Xantrex Technology 500 User Manual

Web: www.xantrex.com
Email: [e-mail]
Phone: [phone]
Phone: [phone] (toll free in North America)
Fax: [phone]
Fax: [phone] (toll free in North America)

Xantrex Inverter 500

Owner’s Guide

445-0140-01-01 Printed in China

About Xantrex

Xantrex Technology Inc. is a world-lead ing supplier of advanced po wer
electronics and control s wi th products from 50 watt mobile unit s to 1
MW utility-scale systems for wind, solar, batteries, fuel cells,
microturbines, and backup pow e r applications in both grid-connecte d
and stand-alone systems. Xantr ex pr oducts include inverters, battery
chargers, programmable power supplies , and variable speed drives that
convert, supply, control, clean, and dist rib ute electrical power.

Trademarks

Xantrex is a registered tradem ark of Xantrex Technology Inc.
© 2001 Xantrex Internation al. Al l ri ght s rese rve d.

Notice of Copyright

Xantrex Inverter 500 Owner’s Guide © September 2001 Xantrex
International.

Disclaimer

Unless specifically agreed to in writing, Xantrex Technology Inc.,
(“Xantrex”):

(a) Makes no warranty as to the accuracy, sufficiency, or suitability of
any technical or other information provided in its manu al s or other
documentation.
(b) Assumes no responsibility or liability for loss or damage, whether
direct, indirect, consequential, or incidental, which might arise out of the
use of such inf orma ti on. T he us e of a ny su ch in f orm ati on wi ll be enti rely
at the user’s risk.While every precau ti on ha s bee n ta ke n to ensure the
accuracy of the contents of this guide, Xantr ex In ternational assumes no
responsibility for errors or omissions. Note as well that specifications
and product functiona li ty m ay change without notice .

Date and Revision

October 2001, Revision 3

Part Number

445-0140-01-01

Contact Information

Web: www.xantrex.com
Email: [e-mail]
Phone: [phone]
Phone: [phone] (toll fre e in North America)
Fax: [phone]
Fax: [phone] (toll fre e in North America)

Contents

1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

2. Important Safety Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Warnings and Cautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

3. Xantrex 500 Inverter Features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

AC Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

4. Connecting the 500 Inverter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Choosing a Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Fastening the Inverter to a Mounting Surface . . . . . . . 8

Connecting the 500 Inverter to DC Power . . . . . . . . . 9

Using the Battery Clip Wire Assembly. . . . . . . . . . 11

Hardwiring the Inverter to the Battery . . . . . . . . . . 13

Disconnecting the Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Replacing the In-Line Fuse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

5. Operating the 500 Inverter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Operating Statuses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Interference With Electronic Equipment. . . . . . . . . 18

6. Battery Operating Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

7. Troubleshooting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

8. Warranty Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Returning a Product . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

To Place of Purchase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

To Xantrex. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Out-of-Warranty Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

9. Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Electrical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Physical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Regulatory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

i

ii

1 Introduction

Thank you for purchasing the Xantrex 500 Inverter. The
500 Inverter is part of a family of advanced, high­performance power inverters from Xantrex, the leader in the
field of high-frequency inverter design.

Connected directly to a 12 volt battery, the 500 Inverter
efficiently and reliably powers a wide variety of household
AC products, such as TVs and VCRs, laptop computers,
camcorder and cell phone chargers, compact fluorescent
lights, soldering irons, and small power tools.

The 500 Inverter uses reliable solid state power electronics
for years of safe, trouble-free operation and includes
automatic safety monitoring circuitry to protect it from
inadvertent overload conditions.

Read this guide before connecting or using the 500 Inverter,
and save it for future reference. The main topics in the guide
are:

• Safety information (page 2)

• 500 Inverter features (page 5)

• Instructions for connecting the inverter (page 9)

• Operating guidelines (page 16)

• Troubleshooting information (page 20)

• Warranty and service information (page 23)

• Specifications (page 27)

2 Important Safety Information

If the 500 Inverter is connected or used incorrectly,
hazardous conditions may be created. Read and save this
safety information, and pay special attention to all Caution
and Warning statements in the guide and on the inverter
itself. Warnings and Cautions are indicated by this symbol:

• Warning statements identify

result in personal injury or loss of life.

• Caution statements identify conditions or practices that

could result in damage to the 500 Inverter or other
equipment.

conditions that could

Warnings and Cautions

Warning!

The 500 Inverter generates the same potentially
lethal AC power as a household wall outlet. Do not
insert foreign objects in the inverter’s AC outlet or
any other openings in the inverter . Do not open the
inverter. Have a qualified individual complete any
service work.

Warning!

Do not expose the 500 Inverter to water, rain,
snow, or spray.

2

Shock hazard.

Shock hazard.

Warning!

Risk of fire or explosion.

The 500 Inverter contains components that tend to
produce arcs or sparks. To prevent fire or
explosion, do not install the inverter in
compartments containing batteries or flammable
materials or in locations that require ignition­protected equipment.

Warning!

Fire haza rd.

To reduce the risk of fire, do not cover or obstruct
the ventilation openings. Do not install the
500 Inverter in a zero-clearance compartment.
Overheating may result.

Warning!

Shock and fire hazard.

During installation route all cable/wiring away
from sharp edges and hot surfaces of the engine
compartment or vehicle.

Caution!

Risk of damage to equipment.

The 500 Inverter is designed to be directly
connected to standard electrical and electronic
equipment in the manner described in this guide.
Do not connect it to household or RV AC
distribution wiring. Do not connect it to any AC
load circuit in which the neutral conductor is
connected to ground (earth) or to the negative of
the DC (battery) source.

3

Caution!

Risk of damage to the 500 Inverter.

Reverse battery polarity (negative connected to
positive; positive connected to negative) will
damage the 500 Inverter, and it will require
servicing. Damage caused by reverse polarity is
not covered by your warranty.

Caution!

Risk of damage to rechargeable

appliances.

The output of the 500 Inverter is non-sinusoidal.
Certain battery chargers can be d amaged if they are
connected to the 500 Inverter. T wo p articular types
of equipment are prone to this problem:

• Small battery-operated appliances such as
rechargeable flashlights, shavers, and night
lights that can be plugged directly into an AC
receptacle to recharge.

• Certain battery chargers for battery packs u sed
in hand power tools. These chargers have a
warning label stating that dangerous voltages
are present at the charger battery terminals.

Do not use the 500 Inverter with the type of
appliances just described.

Caution!

Risk of damage due to high

temperatures.

Do not use the 500 Inverter in temperatures over
40° C (105° F). Overheating may result.

4

3 Xantrex 500 Inverter Features

This section describes the main features of the 500 Inverter.

Figure 1 shows the inverter’s AC panel.

②

①

③

④

➄

Figure 1 AC Panel on the 500 Inverter (European AC Outlet)

➀ AC Outlet

inverter. It allows you to plug in a 230 volt AC product with
a power consumption of 500 watts or less when the inverter
is connected to a 12 volt battery.

The AC outlet on your inverter may be different from the
one shown here. For all available outlets, see Figure 2,

Figure 3, and Figure 4, on page 7.

➁ On/Standby Switch

switch are: = Standby and = On.

An AC outlet is located on one end of the

The two positions on the On/Standby

5