 "Solid performing power inverter" | 2009-10-09 |
| - Reviewed By User: A20JDDOCJLK8G1 |
So far, I am pleased with this product. I bought it to use when I go camping and need to used an electric pump to inflate mattresses or rafts. Those higher wattage devices generally can't be run from cigarette lighter inverters without blowing a fuse. So I opted to get this one. I wasn't entirely comfortable with the idea of having to run it off my Jeep's battery, especially after reading all the warnings in the manual about potential damage to myself, my Jeep and the inverter if it's not done correctly. But lacking any other options, I gave it a shot. The directions say to have the unit powered off while connecting it, but the on/off switch uses symbols rather than words to indicate that the unit is off. For some reason, my unit shipped with the power turned on and I got the symbols mixed up, so I wound up hooking it to my battery while it was on. Still, I managed to get it working without damaging it, my Jeep or causing any injury to myself. The connection instructions were very easy and straight-forward. I feel more at ease with it, having successfully used it once, but it might not be for someone who is skittish about working under the hood of their vehicle. This device can't be used with a vehicle's cigarette lighter.
The pump I was using was about 400 watts, so the Cobra CPI 875 had no problem handling it.
I especially like that this was one of the few models that says it comes with a carrying case. After you take it out, sometimes you have to fuss with the wires to get them back in the case, but it's really handy to have the case to keep dust and various other elements away from the inverter while it's in storage or being transported in the back of a vehicle.
It's also cool that it has mounting options, though I would rather just put it back in the case when I'm done. |
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| "Cobra Quality" | 2009-07-22 |
| - Reviewed By User: A3CLUZH71SF1GA |
| Purchased this for an emergency energy source in the event of a power outage. We have had three hurricanes through this way in five years each time with power failure for days. This inverter is compact but not too heavy and the instructions are simple and easy to understand. Cobra s attention to detail is evident in the construction and nothing about this is flimsy. A power on light and a warning light are a plus as well as the battery cables are very well made and all at a very good price. |
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| "Great" | 2009-07-08 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1J7PB731E4L84 |
Used it for my sons XBox360 in the car on a trip to florida.
Worked great. |
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 "Good Unit BUT you need to know a few things" | 2009-02-17 |
| - Reviewed By User: AEN96L7FUU0BO |
This is a very good unit, for what it is designed to do. It is up to Cobra's usual high quality standards. There are a few things you should know before you buy it though.
There are a couple of comments about the unit not putting out full voltage - however, if you go to the Cobra website and read up on this unit you will see that a standard voltage meter will not read the voltage correctly due to the sine wave configuration, instead it will read low voltage. Measurement requires a specialized meter, an RMS if I recall correctly. I have read also that some electronics work fine with the modified sine wave and some pick up some interference. It would probably be worth the time and energy to research which would be the case for your particular electronic application, before buying.
Another quite important thing to know is that this unit, while rated at 1600 watts, will only run at 800 watts continuously. The 1600 watts provides room for start up surge, but not for running more than a few seconds. I bought mine to use in my car. First thing I tried was a 1500 watt heater, and it would run for a few seconds and then stop. Then I tried a 750 watt heater and it ran just fine. So check your application and see if it will be 800 or less watts, if more, get a bigger unit.
Another important thing to watch for on automobile installations is the output of your alternator. Many cars have alternators with as little total output as 60 to 75 amps. You can calculate the amp draw by dividing the AC watts by 12 and then multitplying by 1.1 - so in my case the 750 watt heater draws 69 amps from the battery/alternator. If I had a 60 or 75 amp alternator then there would be a serious problem. Probably the battery would be drained while driving and I would end up with a dead battery, at night, in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by zombies pounding on the windows....
I have a 135 amp alternator, but since I am not sure exactly how much amp draw my car uses while running at night with headlights (most of my driving is after dark) then I am not completely sure how much reserve/overage I have for the inverter. As a result I only run the heater intermittently so the battery won't drain. If your application pulls enough amps to cause the charging system to run at system capacity so that the alternator continuously puts out 100%, the alternator will not last nearly as long as normal. I never run my heater when the engine is idling, at idle the alternator puts out about 40% less.
If you are going to use this in a running car, try and find the total amp draw needed for the car,(I found that my alternator runs at about roughly 60% when idling so I am guessing that my total draw would be about 50% of the total capacity of the alternator at full speed, or 68 amps in my case, but that is a guess) subtract that from the total output of your alternator, and then compare your alternator's power reserve with the draw from the inverter with your application, to make sure you have enough total capacity with some margin. Mine would, based on this theory, run a 2 amp deficit. Or do what I do and run the application only intermittently so the battery gets charged up and the alternator isn't running at 100% capacity all the time, and never while the engine is idling.
If you are going to use this in your car while driving, the supplied cables are not going to work for you, they are too short. The inverter is not weather proof so it can not be mounted under the hood where water can splash up on it, or dust get into it. It needs to be in a weather tight environment with good air circulation, it also doesn't like heat. I took a pair of heavy jumper cables and soldered bolt connectors on each end and ran these to my cars interior. I added an in line 100 amp fuse in case of a short in the cables.
If you are going to use this on a battery only, there are formulas to determine how long the battery will supply the load you need - you can find the info with a goole search easily. It would most likely be worth your time to run the formula before buying, to make sure that you are going to get sufficient run time from the battery you have or plan to get. If frequent recharging is in your future, consider deep cycle batteries.
In summary, this unit works, within it's limitations, and I am happy with it. I would have given it 5 stars, but the Amazon description of the unit's true continuous run capacity should be more detailed than it is. |
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| "Always buy Cobra" | 2009-02-09 |
| - Reviewed By User: A27TWP877DZZDM |
| during the recent ice storms in Arkansas I was really sorry to have given this one to my husban for his truck.Luckily we had a smaller one that we were able to run to the house. Always a good thing to have in case of power outage and Cobra is the only brand to trust! |
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 "Waiting For a Refund" | 2009-01-29 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1X5SEFM545VL9 |
I purchased thi
s inverter from Amazon.com and noticed that it only produced 103.3 volts, and Now I am in the process of returning it and getting a refund. If you purchase this product, you should check the output voltage to see if its correct. |
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