Need new inverter

[busing704]

  My de3624 died. So I am looking at a Magnam MS4024 but the the rd 3924 is cheaper but it does not have two grounds. Or is there something else that I should be looking at. We are on our way to Quartsite and I need a inverter soon. Thanks

[Seayfam]

Have you looked into the OutBack's yet? I have the VFX3524 and really love it! I see you can get them now for around 1,700. I paid 2,800 for mine a couple of years ago with the remote panel. The salesman that sold it to me sold OutBack and Magnam and he said he preferred the OutBack.

[Gordie Allen]

I just bought a Victron Multiplus from Jamestown Distributors.  http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/show_product.do?pid=61576&familyName=Victron+MultiPlus+Inverter%2FCharger  It does it all.  True sine inverter, multistage charger (you select wet cell, AGM or even Lithium ion).  It senses shoreline amp draw and supplements additional in phase ac from the inverter if you are exceeding amp draw from shoreline.  Automatically manages DC for charging.  Has two charging circuits.  One for house batteries and a second for the engine start batteries.  No manual switches, disconnects, etc.  Has a remote that is a monitor and a programing device.  2 kw 12v is $1626, and 3 kw 12v is $2295.  Very small foot print and easy hookup.  Also check out http://www.technomadia.com/ .  They've been using one for a year with a self built 1000 amp LI house battery pack.  They also make 24v units.

[belfert]

That Victron unit seems almost an ideal inverter.  It is one of the few inverters I know that can load share.  The Trace SW4024 can load share, but it hasn't been made in a number of years.

[Oonrahnjay]

Have you looked into the OutBack's yet?  

    OK, I'm no expert but it appears to me that there are "two kinds of pass through".  Say, I'm parked next to a friends house and the only "shore" is an extension cord run out the window of his house.  If I want to be really sure not to trip a breaker, let's say that I set the "max input current" at 10 Amp.  If I start running the microwave or the water heater and pull 12 amps, I think that some "pass through" systems draw the 10 and take 2 (or actually the wattage needed to make 2 amps of 120, plus what's needed for efficency losses) from the battery.  I'm pretty sure that what the Outback does is shuts down the input if you mistakenly go above 10 and draws the entire 12 Amps (or the equivalent watts, etc.) from the battery.  You can run your batteries down really quickly that way.

    I have the Outback and I've kicked the stuffing out of my house batteries a couple of times until I caught on to this.  Do other companies' systems do a "real" pass through and minimize the power drawn from the batteries?  If so, I'm sorry that I got talked into the Outback.

BH  NC   USA

PS  Brian - Do you understand what I'm asking here?  What's your comment on this?  Thanks,  Bruce

[Gordie Allen]

The Victron is true pass thru.  You can set the max amp draw to allow from shore line down to I think 11 amps. Then it adds from the house batteries, but does not shut the shore line down.  I met Chris and Chere (Technomads) at a bus rally last Spring and was very impressed with all the features this unit has.  The monitor is digital and in one mode will produce a graphic on the screen that shows you where all the AC and DC is going.  How many amps going out of or into the house batteries, how much AC coming in shore line, how many amps are being added from house batteries, charge rates, etc.

[bevans6]

From what I understand with a true pass-through inverter if you are running from your generator and have enough juice to run two air conditioners but can't start the second one, the inverter will supply the start in-rush current then back off and let them run from the generator.  Same deal with running two AC's on a 30 amp pedestal.  It's a good feature indeed.  Sean has mentioned this several times about his setup.

Brian

[blue_goose]

If you are going to buy a new inverter spend the extra and get a true sign wave one.  All of the motors will like it a lot better than the one you have now.

[ol713]

Hi;
  Just as an idea, you can get one in Quartzite.  There is a RV outlet
  there that sell's them.   Believe it is Gamblers RV parts.  There are
  others that have rebuilt Heart inverters also.

                                   Good luck,  Merle.