Showing posts with label electricity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label electricity. Show all posts

4/04/2011

Tektrum 30w Solar Panel/Blocking Diode Cable/2m long Cable and Clamps Battery Charger Kit for RV, Home, Boat, Pool Review

Tektrum 30w Solar Panel/Blocking Diode Cable/2m long Cable and Clamps Battery Charger Kit for RV, Home, Boat, Pool
Average Reviews:

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This is the best solar panel kit I ever saw. It includes everything for what I need to build a complete battery charging system. I hook up it to my RV battery by using the provided cable with clamps in less than 2 minutes!!! It starts to charge my battery immediately! It allows me to use the free energy from sunlight immediately :-) Awesome! Thank you!!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Tektrum 30w Solar Panel/Blocking Diode Cable/2m long Cable and Clamps Battery Charger Kit for RV, Home, Boat, Pool

Product Description:
30w Solar Panel/2m Cable/Clamps Battery Charger Kit Package Includes One 30 watt Monocrystalline Solar Panel, One Blocking Diode Cable and One 2-Meter Long Charging Cable with Clamps. This solar panel generates free electricity by charging under sunlight during daytime for use with house, RV, boat, yacht, car, camping, as well as many electronics such as laptop, stereo, television, radio, fan, outdoor lighting. The solar panel and the cables included construct a complete battery charger kits. Features: Made of monocrystalline PV -- the most energy efficient material; An extra blocking diode cable prevents reverse current flowing from battery to solar panel during night-time; An extra two-meter long cable with clamps provides the easy connection to batteries or electronic devices; Low voltage-temperature coefficient enhances high-temperature operation; Exceptional low-light performance and high sensitivity to light across the entire solar spectrum maximize yearly energy delivery; High quality, high-transmission tempered glass provides enhanced stiffness and impact resistance; Advanced EVA encapsulation system with triple-layer back sheet meets the most stringent safety requirements for high-voltage operation; A sturdy, anodized aluminum frame allows modules to be easily roof-mounted with a variety of standard mounting systems; Ultra reliable bypass diodes prevent damage through overheating due to shaded or defective calls; Output power tolerance of +/-3%; 25-year limited warranty on power output; Manufactured in an ISO9001:2000 certified plant; CE certified; Dimension 18.3inx21.9inx1.4in (464x556x35mm); Maximum Power (Pmax) 30Watts; Maximum Power Voltage (Vmp) 17.5V; Maximum Power Current (Imp) 1.72A; Open Circuit Voltage (Voc) 21.2V; Short Circuit Current (Isc) 1.93A; Maximum System Voltage 1000V; Temperature Coefficient of Isc 0.06% / degree C; Temperature Coefficient of Voc -0.397% / degree C;

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3/15/2011

Sunforce 11240 1000-Watt Pure Sine Wave Inverter with Remote Control Review

Sunforce 11240 1000-Watt Pure Sine Wave Inverter with Remote Control
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Bought this off Amazon a month or two ago. I was looking for an inexpensive pure sine wave inverter to replace my Duracell (Xantrex) modified sine wave inverter. I was expecting to have issues from the get go (due to the cheap price!) but this inverter is working out quite nicely. I have it hooked up to 4 Trojan T-105 batteries which is charged up with an 85 watt Kyocera solar panel and Xantrex C35 charge controller.

Being pure sine wave, I can run anything now that my old modified sine couldn't. No more annoying buzzing sounds from CFL's or TV's. certain appliances that wouldn't power up on the old inverter now work flawlessly. Some things I run on the Sunforce: Samsung 22" LCD TV, CFL's of all sizes, Playstation 2, battery chargers, laptops, electric cooler.

I haven't tripped the over current protection yet at all, not even when using items that typically surge, such as a large power drill.

No fan issues like the other review mentioned.. in fact I haven't heard it come on at all yet; then again it's winter time here in Missouri so I assume it truly is thermal controlled.

The remote keychain that was provided with the unit works great. Since I'm doing the electrical work on our new cabin, I can turn off and on when working on the electrical. Then turn it off when we leave for the week.

The only issue I've had so far is once I came back on the weekend and the inverter turned itself back on sometime during the week. This normally wouldn't be a big issue except we're limited on battery capacity and can be a nuisance if kept happening. This has only happened the one time so no biggie.

