Cobra Electronics CPI 1550 Power Supply User Manual
Contents
1. The Cobra line of quality products includes CB Radios microTALK Radios Radar Laser Detectors Safety Alert Traffic Warning Systems Handheld GPS Receivers Mobile GPS Navigation Systems HighGear Accessories CobraMarine VHF Radios Power Inverters Accessories For more information or to order any of our products please visit our website www cobra com Nothing comes close to a Cobra English Cobra Operating Instructions 1500 WATT POWER INVERTER Printed in China Part No 480 199 P Version A Nothing Comes Close To A Cobra English WE Thank you for purchasing the Cobra CPI 1550 inverter Properly used this Cobra product will give you many years of reliable service oji tF lal Introduction 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 S Customer Assistance Customer Assistance Should you encounter any problems with this product or not understand its many features please refer to this own2. Off rs English 2 the end of the cable that connects to the inverter Strip back the insulation about one half inch one and one half cm exposing the bare copper conductor Strip t 3 Connect cable to the Power Input Terminals on right Side panel of the inverter The red terminal is positive and the black terminal is negative Insert the bare ends of the cables into the terminals and tighten the screws to clamp the wires safely ponn 4 Connect cables to the power source a Connect the cable from the Negative Black Terminal of inverter to the Negative Terminal of the power source Make a secure connection Nothing comes close to a Cobra Connect the cable from the Positive Red Terminal of the inverter to the Positive Terminal of the power source the battery s main fuse or the battery selector switch if you are using one Make a secure connection Connect Cables 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 CAUTION Electrical installations must meet local and national wiring codes and should be performed by a qualified electrician CAUTION Do not connect the inverter and another AC source such as a generator or utility power to the AC wiring at the sam
3. exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages so the above limitations may not apply to you For Products Purchased Outside the U S A Please contact your local dealer for warranty information Trademark Acknowledgement Cobra Nothing comes close to a Cobra and the snake design are registered trademarks of Cobra Electronics Corporation USA Cobra Electronics Corporation is a trademark of Cobra Electronics Corporation USA English Maintenance Very little maintenance is required to keep the inverter operating properly The exterior of the unit should be cleaned periodically with a damp cloth to prevent accumulation of dust and dirt At the same time tighten the screws on the DC input terminals Be sure vents and fans are free of dust or debris Product Service If you have any questions about operation or installing your new Cobra product or if you are missing parts Please call Cobra first DO NOT RETURN THIS PRODUCT TO THE STORE See customer assistance page A1 If your product should require factory service please call Cobra first before sending your power inverter This will ensure the fastest turn around time on your repair You may be asked to send your power inverter to the Cobra factory It will be necessary to furnish the following to have the product serviced and returned 1 For warranty repair include some form of proof of purchase such as a mechanical reproduction or carbon co
4. is normal at start up No Plugs at 0 Current Meter The current meter indicates the current drawn from the battery It will not indicate the current drawn by other loads also connected to the battery For long term operation the current meter should remain in the middle of the bar graph Operation Operating Limits Power Output The inverter can deliver 1500 watts for about 60 minutes The inverter must cool for 15 minutes before it can resume operation at 1500 watts Note The wattage rating applies to resistive loads The inverter will operate most AC loads within its power rating Some induction motors used in freezers pumps and other motor operated equipment require very high surge currents to start The inverter may not be able to start some of these motors even though their rated current draw is within the inverter s limits The inverter will normally start single phase induction motors rated at one half HP or less Input Voltage The inverter will operate from input voltage ranging from 10 volts to 15 volts Optimum performance will occur when the voltage is between 12 volts and 14 volts If the voltage drops below 10 5V 0 3V an audible low battery warning will sound The inverter will shut down if the input voltage drops below 9 5V 0 3V This protects the battery from being over discharged It will restart when the input voltage exceeds 12V 0 3V The inverter will also shut down if the input volt
