Would anyone be running a Foxtel decoder through a Modified Sine Wave inverter. any problems?
Cheers Wootts
Dougwe said
03:48 PM Feb 2, 2021
Welcome to the gang wootts, enjoy here and out in the playground.
Personally, if it was me, I would be using a Pure Sine Wave Inverter. Less chance if something horrible happening.
I wouldn't bother with a 'Modified' for anything. Pure Sine Wave all the way.
Keep Safe on the roads and out there.
Tony LEE said
04:02 PM Feb 2, 2021
If the decoder has the power specification something along the lines of 100 to 250 volts, 50 to 60 Hz, then it won't care too much where it's power comes from
Eg the power supply of my vast receiver
-- Edited by Tony LEE on Tuesday 2nd of February 2021 04:06:01 PM
I have had no end of problems with chopped DC power supplies. I would never use a modified sine wave inverter (I have a 3.0kVA pure sine wave UPS). Have you got computers, cameras, phone chargers!?
Spend the tiny bit extra & get a Victron or similar pure sine wave inverter. Otherwise it will bite you on on the back side at the most inconvenient time.
Murphy is ready & waiting!
Bicyclecamper said
05:46 PM Feb 2, 2021
Looks like everybody on this, and other travelling forums, have shares in Victron. You can get a decent pure sinewave, at Jaycar, or supercheap. I got one from supercheap, just a 300 w, for $130 less trade discount, some years back. It has fan cooling, and has run like a dream. Victron, is bloody expensive for the name.
Whenarewethere said
06:41 PM Feb 2, 2021
I don't have any Victron shares but I do have 10,000 IAG shares, not doing to well at the moment at $4.87, they did reach $8.78, should have sold some, oh well, have to eat more oats! I have a Victron 10amp battery charger with Bluetooth & various extension leads, 2 solar controllers with Bluetooth & 2 DC-DC converters. I can't fault any of them. My gel batteries are from Jaycar plus most of my cable & about half off my Anderson plugs, & I have a lot of Anderson Plugs. My very heavy jumper leads are old welding cable, brilliant stuff with solder copper Australian made alligator clamps 200amp continuous rating. Cooling fans are Noctua. Fridge is Waeco as it was the only model that fitted in a space, simple as that! Kyoritsu 2046R clamp meter to make sure everything is up to spec!
yobarr said
06:55 PM Feb 2, 2021
Bicyclecamper wrote:
Looks like everybody on this, and other travelling forums, have shares in Victron. You can get a decent pure sinewave, at Jaycar, or supercheap. I got one from supercheap, just a 300 w, for $130 less trade discount, some years back. It has fan cooling, and has run like a dream. Victron,is bloody expensive for the name.
So are Kenworth and Mack trucks,but buying anything else is false economy.Cheers
Mike Harding said
07:51 PM Feb 2, 2021
yobarr wrote:
Bicyclecamper wrote:
Looks like everybody on this, and other travelling forums, have shares in Victron. You can get a decent pure sinewave, at Jaycar, or supercheap. I got one from supercheap, just a 300 w, for $130 less trade discount, some years back. It has fan cooling, and has run like a dream. Victron,is bloody expensive for the name.
So are Kenworth and Mack trucks,but buying anything else is false economy.Cheers
Eeemmmrrr... not sure I'd adopt your position in regard to Honda generators Yobarr....
yobarr said
08:49 PM Feb 2, 2021
Mike Harding wrote:
yobarr wrote:
Bicyclecamper wrote:
Looks like everybody on this, and other travelling forums, have shares in Victron. You can get a decent pure sinewave, at Jaycar, or supercheap. I got one from supercheap, just a 300 w, for $130 less trade discount, some years back. It has fan cooling, and has run like a dream. Victron,is bloody expensive for the name.
So are Kenworth and Mack trucks,but buying anything else is false economy.Cheers
Eeemmmrrr... not sure I'd adopt your position in regard to Honda generators Yobarr....
Hi Mike....shoulda bought a Yamaha! What did you eventually replace your Honda with? Cheers
rgren2 said
09:34 PM Feb 2, 2021
If you intend to charge/run anything through a USB that is plugged into the square wave inverter, there will be no problem. The electricity is just converted back to DC. But, if you are going to use the AC, no, get the pure sine wave inverter.
