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Old 05-25-11, 12:21 AM   #11
kbhale
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Its this one 2000 Watt Power Inverter. Other than the fans I've had no problems with it. I think it is designed for temporary use were on off is the only controls you need. Like a remote work site.

I bought this one to put on my truck. Black & Decker 1,000-Watt D/C to A/C Power Inverter VEC049DCB ved=0CHsQ8wIwBQ&biw=1014&bih=469# To use it for emergencies. Its a on off to. Going to try it on the solar batteries. Do plan to get a proper inverter later.

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Old 05-25-11, 09:24 AM   #12
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Maybe they can be hacked to run with less noise..
We were talking about this just the other day..

http://ecorenovator.org/forum/solar-...html#post13482
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Old 06-14-11, 07:56 AM   #13
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Sorry for reviving an old thread but - I am running off solar power. We have a 1.7kWp system on the roof and our production exceeds our consumption to date by a couple of hundred kWhr. We are grid connected so don't have any battery storage but as long as I've generated more than I've used I will feel like I am using solar power.
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Old 06-14-11, 09:23 AM   #14
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Wow! That's great. Sounds like you have a good system with the sunshine to make the power.
It has been so cool and rainy-overcast here for so long, I'm started to think that I blinked and missed the summer.
Plus, my arrays have so much blockage from trees, the collection time is under 3 hours a day. (If the sun actually came out)!

I was testing a new 1500w sine wave inverter today, and was worried about recharging.
We only have two 'mostly sunny' days in the forecast for the rest of the June.
Woburn, MA 01801 Month Weather Report - AccuWeather.com

We wore jackets (and I wore gloves) to go bike riding yesterday.
It was 104F at my Mom's house in Texas, and like October here..

Cheers,
Rich
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Old 06-14-11, 10:49 AM   #15
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I purchased that same inverter, and it has been working okay. It supplies it's rated 8.5 amps steadily, but I'm wondering about it's modified wave. I can take a house fan from 110VAC to the Black and Decker, and the fan will run noticeably slower on 'inverted' AC. The fan also 'hums' while running on the B&D. I once tried to run a portable air conditioner on it just to see what would happen, and it supplied Current up to 10.5 Amps continuously. Above that and it went into shutdown. One feature that has never worked is the display. Running my fan at 5 Amps, along with a 1 Amp light and radio, does not show any power usage on the meter. Clearly the unit is functioning, but the display isn't. Again, I wonder about the quality of the modified wave.

Quote:
Originally Posted by kbhale View Post
Its this one 2000 Watt Power Inverter. Other than the fans I've had no problems with it. I think it is designed for temporary use were on off is the only controls you need. Like a remote work site.

I bought this one to put on my truck. Black & Decker 1,000-Watt D/C to A/C Power Inverter VEC049DCB ved=0CHsQ8wIwBQ&biw=1014&bih=469# To use it for emergencies. Its a on off to. Going to try it on the solar batteries. Do plan to get a proper inverter later.
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Old 08-13-11, 09:14 AM   #16
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I'm living on solar.
I'm currently living in a recreational trailer on my recreational property in Canada using 500 watts of solar and 400 amps @ 12 volts of batteries. Yes I need more batteries and have them... but am waiting to install them with my soon to be built 1k system.
I had more solar than I could use, and then I started using my big old work computer (for work). Next purchase. A laptop. And off to the recycle depot for the 'puter.
As my current inverter is only 1000 watts (pure sine now!) I can't run my air conditioner, electric kettle or "mega" blender on the solar and thus the generator (manual start) runs in the morning while I make coffee and smoothies for breakfast. Other than that, water, lights, radio, tv ... it's all solar. With propane fridge, stove and water heater.
I'm with you on modified wave Travis. I toasted a couple of craftsman rechargeable batteries ... and I find batteries in general for cell phones etc charge poorly on modified wave. Don't know why.
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Old 08-13-11, 10:03 AM   #17
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Be sure to start a 'Solar Project' thread with pics, when you do the install work.
There seems to be more and more folks, that want to get off the grid these days.

We use too much power (500kwh/month) to live off-grid, using back-yard arrays
that spend too much time in the shade of tree limbs..

Once power cost gets up around 40-50 cents per kwh, my wife will likely reconsider using our roofs for PV..
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Old 08-23-11, 06:48 PM   #18
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@mr X. will start a solar projects thread, I'll take some pics tomorrow. I'm going to build a "power shed". should be fun. Warning: this project comes under the heading "experimental."

Looking at engadget, the chinese are forecasting solar in the .25 cent range by 2015. So rather than the grid getting too expensive, (hopefully) more like solar will get so cheap.

I've been really surprised this year by how quickly new tech is going mainstream. There was an article in 2008 about a lab developing "CREE" led lights and setting a record of 140 lumens per watt. This year I bought a led camping lantern (on sale of course) ... and you guessed it. The light uses CREE leds. And, with intermittent use, it's been running for a month and half of trips around the farm without recharging. And it is pretty bright.

Also @ Xringer: a chainsaw could serve two masters: firewood and solar enlightenment.
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Old 08-23-11, 07:35 PM   #19
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My last "solar enlightenment" project was fatal to my deck railing.
There was some brown looking rot? hidden inside the tree trunk.
Everything went well, until I yelled "Timber"!
The hinge didn't hold evenly and the tree twisted, causing some
good sized limbs to impact my deck... It was a mess!
My redwood 2x4 rails weren't really all that strong..
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Old 08-25-11, 06:14 PM   #20
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450 watts panels, 6 110 amp golf cart batts, 1750 watt square wave, runs almost everything except microwave on our converted (recycled?) '67 MCI coach, home for the last 11 years.
Am currently desulfating the 6 batteries - 2 done 4 to go, as they are now 7 years old & since we are building a home, don't really want to lash out for new batts.

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