5. 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 100 watts x 2 hours 115 watts x 3 hours 300 watts x 15 minutes 200 watt hours 345 watt hours 75 watt hours 4 Divide the watt hours by 10 to determine how many power supply s 12 volt ampere hours will be consumed 2 English Ground Wiring There is a screw on the rear panel for Chassis Ground This is to connect the chassis of the inverter to ground The Chassis Ground Screw must be connected to a grounding point which will vary depending on where the unit is installed Use a 8 AWG copper wire preferably with green yellow insulation to connect the chassis ground screw to the grounding point Chassis Ground In a vehicle Connect the Chassis Ground to the chassis of the vehicle In a boat Connect to the Boat Grounding System In a fixed location Connect the Chassis Ground Screw to earth ground by connecting to a ground rod a
6. This warranty may be enforced by the first consumer purchaser provided that the product is utilized within the U S A Cobra will without charge repair or replace at its option defective power inverters products or component parts upon delivery to the Cobra Factory Service department accompanied by proof of the date of first consumer purchase such as a duplicated copy of a Sales receipt You must pay any initial shipping charges required to ship the product for warranty service but the return charges will be at Cobra s expense if the product is repaired or replaced under warranty This warranty gives you specific legal rights and you may also have other rights which may vary from state to state Exclusions This limited warranty does not apply 1 To any product damaged by accident 2 the event of misuse or abuse of the product or as a result of unauthorized alterations or repairs 3 If the serial number has been altered defaced or removed 4 If the owner of the product resides outside the U S A All implied warranties including warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose are limited in duration to the length of this warranty Cobra shall not be liable for any incidental consequential or other damages including without limitation to damages resulting from loss of use or cost of installation Some states do not allow limitations on how long an implied warranty lasts and or do not allow the
7. age exceeds 15 75 0 75 This protects the inverter against excessive input voltage Although the inverter has protection against over voltage it may still be damaged if the input voltage were to exceed 16 volts Nothing comes close to a Cobra Operation Troubleshooting Guide Problem Symptom Possible Causes Low output voltage No output voltage Low input voltage No output voltage after prolonged use No output voltage Protect indicator lighted No output voltage No output voltage Low battery alarm on all the time English Overload Thermal shutdown High input voltage Short circuit Inverter Switched off No power to inverter Reverse DC polarity Poor DC wiring Poor battery condition Solution Reduce the load Recharge battery Check connections and cable Allow inverter to cool off Reduce load continuous operation input current required Improve ventilation Make sure ventilation Openings in the inverter are not obstructed Reduce ambient temperature Make sure the inverter is connected to 12V battery Check regulation of charging system Check load for proper operation Turn inverter on Check wiring to inverter Observe correct polarity Check connections Make sure battery is fully charged Operation Specifications Continuous output power 1 hour 1500W surge rating 0 1 second 3000W P
8. ard Number Visa Mastercard O Discover Exp Date Customer Signature Item U S Cost Each Qty Amount Amount Shipping Handling Tax Table 10 00 or less 3 00 fino 876 Applicable 10 01 25 00 5 50 Shipping Handling Ohio 6 25 01 50 00 7 50 H For AK and PR add additional 26 95 for 90 01 130 00 13 50 FedEx Next Day or 10 95 for FedEx 2nd Day 130 01 200 00 16 50 Excludes weekend and holiday shipments 200 01 plus 10 of Please allow two to three weeks for delivery in purchase the U S Prices subject to change without notice Optional Accessories You can find quality Cobra products and accessories at your local Cobra dealer or in the U S A you can order directly from Cobra Ordering from U S A Call 773 889 3087 for pricing or visit www cobra com For credit card orders complete and return this order form to fax number 773 622 2269 Or call 773 889 3087 Press 1 from the main menu 8 00 a m to 6 00 p m CT Monday through Friday Make check or money order payable to Cobra Electronics Attn Accessories Dept 6500 West Cortland Street Chicago IL 60707 USA To order online please visit our website www cobra com 22 English
