This sounds like an exceedingly bad idea. Clarify intent?
Get a set of automotive battery jump cables, 2 or 4 gauge. Cut off one end and put lugs on the cable ends.
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Using car battery/alternator in a pinch, ala cargenerator.com.
My neighbor. He swapped out his battery and gave it to me to test with.Looks like somebody dries a Prius.
My neighbor. He swapped out his battery and gave it to me to test with.
I don't need no stinkin' Prius. I drive a GMC pickemup and a Polaris Slingshot.If you say so. There's no shame in it, bro...
Typically, yes. I use a blow torch and solder the connectors instead of crimp. Got a friend/neighbor that could make up the connectors for you?I thought that might be the case, I have no tools. So that would require a wire cutter, stripper, and crimper? Heat wrap?
I don't need no stinkin' Prius. I drive a GMC pickemup and a Polaris Slingshot.
Typically, yes. I use a blow torch and solder the connectors instead of crimp. Got a friend/neighbor that could make up the connectors for you?
As I'm reading this, 16 AWG is skinnier than 12 AWG, so 12 AWG should be better. An assumption of mine is that the 12 AWG wire would go on the AC side. I'm going to say check the manual on this to be sure.
If the 12 AWG is not on the AC side, it would be DC going from the battery to the inverter, which I think a 12 AWG DC run would need to be very short.
These tools can start to get expensive. I got a hydraulic crimper for 2/0 wire for $100, because I don't like the idea of a connection sealed with a hammer. You can get all sorts of wire at the hardware store. I know home depot goes larger than 2/0, maybe 4/0, maybe larger.
I'm not saying to buy a $100 crimper, but inverter wire is depended on amps to the (inverter watts/DV Voltage)*1.2 and then length, and ran through a DC calculator. This got me 2/0 wire from the battery to the inverter on a 5' run for a 2000 watt inverter. Not doing these calculations can cause things like voltages drops and the inverter kicking off, wires heating up excessively, smelling of melting/burning insulation or fires.
Your wire size is determined by the load connected to your inverter. 4 gauge is good for about 75A and 2 gauge about 100A. I say 'about' because it depends on the wire type and length. You'd need to use a wire size calculator (do a search for that, many posted in the forums) to determine your specific requirements. As was said earlier, if you have a 1200W inverter at 12VDC and actually draw 1200W on the 120VAC side, you have to size for 100A.Not that I know of unfortunately.
So the wire gauge (2, 4) is determined by the max inverter amps? I'm watching here where it is covered around the 5:30 mark.
I'm looking at the DC side, car battery to inverter. My inverter came with 2 foot 5 AWG cable and no alligator clips. I see a lot of the lower wattage inverters come with alligator clips.
I don't need no stinkin' Prius. I drive a GMC pickemup and a Polaris Slingshot.