Cobra 1575 1500 watt inverter Using this with solar power. I purchased two 6volt deep cycle batteries and used an electrician to install the system. Possibly the batteries are not in proper sequence, however here is the problem. I will occasionally charge the batteries with a generator as the solar powers take a long time to do the job. Although the batteries are charged, when I conntect the inverter to the AC system I will get the LUP most of the time, but at times will receive the over charged alarm. It seems now I can no longer use the inverter to power my TV or Laptop. Any guidance? Cobra 1575 1500 watt inverter Using this with solar power. I purchased two 6volt deep cycle batteries and used an electrician to install the system. Possibly the batteries are not in proper... » Read More Cobra 1575 1500 watt inverter Using this with solar power. I purchased two 6volt deep cycle batteries and used an electrician to install the system. Possibly the batteries are not in proper sequence, however here is the problem. I will occasionally charge the batteries with a generator as the solar powers take a long time to do the job. Although the batteries are charged, when I conntect the inverter to the AC system I will get the LUP most of the time, but at times will receive the over charged alarm. It seems now I can no longer use the inverter to power my TV or Laptop. Any guidance? « Show Less
460172
I notice wildly different ratings on this and other inverters. I need to power a stereo receiver - about 1200 W, with 2 Bose outdoor speakers set pretty loud. Any thoughts on how I should evaluate suitability? Can I be sure my T & C minivan can power this setup? Thanks for any info. - THT
460173
I just entered the same boat your in. My cobra 2500watt inverter shuts down on a "low voltage warning at 11 volts ! thats terrible. I am researching what specific inverter is needed for a solar charge system like you and I have. The problem im seeing is that all inverters I have researched are factory built with this bull crap :low voltage auto shut down".Another problem is that none of the jack azzes who sell these solar charge set ups want to answer any of my questions.have you figured out what type of inverter to use for a solar charging system?
460174
I just installed the 1575 in my RV, hooked to two 6v golf cart batteries. My observations; Does not show output wattage at all times, is very LOUD when the fan/s come on. They run for about 5 - 7 minutes and is almost unbearable.I returned this item due to the noise when the fans came on. It did run my Refrig without a problem using my batteries.Again, the only problem I had with this item was the Noise.
937541
You are getting close to the maximum output of this inverter for your application. I would feel better about your situation if you got a 4000 watt inverter but that is only part of the story. 2700 watts is 22.5 amps on the 120 volt side of the inverter. the 12 volt side amps will be 225 amps from your battery on start up. that is a heavy load for any battery and your best 12 volt battery configurations will not last long seeing that kind of load very often. One way to extend the battery life in these situations is to parallel the battery with a super capacitor to help with the surge amps. Hope this helps with your decision. You are getting close to the maximum output of this inverter for your application. I would feel better about your situation if you got a 4000 watt inverter but that is only part of the story. 2700 watts is 22.5 amps on the 120 volt side of the inverter. the 12 volt side amps will be 225 amps from your battery on start up. that is a heavy load for any battery and your best 12 volt battery configurations will not last long seeing that kind of load very often. One way to extend the battery life in these situations is to parallel the battery with a super capacitor to help with the surge amps.... » Read More You are getting close to the maximum output of this inverter for your application. I would feel better about your situation if you got a 4000 watt inverter but that is only part of the story. 2700 watts is 22.5 amps on the 120 volt side of the inverter. the 12 volt side amps will be 225 amps from your battery on start up. that is a heavy load for any battery and your best 12 volt battery configurations will not last long seeing that kind of load very often. One way to extend the battery life in these situations is to parallel the battery with a super capacitor to help with the surge amps. Hope this helps with your decision. « Show Less
409921
If your batteries are connected in series to give 24 V DC, I would not recommend that you use this inverter because it is meant to be used with a 12 V DC supply. Instead you may want to find a 24 V DC to 110V AC Inverter such as the "Power Bright ML1500-24 1500 Watt 24 Volt DC To 110 Volt AC Power Inverter". Amazon has this product also. If in doubt, have an electrician assist with the installation.