9. e starting currents required for all the loads at once To turn the power inverter off 1 On the left side panel switch the On Off Switch to off SP Peer ppp ere 14 English Nothing comes close to a Cobra 15 Power and Protection Operation Power and Protection Indicators The Power and Protection Indicators include a green light red light an alarm and a current meter Green Light Power The green light should remain on steady Red Light and or Alarm Current overload The red light will turn on momentarily then the inverter will shutdown The inverter will continue to check for appropriate current levels while trying to restart the load DC input voltage overload The red light will turn on and the inverter will shutdown The inverter will continue to check for appropriate voltage levels while trying to restart the load DC input voltage shortage As a warning that the voltage is getting low the internal alarm will sound When the voltage is too low the inverter will shutdown and the red light will turn on The inverter will continue to check for appropriate voltage levels while trying to restart the load Temperature overload The red light will turn momentarily then the inverter will shutdown The inverter will continue to check for appropriate temperature levels while trying to restart the load NOTE A momentary sound of the internal alarm and or flash of the red light
10. e time The inverter will be damaged if its output is connected to AC voltage from another source Damage can even occur if the inverter is switched off CAUTION Do not connect the inverter to an AC branch circuit that has high power consumption loads It will not operate electric heaters air conditioners stoves and other electrical appliances that consume more than 1500 watts CAUTION Loose connectors result in excessive voltage drop and may cause over heated wires and melted insulation CAUTION Reverse polarity connections positive to negative will blow internal fuses in the inverter and may permanently damage the unit Such damage is not covered by the warranty English CAUTION We recommend a main fuse the battery s positive cable to protect against DC wiring short circuits external to the inverter The fuse should be as close to the battery as possible We recommend a Buss Fuse ANL 250 or equivalent The specific fuse ampere rating should be sized to allow operation of all your DC powered equipment CAUTION Remove any jewelry watch ring etc Be careful not to short circuit the battery with any metallic object wrench WARNING If you are making a permanent AC connection to the inverter make sure that the AC wiring steps are performed before any DC wiring is done DC hook up energizes internal components regardless of the position of the On Off Switch Working
11. eak efficiency 12V 1 2 load gt 88 Efficiency full load 12V gt 83 No load current draw lt 0 5 12 6V Output waveform resistive load Modified sine wave Output frequency 58HZ 62HZ Output voltage goa 109V 120V Input voltage 10 4VDC 14 4VDC Alarm voltage unload 10 2 10 8V Shutdown voltage unload 9 2 9 8V Operating temperature range 0 C 40 C 32 F 104 F Storage temperature range 40 C 85 C 40 F 185 F Protection Overload short circuit overtemp reverse polarity under over voltage Notes All protection is automatically recovered To protect the battery if the unit needs to be restarted after low voltage protection the voltage of DC input should be above 12V To extend the life of the fan it will stop when there is no load The speed of the fan increases as the load increases The unit is completely insulated in input and output for added safety Nothing comes close to a Cobra Maintenance and Limited Two Year Warranty For Products Purchased in the U S A Cobra Electronics Corporation warrants that its Cobra power inverter and the component parts thereof will be free of defects in workmanship and materials for a period of two years from the date of first consumer purchase
12. eatures A2 Important Safety Information 1 Quick Evaluation Before Installation 4 Installation Installation Requirements 6 MOUNINO 7 Connecting Cables 8 Power Consumption 12 Ground Wiring 13 Operation Turning Your Inverter On or Off 14 Remote On Off Switch 15 Power and Protection Indicators 16 Operating 17 Troubleshooting Guide 18 SDCCHICANONS dade ade 19 Warranty Warranty 20 Customer Assistance 21 Product Service 21 Accessories and Order Form 22 Introduction 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 CAUTION Statements specify conditions which could cause damage to the unit or other equipment WARNING Statements identify conditions that could result in personal injury or loss of life General Precautions 1 Never instal
13. er 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 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 productinfo cobra com e mail For Assistance Outside the U S A Contact Your Local Dealer 2005 Cobra Electronics Corporation 6500 West Cortland Street A Chicago Illinois 60707 USA English www cobra com Introduction Features e Three AC Receptacles o Reverse Polarity Current Meter Protection e Remote On Off Capable Low Battery Alarm e Automatic Thermal e Low Battery Shutdown Protection Shutdown AC Outlets Power amp Protection Indicators Current K Switch Remote Meter On Off Switch Jack PIDDA Negative Battery Cable Terminal Black Cooling Fans Positive Battery Cable Terminal Ground Red Terminal ddd E Introduction A3 English Introduction Our Thanks tO YOU Al Customer Assistance Al Product F
