Voltage booster

JESSICA
JESSICA Solar Expert Posts: 289 ✭✭
in Solar Product Reviews & Opinions #1
Greetings:

About a month ago I bought a “gadget” That may be of interest to some of you.
Since my inverter (GO POWER, piece of junk, recently fixed for a second time) produces only 109.6 volts (it seems 110 is the standard in Canada), but in Puerto Rico the standard is 120 volts, I needed a voltage regulator or voltage booster to provide my fridge and microwave their required voltage. After some days of searching, I found and bought this booster, made in Yonkers, NY. I have used it for about 2 weeks now, and can say it works superbly. The best part? I paid only $9 for it! It is not adjustable, and the only thing it does is to boost low voltage by 15 volts. So, whenever I plug my fridge to the inverter, it work as it uses to work, with a constant voltage of around 125(Grid voltage in my area fluctuates between 120 and 126).
So, if anyone needs a voltage booster, I recommend this one.

VOLTAGE BOOSTER AUTO TRANSFORMER 15 VOLT BOOST
15 VOLT BOOST TRANSFORMER
New. TODD SYSTEMS AT-119 Auto-Transformer. Built to boost line voltage 15 volts. Use in older buildings or systems where line voltage is below normal. 6 foot, 16 gauge cord with plug input, three prong recepticle output.
• Input line cord 95/110 VAC
• Output recepticle 110/125 VAC
• 6.4 Amp capacity
• 750 VA
• Size 3" x 2 1/2 " x 4 1/2"
• Shpg. 6 lb.
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Comments

  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    #2
    Re: Voltage booster

    that's good to know especially at that price.:D
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  • Windsun
    Windsun Solar Expert Posts: 1,164 ✭✭
    #3
    Re: Voltage booster

    Basically a transformer, but my real question is how did you measure the voltage output of the inverter?

    Digital meters will not measure the output of any but the best sine wave inverters accurately, for that you usually need an old fashioned analog one.
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  • JESSICA
    JESSICA Solar Expert Posts: 289 ✭✭
    #4
    Re: Voltage booster
    Windsun wrote: »
    Basically a transformer, but my real question is how did you measure the voltage output of the inverter?

    Digital meters will not measure the output of any but the best sine wave inverters accurately, for that you usually need an old fashioned analog one.

    Two ways: Using a Craftsman multmeter, and Kill-a-Watt meter; according to experience, both are very reliable.

    As I have explained somewhere else in this forum, I first noticed the low voltage my inverter produced when my microwave did not work as it used to. (To reheat some rice and beans, it needs around 90 seconds when connected to the grid, but more than 4 minutes when connected to the inverter.) So, I measured the inverter's output at several times of the day,and found out that even when batteries are full and mx60 is in float, and no loads are connected, its output is just 109.6 - 110 volts.

    When I emailed CARMANAH (The company that makes them), they told me the voltage is normal, and that they are indeed made to produce that voltage.

    P.S. To NAWS: Please, NEVER sell Go Power inverters!
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  • tallgirl
    tallgirl Solar Expert Posts: 413 ✭✭
    #5
    Re: Voltage booster

    Carmanah makes otherwise reasonable gear, but some inverters are designed to produce less than 120 volts because some markets actually =use= less than 120 volts.

    The "normal" range for a "120 volt AC" appliance is 108 to 132 volts and your microwave should have been able to live with 109 or 110 volts just fine.
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