Generators

A place to discuss all things involving power and technology (including cameras). Generator tips, alternative energy, lighting your camp/bike/art/self, sound systems and more.
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Captain Goddammit
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Post by Captain Goddammit » Fri Mar 20, 2009 5:24 pm

doktorrandom wrote:Anyone have experience in hooking up three EU2000 gennies? Seems like three of em in tandem would allow only running one with minimal loads like morning battery charging, and two or three as you approach dinner and other high powered entertainment times. http://durationpower.com/store/index.html Are three quieter on the playa than one open frame type? Research continues.
Yes. I have run three and four in parallel. And I've run two and three Honda Eu's of different sizes (1000, 2000, and 3000) all together successfully too.

Your plan of running one and starting up the second and/or third as needed is exactly what I do.

I frequently run two EU2000s (both here in the real world and at BM) when one will hold the load because I find that two idling is more pleasant to listen to than one throttled up.

Don't buy the overpriced parallel connection kit. The "parallel operation ports" on the Hondas are simply connected directly to the power outlets. All you have to do is make a double-male extension cord to connect a pair through the regular outlets, or even set yourself up a nice junction box with two (or however many) cords with male plugs and whatever outlets you want. I made myself a box with a standard home-style 15-amp outlet and a 30-amp RV outlet. I bought cords sold as power tool replacement cords from Home Depot to feed it from the Hondas.

While you're at it, follow these simple instructions and make yourself an external fuel tank so you have all the running time you want and you don't keep spilling gas all over your generator every time you fill it: http://ilynne.com/captaingoddammit/
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Weebdog
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Post by Weebdog » Fri Mar 20, 2009 6:30 pm

The difference between a 13.5K AC and 15K AC is the difference for the need of 3000 watts and 4000 watts of power respectively. When I bought a trailer with a 15k AC I had to upgrade my genny from a Honda 3000 (which I ran the 13.5K AC) to 2 Honda 2000's. The nice thing about those is - the 3000 genny weighs about 140 lbs, and each of the 2000's - 46 lbs, much easier to handle and pack. Also if you aren't going to run the AC then you can run just one of the 2000's, saving fuel.

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Sail Man
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Post by Sail Man » Sat Mar 21, 2009 4:02 pm

Weebdog wrote:The difference between a 13.5K AC and 15K AC is the difference for the need of 3000 watts and 4000 watts of power respectively. When I bought a trailer with a 15k AC I had to upgrade my genny from a Honda 3000 (which I ran the 13.5K AC) to 2 Honda 2000's. The nice thing about those is - the 3000 genny weighs about 140 lbs, and each of the 2000's - 46 lbs, much easier to handle and pack. Also if you aren't going to run the AC then you can run just one of the 2000's, saving fuel.
Oh, for the love of dog! :shock: I get sticker shock from 1 eu2000, 2 will done make me a goner :D
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sambojones
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Post by sambojones » Fri Jun 12, 2009 9:27 am

anyone have any experience with this generator from ETQ I can't seem to find any reviews for it, other units from this manufacturer seem to get decent reviews but it varies from model to model. At 60 db it seems relatively quiet compared to some of the louder units. At almost half the price of a honda eu2000 it seems pretty tempting should I go for this or shell out for the honda. All I would want to do with this thing is to be able to run a small $100 ac unit from walmart for a few hours in the morning so i can sleep in and maybe a little bit in the afternoon for a nap, which this should do without too much strain. one of the things that draws me to this unit is that sams club also sells it for about $50 more than amazon and sams club in the past has taken back anything that I haven't been satisfied with as long as I had my receipt ( just in case it breaks).

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gyre
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Post by gyre » Fri Jun 12, 2009 10:02 am

I'd buy the Honda, because I bet I could get it fixed.
Probably way quieter too.

If you care, see if anyone can fix that thing or get parts when you need them.

How does the voltage quality compare?
Does it really produce enough power?
The 3500 watt chinese generator I'm using doesn't produce 3500 watts.
It produces 3000 watts.
Does it really even do that at rated voltage?
I don't know.

crstophr
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Post by crstophr » Fri Jun 12, 2009 2:05 pm

Last year I brought a noisy as hell coleman generator to recharge the deep cycle batteries and run the AC. I only ran it in the late afternoon and never at night but it was still obnoxious. I built an enclosed baffle box in advance but out on the playa it quickly cause the genny to overheat and pop the circuit breakers.

