# inverter or generator



## 114999 (Jul 31, 2008)

I am converting a Ducato for use as a trade show mobile home and need to run a very sensitive digital printer that runs using 1400watts, are there any issues with using a high power inverter I would appreciate any help or shared experience.
I was thinking of fitting something like this








from these http://www.batterymegastore.co.uk/cgi-bin/megastore/commerce.cgi?product=Inverter_Pure_Sine_Wave_Large!12_Volt&pid=134.htm


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## Minerva (May 22, 2006)

H Snaphappy

The obvious problem with having an inverter delivering that much power (1400W) is that your battery or batteries will not last very long therefore I would suggest for this purpose a good generator would be better, plus if it is being used during the day at a show say, it isn't going to upset anybody.
The other option is to have both and you use the genny and/or solar panel to keep your battery topped up.

I personnally have a 2000W inverter, 650w Honda genny and a 80W solar panel to cover all eventualities.

Bill


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## wilse (Aug 10, 2007)

Sorry to be a bit of topic, but...

I've read lot's of posts about gennys vs' inverters, and whether you should run sensitive items (computers etc) on them. I know the honda generators are OK for sensitive items, but I was wondering if you could use a surge protector with a cheaper generator?


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## whistlinggypsy (May 1, 2005)

> I personnally have a 2000W inverter, 650w Honda genny and a 80W solar panel to cover all eventualities.
> 
> Bill


Hi Bill, just spotted this and you are now down for supplying the lighting on the southport rally, for the BBQ on Saturday evening :wink:

Bob


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## Minerva (May 22, 2006)

Hi Wilse 
I'm not an expert but I think it is to do with the smoothness of the output sinewave, where surge protection is for as it says on the tin to stop surges /spikes that you may get from lightening strikes on the power supplies.

Hi Bob 
Does that mean I shall get a good seat for the balloon extravaganza

Bill


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## 114999 (Jul 31, 2008)

Thanks for the replies
I must apologise, just realised that I haven't introduced myself, I am very new to this game although I have camped and roughed it more than I can remember and always wearing green.
I have never had or worked with a MH the main idea of this conversion is to run a high consumption laser photolab printer, most of the time I should have mains power, but there will be times when I know it wont be available, this is where the inverter was to play its part I had planned to use it with the printer only when the main engine is running, at the moment I'm am not too fussed about heating, cooling, cooking but there will be a fridge in the back along with proper beds and work area for PC, the inverter looked to me as the better option where I can plug the van into the mains and use everything as normal and only start the engine when I loose mains power, does this make sense and is it feasible
THX


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## bigx (May 16, 2005)

Hi 
Most uninteruptable power supplies warn that they should not be used for laser printers because they take a very high current at startup and when heating the fuser.This current can be far higher than suggested by the rating plate.A ups is very similar to an inverter except it has its own battery. 
Yours X


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## 107558 (Oct 10, 2007)

If the printer is a Laser Printer I would not use an inverter unless you have a bank of large batteries for two reasons:

1. On start up a Laser Printer draws considerably more power than it's normal operating wattage - check the manual for the max wattage (my Epson colour needs about 3KW on startup).

2. A laser printer will require a pure sine wave voltage.

You are therefore looking for something like: >> Inverter << or >> Inverter << (select the 2500w option from the drop down box)

Rather I would go for a high quality generator capable of about 3000W that produces a pure sine wave output.


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## 107088 (Sep 18, 2007)

This'll get some response, but my 3k generator, is actually rated as 2.8k normal output. whatever that mean, but I dont go above 2.8 kva with the stuff I got .

Anyhoo, its a kipor. Silent running, which it isnt, 50kgs weight, which it most certainly is...and has 2 marachell hookups, and a 12v output also.

Runs well, and has a good run time on a tankful of unleaded. 10 litre metal jerry can from B&Q. 

Recommended.


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## 103356 (Mar 11, 2007)

Inverters, especially high power ones, can be very inefficient, and will certainly give your leisure batteries a bit of a caning. Just running the engine at idle is unlikely to replace charge at the same rate you would be drawing it out. Since there is little difference, annoyance-wise, between running the engine and running a genny I would recommend the genny every time. The Hondas, while not that cheap, can be picked up s/h (as I did mine) and are excellent machines. I run a small colour laser off mine (a 1000w Honda 10i) together with a fairly powerful laptop, but you would need at least a 2kw genny to run a large high capacity colour laser, for the reasons already stated. The advantage of a genny is that some have an ECO setting where the genny only runs at the level needed to meet the demand, so it speeds up when you need it, and then runs fairly quietly in the background when the current draw is low.


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## 107088 (Sep 18, 2007)

Chrisdy said:


> Inverters, especially high power ones, can be very inefficient, and will certainly give your leisure batteries a bit of a caning. Just running the engine at idle is unlikely to replace charge at the same rate you would be drawing it out. Since there is little difference, annoyance-wise, between running the engine and running a genny I would recommend the genny every time. The Hondas, while not that cheap, can be picked up s/h (as I did mine) and are excellent machines. I run a small colour laser off mine (a 1000w Honda 10i) together with a fairly powerful laptop, but you would need at least a 2kw genny to run a large high capacity colour laser, for the reasons already stated. The advantage of a genny is that some have an ECO setting where the genny only runs at the level needed to meet the demand, so it speeds up when you need it, and then runs fairly quietly in the background when the current draw is low.


igot the eco thingy, only its called a smart throttle. same thing, v.v.good.
also the kipor I had before did 3 years regular work, no porblem for less than 1/2 the priceof the Honda. Looks the same though, and its not surprising. Draw your own conclusions why.


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## vicdicdoc (May 14, 2005)

Artona is your man to ask, he does high quality photo printing from his van


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