Cobra CPI 1575 1500 Watt 12 Volt DC to 120 Volt AC Power Inverter Review
I purchased one of these last year to use in my boat. It worked great. Powered a 19″ LCD TV with it and other stuff. One of the things I really liked about it was the USB port. Used it for many items. However when I commissioned the boat this spring the 110v outlets would not work. The USB does. The Troubleshooting guide was worthless and referred to something I could not find on my Unit (a “Protect Indicator Light”). I called Cobra direct and they would only tell me that it needed to be sent in but I needed a receipt which I am having difficulty finding. I think I may be SOL but I may send it in anyway.
Cobra CPI 1575 1500 Watt 12 Volt DC to 120 Volt AC Power Inverter Feature
- 1500 Watts Continuous Power, 3000 Watts Peak Power
- Three grounded AC receptacles and 5-Volt USB output
- LED function/status meter
- Remote on/off capable for easy control when installed out of reach
- Two-year limited warranty
Cobra CPI 1575 1500 Watt 12 Volt DC to 120 Volt AC Power Inverter Overview
This inverter provides household power on the go. It converts battery power to 120 V AC household power, allowing you to power up office equipment and household appliances from your vehicle. This unit is ideal for such appliances as microwave ovens (1000 watts or less), coffeemakers, laptops, TVs, video game consoles, CD and DVD players, cell phone chargers, and more.
Power equipment and appliances from your vehicle. Click to enlarge. |
Great for automobiles, RVs, boats, tractors, trucks, and more. Click to enlarge. |
Includes three grounded AC receptacles and 5-volt USB output. Click to enlarge. |
How The Cobra Power Inverter Works
The Cobra power inverter is an electronic product that has been designed and built to take low-voltage DC (Direct Current) power from your automobile or other low-voltage power supplies and convert it to standard 115 volt AC (Alternating Current) power like the current you have in your home. This conversion process thereby allows you to use many of your household appliances and electronic products in automobiles, RVs, boats, tractors, trucks, and virtually anywhere else.
Cobra 1500 Watt Output Waveform
Some very sensitive electronic equipment might not operate satisfactorily on “square wave” or “modified sine wave” power. The output waveform of the Cobra Inverter is a “square wave” or “modified sine wave.” It is a stepped waveform designed to have characteristics similar to the sine wave shape of utility power. A waveform of this nature is suitable for most AC loads, including linear and switching power suppliers used in electronic equipment, transformers, and motors.
AC receptacles
With three ground AC receptacles, you can connect and power multiple devices at once.
USB Output
The 5-Volt USB output allows charging and operation of modern portable devices, such as iPods, BlackBerrys, and cell phones.
Remote On/Off Switch Capable
An optional Remote On/Off Switch can be connected to the Remote Jack, allowing you to turn the Cobra power inverter on or off from a convenient location when the inverter is installed out of reach.
Safety Features
The CPI 1575 will notify you with a flashing meter and alarm sound when there is a power problem, and will shut down for protection in the following situations:
- Current Overload Protection–If the inverter is overloaded, it will shut down to protect itself.
- Short Circuit Protection–If the AC output of the inverter is short-circuited for one second or more, it will shut down to protect itself.
- Low Voltage Protection–If the input voltage drops to 10.0V or less, the inverter will shut down to protect itself.
- High Voltage Protection–If the DC input voltage rises above 15.0V, the inverter will shut down to protect itself.
- Over Temperature Protection–If the internal temperature rises to 40 degrees C (104 degrees F), the inverter will shut down to protect itself.
What’s in the Box
CPI 1575 DC to AC Power Inverter, instruction manual
Available at Amazon Check Price Now!
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Customer Reviews
Love It! – Richard T. Sansom –
Absolutely no compalints with this inverter. After I installed it and turned it on, nothing happened. I have two other inverters of inferior quality to the Cobra and their fans run from the moment you turn them on until you turn them off. The Cobra only runs its fan when the draw is sufficient to heat up the unit. I haven’t heard the fan run since I bought it. Strongly recommend the Cobra brand inverter.
More Chinese junk. – Stephen A. Misel – Raleigh, NC
Extremely unimpressed! I ordered this product because my 7 year old WalMart inverter finally gave up the ghost. The only use I have for the inverter is to run a fan during outdoor events, like this weekend (4th of July) to keep the family cool.
I received this product, hooked it up to a fully charged 12 volt power supply and connected my (formerly) trusty Lasko 40-Inch Wind Tower Oscillating Tower Fan with Remote, which promptly made a loud buzzing noise and now refuses to power up, even on household AC. I’m guessing the “super clean modified sine wave” isn’t very super nor very modified. It took out something in the power supply or logic board on the fan. Rest in pieces, Lasko Tower Fan. It’s been nice knowing you.
I then connected a Stanley #655702 High Velocity Blower, like the ones you see drying carpets in stores after a leak. I ran this for two hours on high, and noted the “voltage” display on the inverter showed 11.8 volts input. I connected a NIST-traceable Fluke meter to the battery and noted the input voltage under load was actually 11.95 volts. So much for accuracy.
Interested in determining how many amperes I was drawing from the battery, I powered down the inverter and put my Fluke inline. At this point, the inverter determined the input voltage was too low, beeped continuously, and indicated an under-voltage on the display.
According to the manual, the inverter is supposed to indicate this alarm and refuse to operate below 9.5 volts. My battery, without load, was indicating 12 volts on the Fluke meter, and only minutes ago showed 11.8 volts under load on the inverter (and 11.95 volts on a “real” meter).
At best, I would never connect something important or expensive to this inverter after watching it kill my tower fan. It’s also quite obvious this inverter can’t be depended upon because of it’s inaccurate voltage readout and seemingly nonsensical undervoltage protection “feature”.
This is going back and I will pick something else up locally this evening. I’m just glad I tested the unit out before having the family rely on this piece of garbage tomorrow during the fireworks.
Be careful with this product. You’re playing with fire.
Ever wonder why this is the lowest priced 1500W inverter around? – D. Keesling – KY USA
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.
*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Jul 26, 2010 00:42:09