The LCD readout on the front of the inverter is a nice feature, more expensive inverters don't have this by default, though I rarely look at it.

I would like to determine how much power the inverter uses when it's powered on and in idle mode. The documentation doesn't mention this anywhere and would expect that would be a major selling point. (or, disadvantage if it's too much of a power draw). I don't have an amp meter to test what it is, if you find out please post a review.

The only other downsides is:

1) this inverter has no permanent mounting brackets. only rubber feet on the bottom. luckily the thick DC cabling keeps it well secured within the battery box.

2) the DC hookups are HAND TIGHTEN only. This can be an issue if you, like me, use the proper gauge wiring. in my case I'm using 6 gauge, which is actually borderline of being too small but the batteries are close by. I ended up using pliers to tighten the hand lugs. With thicker wiring, I imagine this would be a huge pain.

PROS:
inexpensive! I noticed the price just went up though :(
LCD readout on front panel
Keychain remote, I haven't seen any other inverters include this with the inverter itself

CONS:
no mounting brackets? I'm sure you could finagle some aluminum straps around it, instead.
hand tightened DC connections
no mention of idle power usage.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Sunforce 11240 1000-Watt Pure Sine Wave Inverter with Remote Control

Product Description:
The Sunforce 11240 1000-Watt Pro Series Pure Sine Wave Inverter converts DC power into clean, stable AC power that is ideal for running home appliances, pumps, and motors. It provides 2000 Watts of peak surge power to get your gear started, and 1000 Watts of continuous power to keep it running. Pure Sine Wave inversion guarantees optimum compatibility with sensitive equipment, computers, motors, televisions and more. Compact and portable, this inverter is perfect for use at worksites, on boats, or for permanent use in a solar power setup.


Sunforce Power Inverters can provide clean, free power
as part of a solar power setup.


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Wagan Smart AC 120 Watt USB Power Inverter Review

Wagan Smart AC 120 Watt USB Power Inverter
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
This is a very small DC > AC inverter than converts 12V DC from your car to 120V AC.The removable power cord is a good idea and it has a handy 5V USB plug on the side for charging small USB devices.

It's smaller than a deck of cards but they've overrated it's power capacity by quite a bit.It doesn't have enough cooling capacity to prevent overheating of it's internal parts with even a small load, so it gets hot and shuts off.

I measured it's output with a quality Fluke TrueRMS voltmeter and the output looks ok at 117V AC which is close to a standard 120V household outlet.This is adequate to run most low power AC devices with no issues.

The 120 Watt load rating is overstated because it heats up to 100`F even before you plug in anything. Then it gets really hot if you connect anything that draws some power such as a laptop computer.I tried a Dell D830 laptop which requires 25 watts to run.The AC Inverter overheated and shutdown within 2 minutes while running a laptop.

I have a variety of test equipment and found that the inverter can handle 15 watts all day but 20 watts is the thermal limit.25 watts overloads it and it overheated to 190`F and shutdown in 2 minutes. It smelled like hot plastic burning.It's possible another inverter of the same model may perform better but that is not likely.

This design has marginal internal cooling capacity so it appears limited to about 20 watts max.The tiny 3/4" built-in fan is quiet at first and it gets louder as the inverter heats up.The fan has a high pitched whine and is really too small.The fan noise may be ok in a moving automobile as it would be drowned out by road noise.

If they changed the design to include a real aluminum heatsink with some mass to it that would increase the power handling a lot.A bigger 2" fan would have worked also.

There is no "off" button.
It has a power LED to indicate that it's on.
The overtemp shutdown feature works.
The fan is thermally regulated, and ends up running all the time.
The low battery feature works and it will shut off if the input voltage gets below 10.3V DC.
It automatically turns back on when the voltage comes back up to 12V.
Tiny high speeed fans typically don't have a long lifespan.

Technical data:
I measured a 400mA current draw with the unit idling with nothing plugged in.A 25 watt load draws 2 amps on the 12V line which sounds about right. Be aware that if you try to run something that actually draws 120 watts (using an inverter that could handle it) a load that big may blow the fuse in your vehicle 12V outlet since they typically has a 10-15 amps fuse.10 amps X 12V = 120 watts, for example.

