Author Topic: Cell phone tower inverter and transformer  (Read 1270 times)

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(unknown)

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Cell phone tower inverter and transformer
« on: July 31, 2004, 04:02:18 PM »
Someone gave me the following items that came from a cell phone tower: Lorain DC - AC Inverter (MODEL WAA302B), LaMarche Invertavolt (MODEL A5IE-1K-48V-A6),  Square D insulated single phase transformer (STYLE NO: 12551-12625-010). As a total newbie, can someone tell me if any of these items have potential for use in an eventual home power generation system? Excellent forum. Thanks in advance... Sunny in Houston
« Last Edit: July 31, 2004, 04:02:18 PM by (unknown) »

Ungrounded Lightning Rod

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Re: Cell phone tower inverter and transformer
« Reply #1 on: August 01, 2004, 11:01:41 PM »
While I have no direct experience with those devices, I DO work for a manufacturer of networking equipment, and have dealt with telephone companies quite a bit in the past.  So I'll hazard a guess, based on my understanding of their mindset and procedures.


Any particular phonecall may be life-critical, and system failures can leave thousands without phone access - whether cell, landline, or what-have-you.  Then they get refunds, and there is a big stink.


So telephone equipment - even the stuff for the new-economy upstarts - is built to higher standards than mil spec.  "Five nines reliability" is minimum, and six nines is considered good.


Two inverters and a power transformer from a cell site?  You BET they'll be useful for a home power system.  I'm drooling at the thought.


Tellcos tend to be big on powering things from 48 volt battery banks - two of 'em for redundancy.  Postitive ground (because that way if it gets wet the corrosion happens on the surrounding metal, not the telephone wires.)  And their color codes are backward from what you're used to.  Red is HOT, i.e. -48.  Black is Neutral.  Don't fry those puppies.  I'm not sure what they use at cell sites, but I'd be really surprised if the DC wasn't -48.

« Last Edit: August 01, 2004, 11:01:41 PM by (unknown) »

drdongle

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Re: Cell phone tower inverter and transformer
« Reply #2 on: August 02, 2004, 05:27:24 AM »
The LaMarche unit is 48 volts. And it's highly pobable the Loran is as a well,

the telephone industry it their main market.


Carpa Vigor

Dr.D

« Last Edit: August 02, 2004, 05:27:24 AM by (unknown) »