Date:         Fri, 24 Oct 2003 21:21:21 -0400
Reply-To:     David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David Beierl <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
Subject:      Re: Microwave oven in Westy?
Comments: To: Craig Oda <craigoda@COMMUNITYBUILDERS.INFO>
In-Reply-To:  <a05210608bbbf4329287f@[165.247.50.132]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

At 05:07 PM 10/24/2003, Joe Federici wrote:
>Your concern with a microwave is the amount of power it uses and how
>often you want to use it so the question isn't will it work but how
>much time before the battery is dead.

The smallest one I found is an Origo half-ft^3 model with 550 watts output,
draws 850 watts.  So you'll need something approaching a 1,000 watt
inverter, and expect a battery drain approaching 100 amps while the device
is in use.  Conventional wisdom for that would be that you should have 400
amp-hours capacity in regular deep-cycle batteries, or at least 300
amp-hours in gel- or AGM-type batteries just to support the current draw,
without regard for how long you plan to run the thing; and of course your
wiring would have to support the load.  I don't know whether you'd need a
true-sine-wave inverter; likely not, but you need to keep the possibility
in mind since they cost quite a bit more than the stepped-wave type and may
not be as efficient.  Practically speaking I imagine you'd be better off
with a 1-kilowatt generator if you really want to do this.

david


--
David Beierl - Providence RI USA -- http://pws.prserv.net/synergy/Vanagon/
'84 Westy "Dutiful Passage"
'85 GL "Poor Relation"