MSW
Do you really need pure sine wave for your tv's or are you happy with your modified sine wave inverter. My 750 Tripp lite inverter took a dump and now need to replace it. BTW it was not pure sine wave...
Forum Discussion
Hi Harold,
Another "cool hand Luke" moment.
PSW is better than MSW. MSW is cheaper than PSW. For relatively small wattages there is a small price penalty to pay, by moving to upgrade to PSW.
I've just ordered a Magnum 3012 hybrid inverter that is PSW. It was 1880.00 including a fancy remote, plus shipping. I'm replacing a 2500 watt MSW Cobra that has met my needs for four years that cost $200.00.
PSW is the best possible replacement and represents an upgrade as well. Four years ago there were no 3000 watt 12 volt input psw units that were reliable and could be repaired.
Right now the PSW 3000 watt units that are inverters only from Samlex, Go Power, and others are NOT repairable because there are no parts available post warranty. I know this because I was in direct email contact with five makers. They cost between $1100 and $1500. The warranty on these units was one or two years.
Magnum and Victron DO offer post warranty repair service. I chose the Magnum because it was closest to the 3600 watts that I wanted, and because it offers hybrid power. I.E. if I exceed the shore power input current, the inverter will "boost" from the battery bank, up to the rating of the inverter, instead of blowing the shore power breaker. It is also a new design, so parts will be available for a long time.
Why choose to upgrade:
One reason inverters fail is because they are over loaded.
More capacity is always nice to have.
PSW is the better technology.
In Magnum, Victron, and one other high quality but lessor known brand, true hybrid operation is possible.
Negatives:
Cost is greater.
We don't know what capacity the OP's unit is. PSW is available at 300 watts for $140.00 or less. The "best of the best" in this wattage is the Morning Star inverter. It features no fan and over load to 600 watts for ten minutes if I remember correctly.
Why I chose PSW and Magnum:
I am often in situations where I have only a 15 amp shore power connection, and without access to the shore power breaker.
In addition Magnum put in a 60 amp automatic transfer switch for "pass through" power. That should allow switching under load without excessive burning of the contacts.
True Hybrid Operation
Ability to run the roof air conditioner
Ability to run induction cooker
Price is about 63 cents per watt (including the remote which is necessary to meet my personal needs).
Temperature compensated 3 stage charging, with a probe on the battery bank. This helps prevent overcharging in summer, and undercharging in winter.
Ability to store "favorites" (profiles), so I can switch quickly and easily between 15 amp, 23 amp, and 36 amp input to the inverter.
I've been burned in the past purchasing an inexpensive PSW unit. Rating was 5000 watts and at the end of two weeks of use, it could not power a laptop.
Now that I have gone into details, my personal recommendation to the OP is to move to a PSW inverter that exceeds the capacity of his original failed unit. All this said, if the OP doesn't want to upgrade to PSW I'd have no hesitation in recommending the Cobra MSW 2500 watt unit. It does not feature battery charging.
Another "cool hand Luke" moment.
PSW is better than MSW. MSW is cheaper than PSW. For relatively small wattages there is a small price penalty to pay, by moving to upgrade to PSW.
I've just ordered a Magnum 3012 hybrid inverter that is PSW. It was 1880.00 including a fancy remote, plus shipping. I'm replacing a 2500 watt MSW Cobra that has met my needs for four years that cost $200.00.
PSW is the best possible replacement and represents an upgrade as well. Four years ago there were no 3000 watt 12 volt input psw units that were reliable and could be repaired.
Right now the PSW 3000 watt units that are inverters only from Samlex, Go Power, and others are NOT repairable because there are no parts available post warranty. I know this because I was in direct email contact with five makers. They cost between $1100 and $1500. The warranty on these units was one or two years.
Magnum and Victron DO offer post warranty repair service. I chose the Magnum because it was closest to the 3600 watts that I wanted, and because it offers hybrid power. I.E. if I exceed the shore power input current, the inverter will "boost" from the battery bank, up to the rating of the inverter, instead of blowing the shore power breaker. It is also a new design, so parts will be available for a long time.
Why choose to upgrade:
One reason inverters fail is because they are over loaded.
More capacity is always nice to have.
PSW is the better technology.
In Magnum, Victron, and one other high quality but lessor known brand, true hybrid operation is possible.
Negatives:
Cost is greater.
We don't know what capacity the OP's unit is. PSW is available at 300 watts for $140.00 or less. The "best of the best" in this wattage is the Morning Star inverter. It features no fan and over load to 600 watts for ten minutes if I remember correctly.
Why I chose PSW and Magnum:
I am often in situations where I have only a 15 amp shore power connection, and without access to the shore power breaker.
In addition Magnum put in a 60 amp automatic transfer switch for "pass through" power. That should allow switching under load without excessive burning of the contacts.
True Hybrid Operation
Ability to run the roof air conditioner
Ability to run induction cooker
Price is about 63 cents per watt (including the remote which is necessary to meet my personal needs).
Temperature compensated 3 stage charging, with a probe on the battery bank. This helps prevent overcharging in summer, and undercharging in winter.
Ability to store "favorites" (profiles), so I can switch quickly and easily between 15 amp, 23 amp, and 36 amp input to the inverter.
I've been burned in the past purchasing an inexpensive PSW unit. Rating was 5000 watts and at the end of two weeks of use, it could not power a laptop.
Now that I have gone into details, my personal recommendation to the OP is to move to a PSW inverter that exceeds the capacity of his original failed unit. All this said, if the OP doesn't want to upgrade to PSW I'd have no hesitation in recommending the Cobra MSW 2500 watt unit. It does not feature battery charging.