Getting my flame proof suit on and my foil hat ready.
-- Edited by rgren2 on Tuesday 2nd of February 2021 09:34:52 PM
Jaahn said
04:22 AM Feb 3, 2021
Hi
My two cents worth !
I do not have a Foxtel decoder so cannot say if it will work or not. But it has been my experience in the past that lots of things work OK on 'modified' inverters. But you do not know if there will be a problem till there is one ! Then the item is toast or the inverter is ! Items that have only resistance will work OK, items that have simple readouts or crude electronics might die or not, items that have large capacitors might blow the inverter output at switch on. Even old type florescent lights will kill 'modified' inverters Who wants to find out the hard way ??
Just get a pure sine wave inverter, any brand will probably be OK. You do not need an over priced Victron. I have a couple of Victron items and have been happy with them and bought them when they were a good price. But for a small sine wave inverter i would buy one off ebay. (but actually I just run every thing off 12V now)
Good luck Jaahn
PS I do not believe you get what you pay for always. I believe you often get ripped off by expensive brands trading on their reputation and now selling cheaper made stuff. However some are better than others and in my experience the more advertising and claims the more you should avoid them. But I do my home work and ask users to find value and quality. Then I stick to it. I ask and listen on forums too ! But I do get sick of the "you get what you pay for BS" about some over priced purchase IMHO. Tin hat on now
Mike Harding said
06:46 AM Feb 3, 2021
yobarr wrote: Hi Mike....shoulda bought a Yamaha! What did you eventually replace your Honda with? Cheers
You could be right :)
I vacillated between the Yamaha EF2800i and this one from Supercheap at $829
After the Honda debacle I decided I was not in a hurry to buy another supposed "top of the line" product for near $2000 and and have bought the Supercheap unit. Only about 50 hours on it currently but so far so good. At least I expect it's depreciation to be less than the $1+ per hour the Honda cost me!
Fester55 said
10:05 AM Feb 3, 2021
I bought a Powertech 400W full sine wave from Jaycar over 2 years ago. Sure, it can be a bit noisy but has worked without fail since then.
yobarr said
10:35 AM Feb 3, 2021
Mike Harding wrote:
yobarr wrote: Hi Mike....shoulda bought a Yamaha! What did you eventually replace your Honda with? Cheers
You could be right :)
I vacillated between the Yamaha EF2800i and this one from Supercheap at $829
After the Honda debacle I decided I was not in a hurry to buy another supposed "top of the line" product for near $2000 and and have bought the Supercheap unit. Only about 50 hours on it currently but so far so good. At least I expect it's depreciation to be less than the $1+ per hour the Honda cost me!
Hope the Supercheap unit gives you good service,Mike.Still have the brand new Yamaha EF2800i in my shed,never started,and probably never will be as I have gone full-Solar now. Cheers
wootts said
12:04 AM Feb 4, 2021
Thanks for all the replies,
So I have, Put on my Flame proof Suit and foil hat,
Sold all my shares in Victron
Purchased a Kenworth truck to tow my caravan with the help of a Mack to push up those stubborn hills
Bought 4 generators, could not decide between Super Cheap, Yamaha, Honda or Powertech
No really in the end I just purchased a pure sine inverter from Flea Bay
Then settled down with a nip of rum to cool my nerves after my big spend up.
Cheers Wootts
Dougwe said
06:31 AM Feb 4, 2021
Morning Wootts, make sure you only run all those generators around 2.00am cos everyone is asleep then and won't hear them.
Now, just make sure your caravan is under weight and don't mention it on the forum if it is over, otherwise, duck for cover.
Keep Safe on the roads and out there.
Tony LEE said
09:29 AM Feb 4, 2021
Always interesting to run inverters at their advertised rated power output and see how long they last. Then test their capacity to handle surges.
Then complain to the ebay seller that their 1500 watt inverter won't even handle a 1000 watt resistive load and you will be offered a substantial discount if you keep it
Whenarewethere said
09:49 AM Feb 4, 2021
When you buy an Eaton industrial equipment or similar, you realise what a joke the cheap stuff is.
