Victron Energy Phoenix 800VA 12-Volt 120V AC Pure Sine Wave Inverter advice please.

[Primal1]

I'm trying not to go insane looking at all my options. I need to upgrade to a PSW inverter and cant afford to make a bad decision. The Victron 800w seems like it will run my tools and refrigerator but I keep seeing people talking about precharging them before turning them on? Is this something I need to worry about? Do I need any of the remote or Bluetooth dongles to achieve full functionality? Is it an LF or HF inverter? I'm trying to convince my wife it is a better option than a 1200w Giandel. I think the power produced by the Victron is likely to be what its rated, where I assume the Giandel will likely be overrated. I'm replacing a Krieger 1100w MSW that is showing its age.

Any advice or a different brand recommendation would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

 

[Bud Martin]

Is it the simple Phoenix series without the V.E. direct? Do you have the link to the one you are looking at? Price?
I bought the Phoenix 12V 1200V (1000W) just a simple inverter, it is bulilt like a tank, it is LF transformer based inverter.

Any Victron Experts out there? Diferent Versions of the Phoenix 12/1200va?

There seems to two different versions of this inverter 1200va (1000 watt) available . Victron Pin# 121220500 for about USD $300 (this could be discontinued stock) and Pin 122120500 for about $400. The only difference I can see from the spec sheet is the more expensive model has VE...

diysolarforum.com

 

[Primal1]

Here is the one I found. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08KYFL8RS/ref=twister_B07ST8ZW9R?_encoding=UTF8&th=1

Its the VE and 275.00. I dont think I need tbe VE though, I just emailed them for availability. That looks awesome, thank you!

 

[Bud Martin]

Here is the one I found. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08KYFL8RS/ref=twister_B07ST8ZW9R?_encoding=UTF8&th=1

Its the VE and 275.00. I dont think I need tbe VE though, I just emailed them for availability. That looks awesome, thank you!

I bought the Victron Phoenix P/N 121220500 12V 1000W (1200VA) NON VE since I just need just simple inverter. They will have order it from Victron and it takes about 5 working days then they ship to me in Cali. $231 with Free shipping, no tax it is great price for me. They will send you tracking once they ship out the unit. I placed an order on Jan 25th 2021, received it on Feb 5th 2021.

Victron Phoenix Inverter 12/1200 120V NEMA 5-15R PIN121220500

Victron Phoenix Inverter 12/1200 120V NEMA 5-15R PIN121220500Phoenix Inverter Developed for professional duty, the Phoenix range of inverters is suitable for the widest range of applications. The design criteria have been to produce a true sine wave inverter with optimized efficiency but without...

www.coloradostandby.com

 

[Primal1]

I bought the Victron Phoenix P/N 121220500 12V 1000W (1200VA) NON VE since I just need just simple inverter. They will have order it from Victron and it takes about 5 working days then they ship to me in Cali. $231 with Free shipping, no tax it is great price for me. They will send you tracking once they ship out the unit. I placed an order on Jan 25th 2021, received it on Feb 5th 2021.

Victron Phoenix Inverter 12/1200 120V NEMA 5-15R PIN121220500

Victron Phoenix Inverter 12/1200 120V NEMA 5-15R PIN121220500Phoenix Inverter Developed for professional duty, the Phoenix range of inverters is suitable for the widest range of applications. The design criteria have been to produce a true sine wave inverter with optimized efficiency but without...

www.coloradostandby.com

I noticed in some pictures it appears to have a cigarette lighter plug to connect to 12v power? Is that removable? I didnt think that was an appropriate connection for a 1200w inverter.

 

[Bud Martin]

The 12V 1200VA (1000W) model comes with 3m cables with ring lugs. The smaller VA/Watt model comes with 12V cigarette lighter plug. Pictures of my unit attached. .BTW, it is 1000W (1200VA) Inverter, not 1200W inverter.

 

[Primal1]

That answers my questions, thank you. I guess the pics were of a lower wattage unit. You have been most helpful.

 

[Bud Martin]

That answers my questions, thank you. I guess the pics were of a lower wattage unit. You have been most helpful.

Please let me know if you bought it and how it performs in you application.

