#Car battery power converter how to
#Car battery power converter portable

Deep-Cycle batteries (leisure batteries, gel cells) a.These require constant charging (usually via the vehicleвЂ™s alternator), and if flattened are irreparable, as the plates are quite thin and can bend. Which are designed to give large amounts of current, but only for short time. Shallow-Cycle batteries (vehicle batteries) a.REMEMBER: Voltages may differ abroad, so some appliances may be unsafe to use (especially those producing heat). PLEASE NOTE : Be aware that many continental sites will not have an earth socket вЂ“ if a conductive appliance short-circuits, there will be no mechanism for disposing of the charge. If the polarity tester indicated the socket is wired differently, all appliances you use MUST be re-wired accordingly.

#Car battery power converter how to

On the continent, there are no strict rules regarding how to wire a plug, as there are in the UK. Will it work abroad? Yes, but you may need the appropriate plug-adaptor. However, be aware that if you withdraw more than 10 amps, you will trip your fuse-board, as this is their amp rating. One-socket adaptors are less expensive than three-socket adaptors, and there is nothing to stop you plugging in a вЂbankвЂ™ or splitter to allow more appliances in.

#Car battery power converter portable

This is a portable consumer unit, that provides a water-resistant plug-in point. How do I get electricity into a tent? For this a mobile mains kit is necessary, as campsites will not allow any other method of hook-up. A further alternative is a leisure battery вЂ“ see the relevant section. It is preferable to use camping-specific appliances that are designed to use 5 amps or less. This will affect the appliances you can use as some appliances, particularly those producing heat, have much larger wattages and will therefore pull more amps. The power provided by most campsites is around 10 amps, although they will vary from around 5 amps in smaller sites to around 20 amps provided by larger sites, with the purchase of an upgrade.

These may also be hooked up with an inexpensive cable. They too have consumer units, but an on-board transformer converts the output to 12v DC, allowing caravan-specific appliances to be plugged in. Zig units are quite rare вЂ“ not all caravans with 12v sockets are Zig-wired. These can be hooked up to the campsite electrics with an inexpensive hook-up cable (three pin circular setup). Caravans with pre-installed electrics will have a consumer unit, which incorporates a fuse-board (to limit the current drawn, so as not to fuse the campsite) and a circuit-breaker (to cancel the current if an appliance short-circuits). If the caravan does not have either a consumer unit or a Zig unit, one must either be installed or see the instructions for getting electricity into a tent. How do I get electricity into the caravan? Combination Chargers - These will perform both of the above functions, but are more expensive.To work out how fast they will charge divide the amp rating of the battery by the amp rating of the charger, like you do to work out how long an appliance can be powered for. Standard Charger - These will charge the battery faster but have to be switched off manually.Trickle chargers are better at maintaining the life of the battery. A trickle charger is designed to be left on to top the battery up and will then switch off automatically. Trickle Chargers (Float Chargers) - A 12 volt battery will perform better if it is kept fully charged when not in use.How do I charge my battery from the mains? If it doesnвЂ™t say so on the packaging, use this formula: How do I know how many Amps my appliance uses? Remember if you are running more than one appliance youвЂ™ll have to add all the Amps u. Now divide this by the number of Amps the device uses.Firstly, all batteries are measured in Amps, so you need to know that.That depends what you are running from it, so a few equations are needed! Such plugs can be flat or round pin with 2 or 3 prongs. Fitted with one of an array of caravan plugs an appliance can be connected direct to a caravans 12 volt supply.

Fitted with a cigarette lighter plug an appliance can be connected direct to a car.

Fitted with two crocodile clips an appliance can be connected direct to a car or leisure battery.

Will power heating items but to a limited degree and for a limited timeДЎ2 volt appliances can be connected to any of the following power sources: Will power mid output items for long periods of time.

Requires a Car battery or a Caravan/Motorhome with a leisure battery