Does this alarm draw too much voltage (from LED screen) to just leave it attached to the battery all the time, even when the battery is not in use?
1005658
It's a very small draw but anything left on your lipo too long will kill it. If used while in use yo monitor low cell voltages it's fine and doesn't affect much at all.
1005659
I don't think it draws that much, but why keep it on when not in use? Just plug it in to check then disconnect, I think would be best.
334913
If I unplug the unit, the alarm goes activates. If I plug it back in, the alarm goes off. Hope this helps.
1762630
No, the "low voltage" alarm would go off. You need panels that will output 23 to 26 volts to power this inverter.
1638106
There is a cutoff and I believe that the unit automatically dissipates the charge slightly if the batteries are left in the unit beyond the charge up time.The marketing blurb states " Automatically protects against overcharge and short circuit." The only danger I remember is in leaving the unit on with no batteries in it at all.
370024
Hi T - As of right now there is no way to disable the blinking emergency LED indicator, which was a design decision due to it's incredibly low power drain and to make sure people could always find it should the power go off. We are, however, working with our engineers on a way to reprogram it so that it can turn off (most likely we will make it so that holding down the power button for more than 2 seconds will disable the flashing LED indicator, but that's still under review). However, it's important to note that the batteries themselves would drain completely via normal cell degradation far before the flashing LED indicator would have any impact on the battery life. I have contacted our engineers to spec out the math on it to show just how little the drain is, and will distribute that once it's ready (they are quite swamped right now with designing the new features and future products :) ). Also, here was one answer that demonstrates the low draw until we have the exact specs ready: Posted on January 16: "The draw is so low that the batteries themselves would have lost their power via normal degradation well before any significant drain due to the flashing LED could be noticed. I do not have the exact specs in front of me, but I believe that the LED draws around .001 amps, which would be able last for a year even if it were constantly on with the D cell batteries. Since it is flashing (and not constant), that means that the draw is actually much, much less and means that it would in theory last for ten's of years. As you can imagine, we fully admit that we haven't tested that yet. :)" We will email you once we have the exact specs outlined. Thanks!
828397
I leave mine on all the time and it draws less amperage than an alarm-no moving parts whatsoever. You can set it to shut down after the vehicle is stopped too. I bought another one for my other car too.
903975
There isn't a plce to put a battery. when I unplug it the power goes off, but when I plug it in the date/time info is correct without resetting. I don't use it as an alarm clock though.
1878643
Hello Michael. I have never experienced a low battery shutdown myself but with the research I did on the topic, reveals a NO answer. I believe the low battery alarm sounds and continues to sound until the unit is reset or restarted.
1304007
I've also had mine about 2 years but have had no problems with false alarms. The on-board backup battery only lasts about 1 year, and when mine started seeming to give false alarms a couple of times, I found the actual problem was that it was warning me that the battery needed replacing... at least, replacing the battery corrected the alarms. Hope this helps.
1898852
It seems to me that some of the batteries are "juicier" than others. If anyone knows a trick to bolster the voltage, please be sure to share with me. It's hawks that would benefit in my neighborhood.
2255232
I think you have to activate the alarm for it to function. I did not activate the alarm. It is easy to tell when the power supply kicks in on battery power because of the increased hum from the inverter. There may be a bell that dings once when the inverter is active.
1662313
I change the battery at least once a year. When the alarm went off the first time a few weeks ago, I checked the battery first. It showed a good charge using my meter, but I went ahead and changed it anyway. The alarm has repeated to go off since the first time, several times a week. I took it down and will replace it with a different product.
764257
It sounds defective. I ran mine over 2 nights camping, using a small rechargeable 12 volt battery. I only heard the alarm once towards the end of the second night when I dropped below 12v. I thought it was a great lite unit for the price. I used 12 strings of LED lights around my campsite and people were amazed at the effect.
1424739
I've had my since February 2013 and haven't had to do anything to it. I don't think the battery is being overcharged- I think it turns that function off once it has full capacity. There is one side with half the plugs that is battery and surge protected and the other side with the other half of the plugs with surge protection. I am very happy with this item- it's plugged in under my desk and I've never had to touch it.
519660
I have had 2 of these in my home for over a year and I have never had a false alarm. I run the test about once a month and other than that I have never heard them. Sorry folks, you have either received bad units or you have dust or other particulates causing your problems. I am using the 120v version.
998698
Yes it is. Trickle charge or 1.amp fast charge. Your alarm panel will keep it charged. If your using it for something else other than an alarm then do not charge at more than 1.4 amps for 5 hours, or use a smart charger that shuts off when the battery is full.
1896369
I have never experienced a false alarm. The unit has a low battery light to tell you when it is time to change the battery. I have used my unit since 10/27/11 and have not needed to install a battery yet. I personally think it is a tremendous value for the money!