Decent inexpensive modified sine wave inverter

Since I started preferential choosing of low voltage accessories feeding highly filtered DC to accessories of the same voltage has lessened my concern. I still use the Trace 4024 for the freezers when public power fails during a tropical storm. But the Respironics BIPAP is fed straight battery at night. That is one accessory that I am over cautious with.

I wish the stupid SOLA line conditioner did not consume 107 watts quiescent..
Over a 60 day period it knocks me into the 200% tariff rate.

My Respironics 12 volt brick becomes distressingly hotter when used with the Trace inverter. But I circumvented that. The cost of running 150 meters of 4 gauge cu underground is beyond my ability. The ground is 80% rock.

BFL13 wrote:


A laptop uses a brick so why would an Apple care if were MSW?

As I understand it, the laptop itself doesn't--it's just getting DC power from the power brick--but the active power factor correction circuitry in some power bricks (and some other switchmode power supplies) can behave badly when the input waveform is not at all sinusoidal, as they try like mad to adjust their current consumption within an AC cycle to be sinusoidal even though the applied voltage is anything but sinusoidal. Supposedly (some) Apple power supplies are rather notorious for self-destruction under those circumstances.

Most switching power supplies, for sure any older/cheaper ones without active power factor correction, are perfectly happy with MSW power.

My old fashion heating pads worked great on the triplite
But our electric blanket controller refused to function, and I installed a go power 300w psw in the DP, just for that blanket, because the bed was directly over the engine and no false floor no dead air storage space,
That bed platform and bedroom got cold at night when cold outside

BFL13 wrote:

pianotuna wrote:
Mex,

I only run laptops and with MSW there were no visual artifacts. The power bricks did run hotter. Apple laptops do NOT play well with MSW, letting out the magic blue smoke.

.......

A laptop uses a brick so why would an Apple care if were MSW?

Yeah, I call BS on that to.

Just another scare tactic uneducated folks love to spread..

Dirt cheap MSW inverters can be a bit problematic due to much looser tolerances and less harmonic filtering in the output which are most likely where some of these tall tails of death and destruction of electronic items comes from.

Would I intentionally plug anything of value into a $19-$100 cheap inverter, I think not but read on..

Those laptop bricks are the SAME switching power supplies in pretty much every device known to man now days. Switching power supplies do not care what so ever what the waveform looks like and in fact can operate on straight DC if you have enough voltage, typically can operate 100v-250V AC at 50-60hz sinewave, modified sinewave or heck even the old school hardcore SQUAREWAVE with no harm or foul. They are pretty much as universal as you can get.

The first stage of a switching power supply is nothing more than a bridge rectifier to unfiltered DC, then that is run through brute force filtering via some high voltage capacitors.

Then that voltage is fed to a high frequency chopper circuit.

The chopper feeds a small high frequency transformer.

The output of the high frequency transformer is fed to a high speed diode and that output is then brute forced filtered with high microfarad capacitors and the output is fed to your laptop.

The only concession I would make is some devices like lamp dimmers, electronic blanket controllers or any device that uses a solid state Triac may not work well or may be damaged from a MSW. The reason for that is Triac devices MUST switch on/off when the waveform crosses zero volts. MSW typically has a long zero volt crossing and steep ramp up and down.. Other than that, most devices will handle MSW fine..

BFL13,

All I know is that there are more than a few folks who had Mac Laptops where the magic blue smoke came out when used on msw inverters

Here is a report where they got lucky and didn't fry their mac.



AC output voltage: 115 V
Max Continuous AC power: 320 W
AC Output frequency: 60 ±1 Hz
AC Output waveform wave: Modified Sine Wave

I can plug my little iPhone adapter in the inverter AC outlet and it charges.

When I plug my MacBook's adapter, I hear little ticks from the adapter, and nothing happens. I unplug it from the inverter, plug it in the wall outlet, and nothing happens. I have to unplug it from the wall, wait a minute or two, re-plug it to the wall and my MacBook is charging again.

pianotuna wrote:
Mex,

I only run laptops and with MSW there were no visual artifacts. The power bricks did run hotter. Apple laptops do NOT play well with MSW, letting out the magic blue smoke.

.......

A laptop uses a brick so why would an Apple care if were MSW?

Another Trip Lite fan here
Used one I the Safari DP for years
New owner is still using it

2400w continuous 4800w surge

Mex,

I only run laptops and with MSW there were no visual artifacts. The power bricks did run hotter. Apple laptops do NOT play well with MSW, letting out the magic blue smoke.

My Cobra 2500 watt msw was a workhorse in my RV. I had zero problems with running fans or the microwave. It would run the roof air--but I decided that was perhaps unwise so it was only done as a test.

I moved to a hybrid inverter/charger because I thought I'd be getting voltage support. Unfortunately load support is NOT voltage support. That was solved with a Sola Basic autoformer. I do love the load support feature.

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
I agree!
But fussy me likes PSW. With a group 31 dedicated Lifeline battery and Megawatt I have a poor man's UPS. I chose a Samlex PSW because long ago the MSW inverters created distracting visual artifacts on my monitors.

Is this still the case?

I run a Tripplite 1300W MSW UPS on my 50" TV and Dish DVR system with no artifacts in the screen when the UPS switches to battery. Even if there was, it is well worth running that UPS to protect the TV and Sat receiver from power issues..

I have run stereos, TVs, drills, refrigerators, lights of all types from MSW but once again, the quality of the inverter comes into play here.. I am not running Harbor Freight, Cobra or any other cheap import off brands..

Tripplite DOES make PSW UPS and inverter units if it makes you feel and sleep better, but they do cost more upfront.

I agree!
But fussy me likes PSW. With a group 31 dedicated Lifeline battery and Megawatt I have a poor man's UPS. I chose a Samlex PSW because long ago the MSW inverters created distracting visual artifacts on my monitors.

Is this still the case?