Cobra Electronics CPI 2575 User Manual

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The Cobra line of quality products includes:

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order any of our products,

please visit our website:

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Operating Instructions

2500 WATT POWER INVERTER

CPI 2575

Nothing Comes Close To A Cobra

™

Printed in China

Part No. 480-401-P

Version A

Introduction

Our Thanks to You

Thank you for purchasing the Cobra CPI 2575 inverter. Properly used, this Cobra product will give you 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. productinfo@cobra.com (e-mail).

For Assistance Outside the U.S.A.

Contact Your Local Dealer

6500 West Cortland Street

Chicago, Illinois 60707 USA

www.cobra.com

Assistance

Warranty

Remote On/Off

Power

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Introduction

Product Features

Features

• Three AC Receptacles

• Voltage & Power Meter

• Remote On/Off Capable

• Automatic Thermal Protection/Shutdown

AC Outlets

Negative Battery

Chassis Ground Terminal

Cable Terminal (Black)

• Reverse Polarity Protection

• Low Battery Alarm

• Low Battery Shutdown

Voltage Input &

Power Output

Indicators

On/Off Power Switch

Output End

Positive Battery

Cooling Fans

USB Outlet

Cable Terminal

(Red)

Remote

On/Off Switch

Jack

Introduction

Contents

Introduction

Our Thanks to You . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A1

Customer Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A1

Product Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A2

Important Safety Information . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Quick Evaluation Before Installation . . . . . . .4

Installation

Installation Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Mounting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Connecting Cables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Power Consumption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Ground Wiring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Operation

Turning Your Inverter On or Off . . . . . . . . 14

Remote On/Off Switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Operating Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Operating Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Troubleshooting Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Warranty

Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Customer Assistance

Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

Product Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Accessories and Order Form . . . . . . . . . . 24

Notes

Input End

A3A2

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Warranty

Notes

arranty

Notes

Assistance

Warranty

Notes

Assistance

Warranty

Notes

Installation

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Introduction

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.

CAUTION Statements specify conditions which could cause damage to the unit or other equipment.

WARNING Statements identify conditions that could result in personal injury or loss of life.

General Precautions

1. Never install the inverter in a boat’s engine compartment 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 userserviceable parts. Attempting to service unit could cause electrical shock.

NOTE Internal components remain charged 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.

CAUTION This inverter should be used in negative ground applications only.

•

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™

Assistance

arranty

otes

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Introduction

Important Safety Information

WARNING Power inverters contain components that tend to produce arcs or sparks. To prevent fire or explosion, do not install the inverter in areas or compartments containing batteries or flammable materials or in locations that require ignition-protected equipment.

WARNING To reduce the risk of fire, do not cover or obstruct the ventilation openings. Do not install inverter in zero-clearance compartment.

Caution: Rechargeable Appliances

Certain chargers for small nickel cadmium batteries can be damaged if connected to the Cobra 2500 watt inverter. Two particular types of equipment are prone to this problem:

Plug In Directly

1. Small battery-operated appliances

such as flashlights, razors, and night lights that can be plugged directly into an AC receptacle to recharge.

Dangerous Voltages

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.

Introduction

Important Safety Information

Cobra 2500 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 wave” 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).

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Assistance

Warranty

Notes

Installation

Intro Operation Customer

Assistance

Warranty

otes

Main Icons

Secondary Icons

Installation

Intro Operation Customer

Assistance

Warranty

Notes

Main Icons

Secondary Icons

Installation

Intro Operation Customer

Assistance

Warranty

Notes

Main Icons

Secondary Icons

Installation

Intro Operation Customer

Assistance

Warranty

Notes

Main Icons

Secondary Icons

Installation

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Introduction

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:

£ A 12 volt DC power source (such as a vehicle battery).

£ Cables to connect the power source to the inverter

Quick Evaluation Before Installation

ower Source

(not included). The cables must be as short and thick as possible in

order to reduce the voltage drop between the power source and the inverter when it is drawing current from the power source.

If the cable suffers an excessive voltage drop, the inverter may shut down when drawing higher currents because the voltage at the inverter dropped below 10 volts.

#4 AWG stranded copper cable is recommended. It should be no longer than four feet (one and one-half meters).

The end of the cable that connects to the inverter must have its insulation stripped off for about one-half inch (one and one-half cm) back from the end, exposing the bare copper.

The other end of the cable, which connects to the power source, must be terminated with a lug or other connector that provides a secure, low resistance connection.

For example, if the power source is a battery, the cable must be terminated with a battery terminal that clamps to the post on the 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 10 to get the current (in amperes) the power source must deliver.

Quick Evaluation

Introduction

•

£ A test load that can be plugged into the AC receptacle on

the inverter for short term testing at a low power level. The following cables are recommended for testing low power level test loads only.

Test Load

To check your inverter’s performance before installation:

Power Button

Connect Terminals

Connect Power Source

wer Button

Connect

USB Outlet

Before Installation

Test Load Minimum

2. Connect cables to power input

3. Connect cables to power source

4. Check to make sure all

5. Turn the inverter on. If the power

6. Plug in the test load.

The inverter should supply power to the load. If the inverter is not working properly, refer to the

est Load

troubleshooting guide on page 20 or power and protection indicators section on page 16.

Power Cable Size

100W # 16 AWG copper 250W # 12 AWG copper 500W # 8 AWG copper

Turn the inverter off (see page 14 for details). If the power source is a DC power supply, switch it off as well.

terminals (see page 8 for details).

(see page 8 for details).

connections are secure.

source is a DC power supply, switch it on first.

NOTE A USB device can be used to check the output of the USB Outlet.

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