Thanks everyone for the feedback, very much appreciated!
I will try to find a cheap Chinese version somewhere and see how that works out - thanks for saving me from wasting too much money and time on this
I am still interested in how one would go around making one - at least to satisfy my curiosity or in case I one day will have to make one.
I ideally I would recommend a 14 - 16 VAC center tapped transformer if you are going to be working with a 12 volt base input.
So, a center tapped transformer means one coil is split up in two - so 14 VAC center tapped means there's 2x7V coils on one side and (for instance) a 230V coil on the other?
I'm still not sure I understand why the 24 VAC would be too high, though - but I reckon that's a longer explanation I should save for my books.
That seems like an overly complicated circuit to run a simple unregulated 50 - 60 Hz iron core transformer based inverter circuit. A common LM3525 or one of its newer equivalents working as the driver for the inverter would greatly simplify your whole inverter driver down to one IC plus you have the capacity to add a simple feedback circuit to keep the output voltage more regulated.
The LM3525 shows up as a "Single Port USB Power Switch and Over-Current Protection" when I search for it - is this the IC you mean? I haven't thought much of how the circuit actually works - but I guess if all it does is switch the voltage back and forth, I can picture how it could be designed simpler.
They normally use a toroidal transformer which can be kept smaller than normal EI-core iron transformers and have a higher efficiency ratio.
So if I ever was to make an inverter myself, I'd go for a toroidal transformer?
This Circuit has been taken fro mY Website witout Permission.
The Only Consulation is: He kept my Name and Copyright on it!
I'm sorry, I never claimed to have invented this circuit, but only to have used it for inspiration - I figured my noobish questions were a dead giveaway
I googled my way to it, if you believe your copyright has been broken you should contact whoever is in charge of the website linked in my initial post.
Many electronic products do not work from a square-wave inverter because its peak voltage is much lower than the peak voltage of the sine-wave from the electricity mains. Some TVs, radios, compact fluorescent light bulbs and motor speed controllers do not work properly when fed a square-wave.
A square-wave is good for electric heaters (without electronics) and incandescent light bulbs (which are also heaters).
Thanks - I'll keep this in mind and make sure to get an inverter that at least resembles a sine wave.
Again, thank you all very much for your feedback, I'm very surprised to get this many replies in such short time.