Power Inverters ?

[rambler62]

Not being real familiar with inverters I am sure someone can help. I am looking for an inverter to run a TV without running the Generator when not on shore power. I am not talking a big screen or anything 30" is the largest. How large of an inverter do I need?

[Orvil Hazelton]

Use OHM's Law (amps x volts = watts) to figure your power needs. An inexpensive 400w inverter should more than meet your needs. A modified sine wave model should be sufficient. Hope to have helped As always, oRv

[Yarome]

An inexpensive 400w inverter should more than meet your needs. A modified sine wave model should be sufficient.

 

X2 to a degree. A 400watt would be 'more' than sufficient, but I would go with a PSW (pure sine wave) over a MSW (modified sine wave) for any type of modern electronic. It "may" work fine on a MSW inverter (or it may not at all), but even if it works it is much harsher on your electronics than a PSW would be.

[Orvil Hazelton]

The original poster was seeking advice for using a television set; a 400w modified sine wave inverter would be sufficient for this use. In my Phaeton, we run a Magnum 2812 PSW inverter. The cost difference is significant, and so are the requirements. As always, ORV

[Darryl&Rita]

In this day and age, the price difference between the two is negligible, especially in the smaller sizes. I seldom recommend MSW anymore.

[skp51443]

If you pick up a Kill-A-Watt meter for around $20 you can see the actual power draw of the TV.

 

Personally I'd go with a pure sine wave inverter as I've had very bad luck with the cheaper ones, usually burning out whatever I hooked to them before I could unplug it.

[rdickinson]

The original poster was seeking advice for using a television set; a 400w modified sine wave inverter would be sufficient for this use. In my Phaeton, we run a Magnum 2812 PSW inverter. The cost difference is significant, and so are the requirements. As always, ORV

My 2812 was not wired in properly from the get go and blew out one leg. It has since been wired so the HWH and both AC's bypass the inverter. They go thru a separated sub panel so as not to get the "AC overload" message on the control panel.

The schematic is in the magnum book.

[jc2]

I agree with the recommendations on a PSW inverter, as electronics can be somewhat finicky in their power requirements. Better to err on the side of caution and go the better quality stuff(read don't go cheap as it could bite you in the posterior) as the cost difference should be minimal. Another member on this forum steered me towards this website where I purchased a 1000w PSW for our residential fridge install. http://www.donrowe.com/

[Bill Joyce]

Arguments about big inverters are not helping the OP. I also agree on pure sinewave, TVs these days are computers and are sensitive to power.

 

As to cost, http://www.donrowe.com/ is a good source for inverters and advice. Right now they have a pure sinewave 400 watt inverter on sale for $119 and they are in Oregon, so no sales tax. That size will handle most TVs with no problem. Somewhere on the TV it will show how much power it uses in watts, which is normally higher than it really uses. You can use that number to size an inverter and be safe.

 

But, how many batteries do you have? If you have only one then you will quickly drain it. Just running the furnace overnight will drain one battery. Just warning you that the inverter might not be all you need, you might also need more batteries.

[Jack Mayer]

This Kisea would do the job, and it is pretty reasonable. You do have to modify your wiring some unless you add an extra outlet....but you did not ask about that part of the job.

[Yarome]

This Kisea would do the job, and it is pretty reasonable.

 

Pretty impressive price for a 400W PSW with those specs. Nice compact form factor as well. I would play with that!

 

For an application like this I would 'normally' look at Sammy's little 300W PST-300-12, but the Kisea is spec'ing out much better where it counts.

 

Kisea vs. Samlex:

400/800 vs. 300/500 Better surge ratio.

125^3 vs. 144^3 form factor. Although .3lbs heavier, that smaller footprint could make a difference in installation in tight spaces or at least allow more surrounding air volume.

USB vs. -none- I'm guessing .5 amp as there doesn't seem to be any ready information and would be in line with the total available.

$120 vs. $148 Nuff said.

 

About the only thing I can see that I might not like (for me personally) is the under voltage alarm... 11.2v vs 10.5v. Granted, it wouldn't be a problem if all you're doing is watching the boobtube or running your residential, but in some setups... like running 2 or more inverters... and the right conditions... one could be setting off that audible alarm left and right when in fact you're perfectly in the "green". That's nitpicking though as it really wouldn't be a concern for most and certainly not with the intended usage the OP indicated.