After more research I discovered this article:

http://www.alpharubicon.com/altenergy/gensetquiet.htm

This is my plan for this year. According to this guy welding up a small automotive muffler makes a huge difference and it will allow my to pipe the exhaust upward. I had been waiting for an excuse to buy welding gear anyway. I may also use a 3 sided box to direct more sound upward and I'm hoping that the combination will help significantly.

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EB
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Post by EB » Fri Jun 12, 2009 3:14 pm

crstophr wrote:This is my plan for this year. According to this guy welding up a small automotive muffler makes a huge difference and it will allow my to pipe the exhaust upward. I had been waiting for an excuse to buy welding gear anyway. I may also use a 3 sided box to direct more sound upward and I'm hoping that the combination will help significantly.
If this were my *first* welding project (as the post reads to me) I wouldn't want to be attaching a muffler to a gennie by way of an internet DIY video.

Here's a thread on the topic:

http://eplaya.burningman.org/viewtopic. ... ht=muffler

Maybe Cap'n Goddamit'll weigh in... he's good that way.
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unjonharley
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Post by unjonharley » Fri Jun 12, 2009 3:53 pm

most small egines have a threaded exhust port.

as on the little tractor i m bring this year.

i plan to elbow up 6-8 feet then muf it.

what ya think??

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Captain Goddammit
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Post by Captain Goddammit » Fri Jun 12, 2009 6:47 pm

EB wrote:
crstophr wrote: Here's a thread on the topic:

http://eplaya.burningman.org/viewtopic. ... ht=muffler

Maybe Cap'n Goddamit'll weigh in... he's good that way.
OK here's me weighin' in...
I went and read that page. The guy claims that with a car muffler on it, his Briggs & Stratton-motored generator is WAY quieter than a Honda. I call bullshit!
I have welded car mufflers on Briggs & Stratton gennys before. I even ran the exhaust into a garbage can full of water. They're still noisy... the noise isn't all coming from the tailpipe - the engine just radiates noise. He doesn't specifically say WHICH Honda generator he's comparing; Honda makes loud ones too. I had a Honda EM-series genny (it was lighting up the Big White Whale from '02 if you remember it) and it was so loud I sold it as soon as I got home! Only the EU-series are quiet.
If you already have a B & S powered genny and are going to bring it, the muffler will help.
I'd suggest getting a long piece of flex pipe and running the exhaust into Unjonharley's camper.
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unjonharley
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Post by unjonharley » Fri Jun 12, 2009 7:15 pm

Captain Goddammit wrote:
EB wrote:
crstophr wrote: Here's a thread on the topic:

http://eplaya.burningman.org/viewtopic. ... ht=muffler

Maybe Cap'n Goddamit'll weigh in... he's good that way.
OK here's me weighin' in...
I went and read that page. The guy claims that with a car muffler on it, his Briggs & Stratton-motored generator is WAY quieter than a Honda. I call bullshit!
I have welded car mufflers on Briggs & Stratton gennys before. I even ran the exhaust into a garbage can full of water. They're still noisy... the noise isn't all coming from the tailpipe - the engine just radiates noise. He doesn't specifically say WHICH Honda generator he's comparing; Honda makes loud ones too. I had a Honda EM-series genny (it was lighting up the Big White Whale from '02 if you remember it) and it was so loud I sold it as soon as I got home! Only the EU-series are quiet.
If you already have a B & S powered genny and are going to bring it, the muffler will help.
I'd suggest getting a long piece of flex pipe and running the exhaust into Unjonharley's camper.


B&S and Coleman gennys are synonamus with shut that damn thing off. And put a muffler on the Capt.

ps you going to drag that silly boat to BM this year?? I'll be serving Jim Jones cool aid on the same corner as last year.

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gyre
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Post by gyre » Fri Jun 12, 2009 7:47 pm

The chinese generator has already had failure of the on/off switch.
A part that should never fail.

crstophr
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Post by crstophr » Mon Jun 15, 2009 3:38 pm

Actually this coleman generator has a 7HP Subaru engine. My ears are mostly hearing the exhaust noise so it'll be interesting to see what remains when it's properly muffled. The frame itself is on rubber wheels and stops if that helps... After that I'll be surrounding it with a 3 sided plywood box with an open top.

