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When operating your vehicle, Kensington strongly recommends stowing your
Inverter in a safe place such as the glove box when not in use. If your Inverter
is in use during the operation of the vehicle ensure that your Inverter is a safe
distance from the driving controls and will not become tangled with the
driving controls during the operation of the vehicle.
Warning! Your Inverter May Become Hot During Operation,
and Requires Proper Ventilation!
To Prevent Injury and Property Damage:
• Do not place your Inverter near a heat source, heat vent, or in direct sunlight.
•Provide adequate ventilation and do not place any item on or near your
Inverter during operation.
• Do not use your Inverter inside a closed glove compartment, console, or
airline seat pocket.
•Keep your Inverter away from flammable materials or other items that can
be damaged by high temperatures.
• Do not operate the Inverter near flammable fumes or gases.
•Loose connections can generate harmful heat and/or damage to your
Inverter or power source. To prevent this from occurring periodically check
that your Inverter’s input power cable and output connections are tight.
• Do not operate or leave your Inverter unattended while in use.
• Do not touch the tip of your Inverter’s cigarette lighter plug or the end of
the Inverter cable after use. The plug may be hot.
Warning! Some AC Products are Not Compatible with Your Inverter!
If either your Inverter’s fuse is blown or its overload protection components
are activated then do not continue attempting to power any of the following:
•AC load circuit in which the neutral conductor is connected to ground
(earth) or to the negative of the DC (battery) source.
•RV or household AC distribution wiring or extension cords.
• Small battery-operated products such as rechargeable flashlights, some
rechargeable shavers, and night-lights that are plugged directly into an
AC receptacle to recharge.
•Certain battery chargers for battery packs used in hand power tools. These
chargers will have warning labels stating that dangerous voltages are
present at the charger’s battery terminals.
•Your Inverter will not operate appliances and equipment that produce heat,
such as microwave ovens, toasters, kettles, hair dryers/curling irons, and
electrical heaters. Do not use your Inverter with these products.
•Your Inverter is not recommended for use with inductive loads such as:
pumps, compressors, or fluorescent lamps.
Using Your Inverter
Kensington recommends turning your Inverter OFF after use and unplugging it
from the cigarette lighter/vehicle power source.
To Connect Your Inverter to a Cigarette Lighter or
Vehicle Power Source
1. Connect your Inverter to the power source by inserting the cigarette lighter
plug firmly into the cigarette lighter/vehicle power source or other DC
power supply.
Warning! Use caution when removing your vehicle’s cigarette lighter plug from its
socket. The cigarette lighter may be hot and could burn your skin or ignite flammable
materials. Allow the lighter to completely cool before storing it in a safe place.
2. Ensure that the portable electronic device that you are intending to power
with your Inverter does not draw more than 120 Watts of continuous
AC power. Check the product label of your electronic device for the voltage
(Volts) and current (Amps) requirements of the device that you intend
to power with your Inverter. Multiply these two numbers together
Volts x Amps = power requirement of the device measured in Watts (W).
If this number exceeds 120 Watts your Inverter will not be able to power
this device!
3. Plug the portable electronic device that you are intending to power into the
AC receptacle of your Inverter and turn the device ON.
4. Ensure that the ON/OFF Switch located on the side of your Inverter is in
the ON position. Your Inverter’s LED will glow when the Inverter is properly
connected to the DC source.
To Connect Your Inverter to an EMPOWER™ Port
Onboard an Aircraft
1. On the end of your Inverter power cable locate the Cigarette Lighter/Vehicle
Power Adapter. Push down on the tab, and pull the cigarette plug apart from
the in-flight connector. The part remaining at the end of your Inverter power
cable will plug into an EMPOWER™ port.
2. Find the in-flight connector socket near your airline seat, and plug the in-
flight connector into the socket firmly. When you need to use your Inverter
in a vehicle, just reconnect the cigarette plug with the in-flight connector
once again.
3. Ensure that the ON/OFF Switch located on the side of your Inverter is in the
ON position. Your Inverter’s LED will glow when the Inverter is properly
connected to the DC source.
Note: Only 75W of continuous power will be available from an EMPOWER™ port.
This is for your and the other passenger’s safety. If your device requires more than
75W of power the device may not work onboard an aircraft. Some notebooks
requiring more than 75W may still function, but switch between “charging”and
“battery”and suffer from a decrease in performance.
