inverters

[go4it]

I was thinking about getting an LCD TV, but I read on an inverter box that you need a true sine wave inverter to run LCD or Plasma TVs.  Does anyone have any experience with this?  My picture tube TV works OK, but I was hoping to use a little less power.

Thanks 

[SteveCH]

I heard something like this, too, after we bought our Vizio LCD 42" several yr ago. We have a Trace [now Xantrex] modified sinewave inverter which we've been using for 20 years or so.

We have had no trouble with our TV. None. Including no flickers, no noise, etc. None.

Actually, we have had no trouble with anything electronic, ever, with our inverter, including our five Mac computers and all their related stuff.

Or any trouble with motors, such as for the vacuum, washing machine, etc.

I am not saying the warnings about mod. sine wave are bogus. I am only saying we have had no problems with anything in two decades. If it comes time to replace our inverter, I will almost certainly go with sine wave next time. Back when, so to speak, sine wave inverters were way expensive and often limited to a few hundred watts. Now, they are much more affordable and have 2500-3000 watts and up.


Edit: well, I was just thinking, back in the 80s I had a couple of large, high-end reel-to-reel Tascam tape recording machines, and there was a slight hum from the inverter I had to add a choke to the line to stop. I never did try the with a sine wave inverter, though a physicist buddy of mine was certain a sine wave inverter would've stopped the hum, without a choke. He got me the choke for a buck or two at some used electronics store, so no big deal. That has been the only hassle with the Trace.....

[commanda]

Some of the smaller LCD's actually run off 12 volts, mains powered with an external plug-pack.
I've got one like this in my bedroom (22 inch), powered directly from my battery bank.

Amanda

[Opera House]

Some new power supplies may use a power factor correction chip to make the load look just like a resistor.  Not sure how that works with square waves.  Just using a rectifier into a cap is hard on the mains power and the problem is getting worse for utilities as more things on the line become electronic. These supplies only draw current at near the peak voltage.  If your TV is a couple years old I can imagine no problem with MSW.  I run CFC, TV and DVD player off 140V DC without problem.  Conventional  switching power supplies just don't care unless they are designed to internally double the voltage.

[fabricator]

I think a lot would depend on the quality of the inverter also, the really cheap ones have really blocky waves with few or no steps, the more expensive higher quality units have lots of steps to more closely mimic an actual sine wave. The inverter store carries AIMS they are high quality units made in Japan and reasonably priced, Samlec (sp?) also makes high quality units.