Quite frankly if it breaks down in the outback you deserve every bit of sympathy from Murphy!
valiant81 said
01:23 PM Feb 4, 2021
Hi all; Pure sine wave is the way to go, if you are going to your inverter for the foxtel decoder then a 300 watt/600 watt surge would do. The price is dropping down all the time and i think i payed under $100.00 for mine around 8 years ago. This inverter was used only for a Vast decoder ( at the time 240 volt ones were the only ones on the market ). I have some time ago upgraded to the 12 Volt version and on sold the old Vast decoder. I still have the inverter and it now gets used when we are free camping for my electric shaver or my laptop computer. Never had a problem.
As for modified sine wave inverters, why would one bother as the price of of a pure sine wave is so cheap. With a modified sine wave there mainly have there use for what one would call resistive loads ( old type light globes or equipment that is not voltage sensitive like small electric motors ) But shop around for your inverter, i got mine of Ebay at the time.
Tony LEE said
01:23 PM Feb 4, 2021
An essential criteria for selecting a good 1500 watt sinewave inverter is if you can pick it up with one hand, just put it straight down and try somewhere else.
Tony LEE said
01:33 PM Feb 4, 2021
My 20 year old motorhome in the USA had a 1500 watt modified SQUARE wave inverter +charger (why do people insist on calling it a modified sinewave is puzzling. Why would you want to modify perfection) and it ran everything we hooked up to it including power tool chargers, TV, big convection microwave oven, electric blankets, ink jet printers, the lot and with never a failure remotely attributable to the inverter.
The remote failed so of course the replacement was pure sinewave simply because it was cheaper than repairing the old one.
(yes, needed two hands to pick it up)
Brodie Allen said
09:20 AM Feb 10, 2021
Haven't read all the stories above, but the Fox decoder runs off DC thru a
box supplied so there is no reason to be worried.
I have been doing it for 8 years+
wootts said
11:19 PM Feb 11, 2021
Brodie,
Not all foxtel boxes are 12v, mine is 240v
wootts said
11:23 PM Feb 11, 2021
Brodie,
Not all Foxtel decoders are 12v, mine is 240v
Cheers Wootts
Brodie Allen said
08:55 AM Feb 12, 2021
Yes, woots, I have had the current one for about 4 years - but before that
the little - bugger, can't remember its name - was 240 and I ran it about
50% of the time off a cheap modified Sw inverter from Dick Smith for
many years - never a problem.
I think that the opinion of modified is rooted in antiquity when gennies were
rough tradies' stuff and not the much more sophisticated units of previous
years.
I might add that I use the van for about 6 months of the year, so everything
gets a good workout. The old 240v decoder ran exclusively of the genny
as we had no solar back then at all.
My 2-bob's worth.
Nifty150 said
10:09 PM Feb 15, 2021
We talk about modified sine wave inverters, but I think they are actually modified SQUARE wave. Usually a false economy.
markf said
12:27 PM Feb 16, 2021
To get back to the original question - I wouldn't be running anything more complicated than an incandescent light bulb off a "modified sine wave" inverter.
I have here a truly ancient 150W DSE "modified sine wave inverter" and it really is nothing of the sort. If I put my trusty even more ancient analogue oscilloscope on the unloaded output with the display at 50V/division I see what looks to be a pure square wave. When I look more closely at 100mV / division I see all sorts of spikes and dips. I haven't looked with a resistive load connected though but I suspect that it'd be a lot cleaner but still a square wave. It's not a problem as I only use it for the stove igniter. Would I use it for anything else apart from a resistive load ? No, not at all.
I also have an el-cheapo 3000W Chinese pure sine wave inverter that delivers exactly what the sticker says - 240V pure sine wave. It's heavy, wasteful and inefficient but it was cheap and it does what I need it for - boiling the jug at roadside stops and running the coffee machine if we have it with us.
Mike Harding said
08:15 AM Feb 17, 2021
>I wouldn't be running anything more complicated than an incandescent light bulb off a "modified sine wave" inverter.
Can you still buy them? If so it's fine to run one from such a device. A "low energy" lamp may, or may not, be destroyed.
>I have here a truly ancient 150W DSE "modified sine wave inverter" and it really is nothing of the sort.
