600 Watt Pure Sine Wave Inverter

[dkenny64]

most electronics don't care about modified sine vs sine..
most electronics being something that has a power brick between the 120vac and the device. like a laptop..or desktop computer...
these convert the AC to DC then regulate the output voltage..
just look the current brick you have..what's the input voltage range..many are 100-250v ac...

for USB..someone else said to us 12v.. yea its fast and easy.. you can even get power strips for powering USB devices that run off 12vdc..


coffee pots do need sine wave not modified sine..or they don't last as long..



-dkenny64

[S/V Illusion]

Originally Posted by maxingout

In the past I had small modified sine wave inverters on board, and they were hooked up to a cheap laptop that used 65 watts of power. I am willing to run a cheap lap top with less than optimal modified sine wave current, but I am concerned about using non sine wave current with my Mac. I don't want to toast my Mac.

It's a non-issue. As others implied, the power supply doesn't care. Myths die hard. the internal power supplies serve to convert whatever trash feeding them into filtered lower voltage DC so it doesn't make any difference.

[Reefmagnet]

If it matters, the better inverters will have a greater conversion efficiency and will draw less current at idle. On my boat I've got a swag of 12 volt USB outlets, plus some 19VDC converters for the laptop, plus a buck converter to get 10Vdc for a handheld transceiver carried on board.


I have the best 600 watt pure sine wave jobby I could buy at the time that can run all the electronics requiring AC and also a cheap and nasty ebay sourced 1500 watt inverter that's supposedly pure sine wave plumbed to it's own outlet in the galley for running things like the vacuum cleaner and toaster.


I like redundancy!

[MJH]

Originally Posted by maxingout

I have been searching for a 600 watt pure sine wave inverter for my catamaran. The only thing it will be used for is running a laptop and charging cell phones, sat phone, camera batteries, iPad.

No big loads. Most charging will be done through USB style port.

Probably even a 400 watt inverter would work for me as long as it is pure sine wave. I would rather have a couple of small pure sine wave inverters rather than a large single inverter. That way I will have back up incase an inverter fails.

What inverters should I consider?
What inverters should I avoid?

Thanks

For the limited use you list I don't think you need an big inverter. I have the same stuff you mentioned and operate without one very well. My highest concern is for my laptop and for that I use a LIND Power Adapter for my specific make/model (go to their web site to locate yours)...plug it in and forget it until the voyage is over. Some of the other stuff can be charged off the laptop USB ports. I do carry a small West Marine inverter for anything else (crew stuff) but have rarely had to use it.

~ ~ _/) ~ ~ MJH

[macman4190]

I bought a 12v car charger for my MacBook Air on Amazon. So I never needed an inverter to charge my devices. Going DC to DC is much more efficient than going DC to AC to DC. USB outlets powered by the batteries took care of phones and iPads.

[Tillsbury]

Originally Posted by maxingout

I am willing to run a cheap lap top with less than optimal modified sine wave current, but I am concerned about using non sine wave current with my Mac. I don't want to toast my Mac.

You have it the wrong way around. The apple power brick will cope with any old junk you throw at it. A cheap laptop might possibly struggle (but still unlikely).

The only devices that get seriously damaged by non-sine AC are those that do something interesting with a lot of power. Fancy microwaves, for example. I would also be a bit wary of running an iMac from one. Straightforward heaters or motors are usually fine.

[alansmith]

Just got back from a couple of weeks in Mexico. My iPad was hooked up to a cigarette type 12 volt charge cord....never saw any problems. Same goes for the iPhone.

When me and the Kitty travel on land we have a dual plug cigarette style 12 volt charge cord. Never a problem...."i don't need no stinking inverter"....amended from the famous Humphrey Bogart movie...Sierra Madre....smile

[Frugal]

For items that require DC power other than straight 12 volt you are better off using a DC to DC Boost/Buck inverter. They are cheap, robust and far more efficient than the Dc-AC-DC path of mains inverters. High wattage units are available. A $4.00 unit has been powering my 19 volt 100 watt laptop and it's USB peripherals continuously for the last 5 years.
Cheers

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/150W-DC-...r-Power-Module

[Hunky Dory]

If you have solar, look at the hybrid controller, this is a controller with a built in inverter, this will save space as you only have one unit.