| Author |
Message |
Ron Leiferman (Ron_In_Sd) (12.111.217.5)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, April 09, 2004 - 5:06 pm: | |
Is anyone using a Tripp-Lite Inverter?
I am looking at a Tripp-Lite APS2424. Currently street priced at $650.00. But I think I can get a better price from CDW.
It is a PWM Sine Wave (modified) Inverter with a 3 stadge charge. It is rated at Continuous - 2400 watts, Overpower (up to 1 hour) - 3600 watts, Double-Boost wattage (up to 10 seconds) - 4800 watts.
The main use will be for house type frig, 120v lights, microwave, and TV/Radio.
I am not going to run the A/C off of it since I have road air installed and working great.
http://www.tripplite.com/products/product.cfm?productID=174 |
Gary Stadler (Boogiethecat) (68.7.217.217)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, April 09, 2004 - 11:54 pm: | |
Hiya Ron,
I've found that about all "modified" sine wave inverters are good for is running electric drills or lightbulbs. "modified sine" is salesman BS for "Crummy waveform, mostly square, with a few less harmonics" and means that induction motors, stereos, computers, etc will not be very happy. I've never liked Tripplite stuff either... it's "low end".
Get a true sine wave, or nothing at all... that's my two cents...
Gary |
Jerry Liebler (165.121.34.102)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, April 10, 2004 - 12:53 am: | |
Ron,
I have a Tripplite APS2012, a similar unit but 12 volt & 2kw. after about 5 hours use the transfer switch quit. It took 3 months to get the replacement unit out of them. Forget using TV or radio the RFI is horendous and Tripplite says so what! I'd never buy another thing they make. I'm going to use it to power an AC while underway and charge the batterys when on shore or generator and add a Prosine 1800 for the microwave, TV etc.
Regards
Jerry 4107-1120 |
James Maxwell (Jmaxwell) (66.81.38.147)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, April 10, 2004 - 2:48 am: | |
Tripplite is a very old concern but is well know for more specialty application inverters and very, very, dirty output. Have always suffered from poor customer support. Don't waste your money because you probably are not going to be happy with it. Go the xtra thousand and buy a Trace PS w/pure sinewave, then u can run the roof air just in case the bus air goes belly-up while in the middle of a trip (it does happen, more often than you would care to hear). |
FAST FRED (65.154.176.136)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, April 10, 2004 - 5:02 am: | |
Hound records show that over 50% of the repair time & expense was fixing the air cond, from 04 on up .
A better method is a fine Sine Wave inverter and basement air.
Many high end inverters will do power management , so you can live the good life on a 15A plug.And include a great battery charger system.
You only get what you pay for and with Tripp you get very little.
FAST FRED |
Ron Leiferman (Ron_In_Sd) (24.220.237.100)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, April 10, 2004 - 2:39 pm: | |
Thanks for all the info on Tripp-Lite. I could only find one referance to them on any board. It said that they had trouble using them for running their A/C unit. They did not say which model.
I own a 86 Prevost XL so hound records really don't apply. Prevost uses the Carrier 09 compressor that is used in ThermoKing unis on semi trailers. I had a friend from ThermoKing check it over and he just did some proventitive work by adding additional oil and a couple cans of sealent. He checked the whole system over and it looked really good.
Just as a test I just went out and hooked up my A/C gauges to the system and everything is the same levels. That was the main test, see if I lost anything over the winter. It not very warm out here yet. Only 40 Degrees. So really can't do a full running test on the system.
I am using a Basement Air system. I really hate the roof airs in both look and sound. I know all the plusses and minus of basement air. I have friend that works in the HVAC area and he is laying out the duct work for me. It is great to have friends that will take a beer in trade. If the road A/C goes down , I am going to run the genset to run the basement air. I really don't think I need to invest in a large inverter incase the road air dies. If both the road A/C and the genset dead on the same trip I am really going to start thinking about my service plans and setting up a big sale. |
Timnvt (64.91.164.78)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, April 10, 2004 - 8:07 pm: | |
Well, guess I'm going to be odd man out, but for the money spent I'm pleased with my Tripplight.
I installed a Tripplite PV2400FC, lists for $751.00 , 24v 2400watt/4800watt peak inverter. While running down the road I can run one of my rooftop A/C units and other
appliances such as fridge, lights, coffee pot, battery charger (to recharge auxiliary 12v batt ). It doesn't have quite enough umph to run two rooftop A/Cs.
Works for me.
Tim. |
Bill K. (209.86.76.179)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, April 10, 2004 - 9:26 pm: | |
I begin to think one is no better then the other, I have a 3000 wat heart and it is a coupl of years past the warranty, and the control board went bad, and I call Zantrax and explained that I had hardly used it and I was just in the process of finishing the coach and did not think it had 50 hours use. they did not want to hear about it but said since I needed a new control board I should put the new update in. I told them I had not received a recall, and if the old board was inferior why did I not get a recall and why was they not working with me, ( in so many words tough S--T) |
Henry Draper (24.17.63.150)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, April 11, 2004 - 5:38 am: | |
Bill K.,
Send me an email at Blackeagle229@yahoo.com if you're interested in getting your inverter repaired. My inverter buddy (an ex-Xantrex tech.) may be able to help you.
