| People always ask us "exactly how does a power | | | | flow is a critical issue. In fact, true sine output is |
| inverter work?" The answer to this question often | | | | sometimes slightly superior to that of public utility |
| surprises our customers. Car power inverters work | | | | power grids! Because of this, they are also the most |
| much more simply than mysteriously, and the learning | | | | expensive devices of their kind on the market. |
| curve required to understand them requires no more | | | | Recent advances in technology have accommodated |
| than a very basic knowledge of electricity. Essentially, | | | | users on a budget with a hybrid design generally |
| there are two forms of electrical power in the | | | | referred to as either a modified square or modified |
| Universe: Direct Current (DC) and Alternating Current | | | | sine wave power inverter. The technical differences |
| (AC). Direct current flows continuously from the | | | | that determine how a true sine car power inverter |
| positive electrical pole to the negative electrical pole. | | | | works and how a modified sine power inverter |
| Alternating current flows back and forth between | | | | works are too minor to produce any noticeable |
| the two poles. DC current occurs in Nature and | | | | effects with standard electronics. Only the most |
| batteries, while AC current is man-made and supplies | | | | high-end equipment requires true sine output, and the |
| power through the public utility grid that supports | | | | cost of these devices may justify the additional |
| human industry and infrastructure. Car batteries | | | | investment in pure sine technology to deliver |
| presented a problem in the past when people realized | | | | maximum quality and reliable performance. |
| they needed to operate traditionally AC-powered | | | | Another new development that allows car power |
| devices in their cars but could not do so because of | | | | inverters to work with even more reliability than ever |
| incompatible current requirements. Manufacturers like | | | | before is the sophisticated Soft Start Technology, |
| Vector stepped up to solve this dilemma by working | | | | branded "SST" by manufacturers such as Vector. |
| to design car power inverters that would safely and | | | | SST is the next step in the evolution of how power |
| efficiently convert DC to AC. Their successful | | | | inverters work. The very first power inverters for |
| engineering has resulted in a wide range of compact, | | | | cars would only work intermittently during cold engine |
| rectangular devices that connect to batteries and | | | | starts. Because they could not pull enough power |
| output the resulting alternating current safely through | | | | from the battery, they would shut down from |
| one or more standard electrical plugs. | | | | current underload and require a manual restart. SST |
| Two factors determine how a power inverter works: | | | | resolves this issue by gradually increasing voltage |
| wave output and wattage output. Wave output | | | | ramp up during engine startup. If the output dips for |
| describes the physical appearance of electrical signals | | | | any reason, SST makes instant adjustments to |
| as they move across an oscilloscope. Square waves | | | | compensate and will prevent most shutdowns. If in |
| appear exactly as their name specifies: like squares | | | | the rare event a shutdown does occur, the newer |
| on a grid. Pure sine waves, also called true sine | | | | car power inverters work automatically to restart |
| waves, appear as visible waves on the screen. Sine | | | | themselves without distracting the driver from the |
| wave car power inverters work better than square | | | | road. |
| wave power inverters when uninterrupted power | | | | |