Printable View
I have been seeing, hearing a lot about pure sine wave inverters lately.
To those that have them I ask, are they good value to the weekend warrior?
I don't use the Patrol for work so I don't need it for tools.
I don't take a T.V. when I go camping.
Am I missing something or are they an accessory for the working bloke?
If you don't have any 240v appliance(s) you want to run from your vehicle you dont need one.
Everyone's needs are different. I use ours to run/recharge laptop, camera batteries, chainsaw batteries. Not practical (unless you have a large battery bank & the means of re-charging it) for any appliance which produces heat.
I have a 3000 watt inverter in the back for drill and mist fan battery recharging and the small washing machine but pretty much everything else is 12 volt .
We did carry a toaster for a while but it was a pain to store and was always getting in the way so ditched it , so mine does get used but not much and I can run it from five batteries if needed ,two from camper and three from GQ .
Thanks for the responses. I would only need to recharge camera batteries and laptops but we only go for 3 nights maximum at the moment.
I will leave it until full retirement and then review the need. With only one 120AH battery it probably wouldn't last long anyway. I do have a 160 watt solar panel but happy for it to run the Engel and a few lights.
I have the unit listed below. I run everything from an Expresso Coffee Machine to drills and grinders, charge camera batteries etc, great reliable unit, just need to be aware they need large battery leads from battery to inverter, plus you need the alternator and battery capacity to keep one running at full steam, or the battery will die. I run this inverter off a 200amp/hr battery and a 200amp alternator as the charge unit to the battery - works well and has been inservice for over 5 years without fault and wave form does not play havoc with the computer or TV/Satellite dish.
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Large-Sh...MAAOSw0IJZwPyo
Nice looking unit @PeeBee also noticed no fuse panel in the back ,couldn't see what the standby power consumption is the one I have at the moment takes a fair bit on standby but the one I sold with the van was milliamps.
Mc4by if you only have one battery and that's a crank steer clear of an inverter .
No idea what the standby drain is - never use it in that 'mode'. Mine is turned on, used then turned back off. For the benefit of Mc4by, just remember there is a 20 fold current draw on the battery to what is on the nameplate of the appliance you are running at 240V, being if the device draws 1amp at 240V then you will be drawing 20amps plus a bit of more for in-efficiency at 12V. When I run mine, I have the vehicle on fast idle to ensure the voltage at the battery is sitting round 13.8V, however as soon as the 240V load comes on, you will see the battery voltage drop. Most inverters are 'low voltage protected' so they won't run below 10V, which is more or less death zone for a 12V battery anyway.
Thanks GQA,
I do have a cranker and a 120 AH deep cycle.
I am thinking it is cheaper to buy and charge a few spare batteries for the camera and a 12 volt laptop charger.
At least until I go away for more than long weekends.
Quote:
Originally Posted by GQtdauto
As stated earlier, if you do not have a need for AC appliance stay away from AC/DC inverters. They also contribute to system losses which cost AHs. I use a 40L Engel, lead lights, and camp over normally for 2 nights (3 full days / veh stays put), all months of the year and never have hooked up PV modules. Size your cable to minimize voltage drop (calculated for max load currents) and use a MPPT all should be sweet.
I have generated my own stand alone pwr sys for near 30 yrs and larger the inverter the more pwr you want to consume and then you want larger capacity batteries.
I have a 160 watt solar charger, a 40 litre Engel and some camera equipment. So the information given in this thread tells me I don't need an inverter.
I thank you all for saving me a few $$$$
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bidja