Conclusion:
This is a really tiny voltage inverter. If you plan to only run small equipment like a AA battery charger, camera, or MP3 player that needs 5 to 10 watts then it should work ok for you.

I am going to return mine in favor of a physically larger inverter with some mass to keep it cool and one that can really handle 50 watts or more.A quality unit rated for 50 watts would be much better than a tiny, plastic, overrated 120 Watt one.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Wagan Smart AC 120 Watt USB Power Inverter

Product Description:
Wagan Smart AC USB Power Inverters are the smart and compact mobile power to convert 12 Volt DC to 110 Volt AC for your electronics. This slim and portable inverter provides 120 watts continuous power and 300 watts peak surge power. This powers laptop computers (some processors need at least 90 watts), video game consoles, PDAs, MP3 players, etc. Allows you to run and charge electronics in your vehicle and in the airplane (compatible port at airline seat required). Airline adapter is detachable from the DC cord which plugs into any 12v cigarette lighter. Features a built-in USB port and 1 AC outlet. Includes many safety features such as auto reset short circuit protection, overload protection, low battery indicator and low battery shutdown. Carrying pouch included for easy transport so you can take it anywhere you go.

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3/07/2011

Xantrex Powerpack 600 Watt Jumpstarter, Power Inverter and Backup Power Source Review

Xantrex Powerpack 600 Watt Jumpstarter, Power Inverter and Backup Power Source
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
After spending my vacation in Florida during hurricane Wilma, I learned the value of being prepared for a prolonged power outage. This unit would have been just the thing.

This is essentially a big 12 volt battery and an inverter that produces 120v AC from the battery. While this unit won't power a heater or an air conditioner, it can power a small fan overnight so you can sleep. It can also charge your cell phone and laptop. (After all, your laptop's DVD player might be your only entertainment.) The XPower can power a lamp so you can read or play cards, or you can watch a small TV for a few hours. You can plug in just about anything so long as the total number of watts drawn is 480 or less. (The 600 watt rating is a 5 minute rating, you can only draw 480 watts continuously.)Keep in mind, if you do pull 480 watts, you'll only get 15 minutes of run time.It's best to think of the 600HD as a way to keep small essentials going.

There's an emergency light built-in. if you place the unit so the light bounces off a near-by wall, it makes a nice low-level room light. With the backside facing you, you see the built-in clock radio. It's not hi-fi, but it's not horrible, it has good volume and it can wake you in the morning. There's also a 12v outlet and a connector for attaching the supplied jumper cables.

You do have to be mindful of the number of watts you pull from the unit if you want the battery to last. It's easy to know how many watts you're drawing because the unit tells you on it's digital display. It's a good thing you can charge the XPower from a car cigarette lighter. During my adventure in Wilma's wake, I would have used the XPower by night and charged it in the car while driving during the day. The digital display also shows the percentage of charge left in the battery.

The best thing to have during a prolonged power outage is a gas generator. But generators require periodic maintenance. And you have to store fresh gas and remember to change the gas periodically. With the HD600, you just find an out-of-the-way corner, plug in the AC charger and forget all about it until the lights go out.

The XPower has a big 28 amp-hour battery which is good for capacity, but makes the unit heavy, almost 30 pounds, so you won't want to carry it very far. Xantrex makes smaller units, but I think the 600 is the best compromise between capacity and portability. The XPower's construction is robust and it looks like it could take some hard knocks.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Xantrex Powerpack 600 Watt Jumpstarter, Power Inverter and Backup Power Source

Product Description:
There are many times when extra power is needed, but not available. If an outlet is not within reach or plugging into the dashboard cigarette lighter is simply not an option, you'll be pleased that you have the Xantrex Powerpack 600HD. This 600-watt device is an all-in-one unit that is not only powerful enough to start your car, but robust enough to provides portable power for small appliances -- it even comes with a built-in air AM/FM radio and digital clock.


The Xantrex XPower Powerpack 600HD has enough power to jump-start your vehicle. View larger.

The 600HD will run small appliances for hours.

