warn winches draw as much as 500A (for a short time)
when heavily loaded.

You could also consider using a 120V-powered winch and not bothering with
converting 120V to 12V.

http://www.warn.com/industrial/winches/winches.all.shtml

http://www.harringtonhoists.com/poweredhoists/index.html

http://www.superwinch.com/products/winches/index.html

http://www.southern-tool.com/store/electric_winches.html

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=44006

 

[Jim Weir]

Go to Walmart. Buy a car battery. Buy a charger. Use the battery for the winch
peak amperage and the charger to keep it up to snuff between uses.

Jim



[email protected] (Stephen)
shared these priceless pearls of wisdom:

->I would like to use one of those portable (powered by car battery) 12V
->winch inside the house but not sure how to get the 12V with the high
->current that you would get in the car. As I understand the 12V from
->the car is rated at 85Amps or something like that. The common
->computer power supply I get in the house also can give 12V but at only
->6.2A I think.
->
->They make inverters to flip the 12V from the car to 120V to power your
->laptop while in the car. So there must be something similar from the
->Walmart for your household ability to power car equipement

 

[Ben Bradley]

Go to Walmart. Buy a car battery. Buy a charger. Use the battery for the winch
peak amperage and the charger to keep it up to snuff between uses.

A good solution, but if the winch is going to be used long enough
to significantly discharge the battery (running high current for
several minutes at a time), a marine 'deep discharge' battery would
last longer for that kind of duty.
And put the actual battery outside so the gases it generates
dissipate, rather than building up in your house and exploding.

 

[Mac]

Another idea is to use a suitably sized GELCELL or similar battery and a
small charger especially if the lift is only a few times a day.

Oh, yes. This is a very good idea, particularly because gelcells (or other
sealed gel electrolyte batteries) don't need any maintenance, don't outgas
when charged, and hold up pretty well when subjected to deep discharges.
The only danger is that they are more sensitive to high voltages than liquid
electrolyte batteries. But if the OP just hooks up a cheap low capacity
trickle charger to a big gellcell, it should be OK.

I know of one used to haul a wheel chair up a steep driveway twice a
day.

I was wondering why the OP wanted to use a winch indoors. It probably is
something like that.

--Mac

 

[Mac]

A good solution, but if the winch is going to be used long enough
to significantly discharge the battery (running high current for
several minutes at a time), a marine 'deep discharge' battery would
last longer for that kind of duty.
And put the actual battery outside so the gases it generates
dissipate, rather than building up in your house and exploding.

Or, as another poster suggested, use a gellcell type battery. They don't
need any maintenance, don't outgas, and hold up well to repeated
discharges that would shorten the life of a starter type battery. You
should be able to buy them from RV or boat suppliers.

--Mac