Forum Discussion
Salvo wrote:
A typical soldering iron takes about 30W.
Confirms what I wrote - 150W for entertainment - alright, make it 300W if it's satellite AND you want to charge laptop at the same time. And then 1,200-2,000W for big things, mostly kitchen items. Nothing in between, no need for 400-500W :).
Exceptions are rare, like 350W drill charger. Have just checked my Dewalt 1 hour charger - 120W. My first drill (now a backup) has 40W charger. A fulltimer will likely have 500-700W vacuum but won't be needing a 500W inverter because very likely will have 1,500-2,000W inverter for microwave, coffee maker, hair drier etc.- I bought a 400 watt PSW inverter, because my Makita Lithium charger said it required 350 watts, and they did not lie.
I have a well 30 watt iron, a 140 watt Weller gun, a self igniting propane torch with a narrow flame that screws onto my green bottles, and I just picked up a butane torch too. It has a soldering tip I think is useless. There is a heat diffuser on it which should be nice for heatshrink tubing, and the torch part is not really any more precise than my self igniting propane torch tip.
A looked through Meanwells PSW inverter offerings when I was researching my RSP-500-15 last Spetenber. Naio wrote:
I have a small propane torch. Most of my soldering is outside where a gun or iron just don't get hot enough.
Although I couldn't find my big iron, and only packed a little one. !Salvo wrote:
A typical soldering iron takes about 30W. And everybody needs one in their toolbox.Almot wrote:
There is pretty much nothing in between - other than soldering iron ;)
I know -- who are these people who travel without one?
Although I couldn't find my big iron, and only packed a little one. Ended up using my propane stove to heat a larger connection that I had to make while out. For future reference, that works!- A typical soldering iron takes about 30W. And everybody needs one in their toolbox.
Almot wrote:
There is pretty much nothing in between - other than soldering iron ;) Donnoh wrote:
when would that be needed?
l. I like the fact that the output voltage can be changed.- I know there's a difference between my 150w MSW and my big inverters in idle draw. That's why we use the small inverter all the time and the big one occasionally. I was talking the difference between 300 and 400 watt. Is there really a big enough difference there to make that a deciding factor?
The tiny inverter is great as long as all I want to do is run the TV and tailgater, maybe charge a phone too. I can charge the lap top IF I turn off the TV and put the satellite in stand by, but not all at once. It would be nice to have a little more freedom before having to turn on the big inverter. JiminDenver wrote:
I don't get the watt debate unless there is a huge difference in idle draw. ...I'll probably spent the money for the Morningstar 300w just because it is fanless.
There is usually a big difference in idle draw btw 300W and 1,500W. So, if you can get away with 200W fanless, why not. Doesn't have to be PSW. The only thing that "might" object to MSW is a TV, some of them do and some don't. AC bricks of laptop and other small electronics work fine with 200W MSW @ $20 or 30.
If you don't use popular kitchen gadgets, it's doable on 150-200W. But, as soon as you plug your toaster in, or microwave, or coffee maker, your power needs jump abruptly to +1,000W. There is pretty much nothing in between - other than soldering iron ;)- The generator has stayed home since we got the solar and now that the air conditioning is sorted out it will remain there. That doesn't mean we don't use all of our toys, we just do it quietly. :)
