Whistler 1000, 2000 User Manual

1250/1750/2750 Manual 3/6/02 2:45 PM Page 1

OWNER’S MANUAL

1000/2000 WATT
SERIES

THE WHISTLER GROUP
CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS

13016 N. Walton Blvd.
Bentonville, AR 72712
TEL [phone] FX [phone]
www.whistlergroup.com

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT CENTER

25 Industrial Ave.
Chelmsford, MA 01824
TEL [phone] FX [phone]

CUSTOMER RETURN CENTER

1201 N. Dixieland Rd.
Rogers, AR 72756
Consumer Relations Tel [phone]
Email: [e-mail]

P/N 1000/2000SERIESMAN
©WHISTLER 2002

HIGH SURGE POWER INVERTERS

See important information section regarding medical equip­ment, rechargeable products and laptop computers before
using this power inverter!

1250/1750/2750 Manual 3/6/02 2:45 PM Page 3

INTRODUCTION

If you have questions concerning the
operation of this Whistler product
please call consumer relations:

1-800-531-0004

Hours:

Monday - Friday

8:00 am - 5:00 pm CT

Please keep the receipt in a safe
place. If the unit is returned without a
dated proof of purchase, an out of
w a rranty service charge applies.
Note: Your warranty period begins at
the time of purchase. The warranty is
validated only by your receipt.
Now is the time to record the serial
number of the unit in the space pro­vided in the warranty section of the
manual.

Dear Whistler Owner,
For many of us, a vehicle is more than just transportation. It

can be a mobile office, communications or entert a i n m e n t
c e n t e r, or simply an expression of our personality. Whistler
p roducts are designed to make the time you spend in your
vehicle more productive, more fulfilling, safer, or just simply
m o re fun. Our mission is to provide products that impro v e
your driving experience.

Whistler offers a complete line of DC to AC inverters
ranging in capacity from 140 Watts to 2750 Watts. These
inverters offer advanced technology, dependable operation
and will provide years of reliable service when used in accor­dance with our operating instructions.

Your new Whistler power inverter allows you to run most AC
appliances right from your car, boat or RV. They’re great for
weekend use and life on the road. They’re also great for
power outages!

This manual covers six models; the 1000 series (1000, 1250,
1500, 1750 watts) and the 2000 series (2500 and 2750 watts) to
fully acquaint yourself with the operation of your Whistler
power inverter we recommend reading this entire manual.

Sincerely,
THE WHISTLER GROUP

We’re Driving Technology

1

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Topic Page

Features Summary ..................................................................3-7

Important Information................................................................8

Inverter Information............................................................9 - 11

• Getting Started

• Don’t Push It

Battery Information...........................................................11 - 13

• Selecting the Optimum Power Source

Cable Information.............................................................13 - 14

• Wire Cable Gauges

Operation..........................................................................15 - 23

• Making the Connection

• Tips

• Recharging Equipment

• Power Source

• TV’s & Microwaves

Technical Operating Principles........................................23 - 25

Operation Summary .........................................................25 - 27

Troubleshooting................................................................28 - 29

Specifications............................................................................30

Warranty Information........................................................31 - 33

WHISTLER FEATURES

A Word About Whistler Power Inverters

Whistler inverters convert low voltage, direct current (DC)
to 110 volt alternating household current (AC). The AC
output is called “modified sine wave”. See “Technical
Operating Principles” section for more inform a t i o n .
Depending on the model and its rated capacity, Whistler
inverters draw power either from standard 12 volt automo­bile and marine batteries or from portable high power 12
volt sources.

Inverter Features

1000 watt series shown

a). ON/OFF Switch.This switch controls the flow of power
from the power source to the inverter. It does not control
the power running from the inverter to the equipment or
appliance being operated.

b). High Temperature LED Indicator Light. This light will
turn RED and the inverter will automatically shut down
when the internal temperature exceeds design parameters

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FEATURES

for safe operation. When this occurs, turn the equipment
or appliance off.
In the event of excess temperature, the High Speed
Cooling Fan also will automatically turn on. Overheating
may result when the inverter is being operated at levels
exceeding its wattage rating or because it has been
placed in a location or in an manner which prevents prop­er heat dissipation. After approximately 15 minutes, the
High Temperature Indicator light and the Cooling Fan will
turn off and the inverter will automatically restart indicating
that the inverter temperature has dropped to a safe oper­ating level.

c). Over Load LED Indicator Light. This light will turn RED
and the inverter will automatically shut down when the
continuous power draw from the inverter exceeds the
maximum continuous power rating for the inverter. Turn
the inverter OFF (O), determine and resolve the cause of
the overload prior to resuming operation of the equip­ment or appliance. Turning the inverter ON (I) will reset it.

d). Battery Current & Voltage Bar Graph Meters
(GREEN, YELLOW, RED).
Current Indicator. This illuminated Bar Graph monitors

the current being drawn from the battery by the inverter.
Depending on the amount of current being drawn, the Bar
Graph reading generally will be in the GREEN or YELLOW
zone.
When the reading rises to the RED zone, the inverter may

FEATURES

automatically shut down. In this event, it is likely that the
draw of the equipment or appliance being operated is
greater than the battery is capable of producing.

