Voltage Inverters

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joelb

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An engineer friend got a new pickup with an inverter. And he has a boat with an inverter. His pickup inverter is advertised as grounded. The Fluke shows no ground on the pickup, But 58V between neutral and ground terminal and 58V between hot and ground terminal. With no load. His boat shows everything great just as it should be. No matter where he is ,Shore or at sea. I told him to drive a ground rod at the pickup, "Half way joking" Any danger at pickup with no ground. I feel there is. But I look at how many are out there and haven't heard of any problems.
 

charlie b

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Staff member
Location
Lockport, IL
Occupation
Retired Electrical Engineer
Re: Voltage Inverters

I have a "pickup" built into my 12-string ovation. But it operates on 9V DC, so I don't need an inverter. :D :D

What do you mean by "pickup"?
 

iwire

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Location
Massachusetts
Re: Voltage Inverters

Originally posted by charlie b:
What do you mean by "pickup"?
I believe that is the gizmo that picks up the strings vibration on a guitar and transforms it into an electrical signal for amplification.
 

charlie b

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Location
Lockport, IL
Occupation
Retired Electrical Engineer
Re: Voltage Inverters

Originally posted by iwire: I believe that is the gizmo that picks up the strings vibration on a guitar and transforms it into an electrical signal for amplification.
That much I knew. As I said, my 12-string Ovation has a built-in pickup.

But the OP is talking about boats and shorelines and inverters and ground rods and an unusual voltage level. So I can't fathom (groan :roll: ) the intent of the question.

[ November 28, 2005, 05:33 PM: Message edited by: charlie b ]
 

joelb

Member
Re: Voltage Inverters

Sorry I asked the question, Where is the ground on a vehicle for a voltage inverter 12/120? What if there is a fault in the drill or whatever where do's it go? I thought I would consult somebody who may know something about inverters. I don't know. I have 35 yrs. as an electrician. I'm a Supervisor, I feel this is not dumb quistion, There are cars, pickups, vans and trucks. What do you drive. I don't drive a guiter.
 

iwire

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Location
Massachusetts
Re: Voltage Inverters

If the output is not grounded than it is imposable to get a shock unless you touch both line conductors at the same time.
 

dereckbc

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Location
Plano, TX
Re: Voltage Inverters

Joelb you will have to forgive the Yankees on the forum. :D

That cowboy Cadillac inverter is floating and as Bob (iwire) pointed out if it is not referenced to the frame you cannot receive a shock. Ground is an irelevant term when speaking of planes, trains, and automobiles. You do not want to fly in a grounded plane. :cool:

In theory you could reference either polarity to the frame as neither is really a neutral or grounded conductor. So if one lead shorts to the frame nothing happens. When both short to the frame, the magic smoke is released from the inverter and it quits working.
 

izak

Senior Member
Location
Springfield, MO
Re: Voltage Inverters

sounds alot like an isolation transformer...
there isnt really a 'neutral' so to speak, just two legs at 60 volts that make 120 in between...
if the frame did become energized by one leg, 60 volts most likely wont harm anyone anyway..
 

rattus

Senior Member
Re: Voltage Inverters

Sound like there is a neutral halfway between the 60V legs. There may be some reason to connect this neutral to the truck chassis, but I can't think of any reason to do so.
 

joelb

Member
Re: Voltage Inverters

Thank you for replys on inverters, the friend is an engineer for airplanes by the way. Just had us baffled. The simple questions are the hardest. Like why is paper in romex.
 

iwire

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Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
Re: Voltage Inverters

Originally posted by izak:
if the frame did become energized by one leg, 60 volts most likely wont harm anyone anyway..
izak if it is an ungrounded source there would only be potential between the energized frame and the other line conductor.
 

charlie b

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Staff member
Location
Lockport, IL
Occupation
Retired Electrical Engineer
Re: Voltage Inverters

Originally posted by joelb: Sorry I asked the question, Where is the ground on a vehicle for a voltage inverter 12/120?
If you had said "vehicle," or perhaps "pickup truck," in the initial question, you might not have generated the humorous responses. I apologize if you were offended by my attempts at humor. But go back and read your question. There is nothing in the question that would led anyone to understand you were talking about a truck. Instead, you talked about boats and ground rods.
Originally posted by joelb: I feel this is not dumb question.
It's not a dumb question, it's just an unclear question.
Originally posted by joelb: I thought I would consult somebody who may know something about inverters.
On this Forum, you will find members who something about everything, including inverters. But you have to let them know what it is that you are trying to find out.
 

joelb

Member
Re: Voltage Inverters

Sorry for offending anybody, This is a reason not to spend Thanksgiving with realitives. He would not take any answer I gave him as a fact. I asked him to tell me how to build an airplane in two paragraphs. That was what he was asking me to do, (As regards to 12/120V inverters). I was afraid to go to the living room because he would not let up on inverters. I've been on this site for about four years, It is the best site questions and answers. Everybody has been professionals in responses in any question a person askes. Thank you.
 

steved

Senior Member
Location
Oregon
Re: Voltage Inverters

Refer your engineer friend to the Xantrex web site (they are the biggest inverter manufacturer).
 

gndrod

Senior Member
Location
Ca and Wa
Re: Voltage Inverters

Maybe the engineer was relating to his expertise in terms of modern power generators that put out 28Vac at 400 hz (as in sea going vessels) with the inverter conversion secondary output rectified VDC as a (-) grounded frame. The AC segment is floating isolated from the 'vehicle' frame as I remember. Run that one by him for further clarification.
 
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