14. er level The following cables are recommended for testing low power level test loads only Test Load Test Load Minimum Cable Size 100W 16 AWG copper 250W 12 AWG copper 500W 8 AWG copper To check your inverter s performance before installation 1 Turn the inverter off see page 14 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 8 for details 3 Connect cables to power source see page 8 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 18 Connect Test Load or power and protection indicators section on page 16 qz Nothing comes close to a Cobra 5 Installation gt Requireme 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 Cool Ambient air temperature should be between 30 F and 105 F 0 C and 40 C The cooler the better Ventilate Allow at least one inch three cm of clearance around the inverter for proper airflow Make sure that ventilati
15. l the inverter in a boat s engine compartment 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 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 CAUTION This inverter should be used negative ground applications only Nothing comes close to a Cobra 1 aC Importap 3 aformation aC Importag Introduction Introduction A WARNING Power inverters contain components Cobra 1500 Watt Output Waveform that tend to produce arcs or sparks To prevent Some very sensitive electronic equipment may not fire or explosion do not install the inverter in operate satisfactory on square wave or modified areas or compartments containing batteries or sine wave The output waveform is referred to as flammable materials or in locations that require square wave or modified sine wave It is a stepped ignition protected equipment waveform designed to have characteristics similar WARNING To reduce the risk of fire do not cover to the sine wave shape of utility power A waveform of this nature is suitable for most AC loads incl
16. metal rod pounded into the earth or other proper service entrance ground Nothing comes close to a Cobra 13 Operation Operation Turning Your Inverter On or Off NOTE The On Off Switch turns the control circuit Be sure to have your power inverter properly installed before It does not disconnect attempting to turn the unit on see installation page 6 To turn the power inverter on When the switch is in the off position the inverter a draws no current from the battery When it s in the 1 If a DC power supply is being used as the power on position but no power is being supplied to the source switch it on load the inverter draws less than 500 milliamperes 2 On the left side panel switch the On Off Switch to on from the battery This is low current draw It would take more than a week to discharge a 100 ampere hour battery at this rate depending on the age of the battery Remote On Off Switch not included An optional Remote On Off Switch not included can be connected to the Remote Jack allowing you to turn the Cobra power inverter on or off from a convenient location when the inverter is installed in an out of reach location SP Peep pp Pere The inverter is now ready to deliver AC power to your loads 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 th
17. ng hardware that is corrosion resistant not included Mounting Hardware The inverter can be mounted horizontally or vertically Nothing comes close to a Cobra Connecting Cables not included 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 Use only copper wire Aluminum wire has about one third more resistance than copper wire of the same size plus it is difficult to make good low resistance connections to aluminum wire We recommend 4 AWG copper cable 90 C insulation rating as the minimum size for connections between the battery and inverter Keep the cable length as short as possible no more than four feet one and a half meters This will keep the voltage drop to a minimum If the cable has too much voltage drop the inverter may shut down when drawing higher currents because voltage at the inverter may drop below 10 volts If you must use longer cables choose thicker cables such as 2 AWG and trim the ends of the cable to fit the terminals 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
