Generators...Quiet and Where to Buy

Reeve · Post by **Reeve** » Mon Feb 16, 2004 1:52 pm

Hola,
I'm trying to find out from people with expereince using Generators and which kind they recommend? I would like a quiet one! Ive camped next to noisy ones before *gag* ....its my 4th year and I'm organizing my first theme camp "flying hands" its a visual camp so we need power for our dazzling visuals...

Any info would be helpful!

Reeve
Camp Flying Hands on the Playa

Reeve · Post by **Reeve** » Mon Feb 16, 2004 1:53 pm

I realize they are expensive to buy so I meant where to rent in the Bay Area.

Cheers
Reeve

nick · Post by **nick** » Mon Feb 16, 2004 9:03 pm

Hi Reeve,

I highly, highly, highly recommed renting a Honda super-quiet:

http://www.hondapowerequipment.com/gensup.htm

We've rented the EU3000 the last two years and it purrs like a kitten while pumping out enough juice to run a mid-sized camp with PA, lighting and all the trimmings... It also has a feature called "eco-throttle" so if you are just pulling a few hundred watts, it throttles down saving fuel and running even quieter and with less pollution. It's still nice to bring some soundboard to mute or channel the noise, but, IMHO, short of going solar this is the quietest (and most eco) way to go.

-nick-

precipitate · Post by **precipitate** » Mon Feb 16, 2004 9:09 pm

Rent the smallest generator you can for your power needs. I second the
recommendation for the Honda EU series - 1-3K are quieter than my car,
use little gas, and will run a small sound system and/or lights.

rodent · Post by **rodent** » Tue Feb 17, 2004 9:57 am

Third reccoendation for the Honda's. They're quieter than a car engine.

Wish they had larger fuel tanks though.

---
rodent (putting the eek in geek)

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Tue Feb 17, 2004 10:02 am

rodent wrote:Third reccoendation for the Honda's. They're quieter than a car engine.

Wish they had larger fuel tanks though.

/
If you run that little hummer 24. I for one woukd lead the lynch party.
It's a camping trip.

robbidobbs · Post by **robbidobbs** » Tue Feb 17, 2004 12:33 pm

unjonharley wrote:
rodent wrote:Third reccoendation for the Honda's. They're quieter than a car engine.
Wish they had larger fuel tanks though.
/
If you run that little hummer 24. I for one woukd lead the lynch party.
It's a camping trip.

Please sign me up for the lynch party. I work all day, and go to sleep at dusk. I wake up at dawn, and do it all over again. I need to sleep, so I live in the outskirts of suburbia. Try to find a campsite that is close-by other generator-users. Maybe you could pool your resources.

I'm all for having a beautiful light visual displays, but RV generators just piss me off. IT'S A FREAKIN' CAMPING TRIP!!

stuart · Post by **stuart** » Tue Feb 17, 2004 1:36 pm

for you, a freakin camping trip, for others, a wacky, blinky, boomy art festival. Many things to(o) many people. Some noisy and nocturnal.

III · Post by **III** » Tue Feb 17, 2004 5:55 pm

how come people can't properly punctuate fucking, camping, trip?

nick · Post by **nick** » Wed Feb 18, 2004 12:12 am

But I still feel your pain Robbi... One way around the run-your-generator-all-night issue is to buy a few deep-cycle batteries. They are relatively cheap ($80 for a burly 110 amp/hour battery) and used properly can last a looong time.

Last year, we would run the Honda when our camp was active -- PA and lights -- and then switch to a deep cycle battery, which ran marker lights and a few fluorescents, when we were ready to crash...

This does mean you have to bring another piece of gear -- a battery charger (to a camping trip no less!) -- but it give you a lot more flexibility.

Peacfully,

-nc-

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Wed Feb 18, 2004 10:48 am

Yeah... Honda... 137-Watt Marshalls with the heavy tubes... Fuzz Face... Cry Baby... permanent sustain, man... just don't tell Lucio we already pinned the dials at 8... gorblimey less la la rave more anything tinkie winkie dipsy trip...

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Wed Feb 18, 2004 11:04 am

Bob wrote:Yeah... Honda... 137-Watt Marshalls with the heavy tubes... Fuzz Face... Cry Baby... permanent sustain, man... just don't tell Lucio we already pinned the dials at 8... gorblimey less la la rave more anything tinkie winkie dipsy trip...

/
137watts?? I get 800 off my home made rig. Use it to pump up the battery.

Reeve · Post by **Reeve** » Mon Jun 28, 2004 4:35 pm

just to let ya'll know I scored a briggs and stratton 900w Gen off ebay and it significantly cheaper than Honda 1000i it runs nice and quiet too..has a 12V charger so Im set!

Cheers
Japhy

Reeve · Post by **Reeve** » Mon Jun 28, 2004 5:23 pm

I choose this over Honda because its cheaper and has a much bigger tank..1.2 Gallons compared to .6 for Honda....6.4 hours run time 2.4HP vs. 1.8 on Honda......and I am not running sound or anything big..just a bunch of lights and a projector...and an occassional margarita fix...it is a bit louder than honda but I think I can buffer it down a bit...

Cheers

Captain Goddammit · Post by **Captain Goddammit** » Wed Jun 30, 2004 9:42 pm

There's no way that Briggs&Stratton is in the same league of quiet as a Honda.

The Honda will draw fuel from an outside tank, fuel supply is not an issue. PM me and I'll send you pictures and info, for $50 you can have a no-moving-parts external fuel tank, without modifying the Honda.

It is just a fucking camping trip. One with lots of electrical stuff, all day and all night. I'll be bringing 4 Honda generators.

careacter · Post by **careacter** » Thu Jul 01, 2004 11:56 pm

I would highly recommend getting 2 Fire Extinguishers. My uncle blew himself up last month with a 1200. It over-heated and flame caused third degree burns on his arm and face. lucky bastard is healing nice.

plus as you know it will draw more heat than needed out there. just a cautionary word of advice.
:idea:

Captain Goddammit · Post by **Captain Goddammit** » Fri Jul 02, 2004 6:01 am

Oh yeah, hadn't thought about this in a while... You don't have as much wattage available on the playa as the unit claims. The playa is at about 4900 feet above sea level. You lose a few percent for every 1000 feet, due to less air available to the motor. The high temps also decrease power.
I'm just guessing, but I figure on roughly about 15% loss.

Tancorix · Post by **Tancorix** » Fri Jul 02, 2004 8:02 am

For every 1000 ft you gain in altitude, air density decreases by approximately 4.5 percent. In real world use plan on losing 3% of your power for every 1000 ft you climb.

Generators...Quiet and Where to Buy

Generators...Quiet and Where to Buy

Correction...

Honda super quiets are the best

Generator noise

Honda EUs are quieter than an RV...

Briggs and Stratton

capacity