Preventing Overheating
1. Your Inverter needs to have the best possible air flow around it while
operating. Note that the air flows into the back (intake) vents located
near your Inverter’s power cable and exits through vents on the top of
the Inverter next to the AC receptacle. Do not restrict the airflow as your
Inverter may overheat.
2. Do not operate your Inverter near a heat source, heat vent, or in
direct sunlight.
3. Ambient air temperature should be between 23 and 122° F. (-5–50° C)—
optimal performance temperatures are between 60 and 80° F. (15–25° C).
Automatic Overheating Shutdown
If your Inverter’s internal temperature rises above 140° F (60° C) the Inverter
will automatically shut itself off. To resume operating your Inverter once it has
shutdown please remove the cigarette plug adapter from the DC power source
and wait at least 15 minutes before reinserting the cigarette plug adapter.
Starting and Running Your Vehicle’s Engine
•Your Inverter may be used with or without your vehicle’s engine running.
However, your Inverter may momentarily stop operating while your
vehicle’s engine is starting as the battery voltage can drop substantially
during cranking.
•
Your Inverter draws less than 0.2 Amps from your vehicle’s battery when it
is not supplying power to a load. Therefore, in most instances, your Inverter
can be left connected to your vehicle’s DC power source when not in use
since it draws so little current. However, if your vehicle is to remain unused
for more than one day, disconnect your Inverter from your vehicle’s DC power
source. Kensington recommends turning your Inverter OFF when not in use
with the switch located on the side of the Inverter. The LED located on the top
of your Inverter will not glow when the Inverter is successfully turned OFF.
• Depending on variables such as battery condition, device being operated,
even weather, an automotive battery can be discharged after 2 to 8 hours
of use. Users should either monitor voltage or start the vehicle every hour
to recharge the vehicle’s battery. This will guard against any unexpected
shutdown of the equipment and will ensure that there is always sufficient
power to start your vehicle.
•With the engine running the vehicle’s battery has much more capacity
available and at a higher voltage. If the Inverter is shutting down due to an
excessive load with the engine off, keeping the vehicle’s engine running
may remedy the problem.
Warning! Do Not Run Your Vehicle’s Engine in a Garage or Other Enclosed Area!
If you are running your vehicle’s engine while stationary to power the portable
electronic device you have plugged into your Inverter, or to re-charge the vehicle’s
battery, do so only in a well ventilated area, away from other enclosed areas.
Automotive and recreational vehicles emit carbon dioxide which can cause serious
injury or death if the vehicle’s engine is running in a garage or other enclosed area,
or near other enclosed areas.
Operation of Your Inverter’s Automatic Safety Shutdown Features
Over-voltage—Your Inverter’s LED will glow RED and automatically shuts
down when the input voltage from your vehicle or its battery exceeds 16V DC.
Remove and reinsert the cigarette plug adapter to restart your Inverter.
Low-voltage—Your Inverter’s LED will glow RED when the input voltage from
your vehicle or its battery is less than 11V DC. Restart your vehicle’s engine to
recharge its battery.
Overload—Your Inverter’s LED will glow RED and automatically shuts down
when the AC draw exceeds 150 Watts. Remove and reinsert the cigarette plug
adapter to restart your Inverter.
A short circuit—Your Inverter automatically shuts down when it detects a short
circuit or reverse polarity. This condition will usually result in the fuse being
blown. If this condition occurs, immediately disconnect the portable electronic
device and replace your Inverter’s fuse as described in the fuse replacement
section, to follow.
Overheating—Your Inverter’s LED will glow RED and automatically shuts down
when the internal temperature exceeds 140° F 60° C. Remove the cigarette
plug adapter from the DC power source and allow your Inverter to cool for at
least 15 minutes before reinserting the cigarette plug adapter.
Warning! Do not touch the tip of your Inverter's cigarette plug adapter after use. The
plug may be hot and could burn your skin or ignite flammable materials. Allow your
Inverter's cigarette plug adapter to completely cool before storing it in a safe place.
Fuse Replacement
Warning! Ensure that your Inverter is disconnected from the 12V DC power source
before replacing the internal fuse. Failure to do so may cause electrical shock!