Voltage Indicator. This Bar Graph displays the voltage
being drawn from the battery by the inverter. The voltage is
measured at the Negative and Positive power input termi­nals on the inverter. The voltage level reading will be lower
than the battery voltage due to the voltage "drop" that
occurs as the battery voltage runs through the terminal con­nections and cables.
The inverter is designed to operate with input voltages
ranging from 10 to 15 volts. When the voltage drops below

10.5 volts DC, the voltage indicator will register in the lower
RED zone and an audible alarm will sound. If the voltage
drops below 10 volts DC, the voltage indicator will go out
and the inverter will automatically shut down.
The inverter also will shut down automatically when the
input voltage exceeds 15 volts DC. Despite this "built in"
protection, the inverter may be damaged if the input volt­age exceeds 15 volts DC and damage caused by excess
voltage input is not covered under the WHISTLER warranty.
Under optimum conditions, the voltage reading will be in
the GREEN zone.

Note:

In the event of automatic shut down or continuous audible
alarm, turn the inverter OFF (O) until the source of the relat­ed problem has been determined and resolved.

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FEATURES

e). Two Standard North American 110 AC Outlets are
provided.

f).Remote Operation Socket.

The inverter is designed to be
operated from a remote location
via the WHISTLER PP015DC
Remote Control Switch which
plugs into this socket. This option­al accessory is available through
WHISTLER or your WHISTLER
dealer.

1000 watt series shown

i). High Speed Cooling Fan. This fan will turn on auto­matically when the internal temperature exceeds design
parameters for safe operation. The Cooling Fan will auto­matically turn off when the temperature drops to a safe
operating level. This fan does not run continuously.

j). Power Input Terminals

(WHITE/Negative, RED/Positive).
(IMPORTANT: The Negative Terminal on the 2000 series is
BLACK. See opposite).

FEATURES

Note:

The 2000 series inverters incorporates all of the operating
and safety features of the 1000 series models. In addition
to these common features, the 2000 series are equipped
with circuit breakers and a terminal for making direct con­nection between the inverter and an electrical distribution
panel.

2000 watt series shown - Front view

g). Circuit Breakers. (2000 Series Only). Each 110 AC out­let is equipped with a 15 amp circuit breaker.

h). "Direct Wire" Connection. (2000 Series Only). This ter­minal is utilized for direct connection to an electrical distri­bution panel. This connection is to be made only by a
licensed electrician. See Notes in the following section,
"Making the Connection").

2000 watt

series

shown -

Rear view

k). Chassis Ground Terminal Lug.

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IMPORTANT INFORMATION

I m p o rtant Information About Your New W h i s t l e r
Inverter.

This manual will provide you with directions for the safe
and efficient operation of your Whistle Power Inverter.

Important Note: Each of the following operating
procedures and safety features must be carefully reviewed
and thoroughly understood prior to using the inverter.
Failure to do so may result in damage to the inverter or
equipment or serious personal injury.

Notes:

Your Whistler inverter is designed to operate from a 12 volt
power source only. Never attempt to connect your
Whistler inverter to any other power source, including any
AC power source.

• 110 volts can be lethal. Improper use of your
W h i s t l e r i n v e rter may result in pro p e rty
damage, personal injury or loss of life.

• Check with the appliance manufacturer for com-
patibility with modified sine wave inverters. Some
appliances may not work well, not at all or be dam­aged.
For more information on compatibility issues, please visit
our inverter FAQ page at w w w. w h i s t l e rg ro u p . c o m / f a q -

inverters.asp

This is especially true for medical equipment.

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INVERTER INFORMATION

Getting Start e d

Power equipment and appliances which operate with motors
or tubes re q u i re an initial surge of power to get them up and
running. This power surge is re f e rred to as the "start i n g
load" or "peak load." (By comparison, electrical devices
such as standard light bulbs do not re q u i re a large start i n g
load). Once the equipment or appliance has been powere d
up, it settles down to a slower pace and re q u i res far less elec­trical power to operate. This lower power re q u i rement is
re f e rred to as the "continuous load."

In order to ensure that the capacity of your Whistler i n v e rt e r
is sufficient to meet the re q u i red start up load, you must first
d e t e rmine the power consumption of the equipment or
appliance you plan to operate.

Power consumption is rated either in wattage or in ampere s ,
and information re g a rding the re q u i red "watts" or "amps"
generally is stamped or printed on most appliances and
equipment. If this information is not indicated on the appli­ance or equipment, check the owner’s manual. Contact the

appliance or equipment manufacturer to determine if
the device you are using (TV’s, battery re-charger, com­puter, etc.) is compatible with a modified sine wave.

If the power consumption is rated in amps, multiply the
number of amps by 110 (AC voltage) to determine the com­parable wattage rating. As a general rule, you can deter­mine the re q u i red start up load by multiplying the wattage
rating by 10.

For further information on the fundamental operating prin­ciples of Whistler inverters and related technical data, see

"Technical Operating Principles"

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