very simple question about car inverter

[ThigTiggler]

Ok, you electronics dorks should know the answer to this one. I work out of my car so I use a power inverter that I have wired directly to the battery under the hood. It is a deep cycle 12 volt battery. When the power inverter is on and I start the car, the inverter will often blink out and go from green to red, not supplying power to my stuff. I have to turn it off and then back on to get it running. It doesn't happen all of the time. I'm assuming the engine is drawing a huge amount of power and it robs it from the inverter momentarily, shutting it off. There's got to be a device (capacitor?) that I can wire between the inverter and battery that will prevent this from happening. Thanks for your help.

Brad

 

[(*steve*)]

The solution is to use a different battery for running your inverter.

Depending on the load, you *may* be able to get away with a smaller battery connected in parallel with the existing one, but with a big meaty diode isolating the smaller one. It will charge with the larger battery, but take over from it when the car is started.

Beware that if you do this, a fuse is also a good idea. If a cell shorts in your smaller battery, the larger one will try to charge it up to its voltage, possibly melting wires, destroying batteries or starting a fire.

edit: Oh, and I find the term "dork" offensive.

 

[ThigTiggler]

Hmmm, I offended you with the 'dork' remark but you answered my question regardless. How... kind of you... No one was a bigger dork than me in high school. But now that I discovered that I don't know much about electrical stuff, I figure I'm finally getting my chance to bully a dork. Think about it: 1) You're into electronics, 2) You moderate a forum for electronics, 3) You replied to my post within 20 minutes of it becoming active, 4) you take time out of your day to help people when you could just be selfishly video-gaming like I was, and 5) You took my offensive comment like a champ and still helped me out. Come on; help me out a little more and you be the dork in this relationship for a change. The battery issue is secondary for me right now.

 

[davenn]

I have an incredible urge just to close the thread

Dave

 

[davenn]

Brad

thats pretty rude mate and not really acceptable in a public forum

here is just one of the more politer meanings of dork....

dork

/dôrk/
Noun

derogatory. A dull, slow-witted, or socially inept person.


another meaning, I wont even post here in public
Neither Steve nor I consider ourselves dull, slow-witted, or socially inept people
and I doubt that using that term is likely to get you much help anywhere from anyone

THREAD CLOSED

Dave