BatteryCharger/Inverter Hack

[sundy58]

I posted my pictures to the Photo Albums here at PriusChat. We are going on a trip Wed. night and I carry my laptop. I decided I want to take all our music so there will be a hard drive in the back seat floor hooked to the laptop which will be hooked to the aux jack in the center console. I have a Husky 1000W inverter to run all that. So I got polarized connectors (can't be plugged in backwards) and 1/4" stud ring terminals from the hardware store. About $10 total. I crimped ring terminals to the connector and then conneted the ring termials to the battery. I removed the nuts from the battery clamps and put the ring terminals on. I did not remove or disconnect the battery. Metric#10 socket for the nuts. The connector just runs up betwwen the interior floor of the hatch. Picture worth 1000 words! I can now connect battery charger and inverter well I guess anything with the same type of polarized connector.

[tochatihu]

I looked at your photos; thanks for posting them.

Installation looks basically OK to me, but will point out that the wire you are using for 12 volts is much smaller gauge than typical for such installations. If you load up the inverter much beyond small devices such as the laptop, those wires will get hot.

I like an inline fuse also (to protect the Prius) but your wiring might serve the 'fusible link' function or is it

This is clearly a modified sine wave inverter. Some electronic devices are not bothered by those, while others are. Hope your computer's external power supply is in the former category.

[David Beale]

Adding to DAS, put the inline fuse as close to the battery or power pickoff point as possible. Not having a fuse is inviting a fire!

Most switching power supplies are fine with modified sine wave inverters. Most laptop power supplies are the switching type.

Note that an Asus Eee uses a 12V power supply, and may be charged directly from the car without an inverter. Some filtering may be "a good thing" (tm).