PV Gap

Viola Said:

Why in the last 8 yrs the?

We Answered:

There are a million eco-responsible things that the US could do/should do. But as a nation, until the old white men that run this country can no longer turn a huge profit on oil, or start making money on solar panels it won't happen. The US is like 5% of the worlds population and we use like 40% of the worlds resources. We are a bunch of fat greedy bastards. Although there is an uprise in going green in this country now, it is a fad. It is gaining great momentum because it is the cool thing to do, but it is still a fad and US people as a whole are only going to be as green as they feel benifits them. There are ofcourse the exceptions, but i wouldnt really count on the US to really step up anytime soon.

Dorothy Said:

Power Inverter Question?

We Answered:

Lots of timers are designed to work with AC house current and not 12 VDC. A few extra ohms at 120V won't do anything, but at 12V and high-current, it will stop things dead. Most timers I've seen recently specifically state (buried deep in the fine print) that they can't be used with the new fluorescent bulbs because those need a true physical switch and not an electronic dimmer-type action.

If you don't want to search for a timer that uses a relay action (like a real switch) and not an electronic switch, I'd use the timer to turn on a low-current relay. Make sure that the timer can work with the voltage you're using (12VDC, right?), or else you'll keep having problems. Then let the relay turn the inverter on or off. The relay physical contacts should act just like the switch and as long as you get a high enough rating, shouldn't have any problems with the circuit.