2255232
I think you have to activate the alarm for it to function. I did not activate the alarm. It is easy to tell when the power supply kicks in on battery power because of the increased hum from the inverter. There may be a bell that dings once when the inverter is active.
641032
You're probably thinking of a charge controller, not an inverter. And yes, you always need a charge controller so you don't overcharge the battery with the solar panel
2193075
Greg:I am very pleased with the inverter I have. I have the 24volt unit and my panels are wired, two in series to get 24 volt, back to trunkline to the inverter and then to grid. This utilises all the voltage they put out. If you are connecting to batteries your charger will hold the panels at 12volts and you will need wire up for 12 volt.calvinm@galaxycable.net
375514
The short answer is "Yes". David Tullos says it will last 8 - 10 hours on full load (1500 watts) but I do not believe it will last any where near that long. The first link I have provided below computes the battery will last .66 hours at a continuous 1500 watt load and that makes sense to me. I have run a 2500 watt inverter on 1 of these 12 volt 100 amp hour batteries. The inverter must be a 12 volt inverter. The question is...how long will the battery last. That depends on the average (a refrigerator for example) or continuous wattage (maybe a 1500 watt heater running continuously) used by the electrical devices being powered. Of course the fridge doesn't run continuously so you have to take that into account. If you run a 1500 watt heater continuously off of this 100 amp hour battery you should be able to compute how long it will last. You also do not want to discharge the battery too much below 50%. There is a certain amount of research you need to do part of which involves using very thick gauge (probably at least 4 awg but maybe as large as 0 awg) cables from the inverter to the battery which your inverter documentation should tell you. The general rule of thumb for DC current is that for every 1 amp of AC current used by an appliance you will draw 10 amps of DC current from the battery. 10 amps of AC current will draw about 100 amps of DC current. Here are some links that might help. I do not know how reliable these are but they seem to be correct with my understanding of electricity and the research I've done. The first link seems to be the simplest to use by plugging in your own data. http://usasolarwind.com/Tools/BET.html http://powerstuff.co.za/battery-size-calculator/ http://www.bdbatteries.com/dcdcsolar.php I hope this helps.
1622029
mine is now broke this is the 2nd one - i don't remember. i got a better inverter that is pure sine wave - works much much better but is double the cost. but i think the fan is supposed to shut off - that's what my new one does. these cobras are not very good inverters in my opinion.. the fan should shut off but if it's a heavy load it will stay on. it should be off under no load.
136850
Sorta. AC watts output and DC watts input are not quite the same thing. I would be thinking "amps" instead of "watts". First, this is a modified sine wave inverter. It will work on most appliances, but not all. 3,000 AC watts in appliances is within specs for this inverter. However, if you think one or two batteries connected to it will work...I wouldn't even try. To run that much power, you are going to need at a minimum of 4-6 batteries wired in parallel (12v) with very large battery cables (0-gauge or thicker). At 3,000 AC watts this inverter will likely draw over 250 amps from the batteries. A typical deep cycle marine battery will have 100-125 amp/hours. When you parallel, you add amp hours. Two batteries (200-250) or four batteries (400-500 amp hours). Running 3,000 watts AC out of this inverter is possible, if you have enough batteries, thick battery cables, and something to recharge them...cause you will drain them QUICK. Your battery cables must be rated to handle this much amperage. Download the Power Bright Owners Manual, call them, or do a Google search...be safe. Good luck.
189159
This was a major question for me before I bought the inverter. The unit does not have a power switch, and the instruction booklet specifies that when no AC load is connected, battery drain is less than .4 A. I was using the inverter in a fire lookout with solar electric power. The solar regulator had a display that include source and load amperage at the .1 level, and I did several types of testing to see whether there was any apparent drain with no load. I never saw any current from the batteries indicated unless I had something charging. I used a Surface tablet PC, often for hours a day, and charge my camera batteries repeatedly. The inverter performed like a champ the whole time. I hope that answers your question. In case you're interested, the published conversion efficiency (12 VDC -&gt; 110 VAC) is 85%. That's impressive!
