invertors

[Rickent]

11 hours ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

I use and often recommend Sunshine Solar for inverters that are cheaper than the big names but better than the noname ebay ones.

 

For the difference in price, I'd go for a pure sine wave model.  If you ever get anything more sensitive you'll be able to plug it in and not worry about it.

 

https://www.sunshinesolar.co.uk/Category/PureSineWave12V

 

 

(No connection, just a happy customer)

 

We have a 1000w pure sine wave from Sunshine Solar, very happy with it so far.

[matty40s]

Or a £3.99 toothbrush from Boots where you have to exercise your arm a bit.

[OldGoat]

9 hours ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

A High Frequency (HF) inverter runs the 12V DC through an ~20 kHz oscillator and feeds it into a small transformer, and typically weighs ~5Kg for a 3KW inverter.  Clever electronics, but not ideal for very heavy loads. They also tend to draw < 1A when doing nothing, so can be left on 24/7.

 

A Low Frequency (LF) inverter runs the 12V DC through an ~50-60 Hz oscillator and feeds it into a large transformer, and typically weighs ~25Kg for a 3KW inverter.  Not clever electronics, but good at very heavy loads.  They also tend to draw > 4A when doing nothing, or they have a "pulse sense" setting that allows them to claim lower draw in the brochure but won't start inverting when you have only a mobile phone charger plugged in.

Ah...

You've answered two queries running through my mind - but was afraid to ask.

The HF unit I tested from Bimble came in a small box, ran TWO fridge freezers (because I had two to play with) without a hitchI wondered why they said the unit should not be run continuously on high power. It was very well priced

The Sterling unit weighed a ton - with a massive transformer, but then it was a 2200W unit designed for large loads.

 

It was disappointing that neither unit would start the fridges when in eco mode (which was the purpose of the test).

 

I don't like unanswered questions - therefore thank you fo enlightening me!!

 

[Richard10002]

14 hours ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

You can get electric tooth brushes that take AA batteries rather than the induction charging systems that get killed by MSW ...

Having killed one Braun/Oral B toothbrush charger with my 300W MSW inverter, I found a charger that is powered from a USB socket. A perfect outcome

 

[Richard10002]

6 hours ago, matty40s said:

Or a £3.99 toothbrush from Boots where you have to exercise your arm a bit.

Our dentist tells us that our teeth are in much better condition since we started using electric tooth brushes.

[cuthound]

I've posted this before, but it will show the OP the waveform differences between the different types of inverter.

 

 

[Detling]

On 28/06/2020 at 18:34, Rat Gar said:

I have a 600 watt 12v invertor which I bought from Maplins before it shut and it has served me well but I need a new one now and was wondering what to go for !!!

It is not that long since Maplins closed so are we talking 2 or 3 years use?  My Victron is 12 years old and touch wood still going strong, maybe thats why they cost more.

[WotEver]

On 29/06/2020 at 17:44, cuthound said:

I've posted this before, but it will show the OP the waveform differences between the different types of inverter.

 

 

That's actually a very good MSW.  Most of the ones I've seen just look like a square wave with a single step.

Here's a Yankee one as an example...

Edited July 1, 2020 by WotEver