Giandel PS-1200JCR 1200 Watt 12V Pure Sine Wave Power Inverter
Giandel PS-1200JCR is 1200 Watt 12V power inverter with pure sine wave output and is suitable for powering sensitive electronics, home appliances, and other electric loads in off-the-grid situations.
Giandel PS-1200JCR comes in a rather robust aluminum casing and features an intelligent cooling system and a wired remote control switch, making it also suitable for mounting on permanent or semi-permanent positions near inverter batteries.
Published: February 22, 2021.
Giandel PS-1200JCR Features and Specifications
As its label suggests, the Giandel PS-1200JCR is rated at 1200 continuous watts and 2400 peak watts. It features two 120V AC ports with pure sine wave output (less than 3% THD - Total Harmonic Distortion) and one USB 5V 2.1 Amps port, making it suitable for powering various AC devices and for charging smartphones, tablets, cameras, drones, and other tech devices. Giandel PS-1200JCR maximum energy efficiency is ~90%.
Physical dimensions of the unit are (L x W x H) 11.2 x 5.5 x 3 inches (~28.5 x 14.0 x 7.6 cm) and it weighs 5.4 pounds (~2.45 kg).
Casing is made of durable aluminum alloy, and is rather resistant to mechanical impact - just don't test it! :)
Also, the casing is designed to increase passive cooling as much as possible - when mounting the unit, it is recommended to mount it in a well-ventilated area, away from direct sun exposure.
Giandel PS-1200JCR come with several protective features, including:
- Input over-voltage shutdown: 16VDC±0.5V
- Input low-voltage alarm: 9.8VDC±0.3V
- Input low-voltage shutdown: 9.5VDC±0.5V
- Over-heat protection: 149±9°F (65±5?)
- Over-load protection: 1300W
- Short circuit protection
The nominal voltage input of the Giandel PS-1200JCR is 12 volts, but it will accept anything from 9.8 - 16 volts (lower and upper voltage thresholds).
Giandel PS-1200JCR features an intelligent cooling system that saves the battery power - the cooling fan is turned on only when the internal temperature reaches 104°F (40°C) or external load reaches 40% (480 watts) of the rated power (1200 watts).
The back panel of the unit features a Cooling Fan inlet and DC inputs. The front panel features AC output ports, a USB charging port, a grounding terminal, an LED display with indicator lights (input voltage, output power), a power button, and remote control interface.
The remote controller is wired and comes with ~15 feet (~4.5 m) of cable and it allows the user to control the Giandel PS-1200JCR remotely. Also, the remote controller comes with indicator lights, allowing the user to check the unit's condition directly on the remote controller.
In order to connect the Giandel PS-1200JCR with the battery, the unit comes with two thick 2 feet (~61 cm) cables with pure copper ring terminals - connecting inverters with batteries using alligator-type clips is not recommended for 500-600 watts or stronger inverters, especially if they are going to operate for a longer period of time.
The thickness of the cables depends on their length and anticipated current strength.
Note: Giandel PS-1200JCR is very simple to use and maintain inverter. But, when it arrives, be sure to check the Owner's Guide (manual), especially the recommended cables' lengths and thicknesses chart.
Giandel PS-1200JCR power inverter comes with an 18-month warranty.
Recommended Batteries for Giandel PS-1200JCR Power Inverter
Giandel PS-1200JCR is a very versatile pure sine wave power inverter and can be used in various situations.
It can be powered by deep cycle battery (or battery pack), but also, it can be powered by a truck or car battery, in which case, it is very important not to deplete the car/truck battery too low, or the battery will not be able to crank the car/truck - it is even recommended NOT to leave the power inverter turned On (with no load) when the car/truck engine is turned off (no-load current of the Giandel PS-1200JCR is in the 0.7-0.9 Amps range).
For short, use a 12V deep cycle lead-acid or lithium battery or battery pack in order to power Giandel PS-1200JCR.
For example, if the Renogy 12V 200Ah AGM RNG-BATT-AGM12-200 battery is being used to power the Giandel PS-1200JCR inverter that powers 60-inch LED TV (~100 watts) with a good sound system (additional ~100 watts), the Giandel PS-1200JCR inverter must provide ~200 watts continuously.
This also means that the battery must provide:
P(W) = 200 watts /0.9 = ~222.2 watts
According to the official constant power discharge chart, a new, fully charged Renogy 12V 200Ah AGM battery is able to provide ~226.2 watts for 10 hours with a voltage drop down to 10.5 volts.
If the load on the inverter is increased, let's say, it must provide 700 watts, the battery must provide ~777 watts.
Again, according to its constant power chart, the Renogy 12V 200Ah AGM RNG-BATT-AGM12-200 battery can provide 778.8 watts for 2 hours, but with the voltage drop down to 10.2 volts.
Note that Renogy 12V 200Ah AGM is a BCI Group 4D battery and it is anything that small and lightweight battery.
In order to prolong the runtime, larger batteries (or battery packs) may be used and by using the lithium batteries, one can keep the weight low.
However, if You do need a reliable power source in the 1000 watts class for a longer time, it is also possible to use the 1000-2000 watts inverter generator to supply AC power directly, or it can be used to keep the deep cycle battery charged, while the AC power is being provided by the Giandel PS-1200JCR power inverter.
Long Story Short: Giandel PS-1200JCR is a pure sine wave inverter that is suitable for powering various home appliances, tools, and sensitive equipment. Its inverter battery (or battery pack) must be properly dimensioned according to the required operating time and anticipated load.
Smaller loads can be powered using common car/truck (preferably dual-purpose) battery, but for all other situations, large, deep-cycle lead-acid or lithium-ion batteries are recommended.
For more reviews and recommendations, feel free to check Giandel PS-1200JCR 1200 Watt 12V Pure Sine Wave Power Inverter Amazon link (link opens in the new window).
