Difference between "super quiet" and "quiet&q

[Dork]

I'm trying to figure out how to power a whole bunch of lights on my art car. I have access to a Honda EU1000 generator, but believe it or not I'd like more power than that so I'm looking at 2000 and higher watt models.

There seems to be a few levels of generators - there's the ultra quiet ones like the Honda EU and Yamana inverter models. There's the ultra loud Coleman, etc. Then there's ones inbetween from Honda and Yamaha in the 67-73 db range. Is that effectively a huge jump from the Honda 58-60db? Since it's running lights, it would be at load the whole time and wouldn't be able to take advantage of the fact that the inverter models are quieter when load is lower.

It's on a car with minimal space available for sound proofing. It would basically be under a passenger bench.

[Badger]

It's on a car with minimal space available for sound proofing. It would basically be under a passenger bench.

Don't know much about them Honds but I do know a thing ot two about RTGs http://www.seds.org/spaceviews/cassini/rtg.html. Maybe we can work out an exchange.

[Captain Goddammit]

I've tried many generators, have gone strictly to Honda super-quiet eu1000 and eu2000 sets.
Do you remember the huge Whale mutant vehicle from '02? It had my Honda "medium' loud em2500 on it, and it was too goddamm loud! It was claimed by Honda to make 69 db. A 10 db jump is about twice as loud.
People would say things like "How long are you going to run that?" whenever I used it.
Get the quiet one, you won't be sorry even though they costa lotta.

Loud ones aren't a good deal at all, they put out 0.0 watts when you can't stand to run them.

[Dork]

Argh.. the board chopped the word "generators" off the subject line! Bastard.

Hey Badger.. maybe if I used enough radioactive material the car and passengers themselves would glow enough that I wouldn't even NEED lights? That would be cool. I'm sure most people would survive at least long enough to get some good pictures.

[sgrunspa]

Then there's ones inbetween from Honda and Yamaha in the 67-73 db range. Is that effectively a huge jump from the Honda 58-60db? Since it's running lights, it would be at load the whole time and wouldn't be able to take advantage of the fact that the inverter models are quieter when load is lower..

short answer, 3db difference is twice as loud. 10db difference is 10 times as lound, and a 60db differnece is 1 million times as loud.

So jump from 60 db to 67-73 humungo loud.

Long answer, the decibel is logrithmic raito of pressures P2/P1 where P1 a reference pressure. (log base 10). The log scale is set with a P1 where 1db is at the edge of human hearing, and 100db is at the edge of pain tolerance, with 115 db being the point your head explodes-give or take.
I've used those little honda's the 1Kwatt one, and it is really quiet, but it is really expensive. But it is really quiet. Quiet will gain you friends at BM whereas money is only good for sushi (not at BM).

[Captain Goddammit]

Well we're both correct, depending on how you look at it.

"When audio signal level is increased 3 dB, the signal power has doubled. The human hearing does not work linearly and that 3 dB does not sound to be twice as loud. The PERCEPTION of twice as loud corresponds to considerably more than twice the total acoustic power. Typically literature states that 10 dB increase of sound level is heard as "twice as loud". While it may not be exactly 10 dB, that's a reasonable figure."

source http://www.epanorama.net/documents/audi ... table.html

[robotland]

The Honda extra-quiet models impressed me, for damn generators. A lot of arts-and-crafts-fair participants use them to power displays, with a minimum of surplus noise.

[dman]

Yes.

You might want to see:

http://www.hondapowerequipment.com/Mode ... ame=EU3000

I run ours at 25% load for a few hours each day to recharge batteries (50 amps at 12 volts works out to around 600 watts at 120 volts; a bit of loss here & there).

At 49db with that load some of the folks in our camp last year didn't even know it was there.

[Tancorix]

I've been working on generator shielding ideas for months now and have tried everything from making boxes made of homosote and lined with rockwool to using motorcycle mufflers, you name it, i've likely tried it. And i'm ordering a Honda EU2000i and saying enough.

You spend the money, and in this case you certainly get what you pay for. Consider it a long term investment and go buy the Honda.

[Captain Goddammit]

Send me a PM and I'll send you pictures and info about how to make a no-moving-parts, no-modifications-to-your-Honda setup to draw fuel from an outboard boat motor gas can. Then it will run all day and/or night without refueling every 5 hours or so. Costs about $50 to do, buying everything new.
Also can fill you in on making your own parallel cable to link 2 sets together. Honda wants $250, you can do a better one for less than $50.

[masks]

I've always liked having the generator with batteries for backup - and quiet time.

I recharge the batteries when the generator is on and have an invertor so I can power my lights from the batteries.

This gave the option of running the generator for an hour or so, then leaving if off for a few hours so I can enjoy the pretty lights without the noise.

[Captain Goddammit]

Here's my external fuel tank setup for Honda EU1000/EU2000 generators. This will give you all the run time you want, and eliminate spilling gas all over your hot generator.
http://www.ilynne.com/captaingoddammit/