Circuit tester with inverter?
Kevin
correctly/incorrectly wired receptacle. I got mine from Radio Shack. It
has 3 lights plus a GFCI light, correct operation is the left light off,
middle and right one on. I also have a Xantrex XPower 1000 from CostCo that
I just wired up.
On to my question. My circuit tester lights up all 3 lights when plugged
into the inverter. This is not a condition listed on the circuit tester
label -- all other combinations are shown, but not the 3 lights one! Is
this indicative of a problem? Or does the inverter mess with the tester?
Anyone have advice?
~kevin
Doomaz
"Kevin" <k...@biggreenball.com> wrote in message
news:UNeTa.1902$k06...@newssvr23.news.prodigy.com...
Plug the tester into a house socket. If it is OK then the tester is just not
designed to work with the modified sine wave of the inverter.
Kevin
my RV's AC plugs when powered by either the generator or house.
I don't know how those things are wired inside; would the modified sine wave
affect them?
~kevin
"Doomaz" <Doo...@doomaz.com> wrote in message
news:tHiTa.61035$kI5....@nwrddc02.gnilink.net...
Doomaz
> Yes, the tester works properly when plugged into a house receptacle, or
into
> my RV's AC plugs when powered by either the generator or house.
>
> I don't know how those things are wired inside; would the modified sine
wave
> affect them?
I don't know the wiring either but if it were me, I wouldn't worry about it.
I've never bothered to check the output of any of my 3 inverters because
they either work or they don't. Any failure I've had of an inverter has
always cut off the output.
Ben Hogland
> Yes, the tester works properly when plugged into a house receptacle, or
into
> my RV's AC plugs when powered by either the generator or house.
>
> I don't know how those things are wired inside; would the modified sine
wave
> affect them?
Check your inverter with a *true RMS* voltage meter.. I'd suspect that some
simple testers won't work with a modified sinewave. There may also be hot
modified sine wave (60 VAC) 180 degrees out of phase on both prongs of the
receptacle outputs instead of neutral and hot which would work the same but
cause errors when reading with a simple tester as you've described.
Ben
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Kevin
who hasn't heard of it, it's a $30 radio shack device much like the ~$100
Good Governor). It reports right around 116 volts and 58 HZ from the
inverter.
I intentionally neglected to mention that my inverter doesn't quite work. I
wanted unbiased input first. :) A 75W light bulb works fine in it. A 4A
vacuum cleaner starts to spin up, then the inverter registers a Fault and
shuts off. So does a 1.1A refrigerator. I attribute this to the way too
thin and long power wire for the inverter. I intend to wire it with the
recommended < 5' and 2 AWG wire (geez that's big) tomorrow.... but I'm just
wondering if the two problems (circuit tester, fault) are actually
related...
thanks all,
~kevin
"Ben Hogland" <benho...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:bfkpdm$ftnok$1...@ID-62937.news.uni-berlin.de...
Ben Hogland
lighter plug or nice large cables directly to the battery which are fairly
short? Could be just a defective inverter too.
Ben
"Kevin" <k...@biggreenball.com> wrote in message
news:KDmTa.2013$5E1....@newssvr23.news.prodigy.com...
Richard Ferguson
I got one light, indicating an open ground. That makes sense to me, in
that the inverter does not have a good way to connect to ground.
I am still puzzled that you get three lights. If you plug the output of
the inverter into a three-way adaptor, and then plug in a light bulb as
a load, do you still get three lights?
In no way can I imagine that a sine wave vs. a modified sine wave makes
any difference to the lights. The outlet testers are very simple, just
neon bulbs with resistors. Not sophisticated enough to tell the
difference, only an expensive voltmeter can tell the difference.
Richard
Neon John
ground leads on the inverter are not at the same potential. that's fine for
properly wired appliances but the tester doesn't like it.
Rule of thumb with inexpensive inverters: Plug the gadget in. If it works,
all is well with the world. If not, oh well. Sometimes electronic devices
like computer power supplies (my Dell laptop, for example), don't like that
condition but can be persuaded to work by using a 2 wire to 3 wire adapter and
allowing the ground to float.
john
---
John De Armond
johngdDO...@bellsouth.net
http://bellsouthpwp.net/j/o/johngd/
Cleveland, Occupied TN
Neon John
>I'm also using a Kill-A-Watt device to measure the voltage & HZ (for anyone
>who hasn't heard of it, it's a $30 radio shack device much like the ~$100
>Good Governor). It reports right around 116 volts and 58 HZ from the
>inverter.
Sounds about right. There's usually a frequency adjust pot inside of you want
to be anal...
>
>I intentionally neglected to mention that my inverter doesn't quite work. I
>wanted unbiased input first. :) A 75W light bulb works fine in it. A 4A
>vacuum cleaner starts to spin up, then the inverter registers a Fault and
>shuts off. So does a 1.1A refrigerator. I attribute this to the way too
>thin and long power wire for the inverter. I intend to wire it with the
>recommended < 5' and 2 AWG wire (geez that's big) tomorrow.... but I'm just
>wondering if the two problems (circuit tester, fault) are actually
>related...
Nothing related. The inverter trips on undervoltage from the starting surge
drawn by the motors in the appliances. Yes, 2 gauge wire is fairly large but
it's required. To figure the approximate amperage drawn from the 12 volt
circuit, multiply the nameplate amps by 120/12 = 10. That 4 amp vacuum
cleaner draws 40 amps continuously from the 12 volt line and probably 3 times
that during the start up surge.
