Appliances that plug into an alternating current socket, but require DC to opera te, may require the use

of a power inverter to convert the source to direct current. Many home appliances ru n on AC power and it can be helpful to have an inverter during power failures to direct DC current to the fi xture. An inverter is essentially a combination of electrical devices that accepts one form of incoming current and transforms the current to send it out in another form (AC to DC or vice-versa). You can design and build your o wn inverter for personal use with materials commonly found at hardware and electronic stores. Difficulty: Moderate Instructions Things You'll Need =Tape measure =Electrical wire =Wire cutters =Wire strippers =Soldering iron =Electrical rosin core solder =24V/120V center-tapped transformer =2 battery clamps =47-microfarad electrolytic capacitor =Two 820-ohm resistors =Two 82-ohm resistors =2 bipolar junction transistors =2 ring terminals =12-volt battery (including power switch) 1 Cut six pieces of wire with wire cutters to a length that is between 1 a nd 2 feet. Strip about half an inch of insulation off each end of the wires with wire strippers. 2 Connect the first wire to any of the end terminals on the transformer's primary side. Secure the connection by soldering the wire to the terminal. Repeat the procedure with one end of the second wire to the other end terminal on the transformer's primary side. 3 Join the third wire to the transformer center tap. Solder the connection for security. Attach one of the battery clamps to the free end of the third wire by loosening the screw on the clamp and insertin g the third wire into the screw hole. Tighten the screw and solder the battery clamp to the third wire. 4 Affix the remaining battery clamp to one end of the fourth wire followin g the same procedure used to attach the first battery clamp. Solder the battery clamp to the fourth wire. 5 Join one of the leads from an 820-ohm resistor with the bare end of the first wire, as well as the negative lead on the capacitor

and the collector lead on one of the transistors. Solder the quadruple connectio n for security. 6 Connect the unoccupied lead from the 820-ohm resistor to one of the lead s on an 82-ohm resistor, as well as the second transistor's base lead. Solder the triple connection with the soldering iron and electrical rosin core solder. 7 Attach the unoccupied end of the second wire to the positive lead on the capacitor. Join one of the leads from the remaining 820-ohm resistor to the double connection, as well as the second transistor's collector lead and solder the final quadruple electrical joint. 8 Join one of the leads from the remaining 82-ohm resistor to the unoccupi ed lead from the second 820-ohm resistor. Affix the double connection with the transistor's base lead and solder the fina l connection. 9 Solder the bare end of the fourth wire to the unoccupied leads from both 82-ohm resistors and the emitter leads from both transistors. 10 Attach a ring terminal on one end of the fifth wire. Solder the wire to the ring terminal. Repeat the procedure to affix the remaining ring terminal over one end of the sixth wire. 11 Solder the unoccupied end of the fifth wire to the secondary terminals o n one of the transformer. Solder the sixth wire's free end to the remaining transformer's seconding terminal. 12 Connect the end of the third wire with the battery clamp to the negative terminal on the battery. Join the end of the fourth wire soldered to a battery clamp to the positive terminal on the battery. Read more: How to Design an Inverter design-inverter.html#ixzz1OTMv3Vxy eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_7986221_