Inverter / Charger Suggestions

ProfessorPaddle · 03-27-2014, 03:09 PM

I have done a little searching in the forum here on this topic but did not find anything super relevant so I figured I would start one up.

I am looking for an Inverter around 1000 - 2500 watt range and I would really like the Charger option also. I don't really camp at places that have hookups but who knows... growing family might change that.

So I have do a little research on models then read here and there. Seems like the Xantrex line got alot of bad reviews and experiences on earlier models but I have not run into alot of people hating on the newer stuff. I was considering the Prosine 2.0 model and even bought one which never came to I did the refund option. Now I am either going to buy it elsewhere or just pick a different model.

So here are the models I was looking at any thoughts or comments would be great.

Xantrex Prosine 2.0
Magnum MS2012 or ME2012 (Prefer the Puresine over Modified though)
KISAE Abso 2000 (I am intrigued by this but the limited reviews make me feel guinea pigish)
Outback Power FX series
Tripplite APS2012SW

boywonder · 03-28-2014, 08:00 PM

A few comments.......

Xantrex won't service the ProSine stuff anymore, so if it pukes you either toss it or find someone who can fix it.

Due to newer MOSFET technology, the price (and size) of true sine wave inverters has come down quite a bit, although a modified sine wave inverter will power most stuff just fine. The cheap true sine wave stuff does not appear to be available with the charger features.

A 2500W inverter requires lots of battery amp hours and really fat, short cables to function properly. One group 27 battery isn't going to cut it with a 2500W inverter running a heavy load for very long, if at all.

If you want the inverter charger combo, most that are reasonably priced are MSW, although true sine wave inverter chargers are around also. The older tech (like tripp lite) MSW inverter/charger combos have rather high short/intermittant amp ratings which may be handy.

We just installed a Tripplite 2000W MSW inverter/charger in the neighbor's RV, and it powers everything fine, and has a bunch of dip switches for setting stuff like charging amps, AGM/wet cell, low voltage cutoff. etc.

I recently purchased an older 1000W Prosine inverter (Pre-Xantrex) for cheap on Craigslist.......It was cheap enough that if it dies I'll end up buying a newer tech small true sine wave.

86Scotty · 03-28-2014, 08:37 PM

+1 for the Tripplite. I had one in my last homebrew and am about to put the same in the SMB to replace the original buzz box. I think this is the one I bought, but will have to look when I'm home. Either way, lots of settings and options, and they are RV specific. Oh, my favorite feature is that the fan is really quiet. I know that is relative, but much quieter than others I had before it. Good price too.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 29023510:s

ProfessorPaddle · 03-31-2014, 04:00 PM

Good information and thanks for the responses.

I had no idea that the Prosine stuff from Xantrex was no longer supported.

To be honest I don't really need a True Sine because my monitor and all the electronics that I run which would be affected are mostly all DC anyways. I just figured it would be nice to have just in case I was going to weld over all the windows and windshield and install giant Screens. I mean cmon if we did have a massive zombie outbreak wouldn't it be great to have a completely sealed van with giant LED screens inside fed by Cameras mounted outside... You would never know you didn't have windows, I was even going to mount a few fans so you could digitally open the windows and feel a breeze.

Something like this http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-26258971

Anyways looks like I am going to go with the Tripp Lite RV1512UL

**daveb** · 03-31-2014, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ProfessorPaddle

I just figured it would be nice to have just in case I was going to weld over all the windows and windshield and install giant Screens. I mean cmon if we did have a massive zombie outbreak wouldn't it be great to have a completely sealed van with giant LED screens inside fed by Cameras mounted outside

Yeah what is you saw something like this

Scary just plain scary.

86Scotty · 04-02-2014, 06:38 AM

Dave, maybe it's my sick sense of humor but that pic made me laugh. Where the heck did you find that? It blows me away how quickly we can access a picture of practically anything instantaneously on this interweb machiny thingy. Good stuff.

Professor, I don't think you will regret that Tripplite.

I believe this one, or a similar model, was what SMB was using for awhile. Can someone confirm?

**BroncoHauler** · 04-02-2014, 07:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 86Scotty

Dave, maybe it's my sick sense of humor but that pic made me laugh. Where the heck did you find that? It blows me away how quickly we can access a picture of practically anything instantaneously on this interweb machiny thingy. Good stuff.

Makes me so glad I 'grew up' before the time period where every stupid thing everyone ever does get posted for eternity on the internet. For the most part, I only have to worry about someone digging up some old, faded, dog-eared picture of me in my younger, stupider days.

