Vector inverter, integrated charger?

 

Hello all,

    I see that Best Buy has the Vector 1000W inverter (VEC049C) on sale
for $189 or so (although I see other online sources sell it cheaper). I
am thinking about pairing that up with a deep cycle battery or three
(parallel, but that's a different topic), simply so I can continue
working on my PC (perhaps with a few other small devices) when the
power goes out. To clarify, the power doesn't go out too often here,
but when it does, it usually takes hours to days for it to be restored.

    My plan is to piece together a UPS for when the grid does go down,
hopefully being able to integrate the equipment I buy for that purpose
into a larger homepower setup when my finances aren't so tight (As soon
as I complete my contract, I intend to purchase a larger inverter,
charge controllers, and PV panels).

    I need to purchase at least one deep cycle battery regardless, for
use with a trolling motor on a small boat. I figured I could also use
the battery to power an inverter, as well as a few 12V loads while it's
not in use driving the trolling motor.

    To get to my question(s) :

    1) The specs on the Best Buy site aren't very clear to me (and the
other sites don't say much either). I assume I will need a charger with
this unit, or is one integrated?

    2) If I do need a charger, what brand/model would you recommend?

    3) If anyone has had experience with this particular unit, what
pitfalls are there, if any, and what is your general opinion?

    Thanks in advance,

    Jeremiah D. Seitz
    Omega Techware
    http://www.omegatechware.net

 



     For a bulk charge, use any automotive battery charger.  To maintain the
charge, use only a float charger that is specifically made for that purpose.  A
cheap "trickle" charger is the most expensive of all because it is likely to fry
your battery in a year or so.  I use the Battery Tender made by the Deltran
people http://www.batterytender.com/  .  They are spendy, but I have never had
one give a bit of trouble.  Harbor freight sells a float charger that they
sometimes put on sale for under ten dollars
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumberB292  .  My
father has had one of those for two years.  It maintains his hurricane battery
and it seems to do OK.

Vaughn

 

Vaughn,

    Everything you said makes sense, and I have noted the URLs for
later perusal (thanks, btw).

    As to the charging, I would prefer that the battery were charged in
situ, ie: when it is functioning as part of the UPS mentioned earlier,
but money being tight, a separate charger seems to be a good bet for
the time being. The battery tender seems like the best bet. Can I
assume that it handles bulk *and* float charging? That's what I got
from the site, but I just got back from the bar. :)

    $50.00 versus $10.00 isn't too much of a stretch, considering that
your batteries are pretty much the most sensitive components of a
system, so even if I spend an extra $40 or so, I'd probably save many
times that amount in battery replacement.

    Thanks,

    Jeremiah D. Seitz
    Omega Techware
    http://www.omegatechware.net

 



     It depends on the size of your battery, the depth of discharge, how much
time you have, and which of their several models you choose.  For an occasional
heavy discharge with weeks and weeks of float time in between, you can use their
1.25 amp model and just do a manual bulk charge with a cheap 10 or 20 amp
automotive charger after a big power failure.

Vaughn

 

Vaughn,

    At the moment, I don't know the capacity of the battery I plan to
buy. All I know is that it *is* a deep cycle, and it is physically
larger than most starter batteries. I couldn't locate an AH rating on
the case, so I've either overlooked it, or need to contact the
manufacturer.

    I already have 3-4 auto chargers, so paired with the float charger,
that seems the way to go.

    In a somewhat related topic, how many batteries* can I connect in
parallel without running into major problems? My first thought is to
build a box to contain the batteries, with more or less permanent
copper bus connections, essentially making the 2-3 batteries into a
larger capacity unit. Would there be any problems in charging the
entire unit, or would I need to charge each one individually?

    * - of the same model and age, I have been reading the debates

    The idea of using the batteries for both the trolling motor and the
backup is looking less and less practical, so from this point on, I'll
just focus on the (more on topic) backup function.

    Thanks again!

    Jeremiah D. Seitz
    Omega Techware
    http://www.omegatechware.net