Nah, I'm going to VODKA!
(I just own a laser now...)I will try installing chrome print on my desktop pc. the new printer is wifi enabled, and I print from my tablets, and laptops. chomebook is only trouble... Thanks!
Inverters - what do people use them for?
- Thread starter Chris & Lenore
- Start date
Nah, I'm going to VODKA!
(I just own a laser now...)I will try installing chrome print on my desktop pc. the new printer is wifi enabled, and I print from my tablets, and laptops. chomebook is only trouble... Thanks!
Yep, and the reason for asking details..
Maine sail charged an Ipad using a 12V to 110 inverter then to Ipad AC to USB vs a 12 volt to usb adapter. The inverter setup used 5.64 ah, the usb adapter used 4.36 ah. Much better and controlled experiment.
Ie, it took about 30% more charge using the inverter. I think I would go with this number if trying to decide if its worth it to get rid of the inverter.
We bought a Walmart ss campers' coffee percolator, but it would not perk! I think its most recent use was for watering house plants.
My Bad
We are very bad with battery power on our sailboat and have 2500 freedom
inverter/charge and use everything and any thing needing 110 power.
I don't bother changing anything to 12 volt power draw unless it came with a
12 volt plug like my Engle ref/freezer that uses either.
I had the inverter/charger installed at the factory and Gen also and since added
2 -195 watts solar panels so we buy what we like and don't think about if it is
setup for 12 volt because appliances like coffee maker don't do a good job and love our microwave for heating up food and left overs and heating up coffee too.
Our cheap drip coffee maker paper filters doesn't use much water for cleaning
either and would add a water maker but too much trouble for the kind of cruising we do is pretty local and easy to refill water.
We do anchor most of the time away from shore power and so love our inverter
and gen and solar.
I know we are very bad but my wife does go cruising with me always and that is the thing and we get to use our boat alot.
Nick
We are very bad with battery power on our sailboat and have 2500 freedom
inverter/charge and use everything and any thing needing 110 power.
I don't bother changing anything to 12 volt power draw unless it came with a
12 volt plug like my Engle ref/freezer that uses either.
I had the inverter/charger installed at the factory and Gen also and since added
2 -195 watts solar panels so we buy what we like and don't think about if it is
setup for 12 volt because appliances like coffee maker don't do a good job and love our microwave for heating up food and left overs and heating up coffee too.
Our cheap drip coffee maker paper filters doesn't use much water for cleaning
either and would add a water maker but too much trouble for the kind of cruising we do is pretty local and easy to refill water.
We do anchor most of the time away from shore power and so love our inverter
and gen and solar.
I know we are very bad but my wife does go cruising with me always and that is the thing and we get to use our boat alot.
Nick
I love it when the tree huggers go bat-sh!t crazy about K-Cups while they are taking a swig from a plastic water bottle or plastic cup of ice-blended fu-fu whatever from Starbucks. Check this out;
http://www.target.com/p/solofill-single-cup-reusable-coffee-filter/-/A-14217192
I use one of these on both my machines. I used whatever ground coffee I like because I refuse to pay the K-cup price per cup which is probably more than quadruple what it costs to use ground coffee, plus no plastic cups to add to the garbage (but we DO have a robust city recycling program where I live). Everyone in my office uses these types of filters as well.
http://www.target.com/p/solofill-single-cup-reusable-coffee-filter/-/A-14217192
I use one of these on both my machines. I used whatever ground coffee I like because I refuse to pay the K-cup price per cup which is probably more than quadruple what it costs to use ground coffee, plus no plastic cups to add to the garbage (but we DO have a robust city recycling program where I live). Everyone in my office uses these types of filters as well.
I just read the reviews at Walmart on that percolator and you are correct. Lots of people complaining about it not perking. Their Faberware version has high marks at the same price.
I didn't drink coffee most of my life but started 10 years ago. I got use to instant so that makes life easy and I drink it black so don't have to worry about having creamers or sweeteners. I think my taste buds must of died because I personally don't like the fancy coffee's any better than the instant. After reading the other posts I'm probably the only one on here like that
,Sumner
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Entirely reasonable for liveaboards as you are, not so much for a weekender I think.
I bought a WM 2 cup percolator for our boat, perfect, (Annie doesn`t drink coffee). It perks fine, I use it at home every weekend now. Filling the kitchen with coffee fumes is a wonderful thing!
French press for coffee. It doesn't get any better than that and it is fast. I brew up a 2 cup press and drink the first one right away. The second cup goes into a stainless steel thermos for a little bit later. Music is 12 volt. Handheld VHF and cell phone have 12 volt chargers. Microwave? I don't even watch TV at home so that isn't a consideration. I picked up a wet and dry 12 volt vac at a truck stop for clean up. I haven't worked out lap top charging yet as this will be my first year with an on board computer but I can probably get a 12 volt charger for that as well. I just haven't seen the need for an inverter. I did install a bank of three cigarette lighter sockets so I can plug in municipal units at the same time. I keep a small solar panel plugged into one of them all of the time. When I am sailing I keep a hand held GPS in another one. This leaves one socket opened for charging the cell phone or the VHF. This set up seems to work very well, Steve.
actually no ...when i was in Australia i had some instant that was from Holland or Belgium can't remember witch and it was great ...not like the stuff we have here...but to fair i didn't get a bad cup the hole time i was there
I didn't drink coffee most of my life but started 10 years ago. I got use to instant so that makes life easy and I drink it black so don't have to worry about having creamers or sweeteners. I think my taste buds must of died because I personally don't like the fancy coffee's any better than the instant. After reading the other posts I'm probably the only one on here like that
Sumner
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]============================
Our Endeavour 37
Our MacGregor 26-S Pages
Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida
Mac-Venture Links[/FONT]
Love my Luzianne premium dark roast coffee! I use a drip pot when away from shore power and an old Black and Decker that brews into a thermal carafe when on shore power.
