Honda Generator - EU200i

Chris Martinson · April 05, 2007, 05:40:00 PM

This is great info - thanks

For the pig tail - I assume you are just using one outlet off the generator. Does anyone know the dimension of the height inside the port lazarette on the MKI's? Sounds like it won't fit there.

Thanks

Chris

Mike Vaccaro · April 07, 2007, 06:02:02 AM

You'll only use one outlet--the pig tail has a standard 15 amp plug and a 30 amp female adaptor. You may already have one for your shore power system...We have a 1000w unit, and it fits upright in the lazarette. Believe that the 2000w unit is slightly larger.

Cheers,

Mike

Chris Martinson · April 07, 2007, 07:30:07 AM

Mike and Ron - do you know the draw on your battery charger - I'd really prefer to get the 1000 since it fits in the cockpit lazarette but I'm concerned that it won't have enough power for my charger which is a Xantrex true charge - says draw is 8.5 amps and 12 amps under full load (shouldn't really happen)...am I doing something wrong...THANKS

Chris

Ron Hill · April 07, 2007, 09:46:19 AM

Chris : I have a Xantrex Truecharge 20amp and on the battery monitor I see the 12 to 15 amps are going to thru the batteries. This is with the fridge running and some other small DC items also ON. I have 3ea group 31 batteries.
Think that you'll be happy with the Honda 1000, I am. It's quieter, lighter, uses less fuel and stores nicely - as compared to the 2000.

Ted Pounds · April 07, 2007, 10:15:28 AM

Chis,
Make sure you don't confuse power (watts) with current (amps). The two are only related for a given voltage. So when the charger is putting out 20 amps at 14 volts it's only putting out 280 watts which is significantly below the 1000 watt capacity of the generator. At 110v the generator is only putting out about 2.5 amps to produce those 280 watts. Bottom line: I think Ron is right, the 1000 Honda will work nicely.

Ted Pounds · April 07, 2007, 10:29:29 AM

The basic formula, by the way, is power (watts) = volts times amps. Now I'm sure there is some power loss in the battery charger so (for example) the charger may have 300 (or more) watts going in to put out 280 to the batteries. The excess is lost in heat. That's why they have those big aluminum cooling fins on the sides of the charger. Still plenty of excess capacity with the 1000 watt model.

Terry Forshier · April 09, 2007, 10:47:07 AM

I have had mu 2000 Honda for over a year. It powers the AC and then some. It also will likely turn on your reverse polarity light. Many posters on this list have concerns about this when I posted it however, Honda assured me that it is the result of the way honda 's inverter system works. I purchased the larger unit to run the AC at anchor here in SW Florida. The wife loves it.

Terry Forshier · April 09, 2007, 10:48:36 AM

PSSST< best price I have found is Mayberrys. do a google search. Terry

Larry Robertie · April 09, 2007, 11:41:42 AM

Quote from: Terry Forshier on April 09, 2007, 10:47:07 AM
The wife loves it.

Yep, that's certainly a driving factor at times!

By the way Stu, I tried getting up to the boat this weekend to take pictures but that was a no-go. I'll try next weekend.

Larry Robertie · April 14, 2007, 04:46:43 PM

Stu,

Finnaly! Got some hours on the boat today, and took these two pictures.

Basically, the generator attaches to the transom via the pig tail, with an extension cord. I've not settled on the best place for the generator, but I think just forward of the mast is looking good. The extension would then run down the deck.

If you are in a boat yard with an AC plug this set up, minus the generator, works very well. Just plug into the nearest outlet and you have juice in the boat.

From the stern the AC just flows through and activates the Xanttrex charger, keeping those batteires topped off.

Stu Jackson · June 25, 2007, 09:29:50 AM

Terry's had some problems with his generator. He reosolved them and reported it here: http://www.sailboatowners.com/forums/pviewall.tpl?&fno=21&uid=73200280089&sku=2007176083235.62

He wrote: "Honda 2000 generator update
Last month I reported my Honda 2000 iu generator would not run my battery charger or AC at anchor and it just quit on me and would not staret. I also said my charger went KaPut. Both have now returned to me the generator had a bad carborator and had to be replaced. It runds like a champ now but took awhile to find out the problem at the dealer. I guess they seldom have break downs. The battery charger was relplaced under warranty. I have no idea what the problem was there. I just went out and ran the Honda for an hour with the AC on and house bank on. Charger worked fine as did the AC and all outlets tied into it throughout the boat. So ??? go figure?? I guess it was the generator. I have a Catalina 34 witha FLagship marine 16500 ac unit. Seemed to cool right down. AHHHHH It only had about 20 hours on the generator but was purchased in 2004 after "Charlie came through this area. > Honda gave some credit for that lack of use. Thought some of you wanting to know if these units will power your AC and the boat. For me ..yes "

Ken Juul · June 25, 2007, 10:00:57 AM

I normally have mine on the Fore deck. I hook the pigtail, the yellow cord in Larry's first picture to the Honda, then connect the pigtail to the shore power cord for the run to the shore power inlet. Bigger wires for better current flow and one less cord to find a place to stow.

Ron Hill · June 25, 2007, 06:16:01 PM

The shorter/heavier the wire the better!!
I take my 30amp pig tail and connect it to a 6'(?) 12gage premade dryer cord and run the Honda on the port side walk way. (The 30amp boat connection is on the side port cockpit side for most MKIs w/o a walk-thru transom)
That way we close the 3 port side cabin openings and leave all else open.
The Honda also sets on a "scrubbing kneeling pad" to additionally dampen any vibration. A thought

Larry Robertie · June 26, 2007, 05:34:21 AM

By the way, we set up the generator a few weeks back on a trip down to Scituate. The admiral tried using her hair drier. What a riot! every time she hit the power switch on the drier the eco switch turned off and the generator revved. At one point she had it sounding like a Harley reeving at a stop light. Won't be doing that again, in close quarters at least.

John Langford · July 08, 2007, 10:08:30 PM

Hi Folks,
Very useful thread. I am about to put down my money for a Honda 1000. But before I do, I want to be confident that the start up ac amperage demand of the standard battery chargers (ProMariner 20 which I presently have, Charles 20 or Xantrex 20, one of which I will purchase shortly) would not exceed the 7 amps ac available from the generator. I can't find any hard information in the available battery charger technical specs on ac amperage demand at start up and normal operation. Do chargers spike at start up? Does anyone have any solid information on this point?