466629
A couple things. Your solar panels will not be able to keep with your battery's discharge if the discharge rate is higher than the charge rate. It might be able to slow it down but it won't keep up. This can be calculated (roughly) by the combined amp hours of your batteries, volts, and wattage of your system. Makes sense, right? Second, if your circuit is serial, your charge should be serial, too. You'd run the solar panels in series just like your batteries. The key here is a controller. Be sure you get a solar controller that is powerful enough to manage your system. This is an essential component and cannot be ignored. A couple things. Your solar panels will not be able to keep with your battery's discharge if the discharge rate is higher than the charge rate. It might be able to slow it down but it won't keep up. This can be calculated (roughly) by the combined amp hours of your batteries, volts, and wattage of your system. Makes sense, right? Second, if your circuit is serial, your charge should be serial, too. You'd run the solar panels in series just like your batteries. The key here is a controller. Be sure you get a solar controller that is powerful enough to manage your system. This is an essential... » Read More A couple things. Your solar panels will not be able to keep with your battery's discharge if the discharge rate is higher than the charge rate. It might be able to slow it down but it won't keep up. This can be calculated (roughly) by the combined amp hours of your batteries, volts, and wattage of your system. Makes sense, right? Second, if your circuit is serial, your charge should be serial, too. You'd run the solar panels in series just like your batteries. The key here is a controller. Be sure you get a solar controller that is powerful enough to manage your system. This is an essential component and cannot be ignored. « Show Less
883033
You should look at running 2 - possible 3 100 watt panels, if an upgrade for future look at 10 gauge panel wire, it seems your running 12 volt, but your inverter and charger will depend. I've got a 40 amp 12/24 charger but batteries will run at 12 bought in a kit with 6 100 watt panels but told to only run 5 as my 60 amp also takes 1600 watts if at 24, but running at 12 so 800 watts mix up and I was sent a 12 both are mppt, you can probably run 5-6 100 watts if you have 2/ 25 amps combined, if not mppt they will keep charging but at a lower rate will destroy your batteries if not in use all the time, go with 10 gauge wire you will be happier. You should look at running 2 - possible 3 100 watt panels, if an upgrade for future look at 10 gauge panel wire, it seems your running 12 volt, but your inverter and charger will depend. I've got a 40 amp 12/24 charger but batteries will run at 12 bought in a kit with 6 100 watt panels but told to only run 5 as my 60 amp also takes 1600 watts if at 24, but running at 12 so 800 watts mix up and I was sent a 12 both are mppt, you can probably run 5-6 100 watts if you have 2/ 25 amps combined, if not mppt they will keep charging but at a lower rate will destroy your batteries if not in use all... » Read More You should look at running 2 - possible 3 100 watt panels, if an upgrade for future look at 10 gauge panel wire, it seems your running 12 volt, but your inverter and charger will depend. I've got a 40 amp 12/24 charger but batteries will run at 12 bought in a kit with 6 100 watt panels but told to only run 5 as my 60 amp also takes 1600 watts if at 24, but running at 12 so 800 watts mix up and I was sent a 12 both are mppt, you can probably run 5-6 100 watts if you have 2/ 25 amps combined, if not mppt they will keep charging but at a lower rate will destroy your batteries if not in use all the time, go with 10 gauge wire you will be happier. « Show Less
712397
No..... and maybe.... The point of using the controller is that with small loads less than the rated amperage, when the battery is fully charged, your load is being supplied with power from the solar (bypassing the battery). This allows the charge controller to float charge the battery and also power your device.... If you are drawing lots of power through an inverter, then yes, you will need to connect directly to the battery.... Just FYI - the unit I got had an UN-replaceable fuse.... I had to create a work around to solve the problem....
539827
This IS an off-grid system. I have never been on-grid at my present location. I run 24/7 with 4 of these kits (8 panels), feeding a set of 4 panels through the included 30-amp charger to recharge 3 large deep-cycle batteries each set (6 batteries altogether). The batteries feed an 800-watt Cobra inverter (also from Amazon) to provide all the power I need. For high-drawing electrical shop tools, I use a 3500-watt LPG generator. See my video series at my website, DroidPals dot com.
