Inverter..do it yourself job???

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Waynepj4

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30904
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My power usage when away from shore power really just includes a tv and a few outlets to charge a cell phone. When away from shore power I dont run the airconditioner or things like that.

Based on those limited power needs I think an inverter is a good choice. Currently I have a seperate engine starting batt and two house batts.

Is an inverter installation a do it yourself job or should I get a professional? How large or small of an inverter do you think would work well? Can you make any recommendations and/or share your experiences..good or bad with inverters?
 
I know that this does not answer your question, but here is my 2 cents worth. Get a DC charger for your phones it will be much cheaper. Then replace your TV with a 12 volt set.

The reason for this is, a inverter waste energy (remember battery power is limited). This way you are not converting 12VDC to 120V AC then back down to what ever you need, IE most cell phones only charge on 12V DC.

You can pickup 12V TV off of Ebay fairly cheap look at Skyworth. I got a 15" tv/dvd for $250, add $28 for a three year squaretrade warrenty makes it a good deal.
 
I installed our inverter myself. You'll need an independent battery bank to drive the inverter and you want to locate it as close to the inverter as possible. The farther they are the larger the cables need to be. The inverter cannot be located in the engine room of a gas powered boat. If you're needs are truly as simple as you say, you may be better off with getting a 12v TV and a car charger for the cell phone, but an inverter does add value to the boat and can be done as a do it yourself project if you research it do it right. Electrical systems are not the place to cut corners.
 
I agree... For just a cel charger and a tv try to stick to 12v you dint need an inverter

that said I'd you follow install instructions to the letter and are handy with electrical project it is a diy project

magnum is my prefered inverter brand. I ll never by a xantrex again
 
I agree with the above responses.

I have a generator on my cruiser and yet I still purchased a 12v tv for use while on the hook.

No need to run the genset just to power the tv and a few lights. Cell phones are charged at a quicker rate while on the 12v charger anyway (vs. 110 charger).

Just make sure that your new 12v tv will work with the new digital broadcast systems...
 
If you insist on an inverter, you can probably get by with one of the small units that are available today.

Our motorhome has a genset, but while on the road or at a campsite without 110v, rather than run the genset just for the 110v TV we use the inverter to power the tv and vcr (it was a factory option from Winnebago).

It looks like most of the ones that you see at boat and rv stores. About the size of a book with on on-off switch and an outlet or two.

Mine is built-in, so I don't know the brand or power (I can only see the face with the switch and power light), but it only runs off of the two group 27 deep cycle batteries that are the house batteries of the motorhome.

Maybe one of those is an option for you?
 
Many of the LCD TVs today are actually 12V units with a transformer brick to step the 110V down to 12V. I saw a small TV at Costco last week that would be perfect for a boat for under $300. I think it was a Sharp unit. A quick look at the back of the TV or on the brick will tell you if it's a 12V TV input/brick output.
 
I get that but my outlets don't work when not connected to shore power. The only way to getthem to work off batt power as I understand it is to install an inverter. I paid $300 for ab led tv so not going t buy yet another one. Even if it were 12v still need to plug it in somewhere.
 
So why don't you install the inverter, which is real easy, and connect a outleg to it. If you like to use the same outlet you use for shore power, you need some electric peace (don't know the name, sorry) to cut off shore power if the inverter is "on" or cut the inverter "off" if shore power comes.
I think the easiest solution would be the inverter with an seperate outlet.
 
The inverters that I am referring to come with their own outlets.

The one that the stereo shop installed in my Excursion to power up the video game console for use with the tv is only about 3 1/2" X 5" and mounted under the rear seat.
 
Why not think outside the box, instead of a big inverter that has huge cable and fuses mounted close to the house battery, why not one or more small inverters just for the job they are intended. Many of the newer small LED's use very low wattage, an inverter to run this type of TV is a small unit and cheap, it can be bought at any home electronics store for around $50 and is plug and play providing you have some 12V outlets? The same unit could then be used to charge SOME cell phone depending IF the charger will operate without a full sine wave. Full sine wave inverters are available in that size but are costly and a bit harder to find.