Henry Draper |
Bill K. (209.86.72.50)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, April 11, 2004 - 7:37 am: | |
Henry: Thanks but I already bit the bullet and should
get the inverter back from a repair center in NJ with
the new board. Thanks again. Bill. |
Gary Stadler (Boogiethecat) (68.7.217.217)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, April 11, 2004 - 10:28 am: | |
There are two issues going here, hardware quality and inverter output quality. You could give me the best "modified sine" inverter on the market and I'd use it to anchor my boat. Actually probably not even that. No matter what the actual hardware quality, modified sine inverters will do nothing good for most people's bus conversions.
Then there are "true sine wave" converters, which is what you should use if you want to have things work when you plug 'em in. Virtually anything.
But who makes the most reliable one?, well, that's another thread altogether!!
Cheers
gary |
Scott Whitney (66.82.9.16)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, April 11, 2004 - 1:49 pm: | |
Well, just another view point. I use a chop-chop mod-sine inverter (Heart 3kw) and it seems to work fine on everything I need it for: computers, TV, TiVo, satellite Internet, micro/toaster, cordless tool chargers, coffee pot etc. I have just about everything in my bus run via inverter circuits and I don't adjust my lifestyle much whether I am on shore, genny or inverter. (except to conserve a bit more when on batteries)
Sure I'd love a true-sine inverter. But so far, haven't *needed* one, although someday a laser copy/scanner/fax would be nice. . .
Scott |
FAST FRED (65.154.176.145)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, April 11, 2004 - 4:04 pm: | |
"it seems to work fine on everything I need it for: computers, TV, TiVo, satellite Internet, micro/toaster, cordless tool chargers, coffee pot etc"
The chop chop inverter works fine because you have no big power users , attempt to run an air cond , and it will run, just not very well , and give poor cool air.
The diffrence is on BIG power loads that use electric motors.
Not a need for everyone ,
FAST FRED |
Phil Dumpster (24.16.243.37)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, April 11, 2004 - 4:11 pm: | |
The only time you need a true sine wave inverter is when you want to power something which depends on the shape of the wave for its operation. For the most part, this means inductive loads.
Resistive loads could care less what the power looks like, as long as the voltage is high enough so that there is enough current, they will work fine. Electric space heats are resistive loads, as are coffee makers, toasters, waffle irons, crock pots, etc.
Capactive loads, likewise, don't care what the incoming waveform looks like, although because the current leads the voltage they may place too much of a load on the inverter output when starting, which can cause other problems. Adding a series inductance can mitigate this. The prime capacitive loads you will deal with are those devices that use a switching power supply, which includes most computers made after 1983, most televisions made after 1990, and most other "high tech" consumer electronics like TiVo and satellite receivers.
It should be noted that just about all computer uninterruptable power supply systems use modified sine wave output with a series inductance on the output.
The problem children are the inductive loads. Anything which uses windings of wire to do its thing is an inductive load. This includes transformers and motors. Electric space heaters which use windings of nickle-chromium wire for the heating element do not count as the inductance is trivial.
Some motors absolutely depend on having a sine wave power input and will not work on square wave or rounded square wave. My Norelco electric shaver is just such an animal. A hair dryer will probably not work as well.
Others will run, but will probably run hotter, and will consume more energy. Refridgerator motors are a good example, as well as larger power tool motors.
Devices that use a transformer (linear power supply, pretty much obsolete these days as switching power supplies take over) like older televisions, older computers, and anything that uses a linear "wall wort" will work, but will make more electrical "noise" and run a little warmer than normal.
Bottom line is, you can run probably 90% of the existing base of AC consuming devices with a modified sine wave inverter without major problems. Only use a true sine wave inverter if you want to power something that must have sine wave AC.
In many cases, such as with computers, a true sine wave inverter is actually a waste of money which could be better spent on other parts of your conversion. |
CoryDane RTSII (66.155.188.30)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, April 15, 2004 - 3:18 pm: | |
It seems to me, my experience with a "Modified" Sine Wave was that it was horribly noisey with electronics, some would'nt even work. Yes this is all related to the shape of the sine wave. You need an oscilloscope to see it but just a radio or stereo to hear it.
It attacks larger loads as loss of load and lots of heat. It is, put simply, a "SLOPPY SINE WAVE".
I know that the power companies use capacitors to modify some power sources and capacitors offer some interesting results. I am curious if anyone has tried to make the "Modified" wave a bit more acceptable by the addition of capacitors. I imagine they would be heavy duty but would they effect the sine curve? Anyone with an Oscillo want a challange? lol
I still have a small TRIPP, about 250Watt, STOP LAUGHING, I use it for my shaver or if I try to charge some batteries (takes longer)while under way. For the coach, I am putting in a Xantrex/Trace 4024. If you look at this model, be careful, I think the older one is better than the new updated one. The older one has more control for you and the new one is missing a lot.
Hmmm, Xantrex, a lot like "T"rex. LOLOLolol
Well, just my thoughts
"Imagine Your Dreams"
cd |
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