Which inverter to use?

[66788]

I'm trying to decide which inverter to use in the StarShip Grumman Olson. It will have about 500 watts of solar and 2 Trojan L-16 batteries. About 400 amps in reserve in the L-16s.

I am leaning towards the Xantrex PROsine 2, a 2,000 watt pure sine wave inverter and it has a built in battery charger that works off shore power. When hooked up to shore power, it passes the shore power through the unit and doesn't use the batteries.

My other choices on my shelf are: ProSine 1000, a 1,000 watt pure sine wave inverter only, has remote control panel that can be located anywhere. Lastly, I have an Aims 2,500 watt modified sine wave and an Aims 1,250 watt modified inverter also on the shelf.

Any thoughts?

 

[Oberneldon]

Check out the following link to ensure that you get pure sign wave if you have appliances that need it. I learned the hard way. I now have a 400 watt pure sign wave for my sensitive items and 900 watt modified sign wave for other items. Or you could just go big on the pure sign wave. http://www.donrowe.com/power-inverter-faq-a/258.htm

 

[TucsonAZ]

Super happy with my Cotek, got a 24v pure sine wave 1,500 watt for $220 shipped and it does an amazing job!

 

[akrvbob]

I have the Xantrex ProWatt SW 2000 and it's trouble-free. I had friends with the Xantrex Prosine 2000 and it's an amazing piece of equipment. But it's another $1000 so not worth it to me.
Bob

 

[66788]

The ones I mentioned are sitting on my shelf ready to go. I just have to choose which one to use.

Still leaning towards the PROsine 2.0

here's the link:

http://www.xantrex.com/power-products/inverter-chargers/prosine-2.aspx

 

[akrvbob]

It looks like it's no-load power draw is 2 amps per hour which is 48 amps a day. That's pretty high. Pure Sine wave is always higher but usually around 1 amp or less.

That would give me pause! Unless you have lots of solar I'd only have it on when it was being used.
Bob

 

[christine]

I have the Xantrex ProWatt 2000 like Bob does. I like it, it's been working fine for several months. I'd expect that the ProSine is even better, but I wouldn't know what makes it different from the ProWatt model.

 

[66788]

It looks like it's no-load power draw is 2 amps per hour which is 48 amps a day. That's pretty high. Pure Sine wave is always higher but usually around 1 amp or less.

That would give me pause! Unless you have lots of solar I'd only have it on when it was being used.
Bob

That is my standard SOP for all inverters. Only on when in use. The 2K watt model will run a standard microwave and also my specialty tools which include a small CNC machine that requires pure sine wave.

I will also carry my 700 watt Vector clip on MSW inverter for light use.

I got a great deal on eBay on a Xantrex battery monitor with 500 amp shunt for less than $100.00. System is complete now, just waiting to be installed. (Have to repaint the roof as the existing paint is heavily oxidized)

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

Do you have specs on all your inverters? What is the high voltage cut off point on all of them?

Regards
John

 

[akrvbob]

Before I buy I go to their website and find specs. If they don't have specs available, I don't buy from them. What are they hiding?
Bob

 

[66788]

Do you have specs on all your inverters? What is the high voltage cut off point on all of them?

Regards
John

16 VDC on the Xantrex models.

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Before I buy I go to their website and find specs. If they don't have specs available, I don't buy from them. What are they hiding?
Bob

These are all inverters that I already own and are on MY shelf. I did look at the specs and found that not all inverters are equal. The Aims inverters tend to have a higher temperature tolerance which is important because I don't want to have it shut down by a thermal protection at 100 degrees.

A WORD OF CAUTION ABOUT XANTREX INVERTERS:

I was moving my Prosine 1000 inverter from one installation to another and I momentarily touched reverse polarity to the unit. It died instantly (a $900.00 unit) and I was naturally upset. I called Xantrex and told them what happened and they told me that their units are made in China and are NOT serviceable. They could not fix it, but would give me a 33% discount on a new unit, if I returned the old unit to them.

My friend works in the Generator shop at a local Air Force Base and he took the unit to work and opened it up. Inside was a bolt in 125 amp fast blow fuse. He replaced the fuse and it works great to this day. Total cost of repair: $3.50.

The Xantrex units, especially the ProSine units are well made, but the company is questionable in their service practices.

 

[LeeRevell]

Yep, "nonserviceable" is usually a crock. I fixed a lot of gear in the Navy that I wasn't 'authorized' to repair. Got chewed out once for it. I rebuilt many modules when Supply had no more in stock. But on the long deployment the Captain doesn't care shat 'the book' says, he wants his radios fixed!
For us poor van owners it's a lot cheaper to fix it than buy new. My Dad taught me to fix it myself.

 

[flailer]

opcorn:

 

[arizonatruck]

I would like to know more about the inverter/chargers that can be plugged into shore power and charge the batteries as well as power my house at the same time, then turns into and inverter when it is unplugged from shore power.

 

[66788]

Here is the link for the PROsine 2.0:

http://www.xantrex.com/power-products/inverter-chargers/prosine-2.aspx

 

[MikeRuth]

That is my standard SOP for all inverters. Only on when in use. The 2K watt model will run a standard microwave and also my specialty tools which include a small CNC machine that requires pure sine wave.

I will also carry my 700 watt Vector clip on MSW inverter for light use.

I got a great deal on eBay on a Xantrex battery monitor with 500 amp shunt for less than $100.00. System is complete now, just waiting to be installed. (Have to repaint the roof as the existing paint is heavily oxidized)

Could you elaborate on this $100.00 deal????
Nothing from Xantrez is under a $100.00 and most are a couple hundred.
Was it NIB>

 

[66788]

It was used on a piece of test equipment that was dismantled after the test. Like new, but technically used.

 

[AuricTech]

I know that, over at the Northern Arizona Wind & Sun forum, AIMS inverters have a poor reputation. That being said, I haven't used any of the inverters you mentioned, so I can't speak from experience.

 

[66788]

I've had good luck with AIMS and VECTOR, both cheap brands, but no problems at all after years of use.

Xantrex is high end pure sine wave, and I may end up using that just because my computer controlled milling machine requires it.

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I've had good luck with AIMS and VECTOR, both cheap brands, but no problems at all after years of use.

Xantrex ProSine is high end pure sine wave, and I may end up using that just because my computer controlled milling machine requires it. Xantrex also makes consumer level pure sine wave units that have a good reputation.