Anyone with experience on these charger inverters. We have a 28.5 and would like to upgrade electric system.
Xantrex 1800 inverter/charger
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So you have a good charger and are just wanting some 110 away from shorepower? My Heart, now Xantrex, is over 15 years old and never a problem. It was already on the boat and I would have to think hard about whether I really need 110AC when sailing. But if you do, and 1800 watts meets your requirements, then it is a good product.
Just looking for tv and light electronic use out of the inverter while at anchor. No dedicated charger currently that is why I liked the automatic charger inverter. I plan to hardwire the unit and add 1 battery, we currently only use one
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To run a TV off the inverter and you will need more batteries than 1 or 2 batteries,maybe at least 2- 6 volt for your house bank.
I have the 2000 inverter/charger and 4-6volt batteries that I run a DVD/TV with out running the batteries below 50%.
Nick
To run a TV off the inverter and you will need more batteries than 1 or 2 batteries,maybe at least 2- 6 volt for your house bank.
I have the 2000 inverter/charger and 4-6volt batteries that I run a DVD/TV with out running the batteries below 50%.
Nick
After many years with maintenance free 12v batteries I just switched to 6 volt wet cells. These are heavy duty golf cart batteries that have a lot more amp-hours for the price. My AGMs cost over $200. each for about 90 amp-hours each. The pair of 6 volts in series gives me 235 amp-hours and cost less than $180. for the pair.
So you are considering the 1800 for an inverter and a charger?
So you are considering the 1800 for an inverter and a charger?
If you lack the space for separate units then an inverter charger like the Freedom HF can be a good option. I don't generally like them though because when, not if, one or the other fails you've lost the entire unit. With the price point of the Freedom HF this is not as big a deal as it used to be when inverter chargers were $1500.00 - $2500.00+.. Unfortunately these devices are not supported for very long by many manufacturers for repair so when they fail it very often means a whole new unit for just one failed side.
I find you can often spend less on separates and get better options and quality. The charger side of the Freedom HF is rather "stripped down" feature wise when compared to other dedicated chargers out there. It lacks a desulfation or equalization mode and the max charging voltage is just 14.4V. Many deep cycle wets can be charged at up to 14.8V or higher in absorption but the Freedom HF can't apply any voltage higher than 14.4V... The Xantrex ProWatt inverters are pure sine and are quite reasonable price wise. If you just run it to a dedicated "inverter outlet" it also makes the install costs less than hard wiring it into your ships system. The Freedom HF does have an auto transfer switch built in which is great, Trying to wire an inverter into your ships 110V system needs to be done correctly and it is often not, if not wired in correctly it can then become a safety issue.
I would also try to steer you towards some of the TV's designed for truckers that run on 12V vs. 110V as they can be upwards of 30% more efficient in the energy they consume from your boat when run off 12V vs. 110V... The new LED LCD TV's are now available from companies like Skyworth and use even less current than previous LCD tv's..
When we bought our boat it had a microwave oven and a lousy old charger. This was in 1998, back before low power draw 12V TVs. We wanted to add a TV/VHF combo unit for our kid. So I did my homework and figured a Freedom 15 with a Link 2000 (which could control the charger and inverter side of the I/C) was pretty much a wash as far as cost, and a lot less wiring connections than a standalone charger and separate inverter.
Times have changed. The Links are no longer made (drats) and the Freedom series can't, as Maine Sail said, be controlled remotely.
If I had to do it all over now, I'd get a good charger that can equalize batteries) and a separate inverter.
A separate inverter can be wired a few ways:
1. Just use the receptacle on it, and don't feed it back into your house AC power. Simpler wiring, no need for a special AC input switch (Blue Sea 8032 or equivalent).
2. Just wire the inverter into one receptacle on board.
3. Do a full monty and install the inverter as part of your overall AC electrical system with the 8032 switch.
If you do, regardless of how you do it, do an energy budget and find out what size battery bank you need for your situation and proposed use. A few bags of popcorn is a lot different than three hours of TV.
Or, as suggested, just get a 12V TV. Think how much $$ you'll save!
The West Marine online Advisor has very good electrical system information.
Times have changed. The Links are no longer made (drats) and the Freedom series can't, as Maine Sail said, be controlled remotely.
If I had to do it all over now, I'd get a good charger that can equalize batteries) and a separate inverter.
A separate inverter can be wired a few ways:
1. Just use the receptacle on it, and don't feed it back into your house AC power. Simpler wiring, no need for a special AC input switch (Blue Sea 8032 or equivalent).
2. Just wire the inverter into one receptacle on board.
3. Do a full monty and install the inverter as part of your overall AC electrical system with the 8032 switch.
If you do, regardless of how you do it, do an energy budget and find out what size battery bank you need for your situation and proposed use. A few bags of popcorn is a lot different than three hours of TV.
Or, as suggested, just get a 12V TV. Think how much $$ you'll save!
The West Marine online Advisor has very good electrical system information.
Not wanting to rain on your parade for the extra electronic gear and electrical power, but I just can't think of anything better than a cold glass of wine, my first mate of 42 yrs, the current slapping against the hull, the moon reflecting off the smooth water, I think you get the picture. I don't understand why you want to go through all the expense of the gear and have more things go wrong on the boat? For us, that is why we anchor out, to get away from all of the "noise". In the endeavour to achieve creature comforts, sometimes I think we miss the real reason why we are into sailing in the first place. But good luck on the electrical upgrades. :dance:
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