The reason isn't obvious, but this isn't unusual. Almost all 12V inverters
produce what's called a quasi-sine output wave: it's just a couple
stairsteps of voltage rather than a sine wave because it's cheap and
efficient to generate. Most electronic devices and DC motors such as drills
don't mind this since they just rectify or commutate the voltage.
Incandescent lamps also don't care. But devices that are powered by
transformers such as battery chargers or ballasted flourescent lights often
do not like the non-sinusoidal wave - transformer magnetics require a sine
wave for efficient operation.
There are sinusoidal inverters but they are more expensive, bulky and less
efficient like this RV model:
http://www.tripplite.com/products/product.cfm?productID=177. A cheaper
alternative but a little trickier would be to find a battery charger that is
powered by an electronic switching supply rather than a transformer - that
would happily run off your inverter. The trouble is it can be hard to tell
in the store or on the web what's inside. If it runs from 90-240V without
flipping a switch, it's electronic. If it weighs much less than yours for a
similar amperage rating, it's probably electronic. If it says "switch mode"
it's electronic. These are a couple examples:
http://www.batterystuff.com/battery/deltran/onboard_charger.htm,
http://www.batterystuff.com/battery/soneil/soneil-12v3a.htm
No personal knowledge of these vendors, just Google hits.
Good luck with it,
Gary Schneider
37EP TR4
----- Original Message -----
From: "jaboruch" <jaboruch@adelphia.net>
To: "Friends of Triumph" <FOT@autox.team.net>
Sent: Friday, April 18, 2003 11:07 PM
Subject: power inverters
> I was trying to make a silent generator with a power inverter and a
> marine deep cycle battery to use at the track, rather than lugging my
> heavy and noisy gasoline powered generator. The power inverter works
> well with tools such as electric drills, lights, televisions, etc, but
> not with my battery charger. Have any of you tried to charge a 12v
> battery off of a power (aka voltage) inverter? Not sure if is is just
> my 20 year old battery charger that this will not work with or if I am
> violating a law of nature and this just will not work Any ideas?
> Yes, the charger works fine when plugged into household power. Joe(B)
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