$399 quiet 2000W generator

[sonofasailorsailing]

Looks exactly like mine

I bought a 3000 watt model and it looks exactly like your picture. I have used it since the July 4th lighted boat parade. Runs like a champ, uses little gas, quiet. Our model is a bit heavier than the 2000 watt unit but it works great. The only thing I can find, well different, is the owners manual is a translation and sometimes that translation is a bit awkward.

 

[Buck2796]

Don,

100amps (DC) = ~1300watts.. that would require over 200 of the little 6w panels Caleb referenced. And, at $85 for this 6w panel, that's a per watt cost of about $14/watt.I've been researching cost/watt for flexible solar panels on the internet & about the most reasonable price per watt that I have been able to find in a flexible panel that might be useful on a boat and deliver a meaningful output is something like... $5/watt ..http://www.infinigi.com/unisolar-pvl68t-watt-field-applied-roofing-laminate-p-51.htmlThese panels deliver 68watts (about 5 amps/hr) at a cost of about $5/watt.Yes; they are for rooftop application and measure 16" x ~9'; but they are light weight, can be rolled up when not in use, and produce reasonable output for a good price per watt. I'm thinking of putting two of them up on my bimini while at anchor. Two panels would supple about 10amps x ~6-7 hrs of productive sunlight for about ~60-70 amps(DC) per day. Not enough for the entire daily DC load, but a sig. percentage of it at a reasonably decent cost per watt. Anyone found any panels that are a better cost/watt buy ? ?

 

[Tim]

Thanks for all the input....

....The mooring that I will be on in the summer is far from a "quiet anchorage". The sound from the band at the beach bar will drown out the generator easily. I can easily support my needs while anchored out over the weekends but need something to bring my batteries up to charge afterwords. I tend not to do a lot of motoring and would rather have the wear and tear on a generator than the boat motor.Solar is certainly attractive but my preliminary research is telling me that in order to put together a system that will work for more than just a maintenance charge it would be significantly more expensive. Don't get me wrong, I'm not cheap but I do have an annual "budget" that I really try to stick to and I am also having my dodger rebuilt this year. Tim

 

[Landsend]

Tim, If it works for you, it just may...

be the correct solution for you're needs. Keep the generator you bought and update us on how well and how long it lasts. Perhaps with bit of luck, you can prove all these Honda snobs wrong. Good Luck.PS I own a Honda, but if there is something out there cheaper and just as good...I'd like to know.

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

Maine Sail

Sent you a message offline in response so as to not drag this further off topic.

 

[ruedi ross]

My experience with cheap chinese stuff

has not been good. I have bought a few cheap tools, generators, whatever from Harbor Freight, Pep Boys, etc. and end up throwing them away and buying good stuff. I've learned my lesson, never again. I also don't appreciate generators running on other boats for hours on end. I have an outboard for motoring that doesn't charge the batteries at more than 6 amps so I run a Honda EU1000 and a 40 amp charger when I am motoring to charge my batteries. You can't hear the generator over the outboard and it's a moving target so it doesn't bother others.

 

[Dog]

Two much noise not much information

Please! any one with some real information please reply. I would like to by a small cheap quite generator for the few times I anchor out.PS I wold have solar cells if I only need power for electronics. My frig, Frezer and auto helm need daily feeding. Running engine for 2 hours or a generator are the only choices.

 

[Dennis W.]

Generators and solar

I lived on my boat in Cat Harbor, Santa Catalina Island for 6 months. Ran 12v fridge/freezer 24 hours per day. Ice, Ice cream, frozen food storage and cold beer. 35 amp hrs per day for air cooled cold machine after changing/modifying the interior of fridge. Enclosed condensor with 1/4" starboard and 3/8" foam board with removable top. Freezer temp about 10 F reefer 38 F. Run cycle 15 minutes per hour. Ran Honda eu1000 2 hours per day to power 40 Amp 2 bank guest charger. Provided all boat electrical requirements. Can be duplicated with 100w solar panel in summer but requires up to 300w solar during winter months. Yes, we sail 12 months per year is SoCal.RegardsPopeye, S/V Fullsailed

 

[sailortonyb Allied Mis]

Dog....run engine

When it comes to generators, you can not use 'cheap' and 'quiet' in the same sentence. Your engine will be a whole lot quieter than a cheap generator. Besides , if you have a diesel engine, it would be a good thing to use up the fuel on a regular basis. When you run your engine, you are charging batteries, making hot water, charging your refrigereration system and doing your engine and fuel system a good deed. Thats what I do.Tony B

 

[Rick9619]

Tim, one last thought on a generator

As always which is not all bad, this thread got twisted into the great learning curve here. Solar, barnacles.. etc. But did anyone go and check it out? I did. Yep, its a Honda, Kipor knockoff. It comes with a warranty and I wouldnt be suprised if the muffler, spark plug, feet all cant be purchased stock from Honda or Kipor. We are talking one third of the cost. If the inverter goes out, yep bummer, but for 400 bones, I bet you cant replace the one in your Honda for that. And having spent a lot of time downwind on a can in Catalina, I much prefer a little gas to the smell of a diesel idling away at 1600 rpm clogging the piston walls. From what I have read here, that is not good for a diesel. Our water stays warm to hot for about 6 hours too after running the engine. It actually seems like a reasonable buy for Tim's application. If I hadnt got a smoking deal on a 2000 Kipor, I think I would spec it. Get the pigtail, and plug it in to shore power. Ignore the reverse polarity light and enjoy.The peanut gallery

 

[Benny]

Hey good for you.

