Battery Charging...boat or generator.

Status
Not open for further replies.

Nodak7

.
Sep 28, 2008
1,249
Hunter 41DS Punta Gorda, FL
Another electrical question! Here is what I have... I have a Hunter 41DS with two new 4D Batteries, approximately 400AH. I have not taken them her out for an extended run yet but we are about too. I carry a Honda EU1000i generator which has a battery charging plug but it says for "automotive type batteries". Not certain if this includes deep cycle. Also it is only good for 10a though. Here is my question.... which method is better. Should I try to charge the batteries directly from the Generator (it will take a long time) or plug the boat into the generator and let the boat charger charge the batteries? It seems the boats charger would be the better and faster way and that is the way I am leaning but I need some input from you all for reassurance and/or suggestions.

The Admiral hates to run the motor, or generator, for extended periods because of the noise.
 
Feb 26, 2004
22,759
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
The DC output will not charge your batteries in any meaningful way, 'cuz it's only 12 V. Higher voltage is needed to charge batteries.

Use the AC output and get an adapter wire from the 120V AC output to your shorepower inlet 30A plug and charge through your charger.

It'll also go a LOT faster to charge that way.
 
Mar 12, 2008
557
Jeanneau 49 DS San Pedro, CA
The only issue you may have is the demand on the generator from the charger. If your charger is set for 30 amps and tries to draw that from an EU1000, the generator will overload and the electrical output will shut down. Make sure you set your charger for the correct amps in from your generator and you should be fine.
 
Jul 1, 1998
3,062
Hunter Legend 35 Poulsbo/Semiahmoo WA
Listen to the Admiral !

You don't call her the Admiral for nothing! You want to go sailing more? A happy Admiral makes for a happy ship.

The EU1000i is a really nice generator and since you're on a lake as compared to salt water it shouldn't rust out too fast.

The best way to go if you must use the generator is, like Stu said, get an adapter and run the output from the generator's 110v side into the shorepower connection. Now I anticipate a problem:

The battery charger or inverter/charger you have will probably be too big for the generator and will kill it. As I recall, the maximum continuous output for the generator is around 33 amps and if the charger will take more it will kill it. Once the acceptance rate gets to 33 amps or lower then the generator will work fine.

What the Admiral might go for is a good solar panel charging setup. It is totally quiet, does not stink, no explosive and smelly gasoline to carry, will not be affected by future high gasoline prices, will not rust like the generator, no oil changing required, no trips to the fuel dock required, will not carbon up the ships engine with hours of idling, etc.
 

Attachments

Feb 26, 2004
22,759
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
The only issue you may have is the demand on the generator from the charger. If your charger is set for 30 amps and tries to draw that from an EU1000, the generator will overload and the electrical output will shut down. Make sure you set your charger for the correct amps in from your generator and you should be fine.
That 30 amps is DC.

But we don't know what charger he has, do we?

Some combined inverter chargers with Link 1000 or 2000 units can be set with the power share feature: http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,1474.0.html

Some math in Reply #24, here: http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,4394.15.html
 
Mar 12, 2008
557
Jeanneau 49 DS San Pedro, CA
That is true! However, the Power Share feature on my last two systems were always set by the input AC amperage.
 
Nov 6, 2006
9,884
Hunter 34 Mandeville Louisiana
The 7.5 ampere rating of the Honda 1000i is 900 watts which should support a 40 ampere batt charger .. but we don't know what charger he has.. Correct.. ya wouldn't want to be running anything else off the Honda or inside the boat while charging.
 

Nodak7

.
Sep 28, 2008
1,249
Hunter 41DS Punta Gorda, FL
I looked at the paper work and it says that the boat has a 50amp charger. No make specified.
 
Jan 22, 2008
8,050
Beneteau 323 Annapolis MD
In the Honda catalog it says the DC charging output is 8 amps. AC is 7.5 amps (900 watts). You probably cannot use your ship's battery charger on that- or get a smaller one as a second one. Your battery will charge faster if you can make use of the charger in the boat, rather than the one in the generator. You could keep the admiral happier if you got a 2000.
 
