UPGRADE FOR TRACE INVERTERS Bob-O Schultze-KG6MM Trace Engineering of Arlington WA, has announced an upgrade on their 2000 series inverters. Trace has long been a leader in inverter technology for the home power market, not only in terms of sales, but for high reliability, efficiency, and good value for your RE buck. For anyone who has tried to hardwire one of these babies into an existing circuit breaker box or disconnect switch, this update is good news indeed. The Connection Formerly, the barrier strip provided for direct wire hook-up (instead using the standard duplex outlet on the side of the machine) was located within the inverter case. Trying to get 3 #12AWG wires (just forget anything larger), or 6 wires in the case of a unit with a standby battery charger installed, was a real rassle. The gang at Trace have listened to installers input and have brought the hardwire connectors thru the case and to the outside of the inverter where they belong. A metal cover protects the external connectors, but the cover is not punched out to accept conduit fittings. It would seem like a logical and easy thing to do. Not only does this external barrier strip make the hook-up much easier, but it allows the installer to use up to #8 AWG wire to make the connections. For those 2000 series inverters capable of producing over 20A @120vac, or those folks with fairly long wire runs, this means that compliance with the NEC and accepted wiring practices is now possible. A New Safety Feature Trace has also incorporated a 30 Amp 120 VAC input circuit breaker into the 2000 series upgrade. This also is a welcome addition. When a Trace with the SB(standby charger) option detects AC from the grid or a generator at its input,it does two things. After sampling the power and checking it for proper voltage and frequency, the inverter becomes a battery charger and, at the same time, passes the power from the external source to whatever circuits are normally connected to its output. This creates the possibility that the combined current draw of the charger and the circuit loads could exceed the safe ampacity (current carrying capability) of the inverter input wiring, even though the AC output circuits from the Trace are properly fused. The 30 Amp breaker on the inverter's input circuit prevents this from happening. A Revised Manual As if these changes weren't enough, Trace has also ripped up and revised the 2000 series owner's manual. The diagrams are now much clearer and easier to understand, especially the placement of switch #1,the "Search Mode" switch. Setting up an inverter, especially one with as many features as the Trace, is a fairly complex job. Writing a technical manual in language that a non-techie can understand is a real trick. The folks at Trace have done a bang-up job of it. There's even a section on problem loads. Not every appliance digests inverter power gracefully. A few don't run quite up to speed or as efficiently as they were intended. A very few even fry and die. It's to Trace's credit and a measure of their honesty that they point out the known offenders and warn you off. I still have just one complaint with this manual. When you first connect a 2000 series inverter to a battery bank, there is a fairly loud snap and accompanying spark as the input filter capacitors charge up. The first time this happened, it scared the pudding out of me. I thought that I had somehow reversed the polarity of the battery connections. Over 50 installations later, and even though I know it's coming, it gets me every time. Some sort of warning in the manual would go a long ways toward preventing premature heart failure. Conclusion All things considered, ya done good, guys. The modifications will make it easier for do-it-yourselfers and experienced hands alike to make a good, safe installation. The price? Same as usual! As a postscript, Bob Summers at Trace has promised a redesign of the access cover to accept conduit fittings in the very near future. Good show. Author Bob-O Schultze is the owner of Electron Connection, POB 203, Hornbrook, CA 96044. California Electrical Contractor License #613554.