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Step 2Build the Electrical System
Battery:
The first step is to build the electrical system. This consists of a battery to provide a hefty 12V power source, and the power inverter which boosts the 12V DC up to 120V AC for the Christmas lights.
Begin by selecting a suitable battery - I recommend a sealed lead-acid battery because they are easy to use and very common. Each string of lights draws 1A of current from the battery, so to select the battery size, multiply the number of light strings by how long you want the lights to last. That is the theoretical amp-hour (AH) rating you need for your battery. This is a very basic estimate, actual performance will probably be only 1/2 of the theoretical. I used a 7AH battery and it seems to work pretty good.
Inverter:
The lights themselves do not present a huge load on the inverter, so you should be able to get by with an inexpensive one.
Connections:
You can hook the inverter directly to the battery, or you can use a lighter socket as I did below. Keep in mind, the tip of the lighter socket is the positive terminal. This should connect to the red + side of the battery. I recommend using crimp connectors to attach to the battery, if you don't have a crimping tool, just solder the connectors or use a pair of vice-grip pliers.
See below for a picture of the finished electrical system:
The first step is to build the electrical system. This consists of a battery to provide a hefty 12V power source, and the power inverter which boosts the 12V DC up to 120V AC for the Christmas lights.
Begin by selecting a suitable battery - I recommend a sealed lead-acid battery because they are easy to use and very common. Each string of lights draws 1A of current from the battery, so to select the battery size, multiply the number of light strings by how long you want the lights to last. That is the theoretical amp-hour (AH) rating you need for your battery. This is a very basic estimate, actual performance will probably be only 1/2 of the theoretical. I used a 7AH battery and it seems to work pretty good.
Inverter:
The lights themselves do not present a huge load on the inverter, so you should be able to get by with an inexpensive one.
Connections:
You can hook the inverter directly to the battery, or you can use a lighter socket as I did below. Keep in mind, the tip of the lighter socket is the positive terminal. This should connect to the red + side of the battery. I recommend using crimp connectors to attach to the battery, if you don't have a crimping tool, just solder the connectors or use a pair of vice-grip pliers.
See below for a picture of the finished electrical system:
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Jan 2, 2009. 9:20 AMcdncycler
says:
The battery that you have in the picture, where's it from? It doesn't look like a regualr car battery?
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Mar 9, 2009. 12:57 PM
pdub77
says:
pdub77
says:
he tells you what kind of battery and even gives a link to where he got it in the instructable.
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