Modified Sine Inverters??

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

Hi Guy's,

I wonder if any of our Valuable Members can give me some input on Mod inverters..

My dad has an 04' Monaco LaPalma and he has no inverter in the coach. He has 50A service

and all the high end goodies in it too but, he wants to install an inverter just to run the 1 curcuit

that carries his 2 flat screen tv's and his microwave. I tried to nudge him to buy a pure sine inverter

but, he just dosen't want to fork out the funds for one. Question? Do Modified sine inverters effect

the circuitry in flat screen tv's? And the Microwave for that matter too? I know in the past I heard alot

of stories about curcuitry that don't like modified waves..?>

Thanks in advance
Nick-

[cody]

We have a freedom 458 thats a modified sine wave, our microwave and tv's seem to like it just fine, we are installing a Magnum 2800 pure sine wave but it's only to get the additional power ability.

[bobsw]

Our sharp lcd tv works fine on our modified sine inverter (Trace) The microwave works fine but the timer goes twice as fast. If you want the micro to run for 1 minute set it for two.

[TomC]

I have an old Trace 2512 modified sine wave.  Just installed a flat screen-it works fine on it.  The Sharp microwave hums on inverter and cooks slower.  Also the exhaust fan for the stove runs slower.  I would suggest the Magnum 2800watt.  Call Dick Wright at Wrico International-he'd be happy to talk to you about it.  Good Luck, TomC

[JohnEd]

Nick,

I have talked to Knuts that bought Freedom 458 and others in that series.  They had excellent results powering things that are not supposed to run on MSW.  Others that tried MSW had dismal results.  From what little I know all MSW units are not the same and produce widely variant square waves.  The tighter the "chop" the more it looks like a sine wave.  It takes really big capacitors and coils to make this work well.  What you really need to know is "what works".  The Freedom 458 is one that does especially well.  The Freedom Marine is also top notch, I am told.  I think PVCCESS has a few that work well driving electronics although I wonder what his use might be.  There is a type of AC motor that is destroyed by the MSW and I thought it was the kind in a roof top AC unit but many seem to have that working also. 

John

[Tom Y]

I also have the 458 and my microwave will not start most of the time.   Tom Y

[luvrbus]

Nick, not all TVs like the MS it depends on the manufacture and the power supply, some brands of MW have problems also any induction type motor or cook top won't run off MS but if he wants to make coffee and watch a little TV they are fine. A PSW inverter would be a nice Christmas gift for him LOL


good luck

[bevans6]

If you check the input specs on a lot of consumer electronic items these days, they actually accept a wide range of input voltage and frequency.  Both my computers (laptops with power supply modules in the line cord) are good  to go with either 120 VAC 60 Hz or 240 VAC 50 Hz European spec. inputs.  That typically means that they take the input and power up an internal switching power supply that can make gold from garbage...  They will work perfectly with a typical cheap  MSW inverter, I run my TV from one that costs about $29.  As everybody points out, the issues are with units that actually use the electricity and frequency directly for something - that's motors, clocks, transformer driven devices, resistive elements.  So the TV will almost always be good to go, while the microwave will almost always not perform to spec and waste a lot of power. 

For little things like radios and small TV's I'm starting to favor small inverters spotted at the point of use.  Since I distribute 12 VDC with 10 gauge most places, I can just get little 150 watt inverters for almost nothing and produce my low current 120 VAC where i need it.  As long as you locally fuse the thing, I don't see a drawback to that.

Brian

[white-eagle]

Nick,

we have the 458 2012 and works fine with most things, including TV's and MW.  i did notice the APC UPS we have on the outlet for the printer doesn't care for it, and i burnt up my sears 19v battery charger.  that thing was toast almost immediately.

our laptop computers have no complaints, but the coffee clock gets out of whack quick.  i got up at 6:30 one morning to find out it was 4:30  .

we have 2 relatively new small flatscreens, newer directv receiver, and a bunch of computer stuff.

stop by at the rally, if you can get thru the snow to get here.

[cody]

Nick I was talking to a friend of mine this morning, he's an electronics engineer and his thoughts on this are that it's the quality of the components that seem to dictate the compatability, he said he's fairly familier with the 458 series and the guts are of a fairly high level, much more so that some others that he's tinkered with, he said that like anything else the modified sine wave can be a low grade wave pattern or a close to high grade wave pattern, closer to the chops of a pure sine wave.  That coupled with the forgiving nature of some of the electronics that are in tv's or microwaves will do more to determine how they will react, some microwaves require a very narrow range of frequency while others are more forgiving, he's a true nerd in every sence of the word, he got his degree from MIT, so that shows the level of nerd he is, I tryed to follow his thoughts to relay them and I think I missed it close, I think it all boiled down to getting what you pay for lol.  Have you guys looked at RV Surplus or Bontragers for the inverters, they had some that were pretty good on quality and price, I got my Magnum 2800 for about 800 when it runs up around 2 grand normally and at Bontragers they had some 458's in the 450 range, that was last summer, not sure what they have now tho.

[PP]

NIck,
Both TVs and the DVD work fine on MSW but the Dish reciever buzzes. It works, but I'm not sure I'm doing it any favors running it on the inverter. Microwave sounds like its on Prozac and the AC won't even come on, just humms. I will definitely go with Pure sine if and when I have to swap out. Just my 2 cents worth. Good luck, Will

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

Hi Guy's,

All of your input convinced my dad to go with the Pure Sine Inverter... Thanks!!

I called my buddy Chris at Tekris Power here in Jersey and he sold us a real nice Xantrax

at my dealer cost but, he has it on sale real cheep too... I will have it tomorrow..

Check it out!
http://www.tekrispower.com/inverters/product_info.php/cPath/22_54/products_id/828?osCsid=e8b22a1f0d5362d2f17efd86238b7a52

Thanks Again and
Merry Christmas
Nick-

[PP]

Merry Xmas to you and yours Nick, I think you really scored on that inverter. Thanks for sharing the link. It almost seems too good to be true. I put one on my Xmas wish list  Will & Wife

[cody]

Is it the 3 stage chargers that run the price up in inverters? I've seen so many that don't have the charger that seem very reasonably priced but as soon as a person adds the charger to the equation the price triples or more.

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

Thanks Will, Same to you!!

The inverter just arrived at my shop and Dad & I are planning out a materials list now. I ordered the remote switch, & the 300a fuse block

but, I forgot to order a batt disconnect..*@%*@#.. Ok, no problem.. I will run to West Marine for that..

Hi Cody, yes... the chargers do add to the cost along with upscale remote panels.

Nick-