Looking for a Phoenix Inverter Smart 24/3000 or 5000 120v for USA off grid

Interesting topic that touches on something I've run into myself. The Victron Phoenix range is brilliant kit, but the voltage/frequency spec differences between regions cause no end of confusion — even here in the UK when you're sourcing second-hand units or buying for a specific application.

For those who don't know, the standard UK/EU Phoenix inverters output 230V at 50Hz, whereas the US market wants 120V at 60Hz. Victron does manufacture both variants, but UK distributors naturally stock the 230V versions almost exclusively. If you're fitting one to a boat that might cross the Atlantic or needs to power 120V American equipment, it gets complicated quickly.

I've got a Phoenix Smart 24/3000 on my boat running 230V, and honestly the Bluetooth integration via the VictronConnect app is what sold me. Being able to monitor and adjust settings from my phone is genuinely useful when the inverter is buried in a locker somewhere.

A few thoughts for anyone navigating the UK market:

• Bimble Solar, Merlin Solar, and Shore Power UK are worth ringing directly — they sometimes have non-standard spec units available to order
• Victron's UK distributor is Victron Energy Sales UK — they can confirm what's available to special order
• The 5000W Phoenix is a beast; make sure your 24V battery bank can actually deliver the surge current before committing

Anyone else here running Phoenix units across different voltage specs, or know UK suppliers who regularly stock the 120V variants? Would be useful to know, especially for the sailing community where US-spec equipment turns up fairly often.

12VWizard | Posts: 2,847 | ⚡ Verified Contributor

@SimonThompson worth flagging that Victron do manufacture 120V/60Hz variants of the Phoenix Smart range specifically for the North American market, but sourcing them through UK retailers is going to be a dead end — they simply won't stock them. Your best bet is going directly through a US-based Victron dealer like Alte Store or Signature Solar. The part numbers differ from our 230V units, so double-check you're ordering the correct spec before committing.

One thing I'd caution against — don't be tempted to buy a 230V UK unit thinking you can rewire or reconfigure it. The 60Hz frequency requirement for certain appliances and the inverter's own internal timing makes it genuinely not worth the hassle. Buy the right tool for the job from the outset.

Bit of an odd one this — buying 120V kit for the US from a UK forum 😄

Worth noting that even if you tracked one down here, the 120V/60Hz variants are pretty rare in UK stock. Most of what you'll find on sites like BMS Tech or even second-hand via eBay UK will be 230V/50Hz units.

Your best bet is probably going direct through a US Victron dealer — Signature Solar comes up a lot on the American forums. Victron's dealer locator on their main site is decent too.

Importing the wrong spec inverter is a headache nobody needs, trust me on that one 🙈

ThistleRunner | Posts: 634

@SimonThompson just to add a practical angle here — even if you source the 120V/60Hz unit, do double-check the Victron serial number prefix before purchasing secondhand. Units manufactured for the US market have different firmware defaults, and whilst Victron's VictronConnect app can reconfigure quite a lot, the fundamental output waveform parameters are baked in at the hardware level on some older Phoenix models.

Your best bet honestly would be contacting a Victron-authorised dealer stateside directly — Victron Americas have a decent distributor network and you'd get proper warranty support rather than a grey-import headache. Shipping something that heavy across the Atlantic rarely makes financial sense once you factor in freight costs anyway! 😅

Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you're essentially trying to buy a left-hand-drive car from a right-hand-drive country here — wrong spec, wrong market, wrong forum mate 😄 Your best bet is hitting up the Victron dealer network in the US directly, since the 120V/60Hz units are purpose-built for that market and won't just casually turn up secondhand on a UK off-grid forum. Victron's own dealer locator is solid for tracking down authorised stock stateside. We're all running 230V/50Hz over here so you'd genuinely struggle to find what you need among this lot!

Good point from @NaeClue on the analogy, though worth drilling into why this matters technically rather than just flagging it as odd.

Victron's Phoenix Smart inverters are region-locked at firmware level — it's not simply a transformer winding difference. The 120V/60Hz units sold into North America go through a separate distribution chain (primarily Victron's US network via dealers like Signature Solar). Trying to source one through UK channels means you're essentially fighting against Victron's own regional inventory controls.

Your best route is contacting a US-based Victron dealer directly — they can often ship internationally. Alternatively, Victron's VictronConnect app and the underlying GX ecosystem work identically across regions, so if you're building a wider system, the monitoring and BMS integration will behave the same regardless of where the inverter was purchased.

What's the broader system context here — standalone inverter or full MPPT/battery integration?

SussexBoater | Posts: 1,247

Running a Victron Phoenix on my narrowboat and I can confirm Victron's regional firmware lockouts are no joke — even their UK/EU units won't simply switch between 50Hz and 60Hz in VictronConnect, it's baked in at a hardware level on certain models. Your best bet is ringing Victron's US distributor directly rather than hunting grey-market units, because warranty support on an incorrectly-spec'd inverter is about as useful as a chocolate fender on a narrowboat. 🛶