Every waveform is a "modified sine wave" :)
dorian said
08:23 AM Feb 17, 2021
markf wrote:
To get back to the original question - I wouldn't be running anything more complicated than an incandescent light bulb off a "modified sine wave" inverter.
. . .
I also have an el-cheapo 3000W Chinese pure sine wave inverter that delivers exactly what the sticker says - 240V pure sine wave. It's heavy, wasteful and inefficient but it was cheap and it does what I need it for - boiling the jug at roadside stops ...
If you already have a "modified sine wave" or "square wave" inverter, and if you just use it to boil a [resistive] jug, then I would think that it could potentially be more reliable than a pure sine wave inverter by virtue of its reduced complexity.
Would anyone be running a Foxtel decoder through a Modified Sine Wave inverter. any problems?
Cheers Wootts
Personally, if it was me, I would be using a Pure Sine Wave Inverter. Less chance if something horrible happening.
I wouldn't bother with a 'Modified' for anything. Pure Sine Wave all the way.
Keep Safe on the roads and out there.
If the decoder has the power specification something along the lines of 100 to 250 volts, 50 to 60 Hz, then it won't care too much where it's power comes from
Eg the power supply of my vast receiver
-- Edited by Tony LEE on Tuesday 2nd of February 2021 04:06:01 PM
I have had no end of problems with chopped DC power supplies. I would never use a modified sine wave inverter (I have a 3.0kVA pure sine wave UPS). Have you got computers, cameras, phone chargers!?
Spend the tiny bit extra & get a Victron or similar pure sine wave inverter. Otherwise it will bite you on on the back side at the most inconvenient time.
Murphy is ready & waiting!
I don't have any Victron shares but I do have 10,000 IAG shares, not doing to well at the moment at $4.87, they did reach $8.78, should have sold some, oh well, have to eat more oats! I have a Victron 10amp battery charger with Bluetooth & various extension leads, 2 solar controllers with Bluetooth & 2 DC-DC converters. I can't fault any of them. My gel batteries are from Jaycar plus most of my cable & about half off my Anderson plugs, & I have a lot of Anderson Plugs. My very heavy jumper leads are old welding cable, brilliant stuff with solder copper Australian made alligator clamps 200amp continuous rating. Cooling fans are Noctua. Fridge is Waeco as it was the only model that fitted in a space, simple as that! Kyoritsu 2046R clamp meter to make sure everything is up to spec!
So are Kenworth and Mack trucks,but buying anything else is false economy.Cheers
Eeemmmrrr... not sure I'd adopt your position in regard to Honda generators Yobarr....
Hi Mike....shoulda bought a Yamaha! What did you eventually replace your Honda with? Cheers
If you intend to charge/run anything through a USB that is plugged into the square wave inverter, there will be no problem. The electricity is just converted back to DC. But, if you are going to use the AC, no, get the pure sine wave inverter.
Getting my flame proof suit on and my foil hat ready.
-- Edited by rgren2 on Tuesday 2nd of February 2021 09:34:52 PM
Hi
My two cents worth !
I do not have a Foxtel decoder so cannot say if it will work or not. But it has been my experience in the past that lots of things work OK on 'modified' inverters. But you do not know if there will be a problem till there is one ! Then the item is toast or the inverter is ! Items that have only resistance will work OK, items that have simple readouts or crude electronics might die or not, items that have large capacitors might blow the inverter output at switch on. Even old type florescent lights will kill 'modified' inverters Who wants to find out the hard way ??
Just get a pure sine wave inverter, any brand will probably be OK. You do not need an over priced Victron. I have a couple of Victron items and have been happy with them and bought them when they were a good price. But for a small sine wave inverter i would buy one off ebay. (but actually I just run every thing off 12V now)
Good luck Jaahn
PS I do not believe you get what you pay for always. I believe you often get ripped off by expensive brands trading on their reputation and now selling cheaper made stuff. However some are better than others and in my experience the more advertising and claims the more you should avoid them. But I do my home work and ask users to find value and quality. Then I stick to it. I ask and listen on forums too ! But I do get sick of the "you get what you pay for BS" about some over priced purchase IMHO. Tin hat on now
You could be right :)
I vacillated between the Yamaha EF2800i and this one from Supercheap at $829
Generator
After the Honda debacle I decided I was not in a hurry to buy another supposed "top of the line" product for near $2000 and and have bought the Supercheap unit. Only about 50 hours on it currently but so far so good. At least I expect it's depreciation to be less than the $1+ per hour the Honda cost me!
