thebaronn Posted November 16, 2009 Share Posted November 16, 2009 Hello!I was wondering if the following could be accomplished:I would like to use a 75W Inverter 12Volt DC to 120 Volt AC to run a 1602W and some LEDs. It is for a float in a Christmas parade. I would rather buy the inverter than look for and buy a bunch of 12V auto lights.Any thoughts?http://www.environmentallights.com/products/11752/Inverter_75_watt_12_Volt_DC_to_120_Volt_AC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-klb- Posted November 16, 2009 Share Posted November 16, 2009 I have heard of issues with this, and I have also heard of reasonably good luck. I have also heard that 4.3x does much better on an inverter than earlier firmware revisions.I would strongly suggest that you test in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westport Lights Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 My guess is that the one you are looking at will not work.It depends on the sine wave created by the inverter. Some work, some do not. I ran tests with several that I have on hand and only the pure sine wave one in my work van operated the display correctly, that inverter is really expensive though (Heart Interface).I opted for another, cheaper approach. I used a cheap inverter to charge and maintain UPS unit designed for computers. The UPS that I have includes a built in power conditioner to regulate the sine wave and voltage overages/shortages. This worked pretty well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gizmomkr Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 I agree with Westport - Its the waveform.I dont know how sensitive the LOR board is, but a lot of delicate electronics has problems with anything other than a true Sine wave. Most inverts use a square wave or some other type of modified sine wave. Although you CAN buy sine wave inverters, you will likely find small generator to be cheaper. generators use an AC type motor, and in most cases, produce a good looking sine wave. I'd still recomend a good line conitioner or UPS with the generator as voltage can spike / sag on start / stop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-klb- Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 Generators can also have unbalanced reactance or inductance, either of which will cause voltage zero crossing to be out of phase with zero current for the triacs to shut off. There have been a number of reports of issues running on cheap generators. Cheap generators may actually be worse than cheap inverters... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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