1500W Inverter

DocB · **Posted:** Sun Feb 07, 2010 6:35 pm

Do you think our vehicle has enough juice output to run a 1500W power inverter?

I will not be using all 1500W most of the time, but was wondering if our battery and alternator could handle it.

geordi · **Posted:** Sun Feb 07, 2010 8:19 pm

I don't know the specific amperage output of our alternator, but I'm going to take a shot and say it is probably in the 120 amp ballpark.

Volts * amps = watts, and watts are the specific unit you are looking for here. Your inverter won't always be pulling that full power if the device you have isn't... Something like a halogen light is a constant load, motors aren't. Motors start high and taper down quickly.

So for a 120 amp alternator putting out about 14 volts (nominal) that equals 1680 watts... Which tracks, b/c I have a 1500w inverter too, and used it quite successfully on a couple film shoots for powering lights and charging batteries, without any problems.

Just do the math and you will know for certain, and figure about a 3% higher draw than what the inverter can deliver to allow for the conversion inside the inverter.

Goglio704 · **Posted:** Sun Feb 07, 2010 9:19 pm

The thing you have to watch out for is duty cycle. The amp ratings of alternators are for short term peaks. The continuous output rating will be a lot less - and usually unpublished.

geordi · **Posted:** Sun Feb 07, 2010 9:46 pm

That is true, however I would say that it would only be a problem if the battery was disconnected. Much of the drain will be supplied directly from the battery, for which a 100-amp pull is child's play. The battery has to be capable of shoving out 800-1000 amps for a short duration to start the motor, where 1/10th that drain will be capable for at least an hour or two by itself. The alternator can cycle or share the duty, reducing the overall amp-drain from either one to 60 amps. Yea, it is still emptying the battery, but at a much lower rate.

Either supply alone would not be enough for long durations.

DocB · **Posted:** Mon Feb 08, 2010 12:05 am

Thanks fellas. Going to give the 1500 a try.

Just bouncing it off you because I have to get an another inverter that has an isolated ground and thought that I might as well get one a little larger for intended future use, which means more $ of course.

I have been instructed that in order to use my diagnostic software with the OBDII connector while the laptop is plugged into the inverter, it must have an isolated ground. According to the company, the reason that the enhanced Chrysler connector not longer works is because it got fried due to a feed back loop because of no isolated ground. Had to buy a new one, but don't want to do that again.

Any more info on this subject is appreciated before I pull the trigger on a new inverter. I'm already over the limit on my allowance for the month (up to June already!).

geordi · **Posted:** Mon Feb 08, 2010 1:06 am

Which "enhanced" chrysler connector? AutoEnginuity?

I'm only curious who, as AE has told me some very interesting things trying to get me to continually buy something I already bought from them.
Telling you a ground loop did this... Whoever said it, they are full of crap, and only interested in your money.

First of all, you cannot have a ground loop when there is only one source of power - The battery / alternator of the car. Second, I have YET to see a truly ground-enabled laptop, they all feed from their bricks with a TWO WIRE CONNECTION. A barrel plug. You can't have a ground loop when that is the case either.

A ground loop is created when two power-using devices are connected together using a non-power cable, and voltage leaks from one device to another through the non-power cable, while being connected to two DIFFERENT power sources. This sets up a grounding voltage imbalance, which causes the voltage to flow from one device to another. As the body of the car is the central ground point for everything, no ground loop exists. Further, The OBD port HAS VOLTAGE IN IT, a 12-v feed is used to power the OBD devices. USB should be circuit-isolated as that runs on 5v, and should the 12v leak into the USB, the laptop's ports WILL BE DESTROYED.

What you were told is a crock of excrement and it stinks.

DocB · **Posted:** Mon Feb 08, 2010 1:35 am

geordi,

Yes, it is AE.
I don't know what to do now.

If I don't get an inverter with the isolated ground and it happens again, then it's I told you so.

Or I drop the $425 and get the inverter and see what happens. It's just that it is a boatload of money to replace a perfectly good 400W inverter that I already have.

I agree with all said in your post, just don't know what to do. AE doesn't want to hear anything unless it is isolated.

geordi · **Posted:** Mon Feb 08, 2010 2:06 am

Run it on battery then, if you can. Then it is perfectly isolated. What brand of laptop? I've owned Sony, HP, Compaq (still have all of these) as well as Macbook Pro and worked on Toshiba, Alienware, and Dull... NONE of them have a grounded power supply that passes that ground to the laptop.

Unrelated... $400 for a 1500w inverter? Is it made of gold? That shouldn't be more than about $120, seriously.

I just looked at Camping World, and they have a Duracell (actually made by Xantrex, good make) 1500 for $200, and that is too expensive. Home Depot.com lists a BUNCH of different sizes, all cheaper than the CW unit, but good makes.

What do you think you will be using in the future that will pull more than 400 watts? 400 will drive a BIG TV, among a lot of other things. I wouldn't spend the money on that, seriously. AE are being idiots, and I stand by what I said before - ONLY interested in getting you to continually open your wallet to them.

If you want, I'll sell you mine cheaper than buying a replacement from them. I haven't found ANYTHING that thing can do yet, that helps me do more than "look, but no touching" in the computer. Frankly, that annoys me more than anything b/c I see their entire website as false advertising. Sure there are LOTS of sensors that you can LOOK at... But can you actually FIX anything? Recode anything? Recalibrate ANYTHING, even change the timer on the headlights after you take the key out?

No.

