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CAUTION – Rechargeable Devices
• Certain rechargeable devices are designed to be charged by plugging them directly into an AC
receptacle. These devices may damage the inverter or the charging circuit.
• When using a rechargeable device, monitor its temperature for the initial ten minutes of use to
determine if it produces excessive heat.
• If excessive heat is produced, this indicates the device should not be used with this inverter.
• This problem does not occur with most battery-operated equipment. Most of these devices use a
separate charger or transformer that is plugged into an AC receptacle.
• The inverter is capable of running most chargers and transformers.
CAUTION: INCOMPATIBLE PRODUCTS:
Certain products contain power supplies or circuits that are
not compatible with a inverter using a modified sine wave output (such as this inverter) and may be
damaged by using this inverter.
If your product requires pure sine wave AC input power to function properly, the instruction manual
for your product could state this. If in doubt, you should contact your product manufacturer PRIOR
TO USE.
Some products must be powered from a pure sine wave power source, such as standard household
power, or a “pure sine wave” inverter in order to function properly.
Your product could be damaged by this inverter if it contains:
• Microwave ovens;
• Transformerless battery chargers
• Capacitive coupled power supplies
If an incompatible product is used with this inverter:
• The product might not operate at all, with no indication of failure. The product fuse might open as a
result of trying to use it with the inverter.
• The product might exhibit unusual operation (such as, intermittent operation, buzzing, and the like.)
Note:
Some laptop computers may not operate with this inverter.
WARNING: If the product does not operate normally, to reduce the risk of injury or property
damage, turn the product off immediately and unplug it from the inverter
OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS
The Power Inverter must be connected only to batteries with a nominal output voltage of 12 volts. The
unit will not operate from a 6 volt battery and will sustain permanent damage if connected to a 24 volt
battery.
Always connect the PI500BB to the 12 volt DC power source before plugging any devices into the
unit.
The standard North American 115 volt AC and USB outlets allow simultaneous operation of multiple
devices. Simply plug the equipment into the unit and operate normally. Ensure that the wattage of all
equipment simultaneously plugged into the PI500BB does not exceed 500 watts continuous.
Connection to Power Source
The Power Inverter comes equipped with a DC Accessory Outlet Plug and Battery Clips for connection
to a power source.
CONNECTING TO A POWER SOURCE USING THE DC ACCESSORY OUTLET PLUG (UP TO 100W ONLY)
The DC Accessory Outlet Plug is suitable for operating the inverter at power
outputs up to 100 watts and has overload protection at 100W to prevent you
blowing the fuse if you connect a higher rated appliance. The tip of the plug
is positive (+) and the side contact is negative (–).
The opposite end of the DC Accessory Outlet Plug has a unique connector
fitted to it which will allow it to be only fitted into the socket on the rear
of the unit when there are NO battery clips connected to the unit. This is
a safety feature and the design of the plug also covers the positive (+)
terminal to
prevent both leads being connected at the same time.
Connect the inverter to the power source by inserting the DC Accessory Outlet Plug firmly into the
accessory outlet of a vehicle or other DC power source.
CAUTIONS
• Connect directly to power source using the included Battery Clips when operating above 100 watts.
INTRODUCTION
Thank you for purchasing the
PI500BB 500 Watt Power Inverter with USB Charging Port
. This
inverter can be used to operate personal electronics such as: laptop computers, digital/video cameras,
MP3 players, cell phones, PDAs, and more. It can also be used to recharge 110/120 volt AC devices
that have an appropriate recharging adapter with a standard North American two- or three-prong plug.
Please read this Instruction Manual carefully before use to ensure optimum performance and to avoid
damage to this product.
FEATURES
The unit has 2 LED indicators, 1 to show input conditions and 1 to show output conditions.
The input LED is located beside the power button and the output LED is located on the top of the
unit between the 2 AC outlets. A green LED indicates normal operation, a red LED indicates a fault
condition (refer to Troubleshooting Section of this manual.) and an amber LED indicates low input
voltage from the DC source. The AC and USB outlets are ready to use if you have a green output LED.
The Power Pushbutton turns the inverter ON and OFF. It can also be used to force reset of inverter
circuits by pressing it OFF (no LEDs are lit), then back ON again.
AC power is supplied through two standard North American three-prong type outlets. The outlets can
accommodate either two- or three-pin AC plugs.
Controls and Functions
115 VOLT AC
OUTLETS
DC ACCESSORY
OUTLET PLUG
BATTERY CLIPS
(WITH CABLES)
OUTPUT LED
INDICATOR
INPUT
LED INDICATOR
USB OUTLET
ON/OFF
POWER BUTTON
HIGH-SPEED COOLING FAN
BACK OF UNIT
(BLACK) NEGATIVE
CABLE POST
(RED) POSITIVE
CABLE POST
DC ACCESSORY
OUTLET
Power Inverter Output Waveform
NOTICE: THE OUTPUT OF THIS DEVICE IS NOT SINUSOIDAL. IT HAS A TOTAL HARMONIC
DISTORTION OF 36 PERCENT AND MAXIMUM SINGLE HARMONIC OF 28 PERCENT AT 100%
RATED LOAD.
The AC output waveform of this inverter is known as a modified sine wave. It is a stepped waveform
that has characteristics similar to the sine wave shape of utility power. This type of waveform
is suitable for most AC loads, including linear and switching power supplies used in electronic
equipment, transformers, and small motors.
The modified sine wave produced by this inverter has an RMS (root mean square) voltage of 115
volts. Most AC voltmeters (both digital and analog) are sensitive to the average value of the waveform
rather than the RMS value. They are calibrated for RMS voltage under the assumption that the
waveform measured will be a pure sine wave. These meters will not correctly read the RMS voltage of
a modified sine wave. Non-TRUE RMS meters will read about 20 to 30 volts low when measuring the
output of this inverter. For accurate measurement of the output voltage of this unit, use a TRUE RMS
reading voltmeter such as a Fluke 87, Fluke 8080A, Beckman 4410 or Triplett 4200.
115 Volt AC Output
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