a power inverter/playstation question.
Printed From: the12volt.com
Forum Name: Mobile Video, GPS, and Navigation
Forum Discription: Mobile Video Head Units, DVD Players, LCD and TFT Monitors, Navigation, GPS, PS2, PS3, XBox, etc.
URL: https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=35570
Printed Date: May 02, 2024 at 3:19 AM
Topic: a power inverter/playstation question.
Posted By: vstar
Subject: a power inverter/playstation question.
Date Posted: July 14, 2004 at 2:10 AM
Alright I have my playstation 2 in my car hooked up to an in-dash 7in lcd monitor. The power inverter is 400w and I only have my ps2 hooked up to it which is I think about 170w or something around there. It works fine and I can keep it on for hours without any problems. Now I tryed to watch a movie in my car with the engine turned off, and the power inverter started beeping and turned off. I'm wondering if I bought a higher watt power inverter, would that solve my problem and allow me to watch movies without my engine on? Like I said everything works fine with the engine running, but I wanted to relax and watch a movie with my girlfriend after driving many hours, and I couldn't =[ Is that something that I just have to deal with or can I fix this? Thanks guys.
Replies:
Posted By: Teamrf
Date Posted: July 14, 2004 at 10:32 PM
Well that power inverter is drawing current with the car on or off. So if you run movies with the car off guess what? Yeap, you guessed-dead battery. If you want to do something like you are talking about get a second battery.
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~The Rookie~
Rookie of the year that is...
Don't let the smoke out of your equiptment..it doesn't go back in.
Posted By: Jay T
Date Posted: July 14, 2004 at 11:32 PM
Beeping and shut off is a safety feature. When the inverter sees that the voltage of your battery drops below 10.6 it will turn off so you can still crank over your engine. Like Teamrf said.... get a second battery or one deep cycle like an optima or exide orbital to use for starting and engine-off viewing.
Posted By: dxav
Date Posted: July 15, 2004 at 9:21 AM
VSTAR,
Hey, man. Wanna super easy custom alternative? Why bother taking 12VDC converting to 120VAC, just to have a converter take it back down to 12VDC? If you have the extra cash to have 2 PS2 (one in house, on in car), open up the PS2, and take out the AC Power supply. Took me about 15-20 minutes my first time. Fortunately, the PS2 required 12VDC @ about 3.0 Amps. I wired in a 12V regulator with the proper capacitors and regulate the car's DC power (anywhere from 12.0VDC up to 14.0VDC) down to 12.0VDC for the PS2. I hooked up a molex connector so I can move the PS2, and ran 12Gauge wire from the battery (fused, of course), and power the PS2, 2 6" screens, and 1 7" screen. Make sure you fuse all the powers, too. Total cost for the regulator circuit was about $10 if you buy retail, or check Digikey.com. You have to buy more in quantity to save money, but you can offer to convert other friend's cars, too. Not sure about the XB power requirements, and I think the GC uses 12VDC (with the power inverter as part of the AC cord).
How is that for a solution? Just a little solder, and some patience, and you have a great video system. Email if you need anymore help. I have pics of my PS2 as I took it apart.
DXAV
Posted By: Jay T
Date Posted: July 15, 2004 at 1:17 PM
Regardless of how the PS2 is wired, he still needs more battery.
Posted By: dxav
Date Posted: July 15, 2004 at 2:31 PM
Jay T, why would vstar need 'more battery'? The PS2 only draws about 4 amps max. The LCD screens are on the order of milliamps. Even with the car turned completely off the battery is still able to produce much more than 20 amps at anyone time, for a long period of time. Plenty of juice more a small video system like this. Larger audio systems in particular is a completely different story.
Posted By: Jay T
Date Posted: July 15, 2004 at 2:43 PM
His battery is shot. If the inverter is beeping and shutting off then its senses low voltage. Its a safety feature that I also have on mine. He didn't mention anything about a stereo but chances are that his audio has to come from somewhere. You don't watch movies or play video games without sound. Which is also a draw. If he wired it your way, he'd have no safety and would run the battery dry enough to not be able to crank the engine. This is of course assuming that he doesn't have a loose wire or something else. Just needs a new battery not "more battery" There is nothing wrong with your wiring it is great if you want to tuck it away somewhere custom. But it easier to run two wires if you already have an inverter than it is to open up the PS2 and re-regulate it. Which also voids the warranty.
Posted By: vstar
Date Posted: July 15, 2004 at 5:06 PM
Is it that simple just to get a new battery and put it in the trunk or something?
Posted By: defective
Date Posted: July 15, 2004 at 6:01 PM
nope... gotta get an isolator or separator.........or get four batteries (series + parrallel), i've only seen that once
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Posted By: vstar
Date Posted: July 15, 2004 at 6:30 PM
thought so thanks
Posted By: dxav
Date Posted: July 16, 2004 at 8:57 AM
JatT,
Good call, man. I missed that part in vstar's first post. I figured he was looking for a way to play his PS2, and didn't acknowledge his inverter was actually helping him by warning of his problem. It is sometimes hard to give an educated opinion when all facts are not disclosed originally. The fact that he can play the system with the engine on makes sense b/c his alternator is helping, too. When the car is off, the problem starts.
vstar,
A new battery would be the answer. You do not need a second battery, until your total power wattage is in the 1-2KW range. And even then, 1000W of power can still be reached from only one battery. And an isolator (to prevent the batteries from trying to charge eachother), is definitely required.
Regardless, eliminating the power inverter (after a new battery is installed), is still a viable alternative. Removing one component from the system to get the same results can't be too bad! And I have it working in my car now -- proof!
Good Post!
DXAV
Posted By: mob.dynam.grad
Date Posted: July 16, 2004 at 3:16 PM
On the topic of power invertors. I am currently installing one into a Durango pick up. The guy didn't want to spend anymore money on buying extra batteries and such. It is a 1200W invertor that a laptop....maybe a small coffee maker will be run off. Just wondering if he will have any troubles using his invertor with the engine off. With it running there will be enough juice. It has the safety circuitry on it, gives a warning beep @ 11V and then shuts off at 10.5V or sumthing around that. Will he have troubles with the engine off?? he isnt going to be loading it down much??? And for the fusing of the unit. Current draw is determined by the load....so in the installation manual it says to put a 150Adc fuse on the positive wire as close to the battery as possible. Only a short to ground from an accident or sumting would cause this to pop correct???
Posted By: Jay T
Date Posted: July 16, 2004 at 3:23 PM
Things like durangos usually have more of a truck size battery than a car size battery so he should be ok if the battery hasn't been aboused in the past and charges well. You are correct when you say it will only draw what it uses. so If he powers a small fridge his battery will die. If he powers a small l.e.d. his battery probly won't die. And yes a short to ground would cause the fuse to pop or if the inverter malfunctions and attempts to draw too much. The inverter has the shut off so if he runs it down he will still be able to crank the engine. If he ends up draining all the time to low levels get him to buy a deep cycle battery. Charging and discharging over and over again on normal batteries = quick death
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