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New Hybrid Inverters from Magnum

October 04, 2013, 11:53:10 am

Has anyone checked out the new hybrid inverters from Magnum?  This new inverter makes it possible to use external AC energy from shore power or a generator and DC current from a motorhome's battery system simultaneously. 

The combination of Magnum's hybrid inverter, an automatic generator start module, and the Precision Circuits power control system created a coach-wide energy management system. Whenever incoming shore power cannot meet the motorhome's power consumption needs, the inverter's Load Support mode activates to provide additional power. A 30-amp shore power feed is equal to 3,600 watts, but since the inverter offers load support, this can increase the available power to more than 6,000 watts. This isn't possible when using a traditional inverter, because of the inverter's transfer switch design. But the hybrid design of Magnum's MSH3012M now makes it possible. This Load Support also makes it possible to equip a motorhome with a smaller generator. An 8-kilowatt generator can be used instead of a 10-kilowatt unit, which will result in less weight and improved fuel economy. Look for systems like this to be offered in new motorhomes in the near future.

It looks like you could also add in your solar power source into this system.

Magnum Hybrid Inverter


Jerry aka Murph

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Re: New Hybrid Inverters from Magnum

Reply #1 – October 04, 2013, 12:02:22 pm

I saw this the other day while I was researching Inverters. Looking to replace my old Traytronic. It looks pretty cool and the price is not that much more than the plain old Magnum.

Would be cool to hook up both airs through this and let the batteries carry some of the load when they start up. Should be able to run both airs (but nothing else!) on 30amp this way.

I'm kinda' waiting for someone else to make the jump first.

I think the IH45 uses this technology. Anybody know for sure?

see ya
ken

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Re: New Hybrid Inverters from Magnum

Reply #2 – October 04, 2013, 01:09:35 pm

What Magnum is labelling "hybrid" has been available for decades from Outback and others, but labeled as "grid interface". It was targetted at home owners who powered their house with solar, but had grid power available. It allowed them to supply power to the grid and be paid for that power. Outback inverters were very expensive.

It is something that I approximate already without an expensive "grid interface" inverter. When in a campground with only 15amp 120VAC service, I power the microwave via the inverter and recharge the batteries with solar or, when solar is not available, recharge the batteries from shore power using a converter (battery charger would be better). This requires two seperate units, an inverter and a converter. The combination inverter/battery charger provided by Foretravel as OEM cannot invert and battery charge at the same time, so will  not work.

I have been watching the price of grid interface inverters drop over the years and will install one of these in the future. One of the limitations with these grid interface inverters is the delay between demand for AC power and the supply of it. If you intend to use a grid interface to provide the extra power required to start an air conditioner, then the time delay between demand and supply is critical. Some "grid interface" inverters will just not initiate fast enough to start an air conditioning unit. If I set my inverter to "power save mode", it will not start my microwave, unless I turn on a 120VAC light first to get inverter out of "power save mode". I do not use "power save mode" and save power by only turning on the inverter when I am going to use it. I even disconnect the battery power from the inverter when the inverter is not being used for extended periods of time.

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Re: New Hybrid Inverters from Magnum

Reply #3 – October 04, 2013, 02:08:43 pm

Hi Wyatt!

I recently purchased a 180 watt pure sine inverter as a stop-gap measure towards a boondocking final solution.

I power it from the lower dash cig lighter.

It's able to power the following without complaint:

• 
  TWO laptops. One with a large LED monitor separate from my laptop.

• 
  TWO LED desktop lamps. (No other lighting needed in the coach with them on ;o)

• 
  ONE Mifi modem (millenicom)

• 
  ONE CradlePoint Router (connected to Mifi via wifi - how cool is that?)

[/list]

Best of all: Verizon finally did upgrade their tower here near El Centro: Get 4 bars of 4G!

Now the 2 laptops and the modem have their own battery.

Even so, I find it hard to believe turning the inverter on and off shows no discernable change in amps drawn.

Running the ColdPlate fridge by DC my Link 2000 tells me my 3 Lifeline 8D AGMs are down 20 to 25% by morning. (These 3 were brand new when I purchased this FT 3 years ago, and they've never been discharged more than this. But I had AM Solar install desulfators anyway when they installed the solar panels.)

The 1200 watts of solar on the roof delivers 2 KWhrs pretty quickly here in El Centro, CA.

I have a 1000 watt pure sine inverter I have yet to install.

best, paul

PS> Wyatt, We'll be in MX the entire month of Dec and a little bit more (our eldest daughter is doing her 3rd Ironman Dec 1 on Cozumel) and will try to meet up with you in Quartzsite in Jan at the place you mentioned in your earlier post. I'll confirm later.

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Re: New Hybrid Inverters from Magnum

Reply #4 – October 04, 2013, 03:40:16 pm

Paul

My experience with powering a laptop via a 120 watt inverter plugged into the cigar lighter in my car was that if the battery in the laptop was charged, it worked OK, otherwise "low voltage".  When I wired the 120 watt inverter directly to the battery, with discharged lap top battery, it worked OK for a few minutes, then inverter shutdown on "too hot".

Powering a 400 watt inverter directly from the car battery povided good service even with the laptop battery being charged.

The trick here then is to keep your laptop batteries charged, ie leave them "off" when first connecting to the inverter and do not try that in your car. Foretravel has done a great job of providing good amperage to cigar lighter sockets, but not all manufacturers (ie car) do that.

Does your Link 2000 give you "percentage discharged" on your 3 AGM batteries. Twenty five percent would be about 160 amphours overnight which sounds high to me for your refer based on the charts developed over months by another Foreforum user. If the outside temperatures were 100+, then 160 amphours overnight is probably close. Do you have an amphour meter? An amphour meter will be more accurate then the Link 2000 which is probably guestimating from voltage.

Different amps with inverter on verses off will be subject to the accuracy of the ampmeter and how the inverter works. Most inverters will draw a rush of amps when connected to the battery even when they are turned off. This warms and keeps ready the MOSfets. Then turning on the inverter will draw little more amps. Connect a 100 watt light bulb to the inverter and watch the change in amps (should be circa 10 amps), if none, then something is wrong with ampmeter.

Will you be in El Centro in November?

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Re: New Hybrid Inverters from Magnum

Reply #5 – October 04, 2013, 04:38:45 pm

The Link 2000 does give %, Wyatt. Not sayin' it's correct...

I thot I'd disconnected (not just turned off) the 180 watt inverter when I got the surprise of no change in DC amps drawn. I'll redo the experiment...

The inverter was connected to the FT cig lighter. The car cig lighter can charge my phone but not much more.

We'll be in El Centro in Nov. But it's broken up.

We'll be in El Centro now until Nov 12 or 13 when we fly to Fremont to sign papers.

We'll return Nov 15/16 until we leave for CanCun Nov 24. Return Jan 3.

One day somewhere in Oct/Nov we'll have to go to San Diego Kaiser to give the Docs more blood. (Will we ever slake their thirst? ;o)

best, paul

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