Car power inverter and x-mas lights

skeetsh00ter · Post by **skeetsh00ter** » Sun Dec 02, 2007 4:07 pm

Ok, so [some of] y'all are pretty smart w/ these types of things..ie electronics.

Here is my problem. I put a strand of 50 LED x-mas lights on my roof rack today and was planning on just plugging the string into a cigarette lighter power inverter. This works for about 2.5 minutes (its awesome) but then the inverter starts beeping at me telling me it's getting bad power. I'm assuming this has something to do w/ my busted ass car's alternator which doesn't really deliver a steady stream of power.

Can anyone think of a solution to this problem? I might try and find an older, less intelligent inverter.

help, i really want lights on my car.

oneeyeddick · Post by **oneeyeddick** » Sun Dec 02, 2007 5:10 pm

Do you have to get jump's all the time ?
Especially at night ?
Problem is probably a bad battery if so.
It kinda sounds like you are overloading the plug inverter.
Buy a 400 watt unit, they are less than $25 now.
Hard-wire straight to the battery.
Apply more lights.
Enjoy !

skeetsh00ter · Post by **skeetsh00ter** » Sun Dec 02, 2007 5:29 pm

nah, its a newish battery. It was definitely a problem w/ the inverter since it would beep at me even when the lights were not plugged in. I was able to find an older inverter (less safe, it doesnt shut off when too much power is going to it) that now works though, so problem solved!

Thanks for the input though.

Post by **mdmf007** » Sun Dec 02, 2007 6:21 pm

my little laptop inverter beeps after a few minutes as well. mine is overheating maybe yours is too try a larger model inverter.

Teo del Fuego · Post by **Teo del Fuego** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 9:34 am

saw in ACE hardware yesterday a string of chirstmas lights with a cigarette lighter plug-in. Cost under 20 bucks if I recall.

Post by **AntiM** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 10:48 am

Yeah, there's 12v lights made for cars and trucks if you look for them. We have a light-up wreath that's 12V, although it has gotten kinda road-salt crusty.

skeetsh00ter · Post by **skeetsh00ter** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 10:38 pm

well luckily the new inverter has been working the past couple of days w/ out overheating or blowing up my lights so i've been successfully spreading the christmas cheer around athens! I make a point to run most of my errands at night now just so i can turn on the lights.

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 5:47 am

I've taken to keeping one of those portable jumper units in my car, and find that it's extra-useful for running 12V lights...and even *gasp*- jumpstarting the car! (I usually have to jump it after the week-long playa parking, as I have better things to do than remember to run the car for a few minutes every day...plus, I used to camp in Hushville and running the car was verboten.) Although the Element has 12V ports both on the dash AND behind the back seats, extension plugs and long, fragile cords for iPod or phone charger have gotten kinked or yanked in the past and being able to just pop 'em into the portable is tres' convenient. The world is full of these jumper units, available with or without compressors.
Try to avoid putting big red or blue lights on your car...The cops frown on such behavior, even going so far as to interpret it as "impersonating an emergency vehicle".

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 5:51 am

PS- Nice little strings of LED lights run by two AA cells are available at IKEA. Look for them between the Puubli and the Kronks.

"Those Puubli kids...I hate them SO MUCH!!"
-Lisa Simpson

skeetsh00ter · Post by **skeetsh00ter** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 5:21 pm

i had heard about those lights before the burn last year and made a special trip to IKEA to find them...but i couldn't and nobody had a clue what i was trying to describe.

robotland, thats a great idea about the portable jumper unit.

mereth · Post by **mereth** » Fri Dec 07, 2007 9:35 am

See my links on this thread for battery powered and solar powered lights.
Also there's a good tutorial linked on the whys of string lights on DC vs AC.

http://eplaya.burningman.org/viewtopic.php?t=23200

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Fri Dec 07, 2007 7:49 pm

skeetsh00ter wrote:i had heard about those lights before the burn last year and made a special trip to IKEA to find them...but i couldn't and nobody had a clue what i was trying to describe.

robotland, thats a great idea about the portable jumper unit.

Thanks....and if you see a nifty light-toy at IKEA it's probably wise to just grab a few of 'em- They never seem to have the same stuff year to year. They USED to have great little two-AA EL wire units AND big 'ol twenty-foot wall-operated lengths, and now, poof, gone. Kicking myself for not stocking up, 'cuz they was CHEAP ah tells ya WHAT.

HughMungus · Post by **HughMungus** » Fri Dec 07, 2007 8:55 pm

oneeyeddick wrote:Do you have to get jump's all the time ?
Especially at night ?
Problem is probably a bad battery if so.
It kinda sounds like you are overloading the plug inverter.
Buy a 400 watt unit, they are less than $25 now.
Hard-wire straight to the battery.
Apply more lights.
Enjoy ! :D

I'm glad you posted this. I was wondering how to power my xmas lights on my Tahoe and just realized I could (conceivably) connect my 750 watt power inverter directly to the battery (somehow) for the lights. Thoughts?

HughMungus · Post by **HughMungus** » Fri Dec 07, 2007 8:59 pm

skeetsh00ter wrote:i had heard about those lights before the burn last year and made a special trip to IKEA to find them...but i couldn't and nobody had a clue what i was trying to describe.

robotland, thats a great idea about the portable jumper unit.

I've used these for personal lighting. They work great. Just make sure you use rechargable batteries + a charger (one of the best investments I've ever made).

http://www.hectorshardware.biz/shop/pro ... sku=902578&

oneeyeddick · Post by **oneeyeddick** » Fri Dec 07, 2007 9:17 pm

On the toyota pickup I use for mutant at BM , I have two starter cables (6 foot, 4 guage) that run inside of the cab to a 1200 watt inverter.
It runs at max with no problem after I bought a new alternator.(old truck)
Just make sure to have your ground directly to the battery or the frame(not the chassis) and you shoud have no problems.