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Russ
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Location: Punta Chivato
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I've had my Trace 4024 for over 12 years now and it hasn't faltered once. Can't say that about the charge controller. Went to the OutBack for that.
Now if there was a long lasting battery the solar industry would prosper. A set of batteries now cost as much as the rest of the system. Of course
this isn't a back up system, it is all there is here unless you want to listen to a generator.
| Quote: | Originally posted by DavidE
Xantrex, Samlex, they all bit the dust sooner or later in high salty humidity. Rather not spend a lot of money repeating the experience. The only
truly problem free inverter I have ever owned was a Trace. The HF's lasted as long as the other non Trace inverters. When they do die, I won't cry
when I use one as a wheel chock. |
[Edited on 11-25-2013 by Russ]
Bahia Concepcion where life starts...given a chance!
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Hook
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Didnt Trace get bought out by Xantrex?
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DavidE
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Mood: 'At home we demand facts and get them. In Mexico one subsists on rumor and never demands anything.' Charles Flandrau,
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Quality 2-volt cells are not cheap but .330" positive plate thickness really improves battery life. It would take 12, 1465 A/H cells to power your
inverter (as you know). But unless they are badly abused, should last 12-16 years.
I would be sorely tempted to use a generator that powers alternators to recharge the batteries rather than develop AC.
A Lot To See And A Lot To Do
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Russ
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Yes. And I think someone bought them?
edit
Just did a search but no info about them being bought.
| Quote: | Originally posted by Hook
Didnt Trace get bought out by Xantrex? |
[Edited on 11-25-2013 by Russ]
Bahia Concepcion where life starts...given a chance!
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DavidE
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Mood: 'At home we demand facts and get them. In Mexico one subsists on rumor and never demands anything.' Charles Flandrau,
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The instant Trace went up on the auction block, senior staff and engineers fled. So the beancounters came and any remaining Trace products had
specifications chopped, cheap Chinese FET's substituted, the whole deflowering.
The closest thing to the old Trace these days is MAGNUM energy inverters. Even Outback isn't the same as it was.
A Lot To See And A Lot To Do
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monoloco
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Hook
Didnt Trace get bought out by Xantrex? |
They are both now owned by Schneider Electric.
"The future ain't what it used to be"
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monoloco
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Personally, I'd stay away from the flea bay and Harbor Freight stuff. I just don't trust the quality of the AC current that they produce, I've seen
the current and the hz fluctuate wildly on those cheapo inverters and I wouldn't want to run any electric motors, battery chargers or electronic
devices off of them, I have in fact fried several devices while using them. It's better to spend a little more for an inverter made with quality
components. Here's one possibility: http://www.solar-electric.com/samlex-pure-sine-wave-inverter...
If you can get by with a smaller inverter, Morningstar makes a sweet little 300 watt model that is very efficient.
"The future ain't what it used to be"
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monoloco
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| Quote: | Originally posted by DavidE
The instant Trace went up on the auction block, senior staff and engineers fled. So the beancounters came and any remaining Trace products had
specifications chopped, cheap Chinese FET's substituted, the whole deflowering.
The closest thing to the old Trace these days is MAGNUM energy inverters. Even Outback isn't the same as it was. |
I would take issue with your comment on Outback, they are widely considered one of the most reliable inverters on the market, they
are still field repairable, and their customer service is great. I know many people who have been using them for years with no problems. The one that
powers our home has been running continuously for over 3 years, powering everything from lights to tablesaws without a hiccup.
[Edited on 11-26-2013 by monoloco]
"The future ain't what it used to be"
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Hook
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Well, at the prices Outback charges, they'd better be good.
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DavidE
Ultra Nomad
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Mood: 'At home we demand facts and get them. In Mexico one subsists on rumor and never demands anything.' Charles Flandrau,
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Fewer products than they had. "Even outback isn't the same as they were" means a lot of innovative engineers have fled. TWENTY YEARS AGO, Trace had
"generator coupling" where if the generator could not start a load, automatically the inverter would stop being a battery charger, switch over to
inverter mode SYNCHRONIZE WITH THE GENERATOR until the generator load went online, then switch back over to charging the batteries. All seamless.
Recently MAGNUM reinvented the very same feature.
A Lot To See And A Lot To Do
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larryC
Super Nomad
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Robin Gudgel started Trace inverters. They were bought out as you say by Xantrex. But Xantrex didn't force him to sign a "no competition" contract so
Robin and his brother Bob started Outback inverters. Bob designed the MX 60 charge controller, the controller that most other controllers are compared
to now. A real workhorse. About 6 years ago they were forced out of Outback and have since started Midnight solar. They don't make an inverter,
probably because of a no competition contract, but they make really good charge controllers and other solar accessories.
I agree with Monoloco above, Outback is one of the best inverters on the market. But when Robin starts making inverters again I'll consider switching
to them.
Larry
Off grid, 12-190 watt evergreen solar panels on solar trackers, 2-3648 stacked Outback inverters, 610ah LiFePo4 48v battery bank, FM 60 and MX60
Outback charge controllers, X-240 Outback transformer for 240v from inverters, 6500 watt Kubota diesel generator.
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captkw
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12 to 110
I have seen little change in the units I repair and install...... now with this info I have a better understanding as to why...cool..FET'S and always
wonderd why they don't use torriadail transfromers and get rid of the Zenior diodes ......morning!!
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chuckie
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Zener
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Bob and Susan
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...and house current is 120v
my 2 cents...
it's for an rv...go to harbor freight and get a hundred dollar 2000watt unit
laptops run off a battery
edit: and the laptop is passeee...
people are using thrie phones on vacation now
very few vacation with those heavy dinosaurs
[Edited on 11-27-2013 by Bob and Susan]
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Hook
Elite Nomad
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I will never give up my laptop until they pry it from my cold, dead hands.
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captkw
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3850
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Mood: new dog/missing the old 1
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Line voltage
| Quote: | Originally posted by Bob and Susan
...and house current is 120v
If you get 120V you would have to have a transformer sitting outside your house...LOL.. voltage depends on many items..such as how far from a
transformer,,wire size,,temp and a host of varibles...I cant tell you how many rv parks in Baja that I checked the voltage with my FLUKE and was
always lucky to get a 100 V......."sigh" the old days... |
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