A reverse polarity detector prevents clamping to the wrong terminals. Enough Power to Jump-Start Your Car
Powered by a rechargeable battery, the Powerpack 600HD can jump start most 4-cylinder and 6-cylinder engines, and will operate a wide range of DC-powered products. It also has a built-in emergency light for extra illumination to keep you out of the dark and to provide light so others can see you if you're stranded.
Runs Multiple Appliances at Once
With three AC outlets and one DC socket at your fingertips, the 600HD is the right power solution for people with demanding applications or the need to run multiple loads simultaneously. Use it to operate small power tools or at your outdoor worksite so you can get the job done even without an outlet nearby. It will also charge cell phones so you can stay connected.
Built-in AM/FM Radio
This unit also has an integrated AM/FM radio and digital alarm clock that provides access to music, talk radio and news, weather, and important information in critical emergency situations.
Rechargeable Battery
The XPower Powerpack 600HD is powered by a sealed, non-spillable 28AH battery that can be conveniently recharged from any household AC outlet or DC cigarette-lighter outlet so that it can be made ready anytime, anywhere.
Great for Outings
The Powerpack 600HD isn't just for times of need. It is perfect for taking on camping trips or outings where some extra power is needed to run camcorders, video games, televisions, even your espresso machine.
Safety Mechanisms
The feature-rich Powerpack 600HD has a built-in 600 watt inverter and a reverse polarity detector to prevent accidentally clamping the cables onto the wrong terminals. A barragraph LED indicator monitors the Powerpack's battery charge level, so it won't overcharge, and an audible alarm signals unit overheat and battery under-voltage conditions. An overload and over-temperature protection is built in to ensure longer inverter life.
Whether it's a job site or a camp site, the XPower Powerpack 600HD is the ideal portable power solution.

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2/14/2011

Power Bright PW400-12 Power Inverter 400 Watt 12 Volt DC To 110 Volt AC Review

Power Bright PW400-12 Power Inverter 400 Watt 12 Volt DC To 110 Volt AC
Average Reviews:

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I manage a field team and have to have my office in the truck.I used to try to have 12 volt adapters for all my gadgets.12 volt chargers are not usually smart chargers so if you leave your device plugged in beyond the battery's capacity it begins to cook and destroy its ability to hold a charge.Mobile device batteries are expensive, so you don't want to be replacing them unnecessarily.The 110 volt chargers are called smart chargers because they sense when the battery is at peak capacity and dials back to a maintenance level of input.At first I thought a converter would be too bulky but they can rest under a seat nicely or in my case under the drink tray. So there they are, all my adapters all plugged into two power strips with just the device end of the cords sticking up ready for easy access.The printer and laptop plugged into one power strip and everything else plugged into the other power strip.This way I can flip the rocker switch on the power strip not in use disconnecting it and its resident adapters while the other adapters are happily doing their jobs and avoid scuffling around on the floor of the truck trying to plug in the charger I need at the moment.(If you are going to be powering multiple adapters at once, you'll need to pay attention to the total wattage being used.)The added convenience of being able to plug in any transportable household appliance is just icing on the cake. Coffee anyone?(Don't be trying to power a 1000 watt microwave oven.Its an alternative power source for MOBILE battery powered products.)That said, it handles my printer and laptop simultaneously without stressing its capacity.With the Panasonic Toughbook CF29 laptop plugged in alone, the cooling fan doesn't even kick on in the inverter.

Note:The instruction book (yes I actually read them) said you shouldn't leave the converter plugged into your power port unattended as it can drain the car's battery even when the converter is turned off.From experience, I can tell you it only takes about an hour or a little more to deplete my truck's battery if the engine isn't running while this unit is powering my laptop, so...

Click Here to see more reviews about: Power Bright PW400-12 Power Inverter 400 Watt 12 Volt DC To 110 Volt AC

Product Description:
Power Bright Power Inverter for AC "juice" anywhere! Here's a huge range of Inverters to turn DC battery power into plug-in AC, so you're electrified, for outdoor work, entertainment, whatever. For job sites, campsites and beyond. Standard / peak wattage outputs indicated. They feature modified sine wave function for smooth power that "babies" electronics, and: Durable anodized aluminum case; Built-in cooling fan; External replaceable spade-type fuse; Overload indicator; 3-prong outlets. Power on / off switch.; Check out the specs and choose yours, for "wired" convenience anywhere! Two 120V AC outlets. 12V DC lighter plug and battery clip cable included. Approx. 7 1/2 x 5 x 2"h. 2 lbs., 5 ozs. Power Bright 400W / 800W Power Inverter

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1/10/2011

Sunforce 50032 15 Watt Solar Battery Charger Review

Sunforce 50032 15 Watt Solar Battery Charger
Average Reviews:

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I purchased 6 of these for a backup system for my home. Two Northern units and 4 Sunforce units all 15 watt. ( these are the exact same units btw, northern's are cheaper). With two inverters, a 2500 watt, and a 300 watt pure sinewave for computers and such. Hooked through a 7 amp charge controller to a pair of 110 amp hour deep cells in parallel for a total of 220 amp hr's.

