Simple inverter switch question

[Slimmyman]

Hey,

 

I've got a simple inverter question.

 

I have just bought a cambridge audio bluetooth speaker. It is my only thing that requires 240v and hence the first time since buying my boat that I need to run something out of the mains.

 

I have a steeling 2500w quasi sine wave inverter, all is working, i do get a buzz on the speaker which im hoping to fix with a power conditioner from richer sounds.

 

My main qustion is what is the correct position for this switch. The bluetooth on the speaker only seems to work when it is down (set to power saver off) but the speaker appears to switch on when it's up.

 

It would be great if somebody could explain what this switch does exactly as I've completely forgotten as I've not used it since buying the boat (where he briefly explained it)

 

Please see photo of switch attatched

[WotEver]

Missing photo. Once you upload it you then have to insert it

[mross]

http://sterling-power.com/pages/instruction-manuals

[Slimmyman]

[mross]

Can you photograph the model number?

[cuthound]

Possibly the reason why your soundbar only works with power saver mode off, is because the soundbar doesn't present enough load to make the power saver mode work.

 

IIRC in power saver mode the inverer switches off until it detects a load. If the load is the soundbar is below this threshold, then the inverter won't switch on.

 

What load does the soundbar present? It may be better to buy a small dedicated inverter for it.

[mross]

The electronics in your speaker may be damaged by the quasi sine wave or may just refuse to work.

[Slimmyman]

Thanks for the responses, the wierd thing is the light still turns on in powersave mode, but bluetooth only works with power saver off.

 

So can I leave it in powersaver auto and that won't drain batteries when the mains are not in use?

[andyb116]

Cuthound is spot on with his diagnosis, we come across this problem a lot when we fit these inverters, when people try to charge there mobile phones with the inverter switched to power saver mode and no other 230v loads on.

[Slimmyman]

Ok, thankyou. So is the only workaround switching to powersave off mode when I want to use the speaker?

[WotEver]

Ok, thankyou. So is the only workaround switching to powersave off mode when I want to use the speaker?

Yup.

[Alan de Enfield]

Ok, thankyou. So is the only workaround switching to powersave off mode when I want to use the speaker?

 

And, then the problem that you have is that the Inverter is using twice the power just to 'operate' than you need to run the speaker.

 

You may find that you are drawing 3 amps just to run a small low wattage speaker.

[Slimmyman]

Thanks very much! This forum is so useful! Learn something everyday..

[ditchcrawler]

Ok, thankyou. So is the only workaround switching to powersave off mode when I want to use the speaker?

Or add some more load like a standard lamp but that would consume more power from your batteries.

 

And, then the problem that you have is that the Inverter is using twice the power just to 'operate' than you need to run the speaker.

 

You may find that you are drawing 3 amps just to run a small low wattage speaker.

Are Stirling products that inefficient?

[Alan de Enfield]

Or add some more load like a standard lamp but that would consume more power from your batteries.

 

True - you would then have the :

The power used to 'power up' the Inverter

The power used by the standard lamp, &

The power used by the speaker

 

Can you not get a 12v powered speaker ?

[mross]

Is there a model number on the inverter? that's really what I wanted.

[Alan de Enfield]

Hmmmmm - looking at the photo it appears that the 'speaker' is 150w (power consumption)

 

That equates to approximately 15 amps being drawn from the batteries ( 4 hours use will reduce a 110Ah battery below 50% SoC - were you aware of how much it used ?)

 

It should not be a problem activating the inverter.

Edited November 27, 2016 by Alan de Enfield

[cuthound]

Are Stirling products that inefficient?

Probably no less efficient than most others of reputable manufacture.

 

Typically they will be something like 85% to 93% efficient at full load, but possibly as little as 50% efficient at minimal loads, depending on the technology used for the switching.

[Alan de Enfield]

 

Are Stirling products that inefficient?

 

 

Yes -

 

From the Sterling website :

 

"When running low power equipment for long periods such as televisions, videos, refrigerators or computers, it is vital to have an inverter with low 'quiescent' current (the actual current the inverter takes to run itself when in operation)...........

....................2 – 5 amps for transformer inverters and 25 amps for rotary converters. Inverters that have a high quiescent current are usually fitted with a 'power saver' circuit to switch the inverter off when not required, switching on only when a load is detected. Beware of inverters with this type of circuit as this circuit is designed to mask the high quiescent current of the inverter when on line. It is very important to distinguish between the off load current of an inverter (with a power save circuit) and the actual quiescent current of the inverter when in actual use. This information is not readily available from most companies. A typical portable phone battery on recharge would require about 1 amp an hour for 12 hours, a total of 12 amp/hours. To provide this output a good switch mode inverter would actually use about 15 amp/hours, a transformer based inverter about 40 amp/hours and a rotary converter about 250 amp/hours, all to do the same task.

 

 

[Slimmyman]

I was aware it would probably use a fair bit of power, but It's worth it

[ditchcrawler]

Hmmmmm - looking at the photo it appears that the 'speaker' is 150w (power consumption)

 

That equates to approximately 15 amps being drawn from the batteries ( 4 hours use will reduce a 110Ah battery below 50% SoC - were you aware of how much it used ?)

 

It should not be a problem activating the inverter.

But maybe you don't see that sort of load until its working and so the inverter doesn't switch on to get it working.

[Alan de Enfield]

I was aware it would probably use a fair bit of power, but It's worth it

 

OK - no problem as long as you take it into consideration when recharging you batteries and remember that 4 hours of use is equivalent to running THREE 12v FRIDGES FOR 24 Hours

[Jak]

Wow! That's some speaker

[WotEver]

But maybe you don't see that sort of load until its working and so the inverter doesn't switch on to get it working.

You probably won't see that kind of power consumption even then unless it's turned up full.

 

Unless it has a Class A amp.

[Slimmyman]

I had it on for several hours last night and it didnt seem to take too much power.. So yeah perhaps thats when its at full blast..