Xantrex Prosine
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 XANTREX PROSINE 1800 WATT PURE SINE WAVE INVERTER $700.00 Time Remaining: 3d 18h 33m |
 Xantrex Statpower Prosine 1000 12V GFCI $606.87 Time Remaining: 20d 3h 30m Buy It Now for only: $606.87 |
 Xantrex Statpower Prosine 1800 GFCI $1,084.49 Time Remaining: 4d 1h 26m Buy It Now for only: $1,084.49 |
 Xantrex 805 2000 Prosine Marine Inverter Charger 2000W $1,479.99 Time Remaining: 22d 2h 57m Buy It Now for only: $1,479.99 |
 Xantrex Statpower 2000W Prosine 20 Inverter Charger $1,479.99 Time Remaining: 22d 2h 57m Buy It Now for only: $1,479.99 |
 XANTREX 806 1850 24 VOLT 1800 WATT PROSINE 806 1850 TRUE SINE WAVE INVERTER $1,608.99 Time Remaining: 11d 19h 9m Buy It Now for only: $1,608.99 |
 Xantrex Statpower Prosine 1800 Hardwire Transfer $1,084.49 Time Remaining: 4d 1h 26m Buy It Now for only: $1,084.49 |
 Xantrex 1000 Watt Sine Wave Inverter True Sinewave Prosine $764.99 Time Remaining: 15h 55m Buy It Now for only: $764.99 |
 Xantrex Statpower Prosine 1800 GFCI 24V $1,089.51 Time Remaining: 13d 3h 43m Buy It Now for only: $1,089.51 |
 Xantrex Prosine 1000 Power Inverter True Sinewave Hardwire Relay 806 1002 $874.99 Time Remaining: 8d 22h 37m Buy It Now for only: $874.99 |
 Xantrex Statpower Prosine Marine 1800W Power Inverter $1,208.99 Time Remaining: 4d 51m Buy It Now for only: $1,208.99 |
 Xantrex Statpower Prosine 1800W GFCI 24V Power Inverter $1,212.99 Time Remaining: 16d 4h 33m Buy It Now for only: $1,212.99 |
 XANTREX PROSINE 20 HARDWIRE GFCI TRUE SINE INVERTER CHARGER 14242 $1,554.84 Time Remaining: 1d 17h 33m Buy It Now for only: $1,554.84 |
 XANTREX 12 VOLT PROSINE TRUE SINE WAVE 1800 WATT POWER INVERTER 806 1800 $1,129.99 Time Remaining: 11d 16h 39m Buy It Now for only: $1,129.99 |
 Xantrex Prosine 20 Hardwire Gfci True Sine Inverter Charg 805 2020 $1,149.04 Time Remaining: 17d 17h 51m Buy It Now for only: $1,149.04 |
 XANTREX 808 1800 PROSINE 1000 1800 REMOTE PANEL INTERFACE KIT $59.99 Time Remaining: 11d 19h 13m Buy It Now for only: $59.99 |
 XANTREX PROSINE 1000 WATT PURE SINE WAVE INVERTER $500.00 Time Remaining: 6d 35m |
 Xantrex Prosine 1000 Gfci 12v True Sinewave Inverter 806 1000 $603.35 Time Remaining: 28d 15h 44m Buy It Now for only: $603.35 |
 XANTREX 12 VOLT 1000 WATT PROSINE 806 1002 TRUE SINE WAVE INVERTER 15 AMP SWITCH $775.99 Time Remaining: 11d 18h 53m Buy It Now for only: $775.99 |
 XANTREX 12 VOLT 1800 WATT PROSINE 806 1802 TRUE SINE WAVE INVERTER 15 AMP SWITCH $1,139.99 Time Remaining: 11d 19h 6m Buy It Now for only: $1,139.99 |
 Xantrex Prosine 1800 12v Gfci True Sinewave Inverter 806 1800 $1,084.83 Time Remaining: 17d 17h 51m Buy It Now for only: $1,084.83 |
 Xantrex Prosine 20 Hardwire True Sinewave Inverter Charger 805 2000 $1,178.26 Time Remaining: 12d 1h 35m Buy It Now for only: $1,178.26 |
 XANTREX PROSINE 20 HARDWIRE TRUE SINEWAVE INVERTER CHARGER 14241 $1,554.84 Time Remaining: 1d 17h 33m Buy It Now for only: $1,554.84 |
 Xantrex Prosine Remote Panel Interface Kit f 1000 1800 $62.44 Time Remaining: 17d 16h 18m Buy It Now for only: $62.44 |
 Xantrex Statpower Prosine 20 Hardwire $1,377.37 Time Remaining: 17d 16h 19m Buy It Now for only: $1,377.37 |
 Xantrex Statpower Prosine 1000 12volt Hardwire Transf $736.68 Time Remaining: 17d 16h 19m Buy It Now for only: $736.68 |
 Xantrex Statpower Prosine 1000 12volt GFCI $721.80 Time Remaining: 17d 16h 18m Buy It Now for only: $721.80 |
 Xantrex Statpower Prosine 1800 GFCI $1,077.48 Time Remaining: 17d 16h 19m Buy It Now for only: $1,077.48 |
 Xantrex Statpower Prosine 1800 Hardwire Transfer $1,077.48 Time Remaining: 17d 16h 19m Buy It Now for only: $1,077.48 |
 Xantrex Statpower Prosine 1800 GFCI 24v $1,423.49 Time Remaining: 17d 16h 19m Buy It Now for only: $1,423.49 |
 Xantrex Statpower Prosine 20 GFCI Hardwire $1,416.05 Time Remaining: 17d 16h 19m Buy It Now for only: $1,416.05 |
Identifying The Best RV Power Converter For Your Needs
Finding a device to convert DC power to AC may seem like it should be a simple task, but when you start shopping for a power inverter for your RV or road trip vehicle, you'll soon find that many choices will confront you. With prices ranging from less than $40 to well into the thousands, it can be difficult to know what features are important and how to choose a unit appropriate to your needs. While wattage, features, and connections are obvious considerations, your final choice should take into account the inverter's wave form output.