I first hooked two panels up to see how they did, they worked well in very low light but couldn't ever get the batteries to "full" on the controller. I then hooked up a third panel and that gave enough to bring the batteries to full after a full day. With six panels hooked up, it will bring the batteries to "full" in a very few hours from a 30% drained condition.

These units are less then optimally placed and rarely get full sun, but do very well even without that. Two panels in full sun may very well have been able to bring the batteries to "full" but location is a problem for me. One other product of note is the P3 international "Kill A Watt" electrical useage meter. Doing a survey of electrical useage in my house to get ready for this project was an eye opener to say the least.

Great panels, at a good price, that do what you pay for...all you can ask for.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Sunforce 50032 15 Watt Solar Battery Charger

Product Description:
The Sunforce 50032 15 Watt Solar Battery Charger gives you another reason to love the sun--it'll help keep your vehicle's battery charged. Just plug the this helpful 15-watt battery charger into your vehicle's 12-volt lighter socket and position the panel to pick up the most daylight possible. And with the built-in blocking diode technology, this charger is designed to protect against battery discharge at night. You can also use this device to maintain the charge on any 12-volt battery for clean, silent operation of various electronics, such as deer feeders and landscaping pumps. The 50032 features a built-in ultra-bright blue LED charging indicator, and is a great choice for automobiles, recreational vehicles, tractors, all terrain vehicles, boats, electric fences, telemetry and more--and it is even effective on cloudy days. This battery charger is made of durable ABS plastic and amorphous solar cells, measures 15.5 x 2.5 x 41.5 inches (WxHxD), and has a maximum temperature range of -40 to 176-degrees Fahrenheit. The manufacturer recommends using the Sunforce 60012 7 Amp Charge Controller in tandem with this charger for optimal results.

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12/20/2010

Sunforce 7 Amp Charge Controller Review

Sunforce 7 Amp Charge Controller
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Bad:
Really cheap quality. Included instructions don't provide enough information. Website is just as un-informative. Cheap connector wires (low current), and is not equipped with screw-on terminal junctions.

Good: Product works as advertised. Amazinlgly "regulates" the voltage to the required amount so as not to overcharge the battery. Beware though, in order to test the actual output voltage, you must apply a load on the battery end of the controller BEFORE. Failing this, the output can register volts as high as 20 volts !!! Apparently applying an actual load causes the controller to output the correct voltage range - lucky me, cause I bought 4 units ! The LEDS alternately flickers (fast for good voltage input and slow for low to no voltage on solar panel). The manual did NOT state the order of LED flashes.
(1) Fast LED flashes - good voltage/current
(2) Slow LED flashes - low/no voltage/current
(3) steady Green - fully charged
(4) steady amber - possible no load OR really low voltage/current

I recommend you go out and buy 'em. The are a really good deal and does the job at the best price ! I use them in Jamaica, to provide my appliances with power during power outages (very frequent here). Used with solar panels and DC to AC inverter, of course. Considered using a generator, but too many accidents here with generators, too noisy, too bulky, and during hurricane aftermath, fuel is a problem. Solar is freely available, so it was the BEST option all round.

Hope this helps all readers !

Click Here to see more reviews about: Sunforce 7 Amp Charge Controller

Product Description:
The Sunforce 60012 7 Amp Charge Controller prevents overcharging of 12-volt batteries. It is intended for use with 12-volt solar panels, and can handle up to 7 amps of array current and up to 100 watts of solar power. The controller is easy to use with a charging light that indicates that your battery is charging, and a green light that indicates a fully charged battery. The 60012 measures 4 x 1 x 2.5 inches (WxHxD) and weighs one pound.

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