Power inverters:

Pete Wass

Pete Wass

Well-known member
On my way back from Ioway whilst visiting a truck stop I happened to spy a 12v to 110v inverter; actually several of them, that plug into an electrical port, on a rack there hanging. A smlallish bulb lit up and I began to wonder if one of those would surfice to run a Chargemaster. As I recall, one of them said 100ma and another 500ma and so on. Does anyone know the ammt. of power needed to run a chargemaster? Thanks. Pete
 
Chargemaster

Pete,
Are you wanting to run one at a location that has no electric power or will you be using it in a motorhome/trailer, etc? I have 2 Chargemasters, one I run on my reloading bench thru a line conditioner and one I take to matches where there is no electricity. The one I use at matches runs on a battery. Let me know if that is what you are wanting to do.

Best,
Dan Batko

"Where are we going and why am I in this basket?"
 
My Chargemaster

runs just fine off a small inverter. The "wall wart" (transformer/rectifier) supplied by RCBS is rated at 9 VDC and 1000 mA. I don't know how much the Chargemaster draws but it's obviously less than that.

I have mine set up with a Cobra inverter (400 watt continuous, 800 watt peak). The inverter is mounted in a box I take to the range so I don't have the model No. I got it somewhere on-line -- it wasn't expensive.

I went with the inverter because I wasn't sure of how the circuitry was set up in the Chargemaster. I hesitated to go straight from a 12 VDC (~13.6 VDC when fully charged) battery because I didn't know whether the input went only to a power regulator or whether it split first to some other part of the circuitry. I was afraid that if it split first I'd expose some of the circuitry to 13.6 VDC when it only wanted 9 volts. Also, I didn't know how much heat sink there was on the power regulator nor whether it could dissipate the extra heat from the higher voltage.

I supply the inverter from one of the rechargeable 12 volt batteries like you might use in a deer feeder --Academy, here, has those. I've used it for several hours on multiple occasions from one of those and still had plenty of power. Take an extra and you'd be good-to-go for an extended stay.

If you're interested I'll shoot some pics of how I set up mine up in a package for transport to/from the range. The package includes an enclosure that shields the Chargemaster better from the wind. I'd shoot them now but my wife is off at a quilt show the digital camera.

Glen
 
Works great

I got the Blacker and Decker one that Walley World sells that is the jump pack, air compressor, power invertor, emergency light combo all-in-one. Around $80s. It will run my Chargemaster for 4 hours without turning it off. I usually shut down when at the line. Used it at Denton last weekend. The wind is my problem....

Tiny
 
i run mine off a 400 watt walmart inverter that plugs into a 12v outlet, also walmart has a 12v portable jump starter for dead car batterys that have a 12v plug and some of the high end jumpstarters have a 120 v outlet to plug into.
 
The way I go at things,

I would want to have it for a 4 hour session @ the range or mebby an hour at a time if I were to load a box of cartridges when on a multi-day shoot. For instance, I went to Iowa with 900+ loaded rounds for 4 rifles. I had 200+ for my backup rifle 250 for my VFS rife, 300 for my primary HBR rifle and only 160 for my new VH rifle, which I had to reload for while there a couple of times. I also needed to reload 100 for my primary HBR rifle between Iowa and Thurmont. I ended up shooting my backup rifle @ 300 @ thurmont so I wouldn't have to reload any for the new VH rifle( ran out of coated, measured bullets) there.

I am mostly interested in using it while testing at the range I frequent I guess. We have power there but it's 50 yds from the firing line and takes time to walk back and forth. I think I will try one of the plug in cheapies discribed above as they seem to work. Thanks to all for your replies.
 
DC supply

30 ma idle and 250 ma when the motor is running. Inverters are not very power efficient. I use 8 D cells wired in series for a 12 V DC supply which will run my chargemaster for a year+ during matches. Batteries, holders and a plug are available at Radio Shack for less than $30.
 
I am wondering

Jerry H said:
30 ma idle and 250 ma when the motor is running. Inverters are not very power efficient. I use 8 D cells wired in series for a 12 V DC supply which will run my chargemaster for a year+ during matches. Batteries, holders and a plug are available at Radio Shack for less than $30.
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the power transformer for the C says 9v on it. Are you running yours @ 12 v or am I missing something here? Thsnks.
 
That AC adapter puts out 13+ volts unloaded. I have been using 12+VDC for 2 years without any problem. The voltage drops when the motor is running. 8 AA batteries will run it for day, but they wear down quickly.
 
I see,

Jerry H said:
That AC adapter puts out 13+ volts unloaded. I have been using 12+VDC for 2 years without any problem. The voltage drops when the motor is running. 8 AA batteries will run it for day, but they wear down quickly.
Click to expand...


what about simply running the C straight from the power outlet in the van? Are you not using the adapter that came with it to run the C, or using another cord which hooks into your battery pack?
 
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Jerry H

Do you know the Radio Shack part number of the output connector (plug) which mates to the ChargeMaster input receptacle?
 
I got my battery form here, http://www.powerstream.com/BP-23.htm

I gave the guy all the specs for the chargmaster and he said a 2.3 battery would last me 60 hours. You only need it for a whole weekend of shooting. If you need more than that you can charge it in your car, it also comes with a home charget also. Its a nice set up that dosnt take up alot of room. I use this combo at match all the time.

Then you get a radio shack power adaper 9V 1000mA from radio shack part number 273-1863 and your all set.
 
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