Cobra CPI 1575 1500 Watt 12 Volt DC to 120 Volt AC Power Inverter by Cobra Electronics
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Digital camera reviews of Cobra CPI 1575 1500 Watt 12 Volt DC to 120 Volt AC Power Inverter
Digital camera Review: Great features , great price
Summary: 5 Stars
Been using this at the cabin on week ends and it works very well. Particularly like the voltage readout as you can tell when it is time to recharge the batteries.
Be aware that you should NOT connect Neutral and Ground together at the panel or you will blow this up.
I found that out the hard way by blowing two other inverters (not this brand) up before I figured it out.
Even though that worked fine off the generator it toasted (with smoke and everything) the first two inverters I put on.
Digital camera Review: Great inverter, price was great!
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this inverter for my semi and I use it on a daily basis. It runs my laptop and my small microwave with no problem. It has a low profile so it doesn't take up much space. It runs quietly even when the cooling fans are running full speed. I've used other smaller Cobra inverters in the past and I've been very happy with their products.Digital camera Review: Great price, fast delivery, quiet , works
Summary: 4 Stars
Item is quiet and has low no load current draw. Mine was <.2 amp battery draw when on and 0 when off. Worked as advertized but you cannot measure AC voltage with a cheap meter as it will read 20-30 VAC low because of the modified sine wave. The documentation is barely adequate in that it doesn't answer the most common questions. One has to go on-line to the Cobra site. Also the Power out in watts doesn't indicate until you get over 100 watts and then only in multiples of 100 with the display showing only 2 digits ie: 10 =100 20 =200 etc. Documentation did not explain this or I would have given it 5 stars. Also it doesn't work on a small craftsman floresent shop light. It won't light the bulb. Only blinks. I suspect there are other limitations because of the modified sine wave but I am happy with the price for the quality. I choose it over the cheap harbour freight models that had poor reviews for about the same price. My next inverter will be a pure sine wave inverter as even though this one says 3000 watt peak, it will still not start larger than 1/2 HP motors that fall within its specs. The documentation does confirm this.Digital camera Review: Hasn't proved itself
Summary: 3 Stars
I decided to use this to power a heater in a small SUV as opposed to paying $800.00 to have the heat core replaced. It does not come with cables, so you have to find and install 4 gauge cables that are not more than 4' long to the battery, get them into the cab, and mount them to the unit with compression screws.
My first attempt was based on a pair of jumper cables the salesperson told me were 4 gauge, but are apparently 6 or 8 gauge. I can't even run the heater at 750 watts without alarms going off. Back to the drawing board.
If I succeed, I will update this rating. At this point the project is becoming more a mistake than a solution.
Update: I ultimately had a mechanic install the unit which had a cost of $150.00. Still less than $600.00 for a new heater core. However, since Cobra chose not to publish this information upfront in their information, my review remains ***. Be very aware of installation limitations!
Update: We're beating a dead horse here. I'm going back to my propane tent heater and giving up on the large inverter. I'll still use a small one for computers, etc. when I travel. This is a backup vehicle, so it's not worth a lot of repairs or upgrades. The inverter is going on eBay. I feel the product was incredibly misrepresented, and I would now only give it one star.
Digital camera Review: I have 25 of these, each one running a laser printer
Summary: 5 Stars
I have purchased 25 of these for one purpose: running laser printers in our sales team's vans. As you may or may not know, laser printers draw quite a few watts when they are warming up, so I wasn't even sure if these would do the trick. They always say you should have a power inverter with quite a few more watts available than you intend to use, so that's what I did.
This thing powers those laser printers without even breaking a sweat. I've had other inverters that are of much lower quality, and even a moderate draw on them causes the fans to kick into high gear, making it sound like a vacuum cleaner is running.
When it comes to electronics like this, my first impression is how heavy they are. Heavier (generally) = better quality... and these weigh a few pounds, nice and sturdy.
UPDATE: I had problems with 2 of the 25 units and Cobra sent out replacements ASAP, no questions asked. Excellent support.