Cobra CPI 880 User manual

800 WAn POWER INVERTER
CPI880
Nothing Comes Close to a Cobra '
Printed in China
Part No . 480 - 524 -P
Version c

Thank you
for
purchasing the Cobra
CPI
880
inverter. Properly used, this Cobra product will
giveyou many years
of
reliable service.
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.
Customer Assistance
Should
you
encounter
any
problems
with
this
product,
or
not
understand
its
many
features,
please
refer
to
this
owner'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
a
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.
[email protected]
(e-mail).
For Assistance Outside the U.S.A.
Contact
Your
Local
Dealer
©2008
Cobra Electronics Corporation
6500 West Cortland Street
Chicago, Illinois 60707 USA
www.cobra.com

Features
•
Two
AC
Receptacles
•
Reverse
Polarity
Protection
•
Automatic
Thennal
Protection/Shutdown
•
Low
Battery
Alann
•
Low
Battery
Shutdown
Protection &
Power Indicators
<t>
USB Outlet
~
On/Off
AC
Outlets
{f)
n Power Switch
~~··..
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Oil
•
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~~c=:=@
Cooling Fan
~-
.....
Negative Battery
Cable Terminal
(Black)
~
..
.
.
.
.
Positive Battery
Cable Terminal
(Red)
®
.
··...
0
. .
.............
.
()

Introduction
Our
Thanks
to
You
.....................
A1
Customer
Assistance
..................
A1
Product
Features
.....................
A2
Important
Safety
Information
.............
1
Quick
Evaluation
Before
Installation
........
3
Installation
Installation
Requirements
................
5
Mounting
............................
6
Connecting
Cables
.....................
7
Power
Consumption
...................
1
0
Operation
Turning
Your
Inverter
On
or
Off
...........
11
Power
and
Protection
Indicators
..........
12
Operating
Limits
......................
13
Troubleshooting
Guide
.................
14
Specifications
. . ... ... . ... ... ... ... .. .
15
Warranty
Warranty
. ... . ... .. .. ... . ... ... .... ..
16
Customer
Assistance
Maintenance
.........................
17
Product
Service
......................
17

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.
General Precautions
1.
Never
install
the
inverter
in
a
boat's
engine
comparbnent
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.
Ill\
NOTE
Internal
components
remain
charged
\111
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.
Nothing Comes Close
to
a
Cobra®
[!j

Warning:
Wash
Hands
After
Handling
Power
Cord
The
power
cord
on
this
product
contains
lead,
a
chemical
known
in
the
state
of
California
to
cause
birth
defects
or
other
reproductive
harm.
Caution:
Rechargeable Appliances
Certain
chargers
for
small
nickel
cadmium
batteries
can
be
damaged
if
connected
to
the
Cobra
BOO
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.
Cobra
800
Watt
Output
Waveform
Some
very
sensitive
electronic
equipment
may
not
operate
satisfactory
on
"square
wave"
or
"modified
sine
wave."
The
output
waveform
is
referred
to
as
"square
waveJI
or
"modified
sine
wave."
It
is
a
stepped
waveform
designed
to
have
characteristics
similar
to
the
sine
wave
shape
of
utility
power.
A
waveform
of
this
nature
is
suitable
for
most
AC
loads
(including
linear
and
switching
power
suppliers
used
in
electronic
equipment,
transformers
and
motors).
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:
0 A
12
volt
DC
power
source
(such
as
a
vehicle
battery).
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
1
0
to
get
the
current
(in
amperes)
the
power
source
must
deliver.
0
The
provided
two
foot
direct-to-battery
12
gauge
cable.
Only
use
the
cable
provided
with
your
inverter.
0 A
test
load
that
can
be
plugged
into
the
AC
receptacle
on
the
inverter
for
short
term
testing
at
a
low
power
level.
Nothing Comes Close to a Cobra®
~

To
check
your
inverter's
perfonnance
before
installation:
1.
Turn
the
inverter
off
(see
page
11
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
7
for
details).
3.
Connect
cables
to
power
source
(see
page
7
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
14
or
power
and
protection
indicators
section
on
page
12.
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.
B.
Cool
Ambient
air
temperature
should
be
between
30°F
and
1
05°F
(0°C
and
40°C).
The
cooler
the
better.
C.
Ventilate
Allow
at
least
on~
inch
(three
em)
of
clearance
around
the
inverter
for
proper
airflow.
Make
sure
that
ventilation
openings
on
the
ends
of
the
unit
are
not
obstructed.
D.
Safe
Do
not
install
the
inverter
in
the
same
compartment
as
a
battery
or
in
any
compartment
that
contains
flammable
liquids
such
as
gasoline.
E.
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).
Nothing
Comes Close to a
Cobra®
0

Mounting
To
mount
your
inverter:
1.
Place
the
inverter
on,
a
flat
surface
with
the
mounting
bracket
against
the
mounting
surface.
2.
Mount
to
secure
surface
using
mounting
hardware
that
is
corrosion
resistant
(not
included).
Mounting Hardware
The
inverter
can
be
mounted
horizontally
or
vertically.
Connecting
Cables
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.
Only
use
the
cables
provided
with
your
power
inverter.
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
Off
2.
Connect
cable
to
the
Power
Input
Tenninals
on
right
side
panel
of
the
inverter.
The
red
terminal
is
positive
(+)and
the
black
terminal
is
negative(-).
Insert
the
ends
of
the
cables
onto
the
terminals
and
tighten
the
screws
to
clamp
the
cables
safely.
Nothing
Comes Close to a Cobra®
0

3. Connect cable to the power source:
a. Connect the cable from the Negative {Black) Tenninal of
inverter to the Negative Tenninal of
the power source. Make a secure connection.
b. Connect the cable from the Positive {Red) Terminal of
the inverter to the Positive Tenninal of the power source
(the battery's main fuse or the battery selector switch, if ,~,.
you are using one). Make a secure connection.
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.
Connect Power Source
i
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 amperes) 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 amperes for 180
minutes before it is completely discharged.
Example - Ampere-hour capacity: a battery with an
ampere-hour capacity of 1 00 ampere-hours can deliver
5 amperes for 20 hours before it is completely discharged.
To determine 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.
50 watts x2 hours
= 1 00 watt-hours
115 watts x3 hours 300 watts x 15 minutes
= 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.
Turning Your Inverter On or Off
Be sure to have your power inverter properly installed before
attempting to turn the unit on (see installation page 5).
To tum the power inverter on:
1. If a DC power supply is being used
as the power source, switch it on.
2. On the left side panel, switch the
On/Off Switch to on.
The inverter is now ready to deliver AC power to your loads. If
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 the starting
currents required for all the loads at once.
To tum the power inverter off:
1. On the left side panel,
switch the On/Off Switch
to off.
Ill\ NOTE The On/Off Switch turns the control circuit
\1fl in the inverter on and· off. It does not disconnect
power from the inverter.
NOTE When the switch is in the off position, the
G inverter draws no current from the battery. When it's in
the on position, but no power is being supplied to the
load, the inverter draws less than 500 milliamperes
from the battery. This is low current draw. It would
take more than a week to discharge a1 00 ampere-
hour battery at this rate depending on the age of the
battery.
Nothing Comes Close to a Cobra® ~