Date: Sun, 8 Oct 2006 11:45:12 -0400
Reply-To: Dennis Haynes <dhaynes@OPTONLINE.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Dennis Haynes <dhaynes@OPTONLINE.NET>
Subject: Re: Printing w HP1020 off a Deep Cycle Battery
In-Reply-To: <E1GWMv3-0005RX-NT@fenris.runbox.com>
Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Continue the math further. 402.5 watts/12 volts = 33.5 amps. And that
printer has surges that are higher than that.
A deep cycle battery should be sized for at least a 5 hour discharge. You
need 160 A/H to properly support this printer. If the inverter is far from
the battery, use 6 gauge wires. Did you leave the battery at PEP boys for a
full day or overnight? If not it isn't properly charged. Battery charging
takes time.
If the charging circuit is properly sized with a good relay, then running
the engine will help. Fast idle for that load. Do you really need a laser
jet printer while traveling?
As for dual inverters, yours did do the job. Avoid connecting to the main
battery. Defeats the purpose of the second. Yes, it is possible to run it
down even with the engine running. Upgrade the charging circuit to carry the
load + battery charging. #8 or larger from alternator, to real relay, to
battery will do wonders. Make sure the grounds are good. Often a separate
ground from the alternator is really helpful to keep the regulator output
high.
Dennis
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
Mark C
Sent: Saturday, October 07, 2006 8:53 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Printing w HP1020 off a Deep Cycle Battery
Hey I just charged my Marine House Battery of 110 amp hours at PepBoys...
and my inverter is rated for 700 watts continuous and whose output is 115
volts... and I have a small HP 1020 printer rated for 3.5 amps for household
current... and the inverter is placed between the front seats and connected
to the rear battery by 8 guage marine grade wire... so...
115 volts * 3.5 amps = 402.5 watts
I ran a test, of ten pages printing off the printer, engine off, inverter
connected to the Marine House Battery... and the led light of inverter would
flicker towards red when powering up the printer then move towards green,
and then while printing ten pages, would move towards red again... at least
the inverter wasn't beeping this time (like before charging the deep
cycle...)
I'm under the impression that it should be green on the inverter led, or at
least not towards red at all... so is the inverter in need of an upgrade...
or do I need to up the guage of the wire... or shorten its length (by making
a more direct route)... or all of these things...
You know it would be nice if the inverter could be turned on by a remotely
wired switch, like one attached to the rear kickpanel, or the front seat
bases...
Also, I recently read that some devices, such as the Tivoli Satellite Radio
that I have (which can be wired directly to the deep cycle battery), always
have a small bit of current running through them to avoid hearing and
crackle or pop when you turn them on... so this draw could be offset by a
small solar panel...
From: David Etter <detter@MAIL.AURACOM.COM>
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: Solar Panels behind Tinted Glass
> With just six watts at the very best of times (in theory) you are
> getting 0.5 amps... just about enough to charge your flashlight
> batteries; maybe, (read ahead). Then again the sun would have to be
> directly overhead and don't forget sitting in the sun on your
> dash-top the temperature is going to skyrocket and any temp over 80 -
> 90 degrees the panel's efficiency suffers.
> Best to pick up a panel that puts out 3.0+ amps (approx. 50
> watts) and hide it in your roof luggage carrier.
> With 12 volt solar Panels, watts and amps and volts are not an exact
> formula, there is a lot of loss here. I have a 120 watt roof mounted
> panel by Kyocera that maxs out at 7.0+ amps at 17 volts which is
> where they operate, then with a controller cutting that to 13.8 volts
> but you still only get the original 7.6 amps.
> Sorry but your six watter may actually only output about 1/4
> amp, good for a set of Nimh camera batteries.
> david (dsl82westy)
>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~
>
> >I just bought a Sunsei solar panel that produces 6 watts... they
> >have that diode so I don't have to worry about losing current at
> >night... anyway... I don't really have good place to put it... right
> >now its sitting on the passenger seat... so I'm wondering if I put
> >it on behind the tinted side glass... how much energy will I not be
> >producing.... has anyone fooled around with this??? thanks...
> >
> >And maybe I should have gotten the one that produces 18 watts...
>
----- End Original Message -----
