Re: battery sizing question

From: D Smith (76lolmc02_at_sneakemail.com)
Date: 10/25/04

  • Next message: D Smith: "Re: battery sizing question" 
    Date: 24 Oct 2004 20:20:10 -0700

    Hi John,

    With an ammeter hooked in series, I see the Vector 350 watt inverter
    pulling a constant 0.6 Amps at no load. (Packaging says it is 0.4.)

    When the vcr gets plugged in, it goes to 1.10 with the vcr power on at
    idle and goes to a constant 1.47 amps when I start recording. This is
    because it takes more power to record than to do nothing except be on.
    At any rate, I have an amplified antenna that brings the above totals
    slightly higher to 1.23 and 1.54 amps respectively. The amplified
    antenna doesn't introduce much extra load.

    It appears I am looking at about a constant 1.54 amp draw off the
    battery. I was testing with a car battery as I do not yet have the AGM
    Power Sonic battery that this place said they sell. All I know it is an
    18 amp-hour rated AGM battery. I would assume that this is C/20, as
    that is the standard. Sorry I don't have more data for you on the
    battery.

    Here is my conclusion though so far from testing: I want to try some
    lower rated power inverters to see if I can get that no load draw down
    from 0.6 amps into something like maybe 0.3 or even 0.4. Vector
    Manufacturing sells a 175 watt model and a really small one at like
    maybe 120 watts. I am sure the really small one would probably consume
    less power and increase my run time and possibly the 175 watt model
    might do the same.

    With this tactic, I think the 18 amp hour battery could work.
    Especially knowing that I am only pulling 1.54 amps, which is less than
    what we thought it might be. Also, if I power down for commercials
    either fully or simply halt the recording process this might help save
    precious amps but I am not sure how much it would help because cycling
    the power introduces 3 second or so current demand spikes that go up to
    around 2 amps momentarily and then go back down to the normal readings
    I gave.

    Thanks.

  • Next message: D Smith: "Re: battery sizing question"

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