John
BillyGoat
inverter with the "3 light tester". Only the two "OK" lights were on. I
have a Prowatt 1500W wired directly into my coach AC system thru a 30Amp
DPDT relay. I didn't use the inverter outlet plug, I wired directly to taps
on the inside of the inverter. In an RV you have to be careful to not
connect neutral with ground, it messes up all kinds of things that I don't
understand. I also tested a small 140W inverter that I plugged into the
cigarette lighter. Only the center light came on, indicating an "open
Ground".
Needless to say, both inverters works perfectly.
In looking at the tester, its a real puzzle as to how all three lights could
be on. That extra light on seems to be saying that one of the wires are
reversed. but which one, certainly not both as it seems to imply!! Does
your inverter have an GFCI outlet? My prowatt does. I would think that if
you connect it correctly and it works OK using the GFCI outlet, you would be
OK.
BTW, its well known that most digital (non RMS) VOMs will not read inverter
output correctly. I bought a cheap analog volt meter from Radio shack that I
always keep plugged in that reads right on.
bill
"Kevin" <k...@biggreenball.com> wrote in message
news:UNeTa.1902$k06...@newssvr23.news.prodigy.com...
Kevin
inverter with 40" of 1 AWG wire today and all is well. A 4A vacuum
cleaner that was faulting the inverter (when hooked up with long 10
AWG wire) works fine now, as does a fridge and light bulb. My circuit
tester still shows all 3 lights on, but that seems like it's OK.
Now I have to test my Dell laptop, thanks to John's comment below...
~kevin
Neon John <johngdDO...@bellsouth.net> wrote...
Al Malone
> I'm also using a Kill-A-Watt device to measure the voltage & HZ (for
anyone
> who hasn't heard of it, it's a $30 radio shack device much like the ~$100
> Good Governor). It reports right around 116 volts and 58 HZ from the
> inverter.
>
their online catalog.
Thanks, Al
GBinNC
wrote:
After being unable to find it on Radio Shack's site, I looked it up on
Google using "kill a watt" and found numerous hits at a variety of
prices.
I'm sure the thing has its uses, but it does *not* (IMO) serve the
same purpose as the Good Governor, which I would not travel without.
The Kill-a-watt measures usage of any single appliance -- the GG shows
output of the entire system (either shore power or generator) on a
continuous basis.
Two different animals...
GB in NC
James Bott
> I'm sure the thing has its uses, but it does *not* (IMO) serve the
> same purpose as the Good Governor, which I would not travel without.
> The Kill-a-watt measures usage of any single appliance -- the GG shows
> output of the entire system (either shore power or generator) on a
> continuous basis.
Single device usage would apply only to the amps. I believe the voltage and
frequency are still that of the system.
Regards,
James
Doomaz
> their online catalog.
http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&category%5Fname=CT
LG%5F011%5F008%5F003%5F000&product%5Fid=22%2D141
http://support.radioshack.com/support_meters/doc15/15162.htm
Copy and paste the whole lines.
Ben Hogland
frequency and voltage.
Ben
"Doomaz" <Doo...@doomaz.com> wrote in message
news:DI_Ta.64685$EZ2....@nwrddc01.gnilink.net...
Ben Hogland
using shorter wire. Go figure..
Ben
"Kevin" <ke...@biggreenball.com> wrote in message
news:ce2385f4.03072...@posting.google.com...
> Just a followup for anyone reading this thread. I hooked up my
> inverter with 40" of 1 AWG wire today and all is well. A 4A vacuum
> cleaner that was faulting the inverter (when hooked up with long 10
> AWG wire) works fine now, as does a fridge and light bulb. My circuit
> tester still shows all 3 lights on, but that seems like it's OK.
>
---
Neon John
>After being unable to find it on Radio Shack's site, I looked it up on
>Google using "kill a watt" and found numerous hits at a variety of
>prices.
>
>I'm sure the thing has its uses, but it does *not* (IMO) serve the
>same purpose as the Good Governor, which I would not travel without.
>
>The Kill-a-watt measures usage of any single appliance -- the GG shows
>output of the entire system (either shore power or generator) on a
>continuous basis.
The GG is merely a functional subset of the Kill-a-watt. The GG measures
voltage and frequency at its terminals. So does the Kill-a-watt. Only the
functions involving current measurement apply to a single device.
The Kill-a-watt does a true RMS measurement so it indicates accurately on both
shore power and inverter power. I can't find any claims either way on the GG
which makes me think that it does NOT do true RMS.
The Kill-a-watt is much more bang for the buck, the only disadvantage being
the LCD display that can't be read in the dark.
Alan Balmer
? This seems to be the page for the outlet tester, not the Kill-A-Watt
device.
A google search shows lots of place you can order them, including the
manufacturer:
http://www.etaengineering.com/killawatt.html
ETA Engineering is in Tempe, AZ and will also sell out of their
office.
--
Al Balmer
Balmer Consulting
removebalmerc...@att.net
Alan Balmer
wrote:
Oops, correction. Apparently ETA is not the manufacturer. It's a bit
confusing - they sell a wide range of energy-related products, some of
which they manufacture.
Doomaz
> That's not the kill-a-watt item mentioned which was said to measure
> frequency and voltage.
Oh, the topic has migrated. Sorry. I was still on the original RS tester.