Inverters

[tanner0441]

Hi

Does anyone have any experience with Edecoa inverters? I currently have a Spark 24V - 230V 1.5Kw unit which has been running 24/7 for over a year without missing a beat. I have a 12V 1Kw unit as well that has been running for longer. Thery both deliver their rated output on inductive or resistive loads and do not go much above ambient temperature wise.  I only pull large loads between 10am and 2.30pm depending on the weather, give the batteries chance to recover

I want to upgrade to 3Kw though I doubt I will need more than 2Kw. In the day we run a 1000W microwave or small 1300W mini oven and the inevitable 1100W electric kettle, and the yard lights from dusk till dawn. The 12V system just runs the pump and UV filter on a pond.  Before you say why the two I started with the 12V then expanded to the 24V system. The battery on the 12V is 90Ah on the C5 rate so plenty in reserve and I was loath to get rid of it.

I've been looking through adverts for inverters and the spec on the Edecoa looks good for the size. I can't justify Victron though in like the look of them and the fact you can phase them up to expand.

Brian

[ruddycrazy]

Hi tanner I completed my first homemade inverter last weekend



The main control board at the bottom I got from ali express and cost Au $83 delivered built and tested too, behind that wooden disk is a toriod from a aerosharp grid tie inverter I got for $20 and it has 12 turns of 2 inhand 16mm wire for the primary. The choke in the centre I made myself and used the larger choke from that gridtie where I stripped out the old wire and went 10 turns on each side using 6.5x4mm wire to make a dual choke, notice the connections as using a choke of this nature does need the correct phasing.

It is listed as a 2Kw 24 volt inverter and for a load test I used a Vax 2000 which is 2400 watts and a cheaper 1200 watt vacuum and the inverter ran both fine so in reality this is a 3Kw + inverter. It also runs my unimig 182 amp nicely and after using it for an hour the fan I put on the heatsinks wasn't going and the mosfets were still at ambient temperature.

Now by building your own inverter will not only save you a heap of money but you will learn every part of it's operation so if something does go wrong you can fix it. Try and do that with a 5K commercial bought inverter.

Cheers Bryan

[bigrockcandymountain]

Was this inverter your own design or built to plans? I'm impressed to say the least. 

Magnum and outback both have 3kw rated 24v inverters that i would say are excellent.  Higher price range though.  I have a 48v magnum 4400w that we abuse every day for the last 8 years, and it handles it fine. 

I sold an outback a few years back, and was impressed with the build quality.  It was a totally sealed design.  I think a bit higher quality yet than the magnum. 

[tanner0441]

Hi

The model I was interested in was one of the hybrid designs. 80 A MPPT charge controller, 60A charger and 3000W inverter. It seems to be the way a lot of manufacturers are going.  The reports on YouTube come out quite good but the synic in me ohly half believes what I see on YouTube.

As for building an inverter I am currently playing with another project that a PWM charge controller wastes half a cycle, It connects the panel to the battery in pulses the pulse length is proportional to the state of charge and the other half of the pulse does nothing so what if the unused half of the cycle could be output to a buffered port on the controller and made to do something useful like a water heater which is none inductive so would accept the pulses of any speed or length without ringing, no complicated filtering.


Brian