I don't have an inverter aboard. Music, phone, and computer charging are 12V. No microwave but a shore powered one may be in the near future if I can find a suitable place for it.
I don't have an inverter aboard. Music, phone, and computer charging are 12V. No microwave but a shore powered one may be in the near future if I can find a suitable place for it.
Perk
I grew up drinking perked coffee and still have it and use either gas flame perk or electric perk but really like the drip kind for on the boat and easy less clean up with paper filter and when plenty sink water we use perk or drip.
Check out 12 volt coffee but I like really hot coffee and they got bad reviews,
we use our boat & RV a lot and use appliances at home first than on boat & RV
and so the inverter/charger works for us and no instant coffee for us.
Nick
I grew up drinking perked coffee and still have it and use either gas flame perk or electric perk but really like the drip kind for on the boat and easy less clean up with paper filter and when plenty sink water we use perk or drip.
Check out 12 volt coffee but I like really hot coffee and they got bad reviews,
we use our boat & RV a lot and use appliances at home first than on boat & RV
and so the inverter/charger works for us and no
instant coffee for us.Nick
They are getting better ineffiency ranges between 10% and 15% on the average. As far as power hungry that depends on the load you apply to it. I agree that you can find most appliances designed to work on 12V but they are usually more expensive and lack in performance. Then there is the issue of duplicity, if I already own a DVD player that works on 120V I do not want to purchase another. I installed my first inverter when I wanted to run a dorm refrigerator conversion aboard a boat. At the time the available 12V units were just marginally more efficient that my inverter driven contraption. I currently use our inverter to power an LED TV and DVD unit. Our omnidirectional antenna has a 120V signal amplifier. It is nice to be able to watch a football game while underway. On occasions I will run the microwave for a couple of minutes to heat water for a cup of tea or coffee without having to crank up the generator. I have a couple of 120V lamps with fluorescent bulbs that come in real handy when I need some bright light for a detail task. I have even ran a box fan in one of dog days of summer to try and keep cool. I don't use it all the time but it is convenient to have specially when you just want the power for a short duration. I know some TVs can run on straight 12V but then some can't handle voltage variations in boat wiring so rather than worrying about it I run them through the 120V and their transformers. I know approximately how much each appliance will draw for the time used and I incorporate in the power budget for the day. I also like to keep boating simple and fun. If I would need to constantly worry about available power capacity it would not be fun.
I do not use my inverter AT ALL. It is an OEM, 2000W, state of the art brick that occupies my future battery compartment. Everything I need to power away from the dock can be powered faster and more efficiently with 12 vdc. I cook with the vastly more efficient propane energy available in my galley. The inverter will be for sale later this spring in the Digital Dumpster classified Ads.
I don't liveabord, but I sail and anchor out for one or two nights two or three times a month if not more.
When we bought our boat in 1998, I went through the standard "which is better, separate or combined I/C?" analysis and installed a Freedom 15. My PO had put a microwave in but since we aren't dock queens it did no good for us without an inverter. It's a mod sine wave, works the microwave just fine.
I find it amazing that inverter discussions seem to almost immediately migrate to COFFEE discussions. Look, if you have what you like that makes YOUR best coffee, who is ANYONE to complain about YOUR choice?
Your boat, your choice.
Maybe when Maine Sail writes his "How to wire an inverter" article, he'll touch on the coffee issue and provide you all with an answer.
We use a melita filter with stove heated water into a Coleman SS thermos. But I reheat it it in the microwave, all I have to remember is to NOT put the metal coffee cups in the darn microwave.
Also use it for the drill, computer, heat gun...limited time on that sucker!
If your battery system isn't set up for the loads, then fix that end of the equation. People who buy inverters but are afraid to use them??? Get another battery.
The inefficiencies have come down, but with a healthy electrical system, it really shouldn't be an issue at all. I agree, not all 12V equipment is as good as 120V, but I don't have a TV on my boat either. I read a lot and watch nature. I also have a radio to listen to ball games. It's 12V, car stereo, it doesn't make coffee.
For the all important coffee, I use a Wear Ever drip coffee maker. This is what people used before the automatic drip machines. It contains it's own "filter" system so no paper filters to buy, just add fresh ground beans and hot water.
you can find these all over the internet for about $15 and they are nearly indestructible. I have two versions, one that makes 6 cups and one that does 12.
I've used the French press, the percolator, and the plastic cone and nothing tastes as good or is as consistent as these.
you can find these all over the internet for about $15 and they are nearly indestructible. I have two versions, one that makes 6 cups and one that does 12.
I've used the French press, the percolator, and the plastic cone and nothing tastes as good or is as consistent as these.