It doesn't even properly clear all the codes. I've had a "engine module missing" code on my Airbag computer for more than a year now... Can't do anything with that scanner to clear it. Support from them? None, because "my license has expired" when I didn't buy it with a time-limited license to the software. That was a new thing they decided to start, making it a constant subscription.

DocB · **Posted:** Mon Feb 08, 2010 3:01 am

I have a HP/Compaq 6820s and an old Compaq Evo N1020v.
Problem is that the battery in the laptop doesn't last too long.

As far as sensors, yes AE can look at alot, but of course no touchy.

I am in the middle of installing some mods and gauges so I am using AE to observe some.

I also use it on some other vehicles, especially Ford, where more info is to be had.

Here's the inverter I am looking at:

http://www.aimscorp.net/PWRI150012S.htm

I would like to have a little larger inverter because I may be running some small appliances in the near future.

Your advice and help is greatly appreciated. Sometimed I just get stuck.
Just trying to do the best I can and you and everyone on this site have been very helpful.

Boiler · **Posted:** Mon Feb 08, 2010 3:52 am

I would very very highly recommend running from the Aims inverters as fast as you can. We designed them into one of our military machines (5000 watt, 10,000 watt peak) and about 2/3 of them came dead on arrival. I personally had to open them up and recommend the cables that connect to the circuit boards. You're not supposed to open them ever. They have an extruded design, as you can tell in the pictures, they have the same shape along the length. The boards slid into a slot in the extrusion, but were not fastened down. The boards would slide around in there and yank on the plugs and they would come out. Their customer service sucked too. There is like one guy that imports them from Taiwan and passes them out to various distributors. Sometimes we would have to wait 5 months for replacements because there were none left in the US and we had to wait for a boat.

We burned up at least 1/3 of them and the rest were constantly having problems. For two prototype units we went through at least 6-7 inverters before we scrapped them and went to a USA made one that cost 5x as much. Never a problem since.

We also had some of these problems with Xantrex, which we used before the aims.

Here is why aims / xantrex & many other cheap inverters are so cheap: they come with an array of small transformer. Our aims had like 8 the size of a roll of quarters. The one we replaced it with had a transformer the size of a grapefruit...just one big one.

Do you have to have pure sine wave? Quasi are much cheaper and they are advertised as being able to run laptops. Check this one out. I've always liked the Cobra brand for other automotive electronics. It is also pretty well rated:

http://www.amazon.com/Cobra-CPI-1575-Po ... 058&sr=8-1

The aims is not well rated:
http://www.amazon.com/AIMS-Power-1500W- ... ewpoints=1

If you have to have pure sine wave, call this company in Canada and discuss your application. They are a bit more expensive than aims, but I'm betting they are a single big transformer type, based on the fact that it weighs twice as much. 2 year warranty too. I'd definitely phone first though. Do a google search on them.
http://www.amazon.com/Go-Power-GP-SW150 ... 254&sr=1-1

I've never used cobra or gopower inverters, but I would recommend buying anything over an aims or xantrex. I say try a cobra, only $100 and they usually have decent stuff.

Joe Romas · **Posted:** Mon Feb 08, 2010 7:44 am

DocB wrote:

According to the company, the reason that the enhanced Chrysler connector not longer works is because it got fried due to a feed back loop because of no isolated ground. Had to buy a new one, but don't want to do that again.

I've wondered about the ground being a problem. I have a VAG-COM and use an old laptop for it's serial port and the batery does not last long. Most of the time I use it in my garage and plugging it into the wall has not been a problem

dkenny · **Posted:** Mon Feb 08, 2010 9:24 am

Ditto on the running from the AIMS inverter..I tried to use in my mobile shop. 2 died in 2yrs. thankfully just before the warranty.
at the moment I using a Xantrax inverter, 3000w. it run just about everything. some better than others. my Makita sliding miter, with a soft start, doesn't as well as when plugged in to 120. at the moment it 2.5yrs old.

-dkenny

geordi · **Posted:** Mon Feb 08, 2010 11:32 am

Thats interesting information about the Xantrex inverters, I've never had a problem with them. I can recommend Cobra stuff too, my experience with them has been good.

The thing to dig into before you start looking for a new inverter is how much power will you actually need? Small appliances... Any power-using device will have a sticker on it somewhere saying what it's amps or watts requirements are. This is all you need to know, as with the input voltage, you can find whatever you are missing.

Watts = Volts * Amps

Simple math, but very powerful.

Boiler · **Posted:** Mon Feb 08, 2010 12:44 pm

You have to watch the peak power too. If yoiu're running motors they can draw 6x their operational amperage for a brief time. I like to make sure the main rating can handle the "full load amps, if not the service load amps, and then have the peak be able to handle the "locked rotor amps" of the motor.

DocB · **Posted:** Tue Feb 09, 2010 1:04 am

Thanks for all the info. Especially about the Aims.
This has turned into a very informative thread.

Funny that you should mention the Go Power. That was my second choice, now first.
I like what I read and hear about them. Guess you get what you pay for.
Waiting to hear back from Go Power if the 1000W has isolated ground like the 1500W unit.
Interesting note: No Load Current Draw/Powersave
1000W= 1.4A/0.25A
1500W=1.0A/0.1A
Why do you think that is?
Wouldn't one think that the larger unit would draw more OR is it that the larger unit is more effecient?

Boiler · **Posted:** Tue Feb 09, 2010 1:32 am

No load current draw is usually based on displays, indicator lights, etc. Max power is based on the size of condutors, etc.

1500W Inverter

Who is online