Hope the Supercheap unit gives you good service,Mike.Still have the brand new Yamaha EF2800i in my shed,never started,and probably never will be as I have gone full-Solar now. Cheers
So I have, Put on my Flame proof Suit and foil hat,
Sold all my shares in Victron
Purchased a Kenworth truck to tow my caravan with the help of a Mack to push up those stubborn hills
Bought 4 generators, could not decide between Super Cheap, Yamaha, Honda or Powertech
No really in the end I just purchased a pure sine inverter from Flea Bay
Then settled down with a nip of rum to cool my nerves after my big spend up.
Cheers Wootts
Now, just make sure your caravan is under weight and don't mention it on the forum if it is over, otherwise, duck for cover.
Keep Safe on the roads and out there.
When you buy an Eaton industrial equipment or similar, you realise what a joke the cheap stuff is.
Quite frankly if it breaks down in the outback you deserve every bit of sympathy from Murphy!
Hi all; Pure sine wave is the way to go, if you are going to your inverter for the foxtel decoder then a 300 watt/600 watt surge would do. The price is dropping down all the time and i think i payed under $100.00 for mine around 8 years ago. This inverter was used only for a Vast decoder ( at the time 240 volt ones were the only ones on the market ). I have some time ago upgraded to the 12 Volt version and on sold the old Vast decoder. I still have the inverter and it now gets used when we are free camping for my electric shaver or my laptop computer. Never had a problem.
As for modified sine wave inverters, why would one bother as the price of of a pure sine wave is so cheap. With a modified sine wave there mainly have there use for what one would call resistive loads ( old type light globes or equipment that is not voltage sensitive like small electric motors ) But shop around for your inverter, i got mine of Ebay at the time.
Haven't read all the stories above, but the Fox decoder runs off DC thru a
box supplied so there is no reason to be worried.
I have been doing it for 8 years+
Brodie,
Not all foxtel boxes are 12v, mine is 240v
Brodie,
Not all Foxtel decoders are 12v, mine is 240v
Cheers Wootts
the little - bugger, can't remember its name - was 240 and I ran it about
50% of the time off a cheap modified Sw inverter from Dick Smith for
many years - never a problem.
I think that the opinion of modified is rooted in antiquity when gennies were
rough tradies' stuff and not the much more sophisticated units of previous
years.
I might add that I use the van for about 6 months of the year, so everything
gets a good workout. The old 240v decoder ran exclusively of the genny
as we had no solar back then at all.
My 2-bob's worth.
I have here a truly ancient 150W DSE "modified sine wave inverter" and it really is nothing of the sort. If I put my trusty even more ancient analogue oscilloscope on the unloaded output with the display at 50V/division I see what looks to be a pure square wave. When I look more closely at 100mV / division I see all sorts of spikes and dips. I haven't looked with a resistive load connected though but I suspect that it'd be a lot cleaner but still a square wave. It's not a problem as I only use it for the stove igniter. Would I use it for anything else apart from a resistive load ? No, not at all.
I also have an el-cheapo 3000W Chinese pure sine wave inverter that delivers exactly what the sticker says - 240V pure sine wave. It's heavy, wasteful and inefficient but it was cheap and it does what I need it for - boiling the jug at roadside stops and running the coffee machine if we have it with us.
>I wouldn't be running anything more complicated than an incandescent light bulb off a "modified sine wave" inverter.
Can you still buy them? If so it's fine to run one from such a device. A "low energy" lamp may, or may not, be destroyed.
>I have here a truly ancient 150W DSE "modified sine wave inverter" and it really is nothing of the sort.
Every waveform is a "modified sine wave" :)
If you already have a "modified sine wave" or "square wave" inverter, and if you just use it to boil a [resistive] jug, then I would think that it could potentially be more reliable than a pure sine wave inverter by virtue of its reduced complexity.