Hi i have a 400w black and decker inverter as soon as i plug my lap top in to it the power light on the inverter flashs and it wont power my laptop

PLACE YOUR SYSTEM UPSIDE DOWN AND REMOVE THE BATTERY AS ITS TEMPERATURE IS IN WORSE STATE .TRY TO COOL IT DOWN .IN FUTURE PLACE YOUR SYSTEM ON SOME MATERIAL SO THAT THE AIR SUPPLY REMAINS CONSTANT AND TEMPERATURE OF SYSTEM DONT REACH ITS CRITICAL RANGE.

There are two possibilites: the first is the over 400W power draw, the other is how you have the inverter connected. Do you have the inverter connected directly to the battery terminals (the clips) not the outlet plug (cigaretter lighter)? This is needed for any load over 80W and under 400W. (the inverter can handle a load demand over the 400W limit but only for short periods (800W).)

What is the load that your PC pulls (Is it a laptop or a desktop)? The laptop in my home has either a 65W or a 90W load (depending on the battery and the AC adapter we are using). Desktops take much more power (usually).

I hope this helps.

Cindy Wells

Try to measure the input voltage. If the Vans battery falls to less than 10.5 V it may stop converting. The battery should be charged well before using converter.

I looked at the power requirements of this projector, 280W, but that assumes a nice sine wave. Your inverted is supposed to put out 400W, but it's a modified sine wave. Under ideal conditions (including a good battery) this might be just enough. Connecting directly to the battery will help a little, because of the limited ability to get current to and through the cigarette lighter. Using a 100 foot extension cord will diminish the voltage a bit (less so if it's a heavy gage wire). I would try connecting the inverter directly to the battery, run the engine and skip the extension cord. If that works, turn off the engine. If that works, try the extension cord. If it won't work with the engine running, connected directly and no cord - there are two possibilities: (1) the projector just won't run on a modified sine wave, (2) you need a bigger inverter. --- regarding (1) I have seen lots of people having trouble with various devices. You might want to ask Epson support. --- Good luck!

The problem of your inverter is from
your battery .your laptop and dvd
player requires little current to
operate.But you tv requires more power
to run, if your battery is low you it will
not last for 3 minutes. If your battery
has a low current rating, it will also be a
cause, for example, if it is below
100ampere hour. Lastly if your battery
is bad i.e. if it reads below the
stipulated dc voltage Require by your
inverter to operate.

Most inverters create a modified sine wave output, which is similar to, but not the same as the AC you get out of the wall. The power supply for many laptops (and most transformers in general) will not run with a modified sine wave input. There are devices available that skip the inverter and the power supply. They go directly from 12VDC to what your laptop needs.

This inverter is a good Walmart inverter.
I had one that worked for about 6 months.

There really is no affordable fix.

RECOMENDATION:
Take it back if you can as soon as you can, dont fix it..

Hope this Tip Helps.

r/
David

First, you should be aware that the exact inverter is available for under 40 dollars all over the US. Your model is sold under several names - check out http://search.harborfreight.com/cpisearch/web/search.do?keyword=inverter .

I suspect that your INPUT power level is not adequate for the inverter to put out the 200W that the 150W charger needs. If you have low current and low voltage - then the inverter can only put out a proportionally smaller AC wattage level. You may also have a faulty voltage sensor....at the input. Once the inverter sees a low level (even momentarily), it alarms and shuts down the output until the unit is reset (turned off/back on)

even the smallest inverter can run a laptop, something is wrong with this unit

175 W inverter is not enough power for your computer and most of the cheap inverters do not put out a true sine wave. Buy one rated at least at 400w. Then it will output continuously at 300w. That should be sufficient for your computer. Your 175 w inverter is overtaxed then the voltage drops increasing amperage and burning things out.