18. on Openings on the ends of the unit are not obstructed Safe Do not install the inverter in the same compartment as a battery or in any compartment that contains flammable liquids such as gasoline 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 a CAUTION To avoid fire do not cover or obstruct ventilation openings Do not install inverter in a zero clearance compartment Overheating may result CAUTION The inverter must only be connected to batteries with a nominal output voltage of 12 volts It will not work with a 6 volt battery and will be damaged if it is connected to a 16 volt battery English WARNING This unit contains components which can produce arcs or sparks To prevent fire or explosion do not install in compartments containing a battery or flammable materials or in a location which requires ignition protected equipment WARNING This unit is suitable for installation in negative ground applications only Do not attempt to install to a positive ground application Mounting To mount your inverter 1 Place the inverter on a flat surface with the mounting bracket against the mounting surface Mounting Brackets 2 Mount to secure surface using mounti
19. on AC connections in such a circumstance may result in an electric shock WARNING 115 volt AC power is potentially lethal Do not work on AC wiring when it is connected to the inverter even if it is switched off unless the DC power source is physically disconnected from the inverter Also do not work on AC wiring if it is connected to another AC power source such as a generator or the utility line WARNING You may observe a spark when making the connection because current can flow to charge the capacitors in the inverter Do not make this connection in the presence of flammable fumes Explosion or fire may result Thoroughly ventilate the battery compartment before making this connection Nothing comes close to a Cobra Power Consumption 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 ampere 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 ampere 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 ampere for 20 hours before it is completely discharged To determine
20. ource such as a vehicle battery Power Supply 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 Cables to connect the power source to the inverter not included The cables must be as short and thick as possible in order to reduce the voltage drop between the power source and the inverter when it is drawing current from the power source If the cable suffers an excessive voltage drop the inverter may shut down when drawing higher currents because the voltage at the inverter dropped below 10 volts 4 AWG stranded copper cable is recommended It should be no longer than four feet one and one half meters The end of the cable that connects to the inverter must have its insulation stripped off for about one half inch one and one half cm back from the end exposing the bare copper The other end of the cable which connects to the power source must be terminated with a lug or other connector that provides a secure low resistance connection For example if the power source is a battery the cable must be terminated with a battery terminal that clamps to the post on the battery fa English Introduction A test load that be plugged into the AC receptacle on the inverter for short term testing at a low pow
21. py of a sales receipt If you send the original receipt it cannot be returned 2 Send the entire product 3 Enclose a description of what is happening with the power inverter Include a typed or clearly printed name and address of where the power inverter is to be returned 4 Pack power inverter securely to prevent damage in transit If possible use the original packing material 5 Ship prepaid and insured by way of a traceable carrier such as United Parcel Service UPS or Priority Mail to avoid loss in transit to Cobra Factory Service Cobra Electronics Corporation 6500 West Cortland Street Chicago Illinois 60707 USA 6 If the power inverter is in warranty upon receipt of your power inverter it will either be repaired or exchanged depending on the model Please allow approximately three to four weeks before contacting Cobra for status If the power inverter is out of warranty a letter will automatically be sent informing you of the repair charge or replacement charge If you have any questions please call 773 889 3087 for assistance Nothing comes close to a Cobra et Accessories and Remote On Off An optional Remote On Off Switch can be SSE connected to the Remote Jack allowing you to turn the Cobra CPI 1550 inverter on or off from a convenient location when the inverter is installed in an out of reach location Name Address No P O Boxes City State Province Zip Country Telephone Credit C
22. uding linear and switching power suppliers used in electronic equipment transformers and motors or obstruct the ventilation openings Do not install inverter in zero clearance compartment Caution Rechargeable Appliances Certain chargers for small nickel cadmium batteries can be damaged if connected to the Cobra 1500 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 Plug In Directly 2 English Nothing comes close to a Cobra 3 Quick Evaluation Quick Evaluation Introduction Quick Evaluation Before Installation This section provides you with basic information about the inverter and how to check its performance before installation Be sure to have on hand A 12 volt DC power s
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