Herb

E350 · 04-02-2014, 09:09 AM

I am going to stumble into this discussion and cite to this link:

http://www.amazon.com/review/R1UGW69E0Z ... W69E0ZQXBS

I probably will buy an inverter only. Probably the modified sine wave in the link above.*

And run a separate charger. **

Because my $2500 2500W Prosine Xantrex bit the dust and I never want a combo unit of anything again.

I also believe that running an inverter which is larger than what I actually need unnecessarily drains battery power just to run the inverter.

My largest amperage use is my microwave, which, incredibly, is run just fine on a very cheap Harbor Freight 750W inverter.

So, since I don't know much about electrical systems 120V or 12V or RV installations, and initially over-paid and over-designed mine, my suggestion is go pure or close to pure sine wave inverter but lower wattage than you think you need and for less money than you can afford to spend and keep the inverter separate from the charger so that you can afford to throw the unit away which dies first, replace it, but keep using the other unit until it dies.

Electrical gurus: Please, please correct my misunderstandings/misstatements so that I don't inadvertently mislead anyone who reads this post later.

* Hey electrical gurus: If my laptop runs off that brick-looking AC transformer in the cord anyway, doesn't it filter the modified sine wave anyway? I.e., doesn't the brick clean it up when it converts it to 12V DC to feed it to the laptop? (In fact, does DC even have a sine wave?) Better yet, I run my laptop off of a cigarette lighter 12V adapter, so isn't the modified sine wave 120V AC inverter irrelevant to my laptop? And what if I install a thin flat panel LED TV, can it also run on a 12V adapter too? Or, if I have to run it on a 120V AC inverter, will a modified sine wave inverter hurt it or cause it to flicker, etc., etc., etc.?

** I think I read somewhere that the chargers in the combo inverter/charger units cannot actually perform a full charge on a high capacity battery like our house batteries. And since I like some of the chargers and battery tenders (Battery Minder) out there, I want to be able to run the best available computer controlled charger desulfater out there, taking advantage of technical advances.

*** In fact, I am thinking I may run more than one inverter (the aforesaid Harbor Freight 750W inverter and the above-linked Whistler 1600W) and switch on only the size inverter which is needed for the use. That way I am not powering a 1600W inverter for my wife to epilady her legs while we are driving, but if I want to run both the microwave and the coffee maker at the same time in the morning before skiing, I can switch on the higher wattage inverter. What say you, gurus?

*** Finally, gurus, if you have other suggestions for better higher quality but not too much higher priced units to accomplish my redundant multiple inverter set up, or for a kick ass charger to bulk charge/float charge/desulfate and tend my 250 AH 12V AGM house battery, please suggest away.

Note: The following link also has some helpful information:

http://www.amazon.com/review/R3DUQ2DECX ... Q2DECXVI3O

REF · 04-02-2014, 09:34 AM

Thats a an old twilight zone with the captain himself.....William Shatner.

I am adding a xantrex prowatt 1000(pure sine) on a dedicated circuit(outlet), leaving the existing converter/charger system in place. In talking with several people, it just made sense for me to go this route for several reasons, separating the systems, cost, ease of install and replacement if one or the other went bad vs. having an all in one unit, plus I don't need a lot of juice. The Magnums look nice though and what SMB currently installs.

**daveb** · 04-02-2014, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by REF

Thats a an old twilight zone with the captain himself.....William Shatner.

I am adding a xantrex prowatt 1000(pure sine) on a dedicated circuit(outlet), leaving the existing converter/charger system in place. In talking with several people, it just made sense for me to go this route for several reasons, separating the systems, cost, ease of install and replacement if one or the other went bad vs. having an all in one unit, plus I don't need a lot of juice. The Magnums look nice though and what SMB currently installs.

Correctamundo...He probably got that flight ticket on priceline

I also think that is a good move. A backup is nice to have. I'd like to add a smaller inverter one of these days

As for inverter types, from what I've read a Modified sine wave inverter is fine for most applications. They might have issues running AC motors and might cause some noise with some electronics but other than that I wouldn't worry too much with anything that has a power supply transformer. I did read a report stating it could lessen the life of those power supplies though. I did the pure sine wave inverter because I have a couple of CCD cameras I concerned about and figured the cleaner the power the better. I also have heard not all modified SW inverters are the same but I have used those little plug in inverters that I use to charge camera batteries and haven't had any issues. I would not run some items off those though. It's better to purchase DC to DC converters for things like computers anyway and is what I use for my PC.