There are two general types of power inverters: true-sine wave or modified-sine wave (square wave). True-sine wave inverters produce power that is either identical or sometimes slightly better to power from the public utility power grid system. The power wave when viewed through an oscilloscope is a smooth sine wave.
Modified-sine wave and square wave inverters are the most common types of power inverters on the market. Modified-sine wave power inverters produce a power wave that is sufficient for most devices. The power wave is not exactly the same as electricity from the power grid. It has a wave form that appears as a choppy squared-off wave when viewed through an oscilloscope.
What does that mean to the everyday user? Not much. Most household electrical devices will run perfectly fine on either type of wave form. Most of our customers who are using a power inverter to run a laptop, a/c cell phone charger, fan, or camera find that a modified-sine wave power inverter that operates through the cigarette lighter socket the easiest to use. We usually suggest choosing power inverters that are rated under 300 watts when using the 12-volt cigarette lighter socket found in most vehicles. We suggest this because after reaching 300 watts of draw on the inverter, the fuses in your car will begin to blow. The xPower 175 Micro ($35.00) is a great choice for dashboarders who would like an easy solution to power their devices. It has only one outlet, but since plugging it into a 12 volt socket is all that is required for operation, it can't be beat for ease of use. This little inverter can supply 140 watts of continuous operation and has a built-in surge protector.
Square wave inverters, which are appropriate for most roadtrippers, fall into the following four groups:
300 watts ($40-$60): For household appliances, TVs (up to 27?), VCR, desktop computers, mobile offices.
equipment. Most of these connect via a 12-Volt plug.
600 watts ($100-$120): For household appliances, large screen TVs, 5-amp power tools, and bread machines. Most such inverters are connected directly to the 12-volt battery and have three or more grounded outlets for powering several products at the same time.
1750 watts ($199-$380): For household appliances, larger power tools, microwave ovens, toasters, and hair dryers. All of theses inverters are designed for direct connection to the battery network and can generally supply 1500 watts of continuous power.
3000 watts ($395-$750): With output power generally rated at 2500 watts for continuous load, these inverters can power virtually all household appliances and office equipment. For loads of this magnitude, special wiring and battery banks may be required.
The ProSine 1800 true-sine power inverter
The problem with wave form only comes into play when specialized pieces of equipment need to be powered. Here are a few devices which could have problems when they are connected to an inverter producing a modified-sine wave signal: oxygen concentrators, fax machines, laser printers, high voltage cordless tool chargers, equipment with variable speed motors, electric shavers, and garage door openers.
We have discussed square wave inverters and how they compare with true sine wave power converters.
The problem with wave form only comes into play when specialized pieces of equipment need to be powered. Here are a few devices which could have problems when they are connected to an inverter producing a modified-sine wave signal: oxygen concentrators, fax machines, laser printers, high voltage cordless tool chargers, equipment with variable speed motors, electric shavers, and garage door openers.
There are a few other applications — high-end audio video units, plasma displays, gaming systems, and certain scientific testing equipment — for which true-sine wave is not usually required. Even so, these applications can usually benefit from the improved clarity of the electrical signal produced by a true-sine wave power inverter. Users of these particular items have usually spent a lot of money to achieve optimal results from their equipment, and it would be a shame to have a cheaper modified-sine wave signal cause inaccurate readings on a piece of scientific equipment. It would be equally disheartening to have small distortion lines appear on a $3000 plasma TV because the user saved $250.00 by buying a modified-sine wave power inverter.
It is also important to understand that there is no way to upgrade or clean a modified-sine wave signal. If your item does not work on a modified-sine wave inverter, you will need to purchase a new true-sine wave power inverter. Users on a tight budget might want to consider only enough true-sine wave power to run required equipment and purchase a less expensive modified-sine wave inverter to run the rest of the load. The Xantrex XS400 ($375-$400), a true-sine wave power inverter, is often used to power only the audio video loads in RV applications. The rest of the RV's electrical loads are often powered by a larger modified-sine wave power inverter.
Many people are surprised at the overall improvement in signal quality when using inverters on audio/video applications. They notice that there are fewer distortions and few if any interference lines. While true-sine wave inverters are not recommended for everyone, customers with no budgetary concerns should choose a true-sine wave product. They can then rest assured that their inverter will be able to handle anything they plug into it. Many stores do not carry true-sine wave power inverters because the price is often significantly higher than their modified-sine cousins — usually two to five times more. Generally, expect to pay $200 to $3,000 for pure-sine wave inverters depending upon how many output watts are needed. Roadtrip America
About the Author
RV Expert Bruce Bernhart is an avid RV enthusiast who writes and blogs on topics relating to RV care, maintenance and enjoyment. He has been performing his own RV repairs for 15 years. We do the research so you don't have to. We bring you the best information available anywhere on the web on RV care and maintenance.
For more tips on RV care and maintenance, check out these Bruce Bernhart RV websites:
Bruce Bernhart advanced discussion on power inversion
Bruce Bernhart on fixing roof leaks