 

For non essentials, like a TV, I would certainly give it a fly!

[Jack Mayer]

The alarm is easily dealt with - Wire cutters.

 

I like the Kisea inverters. They continue to improve them and they are generally considered reliable and well built for the price points. They are among my top choices for a moderately priced inverter. Would I use a larger one to drive my whole house? Probably not - I prefer the quality and features of the Magnum line. But for this purpose and for lower cost budgets the Kisea is pretty much topping my list.

[Yarome]

The alarm is easily dealt with - Wire cutters.

 

But for this purpose and for lower cost budgets the Kisea is pretty much topping my list.

 

True, but I 'want' that alarm before shutdown, but it would be the rare installation where it would even be an issue.

 

Granted.

 

I did a little shopping around... 3 or 4 places offering the $119 + free shipping, but the majority appear more in the $140-$160 range. For that price I'm going to go ahead and pick one up to play with... see what's inside and what kind of abuse it can handle. It seems like it could be a good up and coming alternative to some of the old "bulletproof" cadre.

 

Sorry for the partial hi-jack there Rambler. Back to you....

[Sehc]

One thing if your using solar, 15 volt over-volt shut down. Solar can get to 16 volts easy in bright sun. Setting the charge controller lower is not best for the batteries.

[Darryl&Rita]

That high volt shutdown is a pain for anyone with a GM product. Picked up a new unit last spring to run the laptop and other small sundries. If the truck was running, the inverter would squeel like a banshee & trip off-line. It turned into a careful dance between battery voltage high enough to start the truck, and laptop battery.

[Yarome]

One thing if your using solar, 15 volt over-volt shut down. Solar can get to 16 volts easy in bright sun. Setting the charge controller lower is not best for the batteries.

 

Going from your array to your controller that's true, however, you do NOT want to be pushing that much voltage into your batteries. You don't want to exceed an absorption/bulk rate of 14.4-14.8 on RV house batteries, and even then.. it would be too much for some types.

[Pappy Yokum]

Not being real familiar with inverters I am sure someone can help. I am looking for an inverter to run a TV without running the Generator when not on shore power. I am not talking a big screen or anything 30" is the largest. How large of an inverter do I need?

 

 

The Kisae wins my vote for your desired application!..

 

 

.

[MrSeas]

Just a thought... if the TV is s newer model it might already be 12vdc compatible and just need a new adapter plug instead of an inverter. Something to look into. I know all of my newer LED TV's run on 12vdc and have worked fine just plugging the adapter plug into a 12vdc power plug.

Just sayin.....

[skp51443]

Running a 12 volt TV off of an RV 12 volt system can be iffy, same for running it from an auto/truck system because both of them vary greatly in voltage compared to what the TV is expecting from an AC powered 12 volt supply. Feeding it voltages between 11.0 (low battery with a load on it) to 14.8 (normal fast charging voltage) can result in unpleasant surprises or it can be perfectly happy.

 

Personally I wouldn't do that because my luck is notoriously bad. I'd recommend anyone considering it call the technical support folks for the TV and see what they say before it dies and you discover you invalidated the warranty.

[rambler62]

Thank you for all the input. I do have two six volt batteries in series and do not have solar charger nor any plans for one right now. I do agree on the PSW rather than a MSW. This is not my first MH, I had a whiny bagel in the 70's the I put 196,000 miles on as a mobile office. One thing that I do not get is why are two six volt batteries in series considered better than 2 12 volt deep cycle Optima 12 volt batteries in parallel. It would seem to me that the two 12's would have more "juice". I can pick up a Optima deep cycle for under 120 at one of the car shows I am going to attend in two weeks. I have purchased them from the vendor before and have one in the street rod now that has been good for 3 years in the Florida heat.

[Bill Joyce]

Six volt batteries, like golf cart ones, have thicker plates and are better for deep cycle loads than 12 volt ones. Car starting batteries are better for starting, not for running deep cycle loads like inverters. A deep cycle battery should be able to handle 500 or more deep discharge cycles, while a starting battery will often die after less than 100.