Converting the Xantrex 1000 sine inverter to a 1800 sine inverter

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herbgh
herbgh Registered Users Posts: 7 ✭
in Off Grid Solar & Battery Systems #1
First time poster..

I bought a turnkey solar system...4 250 watt LG panels, 4 6 volt 370 amp hour batteries,outback 80 charger controller...and having not done my research well..I bought a Xantrex..2400 watt mod sine wave inverter...100 amp charger...

Thinking that I needed a sine wave inverter to run the fridge..(thought it seems to run ok on the mod sine) I purchased a used 1000 watt Xantrex sine wave inverter.. first thing was to take the cover off and check for any fire and smoke that may have escaped...then I hooked it up and sure nuff...it did what it was designed to do... and the internals look first class to me...

My first choice was a 24 volt 1800 version that show up at gov. liquidation sales ...for they are too expensive on ebay...

long story even longer...:-) wondering if the 1000 watt unit could be modified to the 1800 version and maybe ever from 12 v to 24? Herb in Ky
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  • waynefromnscanada
    waynefromnscanada Solar Expert Posts: 3,009 ✭✭✭✭
    #2
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    Re: Converting the Xantrex 1000 sine inverter to a 1800 sine inverter
    herbgh wrote: »
    wondering if the 1000 watt unit could be modified to the 1800 version and maybe ever from 12 v to 24? Herb in Ky

    Funny you should ask that herbgh!
    I have one of each, and was amazed to see the only difference between the 1000 and the 1800 is a few electronic parts, less than 10% missing, and one small transformer missing. It's truly amazing. Everything else is identical, heat sinks, the works, just 4 output transistors missing and their driver components on the main board.
    Totally amazing that leaving out perhaps $20 in parts cuts the retail price in half. Marketing.
    As for changing it to 24 volts, I suspect that would be too major a job, especially not having a schematic you'd be stabbing in the dark till smoke came out.
    If parts and schematic were available the change to 1800 should be relatively easy. The board is all marked and punched, the parts just never installed. AMAZING!
    Reminds me of many years ago when Sanyo marketed two reel to reel tape recorders. One was a deck only, requiring an external amplifier, the other with built in amp, but at twice the price. Shocking thing was, the guts were totally identical! The difference was the cabinet covered over the output terminals from the build in amp! And if you removed the part of the cabinet that covered the terminals, you instantly had the more expensive model!
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  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #3
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    Re: Converting the Xantrex 1000 sine inverter to a 1800 sine inverter

    12v - 24v not very likely to happen.

    1,000 - 1,800 possibly. Once you add the missing parts, it depends on how the firmware (FW) must be updated. if the 1,000 will accept an upload of the 1,800 FW, you are set, but it's likely there is a EPROM somewhere that will limit the FW version, and even if you had all the parts in and matched, without the FW updated, it's still a 1,000.
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

    solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
    gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister ,

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  • waynefromnscanada
    waynefromnscanada Solar Expert Posts: 3,009 ✭✭✭✭
    #4
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    Re: Converting the Xantrex 1000 sine inverter to a 1800 sine inverter
    mike95490 wrote: »
    12v - 24v not very likely to happen.

    1,000 - 1,800 possibly. Once you add the missing parts, it depends on how the firmware (FW) must be updated. if the 1,000 will accept an upload of the 1,800 FW, you are set, but it's likely there is a EPROM somewhere that will limit the FW version, and even if you had all the parts in and matched, without the FW updated, it's still a 1,000.
    Unfortunately Mike, I'm sure you're right. I had forgotten about the FW. Yeah, they'd make sure adding a few parts wouldn't work. :cry:
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  • bill von novak
    bill von novak Solar Expert Posts: 891 ✭✭✭✭
    #5
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    Re: Converting the Xantrex 1000 sine inverter to a 1800 sine inverter
    mike95490 wrote: »
    1,000 - 1,800 possibly. Once you add the missing parts, it depends on how the firmware (FW) must be updated. if the 1,000 will accept an upload of the 1,800 FW, you are set, but it's likely there is a EPROM somewhere that will limit the FW version, and even if you had all the parts in and matched, without the FW updated, it's still a 1,000.

    Or just change the sense resistors. The current will be reported being lower than it is; it will then allow the higher current. (It will also report the wrong current on the display, but if you can live with that . . .)
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  • waynefromnscanada
    waynefromnscanada Solar Expert Posts: 3,009 ✭✭✭✭
    #6
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    Re: Converting the Xantrex 1000 sine inverter to a 1800 sine inverter
    bill von novak wrote: »
    Or just change the sense resistors. The current will be reported being lower than it is; it will then allow the higher current. (It will also report the wrong current on the display, but if you can live with that . . .)

    True, that might work, but without a schematic - - - - - - -
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