NinerBikes wrote:
RJsfishin wrote:
I agree 3-400 watts is plenty, no advantage in 600-1000 watts.
I keep telling myself I want a 3-400w PSW to replace my Cobra 400w MSW, but I can't figure out why. The Cobra fan is not noisy, and it runs sat tv etc just fine. It charges PC etc etc just fine too. But I still always think I want a PSW,.....I guess just because its better.
I bought some 175W 12V MSW for something like $25 on line, maybe less. It powers my 21" TV just fine off the batwing antenna. Whole package draws about 4.4 amps in 12V when the TV is on. Interestingly how low or how high the volume is set on the tv has an effect on the amount of amps drawn. I guess speakers can suck the juice when turned up a bit?
Picture brightness has the big effect on what amps the TV draws via inverter.
On inverter size, while you only need a small inverter for TV etc, and a big one for microwave etc, I have found that the 1000w PSW Xantrex one I got on sale (same price as a small inverter regular price at the time) has turned out to be a good idea.
The 1000w draws no more than my 400w did, so no advantage in going smaller for that reason. (However the big 2000w draws more than the 1000 and below so that is different. It is just that "small" starts at 1000 not 400.) So what?, you ask.
I use the 2000w for MW, kettle, and toaster but it turns out the 1000w can run the kettle and toaster in the 900w area, so that just leaves the MW it can't do. That means there is redundancy for the 2000w if it died, we can still make toast! :)
Also on the MW, I found the 1000w inverter can indeed run a "700" size MW which wants 1050w input. Out trailer has a "1000" MW (wants 1550w) so that is out, but if you had a small MW, the 1000 could do it, so now you could have redundancy for everything, or just go with the 1000 for everything and use a small MW and never mind having the 2000w inverter at all. No redundancy except going on gen or shore power that way of course.
Anyway, it changes the notion of needing a small inverter for the small stuff and a big one for the big stuff if you are willing to go smaller in MW, and the 1000 is no more of a power user itself than a 300 or whatever. Also could affect battery bank size needed if no big inverter.
