I have to report a lousy experience with Xantrex electronic equipment that really has me steamed!!!   I put in a Xantrex XS400 Sine Wave Inverter and an XC500 Battery Charger when I wired up the panel and ER.  It took a further 30 months for me to get the boat recommissioned and after the sea trial the charger lasted three days before crapping out, and the inverter survived about six months.   

Tom: Although I suspect many would disagree, I've been thru the expensive units and  agree with Steve. We're now into our seventh year of full time live-aboard cruising, and have found that sooner or later most things electrical fail, regardless of cost. I've had terrible Xantrex support issues similar to your own and just don't use them at all anymore. For inverters and chargers, and I separate them out, I use cheap truck units. The inverters are not expensive pure wave sine units, but as Steve has pointed out, they run most of the things we want/need to use anyway. And, when they fail, which they will, it doesn't break my heart or pocketbook to replace them. Try to locate units out of the weather as much as possible, and you might consider conformal coating when you purchase. If not available, you can spray the boards and electrical connections with a good non-corrosive contact coating. Cheers! Michael  sv Infini W-43  www.svinfini.blogspot.com

Yeah...I think Mark is spot on about the Guest charger.

Fellows, I really appreciate all the feedback and suggestions.   Xantrex is trying to tell me that it was probably a lightning strike, but that's rubbish.  Nothing of the sort at the times the units failed (months apart) , and nothing else on the boat was affected.   I'll definitely look into the units you all recommended.  -Tom

Hi Tom , my installation is very simple, I just plug it into a cig. port that I mounted in my switch panel . Then plug in whatever I'm going to use . The Whistler 200w is small , It could be mounted behind the panel , but it is so easy to just plug it in . I think that I don't really understand your question  that it would have anything to do with shore power. A friend of mine has a large inverter that when he disconnects from shore he then turns on the inverter and all his 110v plugs are working. If that is what you are talking about .  My set up has nothing to do with shore power or my 110v circuit . Also I respectfully ask the question why would you want to get the 800w unit ? Obviously you want extra power . But if all you need to run is the stuff you mentioned earlier , the 200w does a good job . As for the switches and transformer you are talking about I don't know. The only switch the 200w has is a on off switch . That probably didn't help much but It's all I got .