Owner's manual | Cobra 800 Watt Power Inverter CPI 880 Owner`s manual

800 WAn POWER INVERTER
CPI880
Nothing Comes Close to a Cobra'
Printed in China
Part No. 480-524-P
Version
c
Thank you for purchasing the Cobra CPI 880
inverter. Properly used, this Cobra product will
give you many years of reliable service.
How Your Cobra Power Inverter Works
The Cobra power inverter is an electronic product that
has been designed and built to take low voltage DC (Direct
Current) power from your automobile or other low voltage
power supplies and convert it to standard 115 Volt AC
(Alternating Current) power like the current you have in your
home. This conversion process thereby allows you
to use many of your household appliances and electronic
products in automobiles, RVs, boats, tractors, trucks and
virtually anywhere else.
Customer Assistance
Should you encounter any problems with this product,
or not understand its many features, please refer to this
owner's manual. If you require further assistance after reading
this manual, Cobra Electronics offers the
following customer assistance services:
For Assistance in the U.S.A.
Automated Help Desk English only.
24 hours a day, 7 days a week 773-889-3087 (phone).
Customer Assistance Operators English and Spanish.
8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. CT, Monday through Friday
(except holidays) 773-889-3087 (phone).
Questions English and Spanish.
Faxes can be received at 773-622-2269 (fax).
Technical Assistance English only.
www.cobra.com (on-line: Frequently Asked Questions).
English and Spanish. [email protected] (e-mail).
For Assistance Outside the U.S.A.
Contact Your Local Dealer
©2008 Cobra Electronics Corporation
6500 West Cortland Street
Chicago, Illinois 60707 USA
www.cobra.com
Features
• Reverse Polarity Protection
• Low Battery Alann
• Low Battery Shutdown
• Two AC Receptacles
• Automatic Thennal
Protection/Shutdown
Protection &
Power Indicators
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Positive Battery
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Introduction
Our Thanks to You ..................... A1
Customer Assistance .................. A1
Product Features ..................... A2
Important Safety Information ............. 1
Quick Evaluation Before Installation ........ 3
Installation
Installation Requirements ................ 5
Mounting ............................ 6
Connecting Cables ..................... 7
Power Consumption ................... 10
Operation
Turning Your Inverter On or Off ........... 11
Power and Protection Indicators .......... 12
Operating Limits ...................... 13
Troubleshooting Guide ................. 14
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Warranty
Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Customer Assistance
Maintenance ......................... 17
Product Service ...................... 17
Important Safety Information
Before installing and using your Cobra power inverter, please
read these general precautions and warnings.
Caution and Warning Statements
To make the most of this inverter, it must be installed and
used properly. Please read the installation and operating
instructions carefully before installing and using it. Special
attention must be paid to the CAUTION and WARNING
statements in the manual.
General Precautions
1. Never install the inverter in a boat's
engine comparbnent where gas and
battery fumes are present
2. Do not operate the inverter if it has
been dropped or damaged in any way.
3. Do not open the inverter; it contains no user-serviceable
parts. Attempting to service unit
could cause electrical shock.
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NOTE Internal components remain charged
after all power is disconnected.
4. Do not expose the inverter to rain, snow,
bilge water or spray.
5. Do not obstruct the ventilation openings.
6. Do not install the inverter in zero-clearance compartment.
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Cobra 800 Watt Output Waveform
Some very sensitive electronic equipment may not operate
satisfactory on "square wave" or "modified sine wave."
The output waveform is referred to as "square waveJI or
"modified sine wave." It is a stepped waveform designed
to have characteristics similar to the sine wave shape of utility
power. A waveform of this nature is suitable for most AC loads
(including linear and switching power suppliers used in
electronic equipment, transformers and motors).
Quick Evaluation Before Installation
Warning: Wash Hands After Handling Power Cord
The power cord on this product contains lead, a chemical
known in the state of California to cause birth defects or other
reproductive harm.
Caution: Rechargeable Appliances
Certain chargers for small nickel cadmium batteries can be
damaged if connected to the Cobra BOO watt inverter. Two
particular types of equipment are prone to this problem:
1. Small battery-operated appliances
such as flashlights, razors, and
night lights that
can be plugged directly into
an AC receptacle to recharge.
2. Certain battery chargers for
battery packs used in hand
power tools. These chargers have
a WARNING label stating that
dangerous voltages are present at
the battery terminals.
This problem does not occur with the vast majority of battery
operated equipment. Most use a separate charger or
transformer that is plugged into the AC receptacle and
produces a low voltage output. If the label on the AC adapter
·or charger states that it produces a low voltage
AC or DC output (less than 30 volts), the inverter will
have no problem powering the adapter safely.
This section provides you with basic information about the
inverter and how to check its performance before installation.
Be Sure to Have on Hand:
0 A 12 volt DC power source (such as a vehicle battery).
The power source must provide
between 11 and 15 volts DC and
be able to supply enough current to run
the test load. As a rough guide, divide
the wattage of the test load by 10 to
get the current (in amperes) the power
source must deliver.
0 The provided two foot direct-to-battery 12 gauge cable.
Only use the cable provided with your
inverter.
0 Atest load that can be plugged into the AC receptacle on the
inverter for short term testing at a low power level.
