Question about the output of a car battery in amps

AI Thread Summary
An electric 12v anchor winch was initially powered by a low-output 3 amp AC to DC inverter, causing it to operate slowly and jerkily. The user sought advice on the appropriate amperage needed for optimal performance. It was suggested that most medium winches require around 15 amps, although the specific requirements were not labeled on the winch or in the manual. After acquiring a 15 amp inverter, the winch functioned correctly, confirming the necessary power range. A recommendation was made to consider a 120v winch for easier operation in the future.
wizer
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
Hi. I joined to ask this one question..but who knows maybe I will stick around and learn other things..lol...

I bought an electric 12v anchor winch which is designed to be used with a 12v car battery on a boat. I intend to use it to hoist my bicycles to the ceiling of my garage. However, the AC to DC power inverter that I tried, which outputs 3 amps...makes the winch run very slowly and with a jerking motion. I assume this is because the amperage is way low. So I need a power inverter with a higher amperage rating...

My question..how high?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Welcome to PF, Wizer.
The requirements should be listed on the label, or at least in the owner's manual. I believe that most medium winches run about 15 amps, but I'm not sure.
 
Danger said:
Welcome to PF, Wizer.
The requirements should be listed on the label, or at least in the owner's manual. I believe that most medium winches run about 15 amps, but I'm not sure.

Thanks Danger..

No label anywhere on the winch or on the manual...I know, there should be, right?

I ran over to RadioShack, and picked up a 15 amp AC to 12v DC power inverter and it appears to work perfectly.

So you are correct, and that confirms that I am in the right power range for that winch.

Thanks.
 
You're quit welcome.
 
Next time buy a 120v winch...cheaper, simpler and just plug it into any wall outlet...
 

Thread 'Average velocity as a weighted mean'

Hello everyone, Consider the problem in which a car is told to travel at 30 km/h for L kilometers and then at 60 km/h for another L kilometers. Next, you are asked to determine the average speed. My question is: although we know that the average speed in this case is the harmonic mean of the two speeds, is it also possible to state that the average speed over this 2L-kilometer stretch can be obtained as a weighted average of the two speeds? Best regards, DaTario
View full post »

Thread '1:1 versus 2:1 Mechanical Advantage debate'

The rope is tied into the person (the load of 200 pounds) and the rope goes up from the person to a fixed pulley and back down to his hands. He hauls the rope to suspend himself in the air. What is the mechanical advantage of the system? The person will indeed only have to lift half of his body weight (roughly 100 pounds) because he now lessened the load by that same amount. This APPEARS to be a 2:1 because he can hold himself with half the force, but my question is: is that mechanical...
View full post »
Thread 'Beam on an inclined plane'

Thread 'Beam on an inclined plane'

Hello! I have a question regarding a beam on an inclined plane. I was considering a beam resting on two supports attached to an inclined plane. I was almost sure that the lower support must be more loaded. My imagination about this problem is shown in the picture below. Here is how I wrote the condition of equilibrium forces: $$ \begin{cases} F_{g\parallel}=F_{t1}+F_{t2}, \\ F_{g\perp}=F_{r1}+F_{r2} \end{cases}. $$ On the other hand...
View full post »

Similar threads

Kids Ride on Toy Car Battery/Voltage
Replies
5
Views
3K
Increasing the output torque of a DC motor with gears
Replies
16
Views
4K
A question about battery powered cars
Replies
10
Views
2K
350W car power inverter vs tiny generator
Replies
11
Views
2K
How to make a custom UPS using an old PC power supply and 18650 batteries?
Replies
7
Views
3K
Float charging batteries: what really happens?
Replies
7
Views
2K
Could you use Solar to power a DC to AC Inverter? (Description below)
Replies
6
Views
3K
Is charging off of a car battery harmful for the car?
Replies
21
Views
3K
Boosting a petrol generator with a car battery?
Replies
11
Views
5K
Automotive Death of a car battery and related issues
Replies
39
Views
5K

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top