Keep it simple, for the cost of a 12V TV you can buy a point of use inverter and save a lot and no installation troubles.
 
Cigarette lighter plugs are used as 12v outlets on boats. They are an easy diy item and you can install several on the boat located where it is most convenient.

I have a little inverter which actually plugs directly into the cig lighter plug. Doesn't power much, but I have had an occasional use for it.
 
When I owned my Chaparral Cuddy, I would carry one of those portable battery packs with an inverter and plug in a 12 inch TV. It would run the VCR for a good 3 hours at least from what I remember. TV's today are much more efficient so you should get even more time out of it. If I needed to charge the battery pack, I plugged it in the cigarette lighter and went for a ride. It's a cheap alternative and a battery pack always has uses.

On the other hand you could also get one of those small Honda generators. I have seen several boats of your size with mounts that can temporarily house the genset on the transom. When you're done for the weekend, simply remove the genset from the mount and take it home. They don't weigh much and are pretty compact as well as quiet.
 
I used a portable 1250watt (typo) inverter in my motor home. It was good for watching t.v. or brewing coffee. Not both at the same time so much. Installing a 12volt outlet should not be that hard and definitely easier than installing an inverter and batteries. What upperdecker said is a good alternative too. I have had a battery pack/inverter/jump start/compresser for a number of years and it has powered a lot of things during power outages.
 
Using a portable generator on your swim platform can kill you!

Use with caution! The non-detectable poisonous exhaust can and will put you to sleep permanently! Have a CO detector in the cabin, in fact, have two!

There have been plenty of great suggestions in this thread. I suggest using one of them and the portable generator only as a last resort.

I bet every one of the boaters that died due to CO poisoning all said, "it will never happen to me!"...
 
At this point I'd say size the inverter requirements. The manufacturer should have guides for cable sizes. I'm thinking the cables you will require are not going to be anything near what I required. We have a 3KW inverter charger and it required 4/0 cables I could not attach the lugs to. I had to farm that out. But otherwise I was able to install it myself.
I'm thinking a smaller unit would work fine and if you are 'electric' savy you could save yourself some bucks. Just remember that you have to mount it securely, ensure your connections are sound and that the wires are sized properly. By the way use marine grade wire for AC and DC. It has the proper insulation and has many strands so it is flexible and won't break with vibration.
The thing about the inverter is this. Once you have it you may come to put more on it. Right now all you want is a TV. Next it's a blender, a microwave etc.. So ensure you size it to handle current (no pun intended) loads as well as anticipated loads.
A larger alternator may also be in the offing here.

By the way, we recently had a discussion about battery combiners. I had several emails with a manufacturer about using one with our inverter/charger and they recommended that we stay away from a combiner to charge using the engines since the device was designed to be the only device charging the batteries.
 
I've danced with every girl at this party. One big inverter, some little ones, and 12v only. Each has it's advantages. But that is not why I post. I'm just putting my two cents in o say I agree with Pascal. I love Magnum products.
Last year I helped build a trailer used to power an array of laser based instruments to test air quality. The spec called for a lot of power, automatic shore power switching, generator switching, and a really big charger. We went with a huge Magnum charger/inverter and 6 8D glass mat batteries. This set up has worked flawlessly from the day they took delivery.

I really like that Magnum stuff.
 
Oh yeah, getting back on the soapbox. Pascal is also completely right about Brand X. I too have already bought my last one.
 
quote:
Originally posted by BayAreaBoater

Using a portable generator on your swim platform can kill you!

Use with caution! The non-detectable poisonous exhaust can and will put you to sleep permanently! Have a CO detector in the cabin, in fact, have two!

There have been plenty of great suggestions in this thread. I suggest using one of them and the portable generator only as a last resort.

I bet every one of the boaters that died due to CO poisoning all said, "it will never happen to me!"...

Click to expand...
yes, good point. My Chaparral had a Co2 detector on it as most of the newer boats do. Wayne's probably does as well. Probably one in the cockpit and one down below, but he should check to make sure before he goes that route since this is a modification and not an option for his boat.
 
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