Going Solar

[Pigs On The Wing BBQ]

Picked up one http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/d ... mber=90599
For the camp ground. also http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/d ... mber=95596
Think I may get a smaller inverter to run the LED lights and use the bigger on to run the flat screen and DVD player as I have been told "the bigger the inverter, the faster it will kill the battery" Any one know if this is true?
Thanks
Pigs

 

[dollarbill]

I've watched a guy drain his battery using one of those at Lake Havasue. Left his radio plugged in it all night and in the morning it was dead. Im not sure if a bigger one will drain your battery faster. I think whatever is plugged in only "pulls" so much juice...........But when you plug in 2 or 3 items it will go faster for sure.

 

[Pigs On The Wing BBQ]

The solar panel will be hooked to a deep cycle battery on it's own. If it goes flat I can fire up the gen set in the motor home. Makes scene the bigger the load the faster it will kill the battery. We have "movie" night Saturday nights, be nice not to hear the gen run. Thanks. Any input on this JB?

Pigs

 

[007bond-jb]

The inverters will only draw the watt amout needed to run a device. The more watts the faster the drain on the battery. You will get some wattage loss through the inverter due to heat build up during the conversion.

The less heat build up the less watts lost into thin air...
The larger converters will build up less heat powering small loads

For example a 1kw converter with a .75kw load may waste 20 watts an hour due to heat.
A 2kw converter with the a .75 load may only waste 10 watts.

The larger inverters may also have cooling fans, I would buy one with a smart fan that only runs when needed.
If the fan runs all the time the fan watt draw may be more that the heat build up watt waste.

Never buy a inverter to small for the load

 

[Pigs On The Wing BBQ]

Thanks JB! I figure you know this stuff! Very good info.
Thanks

Pigs

 

[Nick Prochilo]

Let me know how long it takes to get your $400 back.

 

[Pigs On The Wing BBQ]

Let me know how long it takes to get your $400 back.

No time at all with the cost if gas!

Pigs

 

[john pen]

Ive got a 2500 watt inverter in the bus..powered by a bank of 6volt golf cart batteries.. A bit of an investment up front, but it works great. Runs the refrigerator, fans and tv/dvd player when Im going down the road.