Inverter recommendations? [RE-wrenches]

Fri Dec 14 13:20:18 PST 2001

----- Original Message -----
From: "Chuck Heath, SunPower" <sunpwr at jps.net>

Subject: Inverter recommendations? [RE-wrenches]

> A houseboat client wants to upgrade from his old Trace 2012 (mod.sine) to
> a sinewave unit with a bit more AC power, probably 3000 Watts. He's tied
>
> About the only choice I've found is ProSine's 3.0Kw. Any comments? Any
> others?

Hello Chuck,

I'm glad you asked.  I have been chompin' at the bit to write a post best
suited for the   RE-Bitchin list. I'll provide a sanitized version here. :-)

The Prosign 2.5kw has been a fine and solid unit for the twenty to thirty
music events I have powered with it since April of 2000. The sound engineers
especially like its positive impact on their sound. One swears it is cleaner
than the grid power.

This October I turned on the unit, all was well, then a load on stage was
plugged in and the inverter went into fault mode.  There is a code available
on the  remote which indicated an overlimit AC output.  Did not compute for
me.  Any ideas out there?  Well it was a goner.

So, the event was no longer a solar powered, earth/commerce friendly
beach-side music event.  Time to scramble cords to E power from the grid and
slink out of there with my wounded RE system and humbled ego in tow.

Well a failed inverter is one thing, but the second shock came when customer
service told me I could send them $1,100 +/- for a replacement unit. Well
that is for out of warranty failures.  Mine is under warranty and I have to
send in the failed unit, wait three or more weeks for stock to arrive before
I recieve a replacement unit.
 No repair of my unit with quick turnaround for a needy customer is
available. Mine and other failed unit are sent back to China where they are
refurbished and sold again as factory seconds/refurbished, from their
website.

So two weeks after it is gone, they call me back to say it will be mid
January before a replacement unit is available.
For their part, Zanthrax has left me with  six and possibly more weeks (it
ain't here yet)with no inverter for my customer, me in this case.

I am flabbergasted at the cavalier response and attitude from customer
service and the policy  in general.  I understand the evolving nature of
globalization where energy is "cheap" and foriegn labor cheap and plentiful,
and management bonuses high when cost savings (and job losses) are acheived.
Something about this arangement grates on me.
I would love to hear some perspectives on this.

To summarize:  Does having a reliable inverter include the criteria of it
being repairable in a reasonable amount of time?
Should repair or replacement be at the mercy of available stock?
Adios amigos, Wally Stahle

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