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Generator vs. Inverter ??

Generator vs. Inverter ??

Old 08-19-2004, 04:47 PM
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Default Generator vs. Inverter ??

Ok all...need some advice and education.
A company called Xantrex (www.xantrex.com) offers some pretty powerful inverter systems that are as powerful as some generators and obviously produce no noise. They are substantially less expensive also.
So whats the deal.....are we stuck using generators which are either too loud or too expensive OR are these inverter systems worth looking in to???
I must admit that all those watts, volts and amps have me stymied as to whether an inverter will even do the job.
All you electrical tech guy's out there .......speak up. Thanks
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Old 08-19-2004, 05:00 PM
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the Power Pack 1500 looks good, it has a rating of 60 amp hours. You could easily run all day with that. $369
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Old 08-19-2004, 05:04 PM
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Make sure that you get a powerful battery to support your racing needs. I have a decent inverter, but my power supply can't support my power requirements.
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Old 08-19-2004, 05:13 PM
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Its all gonna depend on what you want to run , and for how long??? Also , to go with the inverter do you want to lug around a big a$$ deep cycle battery for power to invert ???? Do you want to buy a good charger to charge that deep cycle. The partable packs with the battery inside are about useless , espically for all day use. By the time you buy all that , you could have gotten a coleman 1800 watt camping generator that is very quiet and provides you with plenty of power , and still have a wad of cash left over. Or if you wanna do it right drop a grand on a honda and you can sit a foot away from it and not know its running !!!
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Old 08-19-2004, 06:11 PM
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Yep, the Honda is on my wish list but at about $400 bucks, this inverter stuff looks interesting. I've got the full boat load of goodies like a T35 w/30 amp supply, a couple Integy ac/dc units, soldering gun, light, etc, etc...
I don't know about all inverters, but these Xantrex units(especially the portable 1500 ) have ac or dc (car cig lighter) chargers available and you can upgrade to or supplement with another larger capacity battery. Compared to my Heavy, Loud Coleman 5000, an inverter sounds interesting.
So can this be used or would you suggest a generator above all else ? Would you try one?? And if not.....why not??
Neil, the 1500 comes with a 600 cold cranking amp battery......what amp battery are you using so I can compare?? Thanks
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Old 08-19-2004, 09:48 PM
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The batt I was using is for road side emergencies. Not exactly the purpose of it, but it was cheap. I've discovered, that a small generator is the way to go. If it's cheap, go Honda. If it's not, go Honda.
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Old 08-19-2004, 10:11 PM
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Save your money and buy one of the Yamaha, or Honda inverter series generators. I also have a 1000/2000 peak invertor with a 29 series deep cycle battery in my trailer and Depending on what all I run it won't last a LONG whole day. I run a big fan off it, a Turbo 35 and another charger at 5 amps. All of my chargers are being run off a 30 amp Bulldog power supply. I will have others sometimes plug in also. With my Yamaha which only holds .6 gallons of gas I can go 8 hours plus and only the time I Have it kick up is if you are running something that draws a lot like a tire truer. It is some money in the beginning, but well worth it, and the Yamaha, or Honda 1000 only weigh around 30 pounds and the 2000 Honda about 49 pounds and are 58 decibels at full power and around 52 at their low cycle, which you can be standing next to and talking while they run. The one track I race at had one of the Coleman 5000 I think it was, and was over 200 foot away from where I park and I could hear it over top of mine running. Also the power coming out of this is very stable and you can run computers or anything sensitive off them. Just my thoughts. Look around, good deals can be had on them.
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Old 08-19-2004, 10:38 PM
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Thanks all....looks like I'll stay with a generator. Honda here I come !
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Old 08-19-2004, 10:52 PM
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Yamaha makes some nice units also, up to a 3000 with a 3500 Boost on one model, so don't narrow yourself down to the Honda, and you might be able to find better deals on other brands. Just a thought.
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Old 08-20-2004, 11:02 AM
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Make sure when you look at a generator or an inverter that it produces a clean and constant current. I've seen some generators that are a great deal but don't produce a clean enough current to power some soldering stations and power supplies and it will cause catosphic failure. Just a FYI.
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Old 08-20-2004, 05:49 PM
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Default Re: Generator vs. Inverter ??

Originally posted by Evoracer
Ok all...need some advice and education.
A company called Xantrex (www.xantrex.com) offers some pretty powerful inverter systems that are as powerful as some generators and obviously produce no noise. They are substantially less expensive also.
So whats the deal.....are we stuck using generators which are either too loud or too expensive OR are these inverter systems worth looking in to???
I must admit that all those watts, volts and amps have me stymied as to whether an inverter will even do the job.
All you electrical tech guy's out there .......speak up. Thanks
Inverter... quiet.... generator noisy...
hook up off of car battery carry gas, need a small open space
$ 60 70 $350 and up
Power can run off it for a Everyone can run off it!!!
little while
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