INVERTER Idle Current An Response Time

[MEXICOWANDERER]

My old Trace is supposed to have an idle current of .004 amperes (24 volt) and response time of <30 milliseconds.

Has the industry improved upon this significantly -- other than the Samlex with zero crossing synchronization?

[BFL13]

Based on Mr Wiz's observation, I am changing my story on what is my "baseline" DC at 0.3 amps to now being mostly the inverter connected but off. I had no idea that was the case, but it makes sense that it has to be ready to turn on.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

For the same reason utilities do not buck AC service drops with a 5 pound transformerless box using SCRs and chopper circuits.

For the same reason a well designed battery charger with rectifiers and stout timer will outlive a solid state unit a hundred to one.

There is no p/n interface to punch holes through.

[theoldwizard1]

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
Other than pure sine wave from 1988 to 2018 has brought pathetically little improvement in performance and a downgrade in quality and longevity.

I am very surprised at the mark up on modern PSWs ! Electronics in the past 5-10 years have improved so much in this area that (minus the transformer(s)) the cost difference between a MSW and a PSW in the 2000W range is probably less than $25 !

I have a EE background and the one thing no one has ever been able to explain is why do "low frequency" PSW seem to last so much longer than "high frequency" ?

[MrWizard]

my clamp on DC amp meter, directly on the inverter leads (it does 3 places decimal moves as needed)
not the battery to house leads or converter leads

can read .999 9.99 99.9 (2) scales 0-40 amp
or 41-400 amp Ac or DC

[time2roll]

How fast does it need to be? Seems good enough in all conditions. Otherwise just leave it on idle instead of sleep.

[BFL13]

MrWizard wrote:
my 2000w PSW is around 280ma with batteries connected and remote switch off

turned on but NO connected loads, output cord disconnected/unplugged
around 700ma DC draw

I called that 0.280 ma my "baseline", and twice that when inverter on not loaded as being 0.3a inverter idle. How do you measure the "inverter" amps when the inverter is off as 0.3 (280), so not to mix in the LP alarm, etc baseline DC amps? Also to ma level--my Tri is only to one decimal, so 0.3a for me.

I don't think my inverter has any "sleep mode". It is on or off. When on and a load there is an efficiency. ISTR with inverters there is a range of efficiencies depending on the amount of load wrt the inverter's watt rating, with a sweet spot somewhere less than full but more than idle.

I think some people believe the amount lost to inefficiency is the same thing as the inverter's idle amps and you subtract that from the actual load draw. I don't think that is how it works at all.

Perhaps the comparison factors should include another one--relative efficiency and how flat is the curve along the top like with speakers?

[MrWizard]

my 2000w PSW is around 280ma with batteries connected and remote switch off

turned on but NO connected loads, output cord disconnected/unplugged
around 700ma DC draw

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Trace called it sleep mode. Other than pure sine wave from 1988 to 2018 has brought pathetically little improvement in performance and a downgrade in quality and longevity. Thirty years.

[3_tons]

time2roll wrote:
Idle? Most are close to one amp per thousand watts.

I think what you describe is a sleep mode where the inverter periodically searches for a load. I don't see any improvement in new inverters for this function this area either.

I tend to Agree.

[time2roll]

Idle? Most are close to one amp per thousand watts.

I think what you describe is a sleep mode where the inverter periodically searches for a load. I don't see any improvement in new inverters for this function this area either.

[3_tons]

Transfer time on ProSine 2.0 is 16 mil/sec, transfer is imperceptible - even runs the air cond... Unfortunately, Xantrex phased out this awesome inverter-charger and discontinued parts...They replaced it with the less robust (per surge ratings) Freedom XC...Xantrex bean-counters make me reluctant to go the Xantrex route again...I’m quite sure they earned their cost cutting bonuses...

[BFL13]

The OP is talking about an inverter with a transfer switch. The idle current of "inverters" varies by type, where ordinary inverters have low ones and inverter/chargers have higher ones. I suppose an inverter with a transfer switch would be somewhere in the middle.

To measure it requires knowing your baseline amps without the inverter being on. Eg my baseline on the Trimetric is 0.3 amps and with the ordinary (no switch) on, but no load, that goes to 0.6 amps, so the idle is 0.3 amps (2000w PSW)

[wa8yxm]

IN keep my Xantrex Freedom in "UPS" mode. if power is lost (has happened) and I don't have any non-inverter loads up. I may well not even notice.. TV does nto blink, Digital receivers do not blink Comptuers (Laptops) have internal power. A/C and space heaters go silent is all.

[2oldman]

.004 amp? That sounds more like a figure for a cell phone than an inverter.