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Old 02-09-2014, 06:41 PM   #1
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Question Inverters

Looking for advice for good, better, best inverters for typical low demand electronics ( TV, tuner, cell chargers, etc.. Eg.. avoiding microwaves and AC units.)

What experience do you have with hardware, and if you could include average runtimes, and DC Amp Hours available to your rig.

Do you use a " whole house " configuration, or portable device?

If Whole house approach, how do you isolate when on shore power?

Much appreciated.
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Old 02-10-2014, 09:54 AM   #2
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I have a Magnum energy 2000 (4000 surge) watt whole house inverter. It auto switches over when it senses shore power. the only thing I would do differently if I had to do it again would be to get a pure sine wave inverter rather than a modified sine wave.
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Old 02-10-2014, 10:25 AM   #3
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Since I use solar for most TT's electricity, I have a 1500Watt Whole house PSI inverter and that is enough for us. If you are planning on using Hi-tech electronic gear (tablets, laptops, TV's....) it would be wise to purchase a PSI Inverter, as not all (but most do) electronics work with modified sine wave inverters. Remember the larger the inverter wattage the greater the drain (idle - nothing connected). My 1500 watt inverter has a 3/4 amp drain when nothing is connected. Some inverters have 1.5 to 2 amps. You can see this amount in the mfr specifications. I have two Trojan T-145 6 volt batteries in series, and we get by with that. That is with watching TV 4+ hours a night, a few LED lights on, small fan if needed, charging everything during the day. The inverter is on from when we get up until we stop watching TV at night. I could leave it on 24/7, but there is no need for it after we go to bed. I have my inverter mounted in the front storage space (close to the batteries) and I ran a 120VAC line from the Inverter to the rear storage space where the shore power cable is located. I put in a RV 120VAC-30Amp receptacle ( from Lowe's) and plug the shore power cable into it when we are dry camping. That way we have 120VAC at all the outlets, but I turn off the electric breakers for the AC and water heater, just in case. Even with the 2 T-145 batteries, operating the TT's heating system over night could be an issue, as the heating system's fan draws a lot of current. As of yet the batteries have not dropped to the cut off point of 12VDC by morning, so we are doing good. If the sun is shining brightly, the microwave could be used for short periods during that time.
If the wife is happy, so am I!!! I will be adding 2 more batteries and one more solar panel this year... in this case more is better..
Don
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Old 02-10-2014, 10:30 AM   #4
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I use one of these to power a DirecTv receiver, SWM power injector, and 32 inch LED TV. It can also recharge cell phones and laptops. It is not a portable, it is installed in a permanent fashion. I have three group 27 batteries; the batteries have enough capacity to power the TV for several hours daily. I recharge with a Honda 2000i generator. The inverter AC output is on a separate, dedicated circuit so I don't need a transfer switch. This particular inverter has (as others may have) a remote option - you can rig a remote switch to turn on the inverter.
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Old 02-10-2014, 08:16 PM   #5
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I ordered a small Xantrx 600 watt true sine wave inverter this afternoon. Should produce about 5 amps continuos to run tuner and tv. I'm thinking about pulling wire from the battery compartment back to the entertainment center and dedicate a single plug for that hardware only.
Read some good articles on why location of inverter and wire size is important, so up front it goes, and pull output side underneath to the back of the 5th wheel.

Separating all the shore power from the high end equipment should provide some protection from dirty campground A/C.

I'm thinking that if I want A/C for anything else, I will fire up the Genset.

Thanks for the advice
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Old 02-24-2014, 08:18 PM   #6
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Xantrex is a reputable brand. You should find it works well. We have a Pro-Sine 1000 Watt and it does a great job with our Satellite DVR & our two TV's. I bought it used off of Craig's List and we've used it for the last four years with no issues.
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Old 09-29-2014, 06:10 PM   #7
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so...hows the inverter working so far
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Old 09-29-2014, 07:11 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dennis b View Post
so...hows the inverter working so far
I'd like to see the install pics. I'm always interested in how folks are putting these in.

This last season I uninstalled my Xantrex and installed a Magnum Energy. I'm curious as to how it went for JMOONEY.
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Old 09-29-2014, 08:16 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jmooney View Post
I ordered a small Xantrx 600 watt true sine wave inverter this afternoon. Should produce about 5 amps continuos to run tuner and tv. I'm thinking about pulling wire from the battery compartment back to the entertainment center and dedicate a single plug for that hardware only.
Read some good articles on why location of inverter and wire size is important, so up front it goes, and pull output side underneath to the back of the 5th wheel.

Separating all the shore power from the high end equipment should provide some protection from dirty campground A/C.

I'm thinking that if I want A/C for anything else, I will fire up the Genset.

Thanks for the advice
Hows the inverter working out?
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