Anybody ever hardwired a power inverter to the battery AND put a switch on it?

[sunXet_RELOADED]

Hey what's up everybody. I am trying to figure out how to put a switch on my power inverter so that I don't have to let down my back seat everytime I need to power it on. I already have it hardwired to the battery with 10 gauge wire, but I can't or at least don't know how to run a traditional remote wire to it because it doesn't have the spot for one like an amp would. Anyway, I heard of using a relay by a couple of friends around my house, but they didn't know enough about relays to further explain. Thanks for any help everybody...

[hot97]

if you already have it hardwired to the battery, all you have to do is through a switch on the power line running back to the truck to either turn the inverter on or off. Power will not go to the inverter if the switch is off...

[matts]

i've got a relay on mine......and if i wanted to do something like that all i'd have to do is add a switch to the remote wire. but if you just have it hardwired w/o the relay you'd just need to add the toggle switch to it...be the same difference

[sunXet_RELOADED]

What my concerns are is that if I put a little switch from radio shack on there, then the inverter might not be able to get enough power since it's running off a 10 gauge wire with a little switch thrown in there. It's like trying to put a switch onto the power wire itself for an amp. I don't know if that would work. Was that how you all were explaining it? I don't know if i am explaining this like i wanna, but let me know if you understand me...Would any toggle switch work? Anyway, I'm rambling. Thanks for anymore and all previous advice.(Matts, you're still the man!)

[Bjornboy81]

Here's (http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/framed.htm?parent=relay.htm&url=http://www.teamrocs.com/technical/pages/relay_basics.htm) an article on relay basics. As long as the relay or switch is rated to be able to handle the current that the inverter is going to pull, then you shouldn't have any problems. You can connect the 10 gage wire to the relay/switch with spade connectors that way you dont have to reduce the wire size (if that's what you were saying)...just make sure that the relay/switch has spade connections.

[sunXet_RELOADED]

Thanks a lot Bjournboy81, this site really helped!!!