For that price I don't think you could have done much better. At 60 lbs is no lightweight as I think the Honda 2000 weighs in at 46 lbs. With oil and a full tank of gas you are probably looking to exceed 65 lbs which may hinder its portability. It may seem they favor the use of cast iron over aluminum so protect against rust because of the marine environment. One thing I like about the Honda 2000 is that it will continue to run under a thunderstorm; check the waterproofing characteristics of that unit. At a mooring for battery charging it will prove invaluable but you may want to consider leaving it aboard. Good luck and let us know about your experience.

 

[sailaway78]

Generators

If you do not run a fridge, or AC, you can more than likely get by without a gen set. A fairly large house bank, say 300ah or so, would more than likely run all boat systems for two to four days. But if you want to run a fridge, or AC, even for a weekend, you are going to need something to recharge batteries. My personal preferance goes towards a wind generator. The newer wind units are pretty nice, and at 400 watts will keep up if fairly light winds. The solar panels large enough to manage a fridge are just way over the top,price wise, and only have the potential to work at all during daylight hours. An engine driven compressor for a fridge is probably the slickest answer, assuming the box is very well insulated. I think on TonyB's boat, an hour a day, possibly two, would keep both the fridge and freezer with acceptable temp ranges. You can also charge batteries at this time. If you want to run a AC all weekend, about your only choice is some kind of gen set.

 

[George16803]

Rick from San Diego, you bring up a good point

Will the reverse polarity light always come on if you plug a genset into the shore power inlet??? Is this dangerous? Can it ruin electronics or, even worse, cause a fire?George

 

[Landsend]

Ton B You're also clogging you're exhaust.

nm

 

[Rick Sylvester]

If you're running a generator in a quiet anchorage

don't assume that just because your neighbors aren't saying anything to you that you aren't disturbing the peaceful setting. Actually, we ARE "letting live" as we quietly endure the drone. The little Hondas, et al, are wonderful little devices but being considerate without someone speaking up is appropriate.I'm with Maine Sail, what on earth are some of you guys running that requires 2 hours of charging every day? Down here in Florida we typically go three days on our two Shell 100's before needing to run the diesel. That includes refrigeration, radios, tv, lots of halogen lights and more. I know the shallower light up north will reduce capacity but I'd bet we could still get by with engine charging every other day.Another thing that will help the whole charging frequency scenario is the size of the house bank. Increasing capacity here will reduce charging time and frequency compared to a bigger charging device (generator, whatever) since for a given amp/hour load the charging will spend a proportionally longer time in bulk mode.To each his own I know but I'd go insane if I had to listen to ANY internal combustion engine for two hours a day, whether it's on my boat or someone elses.FWIW, this is a GREAT thread and I DO like reading everybody's take on things. I hope I didn't piss anyone off . .

 

[Capt Ron;-)]

Right Rick!

Further, ABYC has quite a few true life storys compiled of folks dying from CO poisening not from their own vessel but from a boat close by with a breeze bring the carbon monoxide aboard.One kid died while in his head, he had zero emissions on his own vessel, but the CO came from a generator of another boat. It crept up the SINK DRAIN!

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

which is worse?

Rick makes a good point about consideration in an anchorage but this also further confuses my choice. It seems to me that either way, engine vs generator recharging, something has to be run every day or two to recharge the batteries. If that assumption is correct, the issue seems to me to be which is the least offensive - running the engine with it's noise plus the harmful effect of the engine operating at no load or the generator with it's noise but no adverse engine degredation. If I look at it in terms of only noise, my 52 HP Yanmar creates far more noise than the Honda would. I'm not sure how others can argue the Honda genset noise is offensive while ignoring the equivalent (or worse)noise from their engine which also can disturb neighbors with both noise and diesel exhaust smell.If my logic ic correct, it appears to me that based on either engine wear or noise "pollution" considerations, a small relatively quiet genset would be the least offensive option both to me and our anchorage neighbors.

 

[Capt Ron;-)]

Angst

Rick, you will undoubtably 'piss' some off no matter what you write, but the truth stands on its own merits, could save someone's life.There are those that are spring-loaded to critique anything posted, fortunately they are few, but don't post yer home address...

 

[Capt Ron;-)]

Diesel or solar panels

Don, a diesel, while NOT perfectly safe either, is much safer as for CO than a gas generator which is what these mates are talking.I used solar only for five years, but that was mainly in the tropics.

 

[Rick9619]

George, the reverse polarity

Will come on. And I looked and looked back through the archives for the very excellent explanation as to why you get the reverse polarity light and I cant friggin find it. However the gentleman says yes you will and it wont be brightly lit like when you do a lamp test but the light will be on when you connect the pigtail off the portable gen to the boat through shorepower. IT does not hurt your electrical system. I took his advice and ignored it. My set up is 4 six volt and a 2500 watt inverter/charger. I have a Kipor 2000. When generator is connected, the inverter works just as it does with shore power. Wish someone else could find the explanation. And Rick, concur... how can you need two hours of charging every day? Tell the wives to leave the hairdryers at HOME! Benny great thought about waterproofing. May be its achilles heel?Still looks like a good buy.Cheers