expired Posted by bh805 • Feb 26, 2021
Feb 26, 2021 6:42 PM
Item 1 of 1
expired Posted by bh805 • Feb 26, 2021
Feb 26, 2021 6:42 PM
Amazon.com: Anker Portable Generator for Home Use, PowerHouse II 400, 300W/388.8Wh, 110V AC Outlet/60W USB-C Power Delivery Portable Power Station $299
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And yes, 1800watts continuously does sound like a lot and it is unique to the delta 1300. No other battery can do that sustained that I'm aware of.
Except colloquially "generator" for the common person is a gas/propane/NG powered engine that *generates* electricity via an alternator.
Walk up to a random person and ask them to define "generator" (in the context of home power, not grid). None will speak of solar panels or batteries.
The Ford F150 hybrid has an available 7.2kw inverter built in [freep.com], including 240V outputs and auto on/off of the engine. Meanwhile, tap into your Tesla directly and they'll void your warranty [electrek.co].
IF you are seriously thinking about larger scale AC backup, you can get a 3/9kW DC/AC inverter for $300-$400 then it's up to you to find the right combo of batteries to power it.
Instead of buying a car, just git a great big crate and toss some wheels, metal, plastic, and motor oil in. You'll save thousands.
The reason is because a well designed product is more than the simple sum of its parts. Integration matters and good integration matters greatly. Whether it's worth it to *you* is a matter of your own personal preferences and financial means. Your car battery and inverter doesn't address a huge range of use cases. Like, for example, charging the battery. Connecting to solar panels. Being easily transportable. Being safe for kids to use. Good grief, why did you even suggest that?
But the reality is that DC appliances are still a niche. If your AA battery charger goes on the fritz while you're on the road and you need to get a replacement from Target, it's going to plug into an AC outlet. If a friend comes to travel with you for a couple days, his laptop will have an AC charging brick. The reality is 98% of stuff out there assumes you're plugging it into a standard AC outlet, so it really makes sense to ensure that option is available to you. But as mentioned, in an ideal world you'll keep the inverter turned off 99% of the time.
I have been interested to see videos of #vanlifers with an AC power strip absolutely laden with wall-warts to charge their cameras, drones, batteries, etc... If I were looking seriously into this, I'd try to get a DC distribution panel set up with the appropriate pigtails for my various devices. You'd probably still need a couple transformers to support different voltages though.
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But the reality is that DC appliances are still a niche. If your AA battery charger goes on the fritz while you're on the road and you need to get a replacement from Target, it's going to plug into an AC outlet. If a friend comes to travel with you for a couple days, his laptop will have an AC charging brick. The reality is 98% of stuff out there assumes you're plugging it into a standard AC outlet, so it really makes sense to ensure that option is available to you. But as mentioned, in an ideal world you'll keep the inverter turned off 99% of the time.
I have been interested to see videos of #vanlifers with an AC power strip absolutely laden with wall-warts to charge their cameras, drones, batteries, etc... If I were looking seriously into this, I'd try to get a DC distribution panel set up with the appropriate pigtails for my various devices. You'd probably still need a couple transformers to support different voltages though.
And agreed about how bizarre it is to see van campers have so many things connected to AC, when most of them are internally DC and would be far more energy-efficient if things were kept DC from battery to device. The same people often complain that power is often tight and they have to be careful about not using too much. Well, jeez, switch to all-DC and problem solved, people, duh! You've already spent tens of thousands on the van and build-out. What's a few hundred more? Keep the original AC adapters in storage but replace them with DC ones.
I think that one of the things that van campers are effectively doing is prototyping how most people might live in the future, in smaller homes run mostly on renewable energy they generate at home, using energy-efficient and mostly DC devices, and driving more energy-efficient vehicles. I can't imagine myself living in even the nicest van for years, but a few months to a year or two might be worth trying out someday. Seems like fun, especially if you don't need a lot of stuff or space, which I don't. Only thing I'd probably miss is being able to garden.
Instead of buying a car, just git a great big crate and toss some wheels, metal, plastic, and motor oil in. You'll save thousands.
The reason is because a well designed product is more than the simple sum of its parts. Integration matters and good integration matters greatly. Whether it's worth it to *you* is a matter of your own personal preferences and financial means. Your car battery and inverter doesn't address a huge range of use cases. Like, for example, charging the battery. Connecting to solar panels. Being easily transportable. Being safe for kids to use. Good grief, why did you even suggest that?
More examples:
Milk - a fluid secreted by the mammary glands of females for the nourishment of their young (this was ALWAYS the definition). The textbook definition has been modified to include things like nut milk, and the like. (yes, I said nut milk, and I am ticked off that I used the term). By its true definition - almond milk and soy milk can't exist!
Bacon - a side of a pig cured and smoked (original long time definition). Using this, there is no such thing as turkey bacon. But the definition has been modified to include similar cuts of meat from other animals.
So, the world is changing... and it's awful. "Generator" looks likely to take on a modified meaning. Again, the average person probably wont care... they won't consider the fact that a 'generator' is truly something that 'generates'.
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