Charge the car battery before each use by hooking it up to the alternator of a car and running the engine or by using some other car battery charging device. If possible, use a deep-cycle car battery like those used in boats and RVs.
Turn the power switch on the inverter to the off position, and plug the power connectors into the inverter.
Connect the power connectors from the inverter to the car battery. If using alligator clamps, simply clamp each onto its respective terminal on the battery. If one clamp is red, it should go to the positive terminal; black usually indicates the negative terminal. The terminals on the battery are usually labeled with a plus sign (+) for the positive terminal and a minus sign (-) for the negative. Make sure the clamps are well-seated and unlikely to slip off. If your inverter has ring terminal connectors, slip each ring over its respective terminal on the battery, then tighten them down using the nuts on the connectors, just as you would to connect the battery to a car.
Turn on the power switch on the inverter. Most inverters have an indicator light that will come on if the power is connected properly, and most have built-in fans that will come on to keep the inverter cool. You can now plug AC electrical devices into the inverter and use them wherever you like.
