2000w Inverter

As an EE I'm always sceptical of inverters claiming pure sine and >90% efficiency. It can be done, but I've yet to see it in a 2kW inplementation in a box that size. But you never know.

Well it works just fine - have run my 65" plasma TV on it at home when the power is off, a small microwave and the other usuals such as charging drills, laptops and phones - in the years I have been using this item - never had an issue.

Yes you never know - but there is nothing like personal experience with a product rather a sceptical appraisal of something not used.

No way am I suggesting it doesn't work or deliver the rated 2000W.

If you actually read what I posted, you would have noted it was about the claimed efficiency if it is delivering a true sine wave output. And has your "personal experience" included verifying the output waveform under load?

Just a note on power: 2000W at 240V at unity PF is about 8.5 amps. Do you intend running anything that will draw that sort of current? At 2000W, the draw from your 12V battery will be in the vicinity of 200 amps - that is HUGE! You will take a huge chunk out of your battery capacity in quick time at that current draw.
I have a 1000W inverter running off 2 x 100AH LiFePO4 batteries and only ever use it to charge my phone or tablet.

Hi 1392,

Is there a reason why you choose to use an inverter to charge phone & tablet when you can charge both from a 12 volt supply?

Macca.

Hi 1392. I'm not planning on charging phones, computers from an inverter (a waste of time for me). The 2000w will give me space to power a few different, useful items that a 1000w will not.

Not looking for advice on whether to get one or not, (thank you), simply asking for experiences of those who have.

Cheers,

Mark

Just on that issue of charging small stuff, originally I needed to power small stuff like lap tops, phones etc from 12v - normal cheap 12v chargers worked OK but the lap top was 19v so needed a special charger. Looking around for the one 12v charger with variable output voltages and the required wattages for all these I found a couple but they were well over $100 at the time. I bought a 300w inverter for $70 that did them all with the original 240v chargers - I also found it could charge small drills, run my small TV and a whole lot of smaller appliances. Still go it, still working great and the extra utility was useful.

Later I was advised that power to my house was going to be out for a few days and I wanted to use my TV, internet and some other appliances when there was no power - the 300w inverter was not going to run my plasma tv etc so I bought the 2000w item I listed above - worked fine with my solar panel connected to the battery. I now use the 200w inverter to power everything in my camper - small microwave and toaster etc.

I have found that the utility of using an inverter over a myriad of 12v plug in chargers is certainly worthwhile. Just plug everything like you were home. I now even charge the phone off it.

Larger inverters are not much more expensive that smaller ones and the parasitic use of power by the inverter itself is not as much as some say it is - yep use a microwave and it will pull a lot of power from a battery, but how long do you use it for - a few minutes at most - same with a toaster - no issues with a good solar/battery system.

My 2000/4000w inverter works great and it goes with me everywhere - noting you can still use those 12v items that are best charged direct from a 12v source as you normally do.

Member - McLaren3030 posted:
Hi 1392,

Is there a reason why you choose to use an inverter to charge phone & tablet when you can charge both from a 12 volt supply?

Macca.

Hi Macca
I use the 250V output and my android charger to charge my tablet and phone for fast charging. Charging from a USB plug takes forever for the tablet. I also use it to charge my camera batteries (still use an old fashioned SLR) so no 12V option there.

Hey Zippo

Maybe he has run a CRO over it...............

Lyndon, you never know. It's what I would have done minutes after unpacking one.

Interesting results here. I initially asked (I thought fairly specifically) about experiences or suggestions members had for 2000w inverters. I had 1 suggestion (thanks, OzzieCruiser) and multiple other responses varying from "why would you want one" to questioning the only genuine responder's credentials/knowledge.

I have been on this site for over a decade, so I'm used to this response type. It does occur to me, however, just how this might look to a newer participant. There seems to be a move more towards one-upmanship or denigration over genuine assistance (not always, don't get me wrong, but more persistently as time goes on).

I'm personally quite comfortable with my experience in both outdoor activities and as a 4wd/touring participant. It might be good for us to keep in mind not everyone is, nor claims to be. A little more focus on the "helping" rather than the "instructing" might be useful.

Just a thought.

Cheers,
Mark

Yes my experiences with a cheap ebay 2000w inverter, are exactly that - my experiences nothing more and other than that I have no professional expertise one way or the other.

It is shame that with all the people on this forum someone else must have experience with 2000w inverters ranging from the top range to the bottom of the pack and can provide those experiences but no one has. Plenty of opinions on issues but nothing of substance.

I have no issue on someone challenging my point of view based on experience but no, it is the arm chair warrior view that seems to prevail.

Your reflection on how this forum works is spot on.

Sometimes discussions wander off track but that can help others learn things. I did notice though you said that over the past decade you have gotten use to the response type but have you really gotten use to it when you point out things that got under your skin. A good thread title would be I'm after advice without the replies or queries.

Thanks Macca. I've looked at the Renogy. It appears to get a mixture of good and bad reviews. Well priced for what it delivers, it seems.

Cheers,
Mark

I have a Renogy 40A DC-DC charger and an MPPT controller. The quality is good, solid feel and well constructed, robust.

I'll be looking at their inverters when the time comes.

Their pricing is very competitive and the quality good, I'd say their gear fits into the 'you get more than you pay for' category.

Much appreciated Matt.

Cheers,
Mark