Greg,
Might not be the answer your looking for, but I understand you're much
better off to mount the inverter near the batteries and use short DC
cable runs. This might make your AC wiring more complicated, but it's
the best way to go. That's why most people put golf cart batteries in
the generator compartment and the inverter next to the AC breaker
panel.
As far as your electronics expert, keep in mind that handling large
amounts of DC current is a different animal. Go with the manufacturer's
rec's.
Patrick
>
> Just bought a Statpower ProSine 1800 inverter, which looks like a nice quality
> piece. One problem however. My electronically-inclined friend who advised
> and assisted me on the install bought 4-gauge cable for the (2) 10-foot runs
> from the battery: one positive, one negative. Whenever i power-on my 110v
> stereo amplifier, which is rated for 220 watts, the start-up surge is putting
> the inverter into reset mode. The inverter is rated for surges up to 2900
> watts. Statpower tech support is saying that the 4 gauge cable is the
> problem, since the recommended cable for a 10-foot run would be #0/4!! To
> every electronically-inclined person i speak to, this sounds like overkill,
> since the voltage loss due to using 4 gauge cable is pretty minor on a 10 foot
> run, and certainly not enough to make the 12 volts die down to 10.5v, which
> would trigger a reset on this inverter, but perhaps this inverter is even more
> sensitive than the manufacture cares to admit (?). #0/4 cable thickness seems
> ridiculous, and not very easy to run thru the living compartment, and then
> thru the firewall.
> Anybody using inverters of this size have any recommendations on what might be
> a happy-medium cable size to use, between #4 and #0/4?
> Of course tech support knows what's "best" for their products, but often the
> overkill factor just seems a bit much.
> Any suggestions appreciated.
> regards,
> Greg Weber
> '78 Eleganza II
- --
Patrick Flowers
Mailto
atri63
The GMC Motorhome Page
http://www.gmcmotorhome.com
Might not be the answer your looking for, but I understand you're much
better off to mount the inverter near the batteries and use short DC
cable runs. This might make your AC wiring more complicated, but it's
the best way to go. That's why most people put golf cart batteries in
the generator compartment and the inverter next to the AC breaker
panel.
As far as your electronics expert, keep in mind that handling large
amounts of DC current is a different animal. Go with the manufacturer's
rec's.
Patrick
>
> Just bought a Statpower ProSine 1800 inverter, which looks like a nice quality
> piece. One problem however. My electronically-inclined friend who advised
> and assisted me on the install bought 4-gauge cable for the (2) 10-foot runs
> from the battery: one positive, one negative. Whenever i power-on my 110v
> stereo amplifier, which is rated for 220 watts, the start-up surge is putting
> the inverter into reset mode. The inverter is rated for surges up to 2900
> watts. Statpower tech support is saying that the 4 gauge cable is the
> problem, since the recommended cable for a 10-foot run would be #0/4!! To
> every electronically-inclined person i speak to, this sounds like overkill,
> since the voltage loss due to using 4 gauge cable is pretty minor on a 10 foot
> run, and certainly not enough to make the 12 volts die down to 10.5v, which
> would trigger a reset on this inverter, but perhaps this inverter is even more
> sensitive than the manufacture cares to admit (?). #0/4 cable thickness seems
> ridiculous, and not very easy to run thru the living compartment, and then
> thru the firewall.
> Anybody using inverters of this size have any recommendations on what might be
> a happy-medium cable size to use, between #4 and #0/4?
> Of course tech support knows what's "best" for their products, but often the
> overkill factor just seems a bit much.
> Any suggestions appreciated.
> regards,
> Greg Weber
> '78 Eleganza II
- --
Patrick Flowers
Mailto
The GMC Motorhome Page
http://www.gmcmotorhome.com