Power Inverter

[fauxfly]

Hi guys

I want to put a power inverter in my service truck and am wondering what you guys use for one. I tried a 1000W one from a local big box and it won't let me charge my cordless batteries, faults out immediatly. I tried another from a different guys truck, same thing. Faulted out right now! I talked to the Milwaukee cordeless tool guy and he says most battery chargers these days hate those power inverters. Something about how the AC is made and how the charger sees the incoming power.

I just want to be able to use the laptop, the printer, and charge my Panasonic batterys.

Am I asking to much!?!

Any thoughts guys??

 

[K8MHZ]

Hi guys

I want to put a power inverter in my service truck and am wondering what you guys use for one. I tried a 1000W one from a local big box and it won't let me charge my cordless batteries, faults out immediatly. I tried another from a different guys truck, same thing. Faulted out right now! I talked to the Milwaukee cordeless tool guy and he says most battery chargers these days hate those power inverters. Something about how the AC is made and how the charger sees the incoming power.

I just want to be able to use the laptop, the printer, and charge my Panasonic batterys.

Am I asking to much!?!

Any thoughts guys??

You may need a true sine wave inverter.

http://www.xantrex.com/documents/Tech-Doctor/Universal/Tech1-Universal.pdf

 

[satcom]

A good link to quality inverters http://www.xantrex.com/

 

[iwire]

You may need a true sine wave inverter.

I agree, many chargers do not like the square wave cheap inverters produce.

 

[K8MHZ]

This thread is starting to sound like a Xantrex commercial! :lol:

 

[hillbilly1]

My cheap Husky 300 watt one will charge my drill batteries, but the truck has to be running, it will shut down in just a couple of minutes if not.

 

[Strife]

I have couple 300W inverters bought long ago for 30 some dollars. Work just fine.
I use them for same thing, charging the phone, running the laptop, charging the cordless batteries.
Granted, I never tried the new milwaukee cordless I got recently. I hardly go through one battery with the lithium ones, let alone 2 a day.

Hi guys

I want to put a power inverter in my service truck and am wondering what you guys use for one. I tried a 1000W one from a local big box and it won't let me charge my cordless batteries, faults out immediatly. I tried another from a different guys truck, same thing. Faulted out right now! I talked to the Milwaukee cordeless tool guy and he says most battery chargers these days hate those power inverters. Something about how the AC is made and how the charger sees the incoming power.

I just want to be able to use the laptop, the printer, and charge my Panasonic batterys.

Am I asking to much!?!

Any thoughts guys??

 

[broadgage]

Another vote for Xantrax.
Cheap inverters produce a sqaure wave output, some battery chargers and other electronic goods wont work properly, or at all on square wave power. Some do, but dont count on it.

Xantrax or other high end inverters produce a sine wave at least as good as utility power, and whithin their power rating, will power anything.

Remember to leave the engine running if useing appreciable power, modern vehicle batteries have a suprisingly low reseve capacity and are soon dicharged to the point where the vehicle wont start.