Power Inverter Troubleshooting

Find support for Cobra power inverters — learn how to install, connect, and troubleshoot inverters for vehicles and boats to ensure reliable power delivery.

Output Voltage
The output from your inverter is a little different than the voltage from an outlet in your home. The voltage in your home is called a "sine wave"...
Why Does My Outlet Tester Show An Open Ground?
Outlet testers are intended for testing normal utility power (from your local electric company). With normal utility power, the neutral and ground are conne...
Radio Noise From Power Inverters
Power inverters can create radio noise, which is normal. If you experience a noise problem, here is what you can do to minimize interference:   Connect a...
Calculating Battery Life
To determine how long your battery will last before running down, you need to know the “Reserve Capacity” of your battery. Reserve Capacity is a specificati...
How Big Does the Battery Need to Be?
That depends on several factors: Will the inverter be installed in a vehicle? How many watts does the appliance consume? How long do you want to run the...
Cables and fuses
Power inverters draw a lot of amps from the battery, as shown in the following table.  It is highly recommended to keep the battery cables as short as possi...