 

[Primal1]

Please let me know if you bought it and how it performs in you application.

I'm ordering it in the morning. I will keep you apprised, thank you.

 

[Primal1]

Ordered, I'll let you know when it arrives and how it performs for us. Thanks again.

 

[Primal1]

Colorado Standby still hasn't shipped the Inverter. First it was going to be shipped in 7 days, then it was doing to be shipped in 5 more days, they promised me yesterday it would be shipped today with tracking, yeah that didnt happen either. I'll be canceling the order Monday. I wanted to try the Vlictron but enough is enough with the runaround. Guess I'll be ordering a Giandel from Amazon.

 

[Bud Martin]

Sad to hear that, I wonder what happen, they were very prompt to me when I order mine. May be Victron has shipment issue.
You can try this guy too for the same price, but it looks like they may have lead time problem also

Victron Energy PIN121220500 - InverterSupply.com

Shop for Victron Energy PIN121220500 with InverterSupply.com. Victron Energy Phoenix Inverter 12/1200-120V NEMA 5-15R, Victron Energy

www.invertersupply.com

 

[Primal1]

Sad to hear that, I wonder what happen, they were very prompt to me when I order mine. May be Victron has shipment issue.
You can try this guy too for the same price, but it looks like they may have lead time problem also

Victron Energy PIN121220500 - InverterSupply.com

Shop for Victron Energy PIN121220500 with InverterSupply.com. Victron Energy Phoenix Inverter 12/1200-120V NEMA 5-15R, Victron Energy

www.invertersupply.com

I understand when things go awry but communication has been an issue from the moment they took my money. Tons of contact before the sale, once we paid I had to start pestering them for any reply. It took me contacting them to cancel the order to get them to tell me it would be shipped today and they would email me tracking. Needless to say, I received no tracking or contact today...

I greatly appreciate the help and I really was looking forward to the Phoenix but there comes a point when bad business has to be punished. I'll do the only thing I can and take my business elsewhere.

 

[Primal1]

Well, they avoided replying to my request to cancel the order and finally decided to ship the Inverter today instead. I look forward to getting it installed, my current inverter has begun throwing crazy high wattage use numbers, essentially double what the load ought to be. Presumably tbe built in meter has gone crazy becuase the killawatt is showing half the wattage the Inverter is showing.

 

[Bud Martin]

You will be surprised to see how heavy that inverter is. Hope you will not have any issue with it, mine is still working great.

 

[Primal1]

Unreal. It arrived, I took the day off and installed it and its DOA. No lights, no fan, nadda. I didnt run a chasis ground but tech support didnt seem to think that mattered. It is nice and heavy and looks like a great unit if it worked.

 

[Bud Martin]

What? Did you connect it directly to the battery pack without using pre charge resistor? Do you get 12V at the Red and black wires of the inverter? The Remote jumper plug is still in place, correct? Oh man I cannot believe your bad luck.

 

[Primal1]

What? Did you connect it directly to the battery pack without using pre charge resistor? Do you get 12V at the Red and black wires of the inverter? The Remote jumper plug is still in place, correct? Oh man I cannot believe your bad luck.

Yep, jumped through all the hoops with tech support on the phone. I didnt have a way to connect the chasis ground but aside from that we tried everything. Support said he didnt think the chasis ground would prevent the unit from powering up so they're supposed to be sending a replacement, I hope it doesn't take another 3 weeks... Or longer.

 

[Bud Martin]

I hope they will take care of you and I hope they will PAY for shipping back the defective unit,
You are correct, the chassis gnd has nothing to do with the symptom you have.

 

[Primal1]

The dead one is on its way back to the dealer and I'm waiting to hear when they will be shipping me a replacement,, the dealer is waiting on it to be shipped to them since they say Victron won't just ship to the customer. They did send an RMA but FedEx wouldnt schedule a pick up. Fortunately I ship quite a bit of knives out from my shop and the FedEx driver did take it today, saving me a 100 mile roundtrip to FedEx in town. If I didnt have Fedex making regular stops I'd have had to drive, something to bear in mind if anyone else is off grid and remote.. (I hike to my closest neighbor who is on the grid and gets deliveries.)