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To check your inverter's perfonnance before installation:
1. Turn the inverter off (see page 11
for details). If the power source is
a DC power supply, switch it off as
well.
2. Connect cables to power input
terminals (see page 7 for details).
3. Connect cables to power source
(see page 7 for details).
4. Check to make sure all
connections are secure.
5. Turn the inverter on. If the power
source is a DC power supply,
switch it on first.
6. Plug in the test load.
The inverter should supply
power to the load. If the inverter
is not working properly, refer to the
troubleshooting guide on
page 14 or power and protection
indicators section on page 12.
Installation Requirements
The inverter must be installed in an area that meets
all of the following requirements:
A. Dry
Do not place in an area where water can drip
or splash on the inverter.
B. Cool
Ambient air temperature should be between 30°F
and 105°F (0°C and 40°C). The cooler the better.
C. Ventilate
Allow at least on~ inch (three em) of clearance around the
inverter for proper airflow. Make sure that ventilation
openings on the ends of the unit are not obstructed.
D. Safe
Do not install the inverter in the same compartment
as a battery or in any compartment that contains
flammable liquids such as gasoline.
E. Close to Battery
Install unit as close to battery as possible (without being in
the same compartment) to minimize the
length of cable required to connect the inverter to
the battery. It is better and cheaper to run longer
AC wires than longer DC wires (cables).
Nothing Comes Close to a Cobra®
0
Mounting
Connecting Cables
To mount your inverter:
1. Place the inverter on, a flat surface with the
mounting bracket against the mounting surface.
Power wire and wiring are very important to the performance
of the inverter. Because the inverter has a low voltage, high
current input, low resistance wiring is essential between the
battery and inverter. This is so it
can deliver the maximum amount of energy to the load. Only
use the cables provided with your power inverter.
2. Mount to secure surface using mounting hardware
that is corrosion resistant (not included).
To connect the cables between the inverter
and the battery:
1. Turn the On/Off Switch on the inverter to the off position. If
the power source is a DC power supply, switch it off as
well.
On/Off Switch to Off
Mounting Hardware
The inverter can be mounted horizontally or vertically.
2. Connect cable to the Power Input Tenninals on
right side panel of the inverter. The red terminal is positive
(+)and the black terminal is negative(-).
Insert the ends of the cables onto the terminals and tighten
the screws to clamp the cables safely.
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3. Connect cable to the power source:
a. Connect the cable from the Negative {Black) Tenninal of
inverter to the Negative Tenninal of
the power source. Make a secure connection.
b. Connect the cable from the Positive {Red) Terminal of
the inverter to the Positive Tenninal of the power source
(the battery's main fuse or the battery selector switch, if
you are using one). Make a secure connection.
You might observe a spark when you make this connection since
current can flow to charge capacitors in the inverter.
All power connections to your Cobra inverter must
be Positive to Positive and Negative to Negative.
,~,.
-•
Connect Power Source
i
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Power Consumption
Turning Your Inverter On or Off
For each piece of equipment you will be operating from the
inverter, you must determine the battery's reserve capacity
(how long the battery can deliver a specific amount of current in automotive batteries, usually 25 amperes) or ampere-hour
capacity (a measure of how many amperes
a battery can deliver for a specified length of time).
Example - Reserve capacity: a battery with a reserve
capacity of 180 minutes can deliver 25 amperes for 180
minutes before it is completely discharged.
Example - Ampere-hour capacity: a battery with an
ampere-hour capacity of 100 ampere-hours can deliver
5 amperes for 20 hours before it is completely discharged.
Be sure to have your power inverter properly installed before
attempting to turn the unit on (see installation page 5).
To tum the power inverter on:
1. If a DC power supply is being used
as the power source, switch it on.
2. On the left side panel, switch the
On/Off Switch to on.
The inverter is now ready to deliver AC power to your loads. If
several loads are to be operated by the inverter, turn them on
separately, after the inverter has been turned on. This will
ensure that the inverter does not have to deliver the starting
currents required for all the loads at once.
To tum the power inverter off:
1. On the left side panel,
switch the On/Off Switch
to off.
To determine the battery ampere-hour
capacity you require:
1. Determine how many watts each piece of equipment
consumes. This can normally be found on the product
label. If only the current draw is given, multiply the current
draw by 115 to get the watt consumption.
2. Estimate the time (in hours) that each piece of equipment will
be running between battery charging cycles.
3. Calculate the total watt-hours of energy consumption
(power x operating time) using the average power
consumption and the total estimated running time
(in hours). Power x Operating Time Watt-Hours.
=
50 watts x 2 hours
= 100 watt-hours
115 watts x 3 hours
=345 watt-hours
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NOTE The On/Off Switch turns the control circuit
in the inverter on and· off. It does not disconnect
power from the inverter.
G
NOTE When the switch is in the off position, the
inverter draws no current from the battery. When it's in
the on position, but no power is being supplied to the
load, the inverter draws less than 500 milliamperes
from the battery. This is low current draw. It would
take more than a week to discharge a 100 amperehour battery at this rate depending on the age of the
battery.
300 watts x 15 minutes
=75 watt-hours
4. Divide the watt-hours by 10 to determine how many power
supply's (12 volt) ampere-hours will be consumed.
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Part No. 480-654-P
Version A