1. Your Inverter’s fuse is located inside the Inverter. Do not disassemble the
cigarette plug adapter. Open the Fuse Door located on the bottom of your
Inverter to gain access to the fuse.
2. Using a pair of needle nosed pliers (notincluded with your purchase) as
demonstrated above, carefully remove the automotive blade type fuse.
3. Replace the fuse with a fuse of equal rating (20A 32VDC) and type. Do not
use a fuse of a higher rating as this could result in damage to the portable
electronic device you are powering or the aircraft/vehicle your Inverter is
drawing DC power from.
4. To check or replace the fuse of the vehicle providing DC power to your
Inverter please refer to your vehicle’s Owner’s Manual. Kensington
recommends closely following the instructions and warnings provided
by the vehicle’s manufacturer.
5. Determine the cause of the overload/short circuit before restarting
your Inverter.
DC Power Source Requirements
Your Inverter must be connected only to vehicles with a DC power source rated
at a nominal output voltage of 12 Volts. Your Inverter will not operate from a
6 Volt battery and will be damaged if it is connected to a 24 Volt battery. The
power source must provide between 11–15.5 Volts DC. The power source may
be a battery or other well-regulated 12Volt DC power supply. Check your
vehicle’s Owner’s Manual.
The power supply must also be able to deliver the current necessary to operate
the load created by the portable electronic device that you are intending to
power. As a rough guideline, divide the power consumption of the device (in
Watts) by 12 (the nominal input voltage) to obtain the current (in Amps) the
power source must deliver.
Example: If a device is rated at 120 Watts; the power source must be able to
deliver: (120/12) = 10 Amps. Most vehicular 12 Volt cigarette lighter outlets
have fuses that will permit the outlet to draw between 15 and 20 Amps.
AC Power Draw Guidelines
Most electrical tools, appliances and audio/video equipment have labels that
indicate the power consumption in Amps or Watts. Be sure that the continuous
power consumption of the device you wish to power is rated at 120 Watts or
less. If the power consumption of the device is rated in Amps, simply multiply
by the AC volts (115) to determine the wattage. For example, a power drill
rated at 1 Amp will draw 115 Watts. Do not use your Inverter to operate a
device that requires more than 120 Watts of continuous power.
Troubleshooting
“Buzzing”sound in audio systems—Some inexpensive stereo systems and
“Boom Boxes”can emit a buzzing sound from their speakers when operated
from your Inverter. This occurs because the power supply in the electronic
device does not adequately filter the modified sine wave produced by your
Inverter. The only solution to this problem is to use a sound system that
incorporates a higher quality power supply.
Television interference—Your Inverter is shielded and filtered to minimize
interference with TV signals. In some cases, some interference may still be
visible, particularly with weak TV signals. Try the following corrective measures:
•Position your Inverter as far as possible from the television, the antenna
and the antenna cables.
• Adjust the orientation of your Inverter, the antenna cables, and the
TV power cord to minimize interference.
•Make sure that the antenna feeding the TV provides an adequate (“snow
free”) signal and that high quality, shielded antenna cable is used.
Lack of AC power output—Some vehicle’s electrical systems require that when
the vehicle’s engine is off the ignition key must be in the “on”or “accessory”
position in order to power the cigarette lighter.
Blown fuse in your Inverter or in your vehicle’s 12V outlet circuit—
Replace your Inverter’s fuse as directed in the fuse replacement section of
this instruction guide. Refer to your vehicle’s Owner’s Manual for instructions
on replacing blown fuses. Be sure that the Inverter is connected to a power
source with correct voltage and polarity and the portable electronic device
that you are intending to power does not require 120 Watts or more of
AC power continuously.
Battery voltage below 11 Volts DC—Charge or replace your vehicle’s battery.
Equipment being operated draws too much power—Reduce load to
maximum 120 Watts.
Inverter in thermal shutdown condition—Unplug your Inverter from the power
source and allow it to cool down. Ensure there is adequate ventilation around
your Inverter. Ensure that the device you are intending to power does not
require more than 120 Watts of AC power for continuous operation.
Inverter not adequately warmed up—Plug your Inverter into your vehicle’s
power source without the portable electric device plugged into the AC receptacle
Hold this tab and slide the
cigarette lighter connector off
Cigarette lighter
connector
EMPOWER™
connector