AIMS 24v 1500 Watt Pure Sine Wave inverter, your opinion?

[bahamasolarnoob]

Thinking of getting this inverter.
(AIMS PWRI100024S 1500 Watt Pure Sine Wave Power Inverter, 24 Volt) It has no reviews. Is anyone familiar with this brand inverter? Is this one of those "chinese boat anchor" inverters?

[FloridaSun]

Thinking of getting this inverter.
(AIMS PWRI100024S 1500 Watt Pure Sine Wave Power Inverter, 24 Volt) It has no reviews. Is anyone familiar with this brand inverter? Is this one of those "chinese boat anchor" inverters?

No experience with Aims but remember finding lots of reviews about Aims being junk when I was shopping for an inverter last year. Cotek, Samlex, Meanwell seemed to have better reviews with Cotek being UL listed so probably the better choice for not that much more $$. Be careful about inverter choices being 'UL conforming' or 'UL Listed'. There is a difference. UL Listed has actually passed the tests and backed up by UL, not just designed to 'conform' without the quality assurance.

[inetdog]

There is a difference. UL Listed has actually passed the tests and backed up by UL, not just designed to 'conform' without the quality assurance.

If what you are doing is subject to inspection, ONLY Listed will be accepted. The fact that equipment "conforms" will carry no weight at all with an AHJ, or for that matter with an insurance company.

[bahamasolarnoob]

If what you are doing is subject to inspection, ONLY Listed will be accepted. The fact that equipment "conforms" will carry no weight at all with an AHJ, or for that matter with an insurance company.

No inspection.

[FloridaSun]

No inspection.

yeah, I know you're in the Bahamas east of here but still, a UL certified product is going to have better, much better quality control than any other. Me? haha, I'm cheap, settled for a 400W Meanwell PSW. Much less cost and has been working fine for my small system.

[bahamasolarnoob]

yeah, I know you're in the Bahamas east of here but still, a UL certified product is going to have better, much better quality control than any other. Me? haha, I'm cheap, settled for a 400W Meanwell PSW. Much less cost and has been working fine for my small system.

I'm trying to keep the cost down as well. What do you have running on your 400 watt PSW?

[FloridaSun]

I'm trying to keep the cost down as well. What do you have running on your 400 watt PSW?

My lil 580W (panels) hobby system in the shop is way underused. I keep my 18v Lion tool batteries charged, a few low watt CFLs and LEDs available and the biggest draw, a 140W fan but that's used mainly in the daytime when it's hot n sunny, not a great draw on the 24v 200Ah batts. Wish Morningstar made a 24V version of their great lil 12V 300W inverter and I had bought one of those.
Soon as I find my 'round tuit' I'll be running a freezer/fridg conversion, be ready for the inevitable power outage from storms here.
Remember... you can run more than one inverter from a battery bank and some times it's better to have two for better efficiency and redundancy, back up.

[bahamasolarnoob]

Remember... you can run more than one inverter from a battery bank and some times it's better to have two for better efficiency and redundancy, back up.

Ok thats new to me, so you would advise to have small loads on a smaller inverter and heavier on the 1500?

Is the AIMS a chinese inverter? It looks just like those blue chinese ones I see on Ebay, with the chinese girls caressing them!

[FloridaSun]

Ok thats new to me, so you would advise to have small loads on a smaller inverter and heavier on the 1500?

Is the AIMS a chinese inverter? It looks just like those blue chinese ones I see on Ebay, with the chinese girls caressing them!

Even Morningstar are made in Taiwan, a part of China. Cotek, Samlex, Meanwell all use the same cases and fronts tho there may be some minute differences in internals. Their manuals are very much the same specs.
One of the gripes about Aims is the manual, poor translation and incomplete. When shopping I study manuals and Morningstar you can tell are excellent, original English, not translations. May be made in Taiwan but design is most likely from the good ol US of A and backed up with UL listing.
The bigger the inverter the more standby consumption and if you're only running light loads can save a few watts by running a smaller inverter.
hahaha! those links... one of those girls looks much like one of my old Thai girlfriends. There have been many posts here about the dangers of those high watt inverters. Sunking started a good thread on that.... but forget where that's at.
Check out this one;

http://www.solarpaneltalk.com/showthread.php?10450-Inverter-Size-vs-Battery-Size-Tutorial

[bahamasolarnoob]

Even Morningstar are made in Taiwan, a part of China. Cotek, Samlex, Meanwell all use the same cases and fronts tho there may be some minute differences in internals. Their manuals are very much the same specs.
One of the gripes about Aims is the manual, poor translation and incomplete. When shopping I study manuals and Morningstar you can tell are excellent, original English, not translations. May be made in Taiwan but design is most likely from the good ol US of A and backed up with UL listing.
The bigger the inverter the more standby consumption and if you're only running light loads can save a few watts by running a smaller inverter.
hahaha! those links... one of those girls looks much like one of my old Thai girlfriends. There have been many posts here about the dangers of those high watt inverters. Sunking started a good thread on that.... but forget where that's at.
Check out this one;
http://www.solarpaneltalk.com/showth...-Size-Tutorial

Ok thanks,
Yes I know about the high watt ones, I am not getting one of those. That was just for the comedy! I see them plastered all over ebay. I just dont see anything sexy about an inverter.

[Naptown]

Ok thanks,
Yes I know about the high watt ones, I am not getting one of those. That was just for the comedy! I see them plastered all over ebay. I just dont see anything sexy about an inverter.

Hence the need for the Chinese girls

[FloridaSun]

I just dont see anything sexy about an inverter.

oh? I hear some inverters can get pretty hot!

[john8750]

On the subject, I have three Cobra inverters, 400,1000,1500 watt. The only problem I have is the high pitch cooling fan in the 1500 watt. It will run on a hot day with very low load. They all are low loaded and work well. I am enjoying working with solar power generation.