Jun 8, 2004
2,841
Catalina 320 Dana Point
I believe I'm getting the 2000 so the admiral can use her hairdryer in a couture emergency, the companion model of the 2000 has a 30amp outlet that I'd like to think will connect with a 30amp twist lock.
I find myself having to make more hot water also now that the admiral showers on board.
 

Nodak7

.
Sep 28, 2008
1,249
Hunter 41DS Punta Gorda, FL
Ted, I looked at the 2000 and I do not recall a 30 amp outlet on it.
 
Feb 26, 2004
22,759
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
Uhm, the point was (and is) that there are TWO different Honda 2000 units.
 
Jan 22, 2008
8,050
Beneteau 323 Annapolis MD
I believe I'm getting the 2000 so the admiral can use her hairdryer in a couture emergency, the companion model of the 2000 has a 30amp outlet that I'd like to think will connect with a 30amp twist lock. .
Yeah, get the 30-amp connector. A number of us bought through Wisesales.com , 800-916-9473. I doubt you can beat their price, delivered in 3 days.
 

Nodak7

.
Sep 28, 2008
1,249
Hunter 41DS Punta Gorda, FL
Ahhh I see now. I never realized that the "Companion" was not just another EU2000i. But from what I can see it takes 2 EU2000i's to get that output or am I missing something again?
 
Mar 12, 2008
557
Jeanneau 49 DS San Pedro, CA
Ahhh I see now. I never realized that the "Companion" was not just another EU2000i. But from what I can see it takes 2 EU2000i's to get that output or am I missing something again?
The Honda EU2000 has an AC continuous rating of 13.3 amps. There is a version of the EU2000 with a marine-style, 30 amp receptacle. But you are right that it would take two EU2000's to get close to 30 amps.
 

Rick D

.
Jun 14, 2008
7,131
Hunter Legend 40.5 Shoreline Marina Long Beach CA
My useage

The Honda EU2000 has an AC continuous rating of 13.3 amps. There is a version of the EU2000 with a marine-style, 30 amp receptacle. But you are right that it would take two EU2000's to get close to 30 amps.
FYI, I have used our EU2000 with my Freedom 2500 inverter/charger and Link 2000 control. What I do is set the power share at 20 amps. It is all it will take without tripping the breaker on the Honda if the batteries are down much at all. As far as the connectivity, it doesn't much matter. Just a 15 male to a 30 amp female adapter is all you need for the basic EU200 and it is very useful to have aboard anyway. The key is the draw from the charger, not the form of connectivity.

The only other time the EU2000 objected to the load is when I was heating water and pulling a small charge into the batteries, and my wife hit the microwave. Guaranteed to trip the breaker!
 
Nov 6, 2006
9,884
Hunter 34 Mandeville Louisiana
The "Companion" is so named because it is built to be companioned with another Honda 2000 and it can be the output hook-up for the 30 ampere twist lock .. It can be used alone and the 30 amp plug from your shore power plugs right in .. but ya get only 13 amperes instead of the 26 if you hook two Hondas together (Companion)
 
Jun 6, 2006
6,990
currently boatless wishing Harrington Harbor North, MD
So let me see if I got this right;
An EU2000 is a 2000 watt genset
2000 watts @ 120 volts would be 16.6 amps
2000 watts @ 12 volts would be 166 amps

a 50 amp @ 12 volts would be 5 amps at 120 volts

No way I fugure it would you be popping CBs using a EU2000 to drive a 50 amp charger. Sure if you try and heat water (typically 2000 watt heater) but you are only drawing 5 amps AC to drive the charger.

clearly I do not understand something. Is the EU2000 a 2000 watt genset?
 
Nov 6, 2006
9,884
Hunter 34 Mandeville Louisiana
The Honda is 2000 Watts MAX and 1600 watts continuous.. The best of the chargers are about 80% efficient, Bill, so 50 amperes at 15Volts for charging is 750 watts and with the efficiency loss, ya gonna need about 950-1000 watts of AC (8-9 amperes) to push the charger.. still in the range of the Honda 2000 as long as nothing else is running.. We don't know the efficiency of the charger but it is probably worse than 80%.. Interesting ..
 
Status
Not open for further replies.