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Post by jacktheripper1 on Feb 24, 2011 13:28:55 GMT -5
Hey all, apologies if this has already been covered elsewhere but I wanted to know how people have fared with generators or even with power inverters plugged into a portable car battery starter?
I wanted to know what kind of style and wattage would be appropriate for what I want to do. And if it is a generator you used, how quiet was it?
Things I want to keep running for about 4-5 hours during the night:
-Small set of 50 clear X-Mas lights instead of those battery powered Coleman lantern
-Small computer speakers to hook up Blackberry and play music (not annoyingly loud, just for us to hear)
Things I want to keep running for about 4-5 hours early morning before heading to centeroo:
-Medium floor fan, something bigger that can move more air than a tiny little battery powered one
-Recharge a Blackberry cellphone, and AA batteries for camera
A small 1000 to 2000 watt generator is what you want to look for. Please look for a Honda EU series or Yamaha EF series. That and <5 gallons of gas you will be able to power all what you mentioned for the weekend.
Make sure to bring a chain and lock to secure the generator and gas when not at camp.
The item that will draw the most is the fan. The above generators will be more then enough to power up a two to three fans.
Look at your local Craigslist for a: Honda EU1000is Honda EU2000is Yamaha EF2000is Yamaha EF2400is
With the inverter you will be limited to how much battery you have...
There is a comprehensive thread for calculating the amphr battery meeded for various uses but I can never find anything using the "seach" function.
Basicly any battery will power small xmas lights as they take min. amps. I use an old lawn tractor battery for this. Things with moving parts or heat elements like fans and coffe makers take much more power and will run a battery down quickly. And certain electronic need a true sign wave inverter to not damage the circuitry (though I'm not sure which.)
Also a deep cycle battery (marine) will last many times longer than a regular car battery.
The size inverter you will need for instantaneous power is easy to calculate as
Wattage of appliance used = Voltage x amps
so anything that normally plugs in the wall outlet Watts = 120 X amps (found on the label)
so 3 amp fan would need a 360 watt inverter minimum but allow for some loss due to ineccincy so 400W or 450W just for a small fan. Small Xmas light usually less tha 0.5 amps for a couple strings.
This does not tell you how long the battery will last. That is calculated as follows
For the 3 amp fan = 360 wats divided by 12 volt battery = 30 amps
So a 300 amp hour battery would last 10 hours at best ( likely more like 7)
Post by Mr Blue Sky on Feb 24, 2011 14:41:55 GMT -5
I'm bringing a Honda EU2000i this year. I plan on using it almost exactly for the things you listed, except I'll have 2 floor fans and most of us will have desktop fans in our tents as well to try and increase sleep time in the mornings.
It's the one of the quietest generators out there (50-60db) and I'll have it buffered between cars, so am hoping it won't be too bothersome.
If you are looking for a less expensive generator take a look at Champion.
I have seen some at some of the NASCAR races we go to, mind you they are not Honda but acceptable for use at a festival.
They are available at Tractor Supply for $299 Granted this is the 3500 watt model that will provide more then enough power even if you have a RV.
I think the question is noise. I'm bringing my 5k portable Gen, but I will only use it after 9 in the morning when I have the espresso machine and toaster oven out. Likely I'll run Christmas lights off of the trucks power inverter, starting it a few times a day to keep the battery at top charge. I also have a portable start battery I could use to jump it off, or I can always rely on neighbors.
But the big question with gens is the noise level. Don't want to crank up a 3.5 or 5k Gen up at 7 am when people just got to sleep an hour before.
If you are looking for a less expensive generator take a look at Champion.
I have seen some at some of the NASCAR races we go to, mind you they are not Honda but acceptable for use at a festival.
They are available at Tractor Supply for $299 Granted this is the 3500 watt model that will provide more then enough power even if you have a RV.
I think the question is noise. I'm bringing my 5k portable Gen, but I will only use it after 9 in the morning when I have the espresso machine and toaster oven out. Likely I'll run Christmas lights off of the trucks power inverter, starting it a few times a day to keep the battery at top charge. I also have a portable start battery I could use to jump it off, or I can always rely on neighbors.
But the big question with gens is the noise level. Don't want to crank up a 3.5 or 5k Gen up at 7 am when people just got to sleep an hour before.
I didn't think sound would be that much of an issue. Some people, including me, like to sleep with a constant humming noise like a fan. A generator would be similar, just louder.
