Calpha Solar 48v 5kw Solar Inverter - Initial Setup

[@tlteal]

Thank you for this video and all your videos. Truly appreciated.

[@Madsci-zy8wm]

I would never wire this Calpha high frequency, output transformerless inverter into my home's electrical system. For one, high frequency inverters offer a relatively poor peak power capacity which is needed for starting high inductance loads such as refrigerators, power tools, microwaves and air conditioning units. You might be able to start and run some high surge loads when these high frequency inverters are new, but every time you fire up one of those inductive loads, you're shortening the life of the MOSFETs in these inverters. Second, because there is no iron core, copper wound output transformer to provide galvanic isolation in these inverters, All it would take is for the AC output monitoring circuitry to fail and one of the MOSFETs in the inverter's H-Bridge circuit to short to ground, and a high frequency inverters can send dangerous, high voltage, high amperage DC current straight to your AC appliances which can not only damage your appliances, but can also set your appliances on fire. That's why, today, no American inverter manufacturer uses high frequency inverter tech in their designs. And third. because these high frequency inverters operate at a much higher, stepped up DC voltage and a much exponentially higher frequency than more reliable, low frequency inverters, they tend to have a much shorter life expectancy. No thanks, not in my home.

[@jimpowell9205]

I take it, this model doesn’t do ’split-phase’ 220vac, like the 10kw unit does?

[@DanielGoodwin-jq1oc]

Correct, the 5KW is a single phase unit.

[@offgridwanabe]

Sold with free shipping until you pay for it then they try to not deliver until you pay special shipping from overseas. I feel like I have been scammed.

[@chrisvanwagner9210]

Are you going to add/configure the battery communication cable?

[@DanielGoodwin-jq1oc]

Yes! I've already added but wanted to mention separately as you have to set the DIM (pins) appropriately for communication. Will cover in the next video.

[@tlteal]

How is this product working out?

[@DanielGoodwin-jq1oc]

Really well! I've had it in circulation now for almost two months, daily charging up my delta pro and the external battery. The next step is to add additional batteries to the bank and see if it can sustain charge two delta pros continuously.

[@tlteal]

@@DanielGoodwin-jq1oc I noticed the VOC on it is only 145V which is even less than my Ecoflow Delta Pro --- yikes!

[@solarcharging9743]

Yet another cheap Chinese made high frequency, transformerless inverter that offers a shorter life expectancy and a poorer peak power capacity than a low frequency, transformer based real inverter. You threw your money away on this one.

[@DanielGoodwin-jq1oc]

I guess it depends on how long it lasts. So far its been functioning flawlessly. I do believe in the "you only pay for quality once" proverb but I also wasn't even sure initially what I wanted to do would work (power an Ecoflow Delta Pro from an external battery bank), so I didn't want to invest too heavily until I knew the answer to that question.

[@SuperSushidog]

Do you know of any brand of all-in-one, 5000w inverter (that surges to 10,000va) that integrates and controls a built in 40amp 48v battery charger and 100a charge controller (that will handle 500 volts - necessary as my solar array is 400 voc) that has a low frequency inverter? I haven't seen one. Even the Victron multi-RS and Easy Solar 2 GX uses a high frequency inverter and doesn't support anywhere near the voltage needed. You would have to do it with separate components which would be much heavier, bulkier (both important considerations in a mobile application) and would cost 5-10 times as much, making it an "apples to oranges" comparison. BTW I have a Microaire soft starter on my rooftop A/C and my other A/C is a soft starting mini-split heat pump, so the inverter won't experience any voltage surges that are known to damage the capacitors in high frequency inverters, as the voltage in both units ramp up slowly in a capacitor safe manner.