Cobra CPI 1575 1500 Watt 12 Volt DC to 120 Volt AC Power Inverter
by Cobra Electronics
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List Price: Our Price: $100.97 You Save: $88.98 (47%) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Category: Automotive Parts and Accessories See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
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for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Cobra CPI 1575 1500 Watt 12 Volt DC to 120 Volt AC Power Inverter
Customer Review: Could be Better
Summary: 2 Stars
A friend of mine purchased this inverter (I'm sorry to say because of my recommendation) and I helped him install it in his travel trailer. The inverter is located 3 feet (wire length) from 3,new,100 amp-hr batteries wired in parallel. I used #4 gauge wire (the wire kit recommended which costs extra) for all connections between batteries and to the inverter. The first thing noticed when turned on was that the inverter showed about 200 watts of power being supplied when there was nothing connected to it. I then hooked up a 700 Watt coffee maker (resistive load) and the inverter indicated over 1500 Watts of power being supplied to it. It went into overload mode and shut down. The battery voltage under load at the time it shut down was 11.9 volts. Thinking that the coffee maker was maybe drawing more than the advertised amount of power, I hooked it to my 1000 Watt Honda generator (really 900 watts continuous). The generator had no problem running it. So I have to conclude that this inverter (1500W/3000W surge) is greatly over rated for its advertised power capabilities. About the only thing that is really handy is the remote on/off switch (extra). If you need anywhere near the full rated power, I'd advise buying another brand, even if if you have to pay more.Customer Review: Ever wonder why this is the lowest priced 1500W inverter around?
Summary: 2 Stars
Many people who gave this a good review may have had a defective unit like this one and just didn't know it. This device ran most things just fine - on the surface... yeah, the Watts meter always read zero... but I could live with that... Then I tried plugging in a PS3. The backup red light wouldn't even come on (and yes, they run fine on modified sine waves - that's not it). I then tested the output with a multimeter and found that the inverter put out a steady 82 Volts. Like I said before, most things ran fine like this, and most reviewers wouldn't even think to check the voltage (there is no OUTPUT Voltage display on the inverter) if most of their 'mundane' appliances were running normally - and would surely give the same crappy 82V inverter a five star review - then, down the road, just figure that their equipment crapped out because it was old. What is an output of 82V going to eventually do to appliances rated for 110-120v? I'm sure there are a variety of answers to that depending on the device. You can decide for yourself, I'm just presenting some facts.
You want to know how crappy this inverter REALLY is? Go to Cobra's website and try to find mention of it ANYWHERE - there's NONE. They totally disowned it.
Customer Review: Everything and more Cobra 1575-3000
Summary: 5 Stars
I shopped for some time for an inverter. Price was somewhat of an issue but quality and ease of use and reputation all were important. I saw the cheap ones on ebay, and here and saw how several people had had problems... don't need that.
I got the Cobra 1575 because it had good features and also a good name and reviews. I was not disappointed. This is a well made machine that feels solid and looks good. I have hooked it up to my 2 yellow-tops and it boils water with ease. It is not noisy. My only "learning experience" was that the remote switch needs to be held down before the indicator light shows the inverter is working... 2secs will do it, but it is not just a quick push to turn it on. Be careful with the remote hookup... the phone cord-like jack can bust off its snap-clip as you run the wires then you have to tape it to the inverter. All-in-all I am very happy with this unit and with free shipping a good deal all around. Follow-up 1/15/2010. When we lost power a month ago in the ice storms, I ran our refrigerator (full sized about 8 amps required) no problem using my car at fast idle for about an hour and all worked well. Great!!
Customer Review: Good inverter for the price.
Summary: 4 Stars
I installed this inverter in our van, primarily so we could play Xbox 360. It had no problem powering the game console and a 19" LCD monitor for the people in the back, as well as a laptop in the passenger seat while also charging someone's phone or mp3 player via the USB port. I had been concerned about the length of the cables I used, since the manual suggested no more than around 4' and I had to run almost 8' of cable to the battery and was afraid it might not get enough voltage. Fortunately, even with the longer-than-suggested cables it had no problems.
The only thing is, getting this sucker installed was a beast. It didn't come with the fuse (required!) so I had to order a fuse kit and have it shipped to a friend's house in Chicago, where we picked it up. Then, as it it turns out, running thick cables through a van's doghouse and attaching them to the battery and installing an inline fuse is somewhat more difficult than you might think. In hindsight, if we'd have had the money, it probably should have been done by a professional, instead of by me in the parking lot of a dead mall somewhere between Columbus and Circleville, Ohio. But if you've got a couple hours and a hardware store nearby, it can be done.
Customer Review: Works for me
Summary: 5 Stars
I purchased the cobra CPI 1575 1500 watt DC power inverter to install in my Dodge pick-up. I use power inverter for my 1000 amp coffee pot and power tools like a drill and saw when I'm repairing or building a board fence in the pasture. The Cobra CPI 1500 watt power inverter and cables work well for my needs, plenty of amps without heating up. I have a diesel 2500 Ram pick up and realized that the the engine compartment was limited on space to install the power inverter. If you have this problem you could do what I did, I cut a 2x6 board in the length of the passenger side battery and cut a groove down the middle of the board to run the batteries mounting screw though, it held the board tightly in place. I than bolted the power inverter to the board. Note: you have to mount the inverter to the board before you install it. So the inverter sits bolted to the side of the battery on a board facing up. The shorter you make the power cable the better your power inverter will perform. I used less than a foot of cable and I don't see a problem with mounting it to the side of the battery as long as it's not interfering with the battery in anyway, it works for me.