As to this being my first welding project... well... I'll read up and experiment on scraps first for sure but, hey, if I didn't jump into new things head first I'd never learn anything good, and I sure wouldn't have made it to BRC for the first time last year. :P

I'll report back later on how it all went. Please wish me luck.

--Chris

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Captain Goddammit
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Post by Captain Goddammit » Mon Jun 15, 2009 6:05 pm

I'd like to encourage you to go fire up a welder and have at it! That's how I learned. Your ability to make and fix stuff will be exponentially greater when you're able to weld. You'll be glad and you'll wonder why you didn't do it years ago.

Toolmaker started the best thread ever about learning to weld, and it has tons of great links to instructions and videos. Sit down and read up a bit, it's great stuff!
http://eplaya.burningman.org/viewtopic. ... learn+weld
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gyre
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Post by gyre » Tue Jun 16, 2009 5:10 pm

Does anyone have a good method for adding oil to a generator?
Some type of dispenser with a very narrow tip is called for, so you can see the oil level.
Any suggestions?
I'm using a 2 0z syringe I just happen to have, but I don't know if it will survive oil.

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gyre
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Post by gyre » Tue Jun 16, 2009 5:23 pm

unjonharley wrote:most small egines have a threaded exhust port.

as on the little tractor i m bring this year.

i plan to elbow up 6-8 feet then muf it.

what ya think??
The chinese generator has a specific bolt on manifold.

I would try a test fit to see if it helps first.
As long as you allow enough flow, you should be fine.
Larger mufflers are better except for bass resonance due to larger pipes.

Any thoughts as to type of muffler?
Include a flex joint if possible to avoid transmission of noise through the system.
This allows very flexible mounting later too.
Leave enough pipe after the muffler ( 2 feet or so) unless you have so much overkill, it makes no difference.
A pulse breakup device can be made to use anywhere in the system before the muffler.
This helps all mufflers work better.
Usually similar to a suppressor on a rifle.
Use a larger pipe than than the flow.
Mount discs in the pipe with a hole in the center the size of the exit and entry pipe.
That's it.

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unjonharley
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Post by unjonharley » Tue Jun 16, 2009 7:00 pm

gyre wrote:Does anyone have a good method for adding oil to a generator?
Some type of dispenser with a very narrow tip is called for, so you can see the oil level.
Any suggestions?
I'm using a 2 0z syringe I just happen to have, but I don't know if it will survive oil.
turkey baster. no tool box should be without one..

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gyre
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Post by gyre » Tue Jun 16, 2009 7:25 pm

Thanks.
Great idea.

sambojones
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Post by sambojones » Mon Jun 22, 2009 5:09 pm

I just bit the bullet and spent the extra for a honda eu2000i. Got a brand new one off ebay used a coupon code ebay sent me and combined it with the bing.com cashback and got mine for $780 with shipping and no tax. This seems like the best deal I've been able to find for a brand new sealed box so far so maybe some of yall can do this as well if you get the ebay coupon the bing.com cashback is open to everyone.

Sam
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ibdave
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Post by ibdave » Mon Jun 22, 2009 5:11 pm

sambojones wrote:I just bit the bullet and spent the extra for a honda eu2000i. Got a brand new one off ebay used a coupon code ebay sent me and combined it with the bing.com cashback and got mine for $780 with shipping and no tax. This seems like the best deal I've been able to find for a brand new sealed box so far so maybe some of yall can do this as well if you get the ebay coupon the bing.com cashback is open to everyone.

Sam
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sambojones
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honda eu2000i god damn this thing is quiet

Post by sambojones » Wed Jul 08, 2009 9:00 pm

ups dropped off my honda eu2000i today and after firing it up this was definitely the right choice this thing is crazy quiet my dad and I were able to talk in normal voices while standing right next to it and had no problem hearing each other. Thanks for the advice and thanks captain goddammit for posting how to make an auxiliary fuel tank I just ordered the tank now so I can put one together. :D
does this water taste like raspberries or am I still fucked up...oh wait it's raspberry flavored water

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Bold
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Power Gen Model HDy6000LXB

Post by Bold » Mon Jul 20, 2009 11:58 am

We got a busted generator so we're looking at options. I've notice a glut of these in the Seattle area. I suspect because they're junk, but has anyone had any experience with them?


Power Gen Model HDy6000LXB
http://seattleweekly.backpage.com/Elect ... id=1875682

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