Solar Generator - should we buy one?

Cariboocoot

Re: Solar Generator - should we buy one?

I've tried to be as unbiased and open-minded about this as possible. But now that we have that info from Xantrex along with the other 'outside' references about SFS and their business/products I think I have to go with the Douglas Adams estimation:

It's a load of dingos' kidneys.


[EDIT: I have been contacted by Xantrex and they verified the claims made by Solutions From Science. They are an authorized reseller and Xantrex is working with them on the products that SFS offers.]

nvyseal

Re: Solar Generator - should we buy one?

I too think we can call this Myth - BUSTED

BB.

Re: Solar Generator - should we buy one?

I hate closing/locking threads... Can we let this go for now?

There should be enough information for anyone interested to get the information they need.

-Bill

Kamala

Re: Solar Generator - should we buy one?

I can. it was an interesting bout.

sfseng

Re: Solar Generator - should we buy one?

What myth? Please explain exactly what myth is busted. The unit will do exactly what we and Xantrex claim it will do. You can think SFS is stupid if you want but do you really think Xantrex is so stupid they would claim runtimes that are not achieveable?

NOW ABOUT THAT FREEPRESS ARTICLE: I'm really glad you brought
that to our attention. We agree that those claims are just plain ridiculous. We have no idea who wrote that article and we will see that it is removed as soon as possible. I will handle that personally. I stated before that we always tell our customers that this unit is not capable of handling room heaters or ACs. Please by all means if you find things that make such stupid claims bring it to my attention and it will be taken care of. You may not like our companies marketing technics, but we are not in the business of claiming that are products can do soemthing they are not capable of. Don't lay that ridiculous article on our comapny. I once heard a radio personality who was sponsored by our company making a claim on his show that the PS 1800 could be used to power some device that pulled a constant 600 watt load for hours on end. Our company immediately called his show and told him to retract that claim and to make it clear that our product was not at all appropriate for powering that device.
When you read some totally outlandish claim on the internet about any product don't automatically assume that the manufacturer of that product is the one making the claim. That article on FreePress makes me ANGRY TOO!

dwh

Re: Solar Generator - should we buy one?

It's not an article.

It's a Press Release.

And I know *I* sure didn't put out any press releases about your company, products or web site - so I think YOU GUYS did it.

nvyseal

Re: Solar Generator - should we buy one?

States right down at the bottom of the page...

All press release information on this site, including free press release and premier press release, is solely based on what our users submit. FreePressIndex.com disclaims that any right and,is solely based on what our users submit. FreePressIndex.com disclaims that any right and responsibility for the information go to the user who submit the press release. Some press release may be confusing without additional explanation. You should contact the provider with any questions about the information presented. In case some press release damages your benefits or violate your rights in any way, please contact us and we'll remove it immediately.

Jeramy Jennings submitted it. He works for Solutions from Science

sfseng

Re: Solar Generator - should we buy one?

DWH,
DDDDDDDD, Drum ROLL back at you. There you guys go again twisting what was claimed. Go back and read what I claimed. I clearly stated that Xantrex does not warranty the product to our end users! They warranty it to SFS. WE warranty it to the end customer. If we have a field problem with a Xantrex product we service the end customer and Xantrex replaces any defective units to us. Before you guys jump up and down and shout "GOTCHA" for crying out loud make sure you understand what the real claims are that you are trying to counter.


Notice that Xantrex did not say that SFS is not an authorized reseller. They only stated that they do not warranty the units to the end customer.

I am working on a method to document our relationship with Xantrex that will prove my claims. Here are some of the complications I need to work out:

1. If an employee from Xantrex comes on this forum to support what I am saying you all would say he is not who he claims to be.
2. If I post any kind of documents that demonstrate what I said was true you all would say that we faked the documents.
3. If I post photos of the Xantrex product that will soon be available only through our company then you will say that the image has been photo-shopped.

So I must come up with a method that is indisputable, that is taking some amount of work to do. Two of our key contacts at Xantrex have been on vacation this week and I won't be able to work with them until next week. So hang in there...this isn't over yet.

NIEL,
I did run two CPAP machines all night on the PS 1800. Get over it.... as one engineer to another I personally did this and you're just calling me a liar. I was there... I conducted the experiment, it worked great. It is NOT BS!

niel

Re: Solar Generator - should we buy one?

"NIEL,
I did run two CPAP machines all night on the PS 1800. Get over it.... as one engineer to another I personally did this and you're just calling me a liar. I was there... I conducted the experiment, it worked great. It is NOT BS!"

really?
then as an engineer you can appreciate that we don't believe you when it doesn't add up correctly and you offer nothing reasonable as proof.

BB.

Re: Solar Generator - should we buy one?

I am going to lock this thread... I think we got most of the publicly available information that we can get and does not appear (to me) as going anywhere productive.

At this point--I would prefer that no new threads be opened about this product as a vehicle for continuing the discussion.

The standard recommendations of: 1. conservation, 2. understand your loads, and 3. research your solutions applies here and elsewhere in the forum.

-Bill "Moderator" B.

rick

Re: Solar Generator - should we buy one?

I wanted to post a follow up to this discussion thread. I've have been contacted directly by Xantrex and they have verified the claims made by David Fink and Solutions From Science. I feel that it is only fair to clear this up due to all the negative comments strewn about in the thread. Xantrex informed me that SFS is indeed an authorized reseller and Xantrex works with SFS on the equipment they sell that uses Xantrex products. I am also posting some of David's calculations on the CPAP machine and a refrigerator because the thread was closed before he had the opportunity to post them himself. Hopefully this thread can now officially be put to rest.


David Fink's calculations:

CPAP machine and refrigerator calculations.

CPAP calculations:

My brother and I have 110VAC Respironics CPAP machines designated M-series A-Flex. I used a Kill A Watt model P4460 to measure the load when running without the heater. At 110V the current was .334 amps and exactly 25 watts on the power meter. So:



25watts/12vdc = 2.084 amps



2.084 amps*2 machines= 4.168 A load for 2 machines.



4.168A*7.5 hours = 31.26 AH



well within the 51Ah capacity of the PS 1800.



The Refrigerator (GE 21 cu. ft.):

Using the Kill A Watt Meter above - 1.27 A and 148 watts at 110VAC



148watts/12vdc = 12.33 A



12.33 A*3hours = 36.99 AH



again well within the capabilities of the 51 Ah capacity. And thats assuming 3 continuous hours of running. It actuality cycled on and off a couple of times.



Yes it is a very deep discharge, but it can be done. And I did in fact run both experiments and encountered no problems.