1648403
In my opinion I would work backwards first. AC Energy Needs: What do you need to power? How many watts? Yousay laptops, radio, and possible fan (just kidding). None of those are big energy hogs. So you could probably get by with a system that outputs a continuous 100 watts. On the safe side lets say 150 watts of continuous AC power. OK, so you need an inverter (converts DC power to AC power) that output at least 150 watts of continuous power. There are lots of good inverters in this range. I suggest one that has a built in fan, high conversion efficiency, and an alarm for low power supply voltage. DC Energy Source: Solar panels output DC energy; however, their out put varies with time of day, cloudiness, and much more. You need a continuous power source. In steps the battery, a power reservoir or buffer. We are not talking car batteries here, as they will not handle the deep discharges and recharges that you could subject them to. Deep cycle batteries are what you want. If you read Northern Arizona Wind & Sun's battery FAQ (http://www.windsun.com/Batteries/Battery_FAQ.htm) you will fidn they recommend AGM batteries, such as these: UPG UB12350 Group U1 - AGM Battery - Sealed Lead Acid - 12 Volt - 35 Ah Capacity - I2 Terminal. Charging the battery: In steps the Solar Panel. Simply put you use the solar panel to charge the battery. You will also need to put something in between the battery and the solar panel(s), such a charge controller (avoids over charging) or diode (prevents charge from batteries leaking back through to the panels). Of course, you also need the best direct sunlight you can get. Mostly, that is what you need.
991190
Yes, but beware, you probably want to charge more than just 1 battery, more like a small bank of batteries. For example, I have mine hooked up to a small bank of 8 SLA 12V batteries giving me about 1500 watts stored to power a 1200 W Inverter for appliances. It's like a solar powered battery pack so that I can work and have phone conversations in the most odd places (no generator noise in the background, just pure silence or nature noises, it's awesome). You'll want a decent charge controller (I bought a 10 Amp controller, which is overkill, but has the better charge-methods and pattern that I wanted). Good Luck! Yes, but beware, you probably want to charge more than just 1 battery, more like a small bank of batteries. For example, I have mine hooked up to a small bank of 8 SLA 12V batteries giving me about 1500 watts stored to power a 1200 W Inverter for appliances. It's like a solar powered battery pack so that I can work and have phone conversations in the most odd places (no generator noise in the background, just pure silence or nature noises, it's awesome). You'll want a decent charge controller (I bought a 10 Amp controller, which is overkill, but has the better charge-methods and pattern... » Read More Yes, but beware, you probably want to charge more than just 1 battery, more like a small bank of batteries. For example, I have mine hooked up to a small bank of 8 SLA 12V batteries giving me about 1500 watts stored to power a 1200 W Inverter for appliances. It's like a solar powered battery pack so that I can work and have phone conversations in the most odd places (no generator noise in the background, just pure silence or nature noises, it's awesome). You'll want a decent charge controller (I bought a 10 Amp controller, which is overkill, but has the better charge-methods and pattern that I wanted). Good Luck! « Show Less
1680258
From My experience the "30 amp" Sunforce controller is not robust enough for the output of the 4 158 Watt panels. I had to buy an Outback controller. Because there does not seem to be a good inexpensive controller in the realm of 30 to 60 amps out there. You could get 2 controllers and split the panels. A little more info on the Sunforce controller, they die quietly for the most part, and there are some Websites out there that may have figured out a way to beef up the controller. The world of solar is very seductive and can suck your wallet dry in minutes... or months. If you are just trying to supplement your home use, and do not need power at night, you should consider getting a 500 watt grid tie inverter. During the day the inverter will produce power, and run reduce the speed of the electric meter, if it makes more than you are using it will run the meter backwards.They plug right into the house, and they have island protection, meaning that if the power goes out the inverter stop. Amazon has them,